Utah, BYU are both in dire need of offense to chase USC, Texas Tech

The formulas are the same.

Score, baby, score.

Both Utah and BYU have crucial matchups this weekend against Southern Cal and Texas Tech. Both the Utes and Cougars will need a display of high-level offensive execution in order to prevail.

At the Coliseum in Los Angeles, the Utes face the defending Heisman Trophy winner in Caleb Williams, a guy who is asking for a share of the NFL franchise that ends up drafting him. His offense is explosive and he’s the type of mobile quarterback the Utes tend to struggle to defend. The trouble with USC, however, is the Trojan defense can’t stop a shadow with a million-watt spotlight.

USC’s defense gave up 48 in a loss to Notre Dame last week and 41 to Arizona and Colorado while allowing 28 points to Arizona and San Jose State. It’s a matador defense, whisking a blanket in front of opponents as it yields points.

Utah’s offense may have its struggles this year but the Ute defense is capable of inflicting some major stoppage on Williams, hitting and chasing him. In the last meeting, he limped around the field after the barrage inflected by the Utes.

USC is averaging 47 points a game and the way Notre Dame beat them is by forcing five turnovers. Utah will need to do the same and even hope for a pick-six and scoop and score fumble from its defense in order to win.

Kyle Whittingham needs to continue that defensive onslaught while managing to score at least three touchdowns and a pair of field goals and he’s got the win. If Utah’s offense cannot muster enough yards and points against one of the worst defenses in the country, it will be a long trip home from Los Angeles.

“We’ve got to generate more explosive plays. It’s hard to grind it out now like we’ve been doing and the passing game’s got to be much more productive,” Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig told reporters this week.

He’ll need big plays out of QB Bryson Barnes and huge gains from Ja’Quinden Jackson and Sione Vaki.

Related

• Do bowl prospects for both Utah and BYU hinge on a win this week?

• Receivers Kody Epps, Keanu Hill holding themselves accountable for offense’s struggles

• Can Utah’s offense keep pace with USC?

The Cougars’ dilemma against Texas Tech at home is kind of the same recipe.

Where BYU managed just 11 points in an embarrassing loss at TCU during a sleepwalking exercise last week, facing the Red Raiders calls for a point-chasing act to keep up.

The question is, can BYU’s offense, which is struggling to convert third downs because of failures on first and second, find some consistency to mount multiple scoring drives per quarter?

BYU’s defense needs Aaron Roderick’s offense to stay on the field. With mounting injuries to the secondary and the loss of leading tackler, linebacker Ben Bywater, defensive coordinator Jay Hill could use help from the offense so they don’t have to defend so many plays from the Red Raiders’ run-and-shoot offense.

Corner Kamden Garrett, who did not play at TCU, is expected to return and that will help Hill’s ability to play press coverage.  Also, Roderick could get UNLV transfer RB Aidan Robbins back on the field.

BYU still can’t run the ball effectively after six games. A solution, even after a lot of work and design, isn’t surfacing. But there are ways to stretch a defense from sideline to sideline without the run and it involves short passes, screens, use of the tight end, and perhaps the old Norm Chow/Doug Scovil toss sweep.

The fact BYU QB Kedon Slovis is a pocket passer and not as mobile as Zach Wilson or Jaren Hall, which limits what Roderick can do. Using RPOs with a pocket QB is a defense’s dream to defend. Slovis needs his surrounding cast to play elite-level or the Cougars will struggle to score a couple of touchdowns again for a second week.

These games with Utah and BYU against formidable opponents brings a sense of urgency to both coaching staffs. These are big games, must-wins.

Utah needs to beat USC heading into huge clashes with Oregon and Washington. BYU has been very good playing at night and having the energy from the LaVell Edwards Stadium crowd this Saturday cannot be wasted, especially with trips to Texas and West Virginia and battles with Iowa State and Oklahoma State coming up.

This Saturday is a recipe for tremendous wins or some sad faces and second-guessing in both camps.

On paper, both BYU and Utah should lose; they can’t score enough to win.

This week’s picks:

• Ohio State 31, Penn State 28.

• San Jose State 27, Utah State 24.

• Alabama 37, Tennessee 34.

• Oklahoma 42, UCF 21.

• Cincinnati 21, Baylor 17.

• Texas 42, Houston 24.

• TCU 28, Kansas State 21.

• Oregon 42, Washington State 31.

• Washington 37, Arizona State 7.

• UCLA 27, Stanford 24.

• USC 34, Utah 28.

• BYU 31, Texas Tech 28.
  Last week 6-5; Overall 61-22 (.734).