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Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
Las Vegas is like a second home for the University of Utah, which came to Allegiant Stadium for the Pac-12 championship football game a year ago and wrecked an overmatched Oregon team.
But on Friday, the Utes faced an opponent that felt right at home in Las Vegas. the University of Southern California Trojans and their Heisman candidate quarterback Caleb Williams, who plays with the moxy and wizardry of Patrick Mahomes and brute force and physicality of Allen. Williams entered the game with 44 total touchdowns — 34 via his right arm and 10 via his legs.
The Pac-12 has a thing for Las Vegas, which is already home to the conference’s men’s and women’s basketball championships on the Strip.
With USC entering the Pac-12 final with only a single loss — to Utah, 43-42 — the Trojans had a likely bid to college’s football’s Final Four championship on the line. USC’s 11-1 record was its best since 2008. Meanwhile, Utah was 9-3 with losses to Florida, #18 UCLA and #12 Oregon.
The place was packed and rocking. Capacity for today’s sold out game was nearly 62,000 and it seemed like an easy decision for the Pac-12 to stage its championship showdown in 2023. The attendance was announced at 61,195 — the biggest college football crowd in Allegiant Stadium.
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The joint was so loud and the fan experience so intense that you have to wonder why the Pac-12 doesn’t have its football title game here in Las Vegas every year beyond 2023.
This stadium was built for this type of game — a tourism-rich event bringing in thousands of out-of-market visitors buying hotel rooms. The fans were focused on watching an exciting game that was tied 17-17 at the half after Utah tied the game with a short touchdown toss with only two seconds left in the half.
The Trojans had jumped out to a 17-3 start.
The fans didn’t realize it but if they were staying in a hotel around Las Vegas, they’re helping Southern Nevada pay off the bonds that help pay for the construction of the stadium. Las Vegas still owes more than $1 billion on the bond debt, which has another 25 years to be paid off.
In the third quarter, Utah held USC to a mere yard of total offense and scored the game’s sole touchdown as the Utes took a 24-17 lead into the fourth quarter.
After Utah extended its lead to 27-17, a USC touchdown score made is a 27-24 game. But more shoddy tackling by USC was costly on a long TD pass play for Utah, which took a 34-24 lead midway in the final quarter. Utah had racked up 22 first downs and 434 total yards with 8:10 left in the fourth.
It was a rough four quarter for the Trojans.
Williams’ Heisman moment in the first half had turned into images of Williams hobbling around the field and being tackled for sacks.
Utah had rumbled for a stunning 310 yards on the ground and 533 yards of total offense in decimating USC in the final seven minutes of the game.
Final from Las Vegas: Utah 47 Southern Cal 24
Ohio State and Alabama fans were celebrating as the Trojans likely dropped out of the Final Four and perhaps Williams lost the Heisman.
It should be a fascinating weekend of college football.