Utah

Utah State at USC: How to watch, listen to or stream the game

Published

2 years ago

September 7, 2024

Press Room

Utah State at USC: How to watch, listen to or stream the game

Utah State (1-0, 0-0 MWC) at No. 13 USC (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)

Kickoff: Saturday, 9 p.m. MDT
Venue: LA Memorial Coliseum
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: KZNS 1280 The Zone
Series: USC holds a 6-0 advantage over USU all-time. The most recent game — played in 2016 — was a 45-7 win for the Trojans.
Weather: Clear skies with temperatures in the low 80s at kickoff.

The trends

For Utah State: The Aggies are 1-0 following a 36-14 win over Robert Morris in their season opener. Utah State started slowly against the Colonials but rallied from a first-half deficit for a convincing win. USU finished with 646 yards of total offense — 343 passing and 303 rushing — which was tied for the ninth-most yards in school history.

For USC: The Trojans are 1-0 following a thrilling 27-20 win over LSU in Las Vegas. USC, now ranked No. 13 in the country, was led by quarterback Miller Moss who threw for nearly 400 yards (378) and a touchdown, completing 75% of his pass attempts. More importantly, the Trojans appear to have discovered defense again, under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. USC held LSU to 421 total yards of offense, including only 117 rushing yards.

What to watch for

Self-inflicted wounds.

If there was one thing the Aggies struggled with against Robert Morris it was correctable mistakes.

USU turned the ball over three times — all interceptions — and all three were preventable. The first, a Spencer Petras interception, was the result of wide receiver Jalen Royals falling on a timed route. The second, another Petras interception, happened when a Robert Morris defensive back jumped a route, with USU wide receiver Otto Tia a little slow to get to the spot. The third and final turnover, an interception by backup quarterback Bryson Barnes, came on an aggressive heave just before halftime.

It wasn’t just turnovers, though.

The Aggies were also highly penalized, many of those coming at inopportune times. USU finished with 10 penalties for 105 yards and had multiple promising offensive drives cut short by holding along the offensive line.

Then there were the big plays allowed by the defense.

On the whole, USU was much improved defensively in its season opener, as compared to the end of the 2023 season. USU shut out Robert Morris in the second half, limited the Colonials to only 362 total yards of offense and held RMU to an average of 4.9 yards per carry and 7.8 yards per reception.

Where the Aggies messed up was only a few key sequences. A play action pass in which a cornerback lost sight of a tight end. A screen pass where multiple Aggie defenders took poor angles and missed tackles as a result.

Those miscues, plus a couple more, were why Robert Morris put any points on the board at all.

Clean up those three areas — turnovers, penalties and big plays allowed on defense — and the Aggies go from a team that struggled, briefly, with an FCS opponent to the kind of team that could be a threat to just about anyone.

Of course, USC isn’t just anyone. The Trojans are one of the more talented teams in the country — ranked in the top 15 by 247 Sports — and with the defense appearing dramatically improved, USC will be a significant challenge.

Key player

Southern California wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) avoids a tackle attempt by LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. (7) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Las Vegas. | Steve Marcus

Zachariah Branch, USC wide receiver: The Trojans have no shortage of skill position players that can make a real impact, but chief among them may be Branch. Not only for his skills as a receiver, but also for his impact as a punt/kick returner.

There may not be a better returner in the country than Branch, who was a first-team All-American as a true freshman in 2023 (returner specialist), the first in USC history. The numbers speak for themselves.

As USC’s return specialist, he recorded 442 yards on 24 kickoff returns (18.4 avg.) with a long of 96 yards and a touchdown. He also recorded 332 yards on 16 punt returns (30.8 avg.) with a long of 75 yards, with another touchdown.

Branch is the type of player who could break the game open with a single run, making it all the more important that the Aggies — especially punter Stephen Kotsanlee — keep the ball out of his hands.

“That is (our) No. 1 priority, right? That is probably the fastest player in the country,” USU interim head coach Nate Dreiling said. We need Elliott Nimrod on kickoffs to be booting it like he was (against Robert Morris). Making sure that ball is out of the end zone and they can’t return it. And then Stephen and the rest of the punt team needs to be on point. He (Branch) is such a phenomenal player and they do a good job, not just on special teams. When the defense is on the field you have to eliminate his touches. He can take (one) whenever he wants). We have to be on point.”

Quotable

“I think it is never about your opponent. Whether you are playing Auburn, or SC or the Dallas Cowboys. As long as you are getting better and are focusing on what you have to do to be successful you’ll always have a chance. We need to slow the game down a little bit, capitalize on some turnovers and force them into some bad throws. Ultimately if we have the right mindset we’ll be fine. I’m looking forward to the world seeing what type of team is going to come out and be resilient. It just has to be the second-half team we saw. We don’t have time to do the first half deal, we have to come out swinging.” — Utah State coach Nate Dreiling.

“They’ve obviously had some coaching changes and turnover but looked like they handled that well and really settled in and played a good first game, especially in the second half. … (Bryson Barnes is a) really good player. Obviously we know. Got to see him last year. They (Utah State) have some really good skill position kids around him. Were very productive offensively in their first game.” — USC coach Lincoln Riley.

