Every strand of hope the USC Trojans had of winning Saturday night at Utah came because of the generosity of their hosts.
Michael Pittman Jr.’s 34-yard touchdown catch, as stirring as it was, wouldn’t have happened if two Utah defenders didn’t let the ball fly past their hands into Pittman’s behind them.
Jay Tufele’s 48-yard rumble down the sideline for a fumble return touchdown, as awe-inspiring as it was, wouldn’t have happened if Tyler Huntley didn’t lose control of the ball on John Houston’s sack, or if the ball didn’t bounce perfectly into Tufele’s hands.
After those two plays gave USC an improbable two-touchdown lead, the Utes stopped being so giving, and they further exposed the Trojans’ inability to manufacture consistent offense while methodically churning out yards themselves.