The game was on the line, and as it would turn out, the Pac-12 South division was on the line too. USC was playing at Utah last year on a chilly, rainy Friday night. USC had the ball on Utah’s 37-yard line, up by three points in the final minutes. It was fourth and three.
USC coach Clay Helton made a decision that would ultimately cost USC a shot at the Pac-12 championship. He opted against giving his offense a chance to put the game away. He sent on the punt team.