LOS ANGELES — Utah quarterback Troy Williams needed 3 yards to give the Utes an upset victory over the USC Trojans, but was tackled short of the goal line on a 2-point conversion with under a minute to play. The failed attempt gave the Trojans a 28-27 victory in an important South Division matchup.

Utah took a 21-7 lead going into the half but allowed for a 21-point unanswered comeback by the Trojans to knock the Utes out of the game. USC quarterback Sam Darnold proved his talent as one of the best quarterbacks in the country, beating Utah’s defense on time-eating drives, including a 98-yard drive to start the Trojans' come-from-behind victory and another 93-yard drive.

The following are three takeaways from Utah’s second-straight loss of the season.

The second half

It was a tale of two halves for both teams as Utah started out the game hot, while USC was turnover prone and struggled to gain momentum at home. But the tables turned in the second half as Utah struggled to get its offense and defense gelling and USC looked like a team worthy of its No. 13 ranking.

Utah’s defense played well for much of the half, but couldn’t get a stop on the much-needed third downs, allowing for the Trojans to extend drives and ultimately score touchdowns for the comeback. USC was 6-of-8 on third downs in the second half, with many for big gains, including a 17-yard touchdown pass from Darnold to Tyler Petite to cut Utah’s lead to seven points.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham attributed the second-half woes to USC starting to make plays, but Utah stalled on offense and struggled to gain any momentum, particularly in the run game, which was so effective in the first half. Running back Zack Moss finished the night with 141 yards on 20 carries, averaging 7.1 yards per carry, but only got seven touches in the second half.

Moss said the difference in the second half was partially because he didn’t get any touches, which is a valid point considering his effectiveness in the first half. The USC defense did a better job of keying in on Utah’s run game, but Moss was given few chances to explore the opportunities.

It’s the second week in a row that Utah abandoned the run in the second half after having success. The run game is not a cure-all for the Utah offense, but it’s a component that needs to be present should Utah want to mix up its offensive opportunities.

Troy Williams at quarterback

Williams has taken the bulk of the criticism for Utah’s losses over the last two weeks. It’s a natural response given how diverse and exciting the offense operated under sophomore Tyler Huntley. And while there are fair takes on both the pros and cons directed toward Williams, he bounced back from a poor performance against Stanford and had USC on the ropes. Few quarterbacks can rally a team as a backup and have a lead in a hostile environment like the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The only play anyone will remember about this game is the two-point conversion attempt, and it’s here that Williams will take the bulk of the criticism. The play was intended to be a play-action pass with a rollout from the tight end — Harrison Handley. But USC locked up Handley, leaving Williams with few options in his mind to get a play off.

For Williams, it was him or nothing for the two-point conversion to be a success. This is not a bad decision given that the quarterback needs to do what he can to get points. Unfortunately for Williams, the criticism comes when he failed to keep his eyes downfield to see a wide-open Darren Carrington in the back of the end zone.

It’s easy to judge Williams and say he made the incorrect read, but it’s a hard thing for a quarterback to see all the field in a pressure situation with the game on the line. Still, there is merit in the criticism toward Williams failing to look downfield to see a wide-open Carrington. In fact, it’s one of the biggest differences between Williams and Huntley, who is always looking downfield to extend the play.

Injuries killing the Utes

Utah is a team that is close to being one of the best in the Pac-12, but injuries at the key positions are really starting to become evident for the Utes. Of note, Utah is dealing with injuries with Huntley, Kylie Fitts, Bradlee Anae, Chase Hansen and its two tight ends. Although injuries can’t be the sole reason for Utah’s losses, it’s obvious how much these players mean to the team.

Utah has drastically improved its depth at all positions, but it’s obvious Utah still needs to improve the players behind the so-called stars of the team. At least Utah has guys like Marquise Blair on the defense to continue to highlight some of the players that are emerging this season.

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