Next up

Utah State: vs No. 11 Utah; USC: at Michigan

Utah State schedule

Aug. 31: Utah State 36, Robert Morris 14
Sept. 7: at USC (9 p.m., Big Ten Network)
Sept. 14: Utah (2:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
Sept. 21: at Temple (TBA)
Sept. 28: Bye
Oct. 5: at Boise State (TBA)
Oct. 11: UNLV (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
Oct. 19: New Mexico (2 p.m., TruTV)
Oct. 26: at Wyoming (5 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
Nov. 2: Bye
Nov. 9: at Washington State (TBA)
Nov. 16: Hawaii (1 p.m., Spectrum Sports)
Nov. 23: San Diego State (1:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
Nov. 29: at Colorado State (TBA)

All times Mountain Time zone.

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3 Utah students chosen for honor ensembles in national music festival

Published

6 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

3 Utah students chosen for honor ensembles in national music festival

SPANISH FORK — Three very talented Utah high school musicians get to show their talents at a national music festival.

Palmer Brandt, 16, from Maple Mountain High School, said music speaks for him.

“Music is a way for me to communicate what I feel without having to put it into words and I think it’s an easier way for me to do that than actually talking,” he said.

Brandt and two other high school students from Utah — Jack Hales, 18, of Herriman, and Tanner Brinkerhoff, 16, of American Fork — were chosen to be part of the Music For All National Festival, which hosts the top student ensembles from across the country. The students traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana, on Tuesday before enduring three long days of rehearsals to be ready for a performance on Saturday.

Brandt and Hales will be performing in the Honor Band of America, which is described by the festival as the “nation’s finest student concert honor bands.” Brandt was chosen as the only baritone saxophone player in the band, and Hales is one of the trumpet players.

“It’s a little bit scary, but also pretty cool. It’ll be really exciting to play with a lot of other really good musicians and be able to get straight to like tackling the expressive part of the music rather than just focusing on notes and rhythms,” Brandt said.

Hales said it was both surreal and exciting when he found out he had been accepted into the band. He had applied after learning about the band from someone he knew who had done it the previous year.

“I was a little nervous before going because I had a little bit of imposter syndrome, but once I got here, it felt real and exciting,” Hales said Thursday after a day of rehearsing. “Preparing was difficult because the music was very foreign to me. All the songs were so difficult, which I am not used to.”

The students in the bands were given the sheet music for the performance last month, but they knew they would only have three days to practice with the band in person once they got to the festival.

“It’s some of the hardest music I’ve ever played, it’s stupid hard actually. I’ve been looking at it a ton and trying to learn all these new things. Being able to go and play with the best kids in the country is going to be such a great experience,” Brinkheroff told KSL before arriving in Indiana.

Brinkerhoff was chosen to be part of the Jazz Band of America, dubbed “one of the top honor ensembles for young musicians in the nation.”

Brinkerhoff is the alto saxophone player for the band, but is also bringing a soprano saxophone, a clarinet and his flute to Indiana as some of the songs he has to play other instruments.

He got the email saying he had been accepted to the Jazz Band of America on Christmas Eve.

“I was super happy and started calling all my friends … it was like a little Christmas present,” he said.

Brinkerhoff said he was excited to go, but also “scared out of my mind” to perform with some of the best musicians in the country. But he also said it’s an honor to participate in such an advanced performance.

“Especially with the jazz band, Utah isn’t really a music state … it’s mostly like on the East Coast. So representing Utah, I get to tell everyone that Utah does have players and you can actually do stuff in Utah,” he said.

Hales agreed, saying it feels awesome to represent Utah’s music programs.

“Not only to show others how good I am as a player, but how good Utah is at making competent, professional-level musicians,” Hales said.

Despite knowing a week full of hourslong rehearsals and a challenging performance awaited them, the students were so happy to show off their skills and do what they love.

“Performing has always been a musical thing that I really like. I’m not a dancer or a singer or anything, so I feel like playing my instruments actually substitutes dancing or singing, it’s like another way to express (myself),” Brinkerhoff said.

Hales said he loves music because there is so much nuance that can make it hard to understand, but once you do, “it becomes one of the most powerful things you have.”

“Music has history, emotion, movement, creativity and sound, which make it just as, if not more, powerful than speaking,” Hales said.

The students’ parents couldn’t be prouder of their children. Matthew Brinkerhoff said it has been a “whirlwind,” but he just thinks it’s amazing his son gets to participate in the festival.

Kara Brandt said she is so happy her son has found his own way to communicate, adding that he has even composed some of his own music, letting people “see the world through his eyes.”

“It’s just so cool to see his genius just flow through him and to see how his hard work pays off in that excellence. He really is so dedicated. People will say, ‘He’s so talented,’ and I agree that he has a lot of talent, and it’s because he works hard. That’s why he is here and is in Honor Band of America,” she said.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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POST-GAME: André Tourigny 3.28.26 | Utah Mammoth

Published

18 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

POST-GAME: André Tourigny 3.28.26 | Utah Mammoth

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