Bryson Barnes Takes QB Draw Into End Zone To Even Score Against USC

LOS ANGELES – After a great return set Utah up near midfield, the Utes marched into the red zone where QB Bryson Barnes capped off the drive with a rushing touchdown.

The score was Barnes’ third of the season.

Huge kick return ➡️ Bryson Barnes TD

Utes tie it up 👀 pic.twitter.com/096zuIqjVG

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) October 22, 2023

Barnes scrambled into the end zone in the season opener against Florida and last week against Cal.

RELATED: Utah Forces Fumble, Finds End Zone To Increase Lead Over Cal Golden Bears

After scoring early in the first quarter, Utah gave up two touchdowns to USC to go down 14-7.

Bryson right up the middle to tie us up at 14❕ pic.twitter.com/poFIOBlBZp

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) October 22, 2023

In the first quarter, Barnes completed three of his five attempts for 67 passing yards and a touchdown. He added one rush for 10 yards and a touchdown.

The first quarter ended in a tie, 14-14.

Three Storylines For Utah Football Vs. USC

1. Cam Rising. This storyline took one more interesting turn this week when Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham revealed it would be possible for Rising to return next season with a medical redshirt as long as he doesn’t play a down of football this year. Now, nothing is in motion for that yet and there is no guarantee that Rising would even want to do that, but the possibility is there. With that said, the Utes will be rolling with Bryson Barnes this week in Los Angeles.
2. Sione Vaki & Ja’Quinden Jackson. In step with storyline number one, it seems Utah found a formula they like on offense without Cam Rising. Bryson Barnes is part of it, but perhaps most importantly is the one-two punch in the run game they found with safety Sione Vaki and running back Ja’Quinden Jackson. It will be critically important that the Utes find that same lightening and keep it up against the Trojans. If they do that, they may have a fighting chance.
3. Utah’s Dominant Defense. The one thing that has gone well for the Utes all season has been the defense and they will need them to do it again on Saturday. Caleb Williams and the Trojans showed last week again Notre Dame that they do not handle being bullied very well. Utah’s defense is more than capable of replicating that, but they will need to be on their game and as disciplined as ever.

 

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Two Questions Heading Into Utah Vs. USC

1. Can Utah Pass Just A Little More? Vaki and Jackson really opened some things up for the Utah offense through the run game which also opened up some things for the pass game. The unfortunate thing was that while Barnes was efficient in the pass game, he did miss some big play possibilities by hesitating just a bit on some open plays. Hit one or two more of those and this offense is looking more than adequate. The plays were there. Barnes has shown he’s capable of hitting them at random conjunctions, but can he get into more of a rhythm and hit them confidently?
2. Can Utah Manage Without Cole Bishop In The First Half? This feels like a slightly stupid question since this Utah defense is loaded, but continuity can me a lot to a unit and missing a key piece has the potential to be disruptive. Thankfully the Utes do have Nate Ritchie to fall back on in the first half and he’s certainly no slouch. Still, can this defense not miss a beat without one of their best players in the mix in the first half?

Numbers don’t lie 📊 pic.twitter.com/7hAVlBuWnw

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) October 18, 2023

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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.

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