Utah
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
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.
Utah
Golden Knights vs. Mammoth Game 1 prediction: NHL odds, picks, best bets for Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Utah Mammoth is going to be a trendy underdog pick in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Not only does Utah have the novelty of this being its first-ever appearance in the postseason going for it, but the Mammoth tick plenty of other boxes that punters look for in a dark horse. They’re fast, dynamic, and create plenty of quality scoring chances.
The only problem is that they are running into the Vegas Golden Knights, arguably the best defensive team in the Western Conference, in Round 1.
Vegas is a -170 favorite to win the series, and it is -152 to win Game 1 on Sunday night.
Mammoth vs. Golden Knights odds, prediction
The Golden Knights had a weird season. Vegas started hot, took its foot off the pedal, and struggled to regain its form down the stretch. That led to a surprising coaching switch late in the campaign, but the move paid immediate dividends as John Tortorella led the Knights to a 7-0-1 record in his eight games behind the bench.
It should be noted that Tortorella benefited from an easy schedule since taking over in Vegas, but it’s hard to deny that the team looks sparked with a new voice in their ear.
What’s especially encouraging for Vegas is that its most glaring weakness, the play of goaltender Carter Hart, has started to trend in the right direction at the exact right time.
And Vegas is so good in its own zone that Hart doesn’t need to stand on his head to get the team over the line against Utah. If he’s just average, the Knights will stand a chance, especially since Utah’s goaltending situation is just as much of a question mark.
Betting on the NHL?
Outside of Vejmelka outplaying Hart, the Mammoth will also need to get this series on their terms if they want to pull the upset. Utah grades out as a slightly above-average defensive outfit, but its strength is up front with dynamic playmakers like Logan Cooley and Clayton Keller, plus sharp-shooter Dylan Guenther.
For those stars to have an impact, the Mammoth will need to get Vegas to open up and engage in a back-and-forth style. I just don’t see that happening with a team that was so disciplined in its own zone all season. The Knights led the NHL in expected goals against and high-danger chances conceded at 5-on-5, which shouldn’t be a shocker given the personnel in Sin City.
Not only does Vegas boast a deep blueline, but forwards Mitch Marner and Mark Stone are regarded as two of the best defensive minds in the entire sport.
Perhaps Utah can blitz Vegas and pull the upset, but I’d need a bigger number to go against the experienced, defensively savvy Knights in a best-of-7.
And if you’re looking for a play with more upside, have a good look at Vegas to pull off the sweep at 12/1.
The Play: Vegas moneyline (-152) | Vegas to sweep the series (12/1, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
KANOSH, Utah — The United States Geological Survey recorded multiple earthquakes near Kanosh Sunday morning, each of them having an average magnitude of 3.0.
The first earthquake, magnitude 3.0, was detected just after 12:30 a.m., with the epicenter located half a mile south of Kanarraville.
The second quake, magnitude 3.2, was detected around 5:45 a.m., with the epicenter nearly five miles south-southwest of Kanosh. This was followed by two more quakes in the same area, a magnitude 2.5 quake coming in around 6:35 a.m., followed by a third around 7:45 a.m, which measured at magnitude 3.3.
This has since been followed by another quake, measuring at magnitude 3.7, being detected around 8:45 a.m. The geographic location in the USGS report places the epicenter approximately over two miles south of the Dry Wash Trail, about six miles south-southwest of Kanosh.
FOX 13 News previously spoke with researchers at University of Utah, who said that earthquake swarms are relatively common. A study published in 2023 posits that swarms may be triggered by geothermal activity. The findings came after a series of seismic swarms were detected in central Utah, within the vicinity of three geothermal power plants.
The study also says that the swarms fall into a different category than aftershocks that typically follow large quakes, such as the magnitude 5.7 earthquake that hit the Wasatch Fault back in 2020.
Utah
Embattled Utah Rep. Trevor Lee loses county GOP convention — but wins enough support to make primary
Earlier in the week, House Speaker Mike Schultz said lawmakers asked the attorney general to investigate allegations of fraud and bribery against Lee.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, running for reelection, addresses delegates during the Davis County Republican Party nominating convention at Syracuse High School on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
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