Utah

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

Published

1 year 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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Utah

Inmates create first‑of‑its‑kind documentary inside Utah State prison – KSLTV.com

Published

6 hours ago

January 28, 2026

Press Room

Inmates create first‑of‑its‑kind documentary inside Utah State prison – KSLTV.com

SALT LAKE CITY — A groundbreaking documentary — conceived, filmed, and produced entirely by inmates at the Utah State Prison—is giving the public an unprecedented look at life behind bars.

The film, Breaking Chains, follows six incarcerated men and women as they confront their pasts, reflect on their choices, and work toward rebuilding their lives.

The Utah Department of Corrections collaborated with the One Kind Act a Day initiative to secure funding and equipment for the inmates. The result is a raw, emotional film that highlights a little‑known educational program operating inside the prison.

The documentary opens with a stark confession from participant Casey Vanderhoef.

“When I was incarcerated in 2021, I had no more answers,” Vanderhoef says in the film. “I knew I was broken in a way I couldn’t fix.”

Vanderhoef, now living in a halfway house as he completes his sentence, says revisiting his past on camera wasn’t easy.

“There are certainly regretful decisions—and sometimes embarrassing ones—that are definitely part of my story,” he explains.

The project was coordinated from outside the prison by filmmaker and educator Bo Landin, who says the decision to have inmates interview one another created a level of honesty he didn’t expect.

“It’s authentic. It’s raw. It’s emotional,” Landin says. He admits he became emotional himself while transcribing the conversations. “I think it’s important because it is their voice. They are telling us a story.”

The program began with roughly 18 to 20 students learning the fundamentals of filmmaking, storytelling, and production.

The One Kind Act a Day initiative—created by philanthropist Khosrow Semnani—donated the professional equipment used to make the documentary. The Semnani Family Foundation will now support an ongoing media program integrated into the prison’s career‑training and productive‑time initiatives. Semnani hopes the effort encourages compassion in a place where it can be hard to find.

“Human nature is born with kindness,” Semnani says. “But in prison, it’s not there.”

For Vanderhoef, the experience has been transformative.

“As I look back at the mistakes that were made, I have some regret and embarrassment,” he says. “But I have a lot more gratitude.”

Semnani says he recently spoke with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi about expanding the program nationally, potentially bringing similar opportunities to prisons across the country.

Breaking Chains debuted at the Utah International Film Festival and won the Audience Choice Award. Landin now hopes to promote it at film festivals worldwide in hopes of getting it in theaters for the public to see.

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Utah

Nina Dobrev Wears a Bathrobe While in Utah for Sundance Film Festival

Published

18 hours ago

January 28, 2026

Press Room

Nina Dobrev Wears a Bathrobe While in Utah for Sundance Film Festival

Nina Dobrev‘s bathrobe photo has fans checking in from Park City, Utah, during Sundance weekend. She posted it 18 hours ago, tagged Park City, and wrote, “Final Sundance in Park City, Utah? bittersweet doesn’t begin to describe it…” Nina’s carousel from the Sundance Film Festival reads like downtime between screenings. The post shows about 480.8K likes and 888 comments.

Nina Dobrev shares a bathrobe photo from Utah during Sundance Film Festival

Have a look at Nina Dobrev in a bathrobe:

Photo Credit: Nina Dobrev Instagram

The “Vampire Diaries” alum wears a plush white hotel robe, loosely cinched at the waist. It falls open at the neckline. Her hair looks half-done, pinned up at the crown, with loose lengths down.

The warm bathroom lighting highlights marble counters and polished wood doors. The photos also landed after she discussed recovering from a dirt bike injury. Fans replied fast, with one writing, “Such a cutie,” another said, “Gorgeous,” and a third added, “THE DIVA”.

Originally reported by Santanu Das on Reality Tea

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Utah

State officials killed three wolves in northern Utah. Here’s why.

Published

1 day ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

State officials killed three wolves in northern Utah. Here’s why.

The killings took place in a region exempt from federal gray wolf protections.

(Dawn Villella |AP) A gray wolf is pictured in 2004 in Minnesota. Utah officials recently killed three wolves after they were seen near livestock in Cache County.

In a rural stretch of southwestern Cache County, state officials killed three wolves earlier this month after the animals were spotted near livestock, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources confirmed Tuesday.

The wolves were shot Jan. 9 by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, said DWR spokesperson Faith Jolley, a move allowed because the animals were found in a small corner of northeastern Utah exempt from federal gray wolf protections.

The region, which lies mostly east of Interstate 15 and extends roughly as far south as Ogden, is considered part of the greater Yellowstone region, where the predator is in recovery. It is the only part of Utah where the state is allowed to manage wolves.

(Christopher Cherrington | The Salt Lake Tribune)

Across the rest of the state, the animal is considered an endangered species. It’s illegal to hunt, harass, trap, shoot or harm them without permission from the federal government.

Jolley said state law directs DWR to prevent wolves from breeding in the delisted area. While the animals were not considered a pack, she said they were believed to be traveling together.

“Lethal removals ensure they don’t establish breeding populations in Utah,” Jolley wrote in a text message.

Caroline Hargraves, a spokesperson for the state agriculture department, said the wolves were found near Avon, a small census-designated community in Cache County of about 500 residents, surrounded mostly by farmland.

Utah leaders have long been hostile to wolves for preying on livestock and thwarting hunters. The state has doled out millions in taxpayer dollars in an effort to get gray wolves removed from the federal endangered species list.

Most confirmed wolf sightings in Utah have involved lone wolves, Jolley said, though small groups have been documented on a few occasions since the first confirmed sighting in 2002.

During the past year, she said, a handful of lone wolves have migrated into Utah from Wyoming and Colorado.

Wolves from Wyoming and Idaho have made their way into Utah at least 21 times since 2004, according to DWR. In September, the agency said it was aware of at least one lone male wolf present in the state.

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