Some thank you by the Utah Utes who backed their way into the Pac-12 Championship Game by virtue of the Huskies knocking off Oregon and Washington State in the final 3 weeks of the regular season. By winning the Pac-12 Championship the Utah Utes have likely cost Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer $300,000.
If USC had won the game they likely would have moved on to the College Football Playoffs and the Huskies probably would have been invited to the Rose Bowl over a 4-loss Utah team. Instead, the Utes will likely head to the Granddaddy of them all, in Pasadena on January 2nd.
By knocking the Huskies out of the Rose Bowl Washington Head Coach Kalen DeBoer won’t get a $300,000 bonus for playing in a New Years 6 game.
At one point in time it looked like DeBoer would be laughing his way to the bank–for the first 57 yards of USC Caleb Williams’ 59-yard run in the first half of the game. He looked like a Heisman Trophy winner. However, the final two yards of the run proved to be costly as he went down awkwardly, injuring his leg.
With Williams’ mobility taken away the Utes ran off 21 straight points, sacking the Trojan QB on drives times–plays that he normally would have extended.
Had Williams chosen to avoid the awkward slide and he had continued the game healthy, the Trojans may have gone in for a touchdown instead of kicking the field goal. By the time the Oklahoma-transfer returned somewhat to form the Utes had built a 10-point lead, 27-17.
Williams led USC on one scoring drive after the injury as the Utes took full advantage of the game. In all Utah outscored USC 44-7 after the USC drive ended with a field goal.
Williams injury was costly for USC and costly for Washington’s head coach Kalen DeBoer as the Huskies will likely head to San Antonio, Texas for the Alamo Bowl on December 29th.
