USC Trojans Football: Alex Grinch Has Questionable Excuse For Giving Up Huge Touchdown To Utah

USC is running a Cover 1 man defensive scheme as Utah faced second-and-1. The 245-pound Shelby takes a second to decipher whether Vaki is pass-protecting and Vaki, who weighs almost 40 pounds less than Shelby, gets a full-speed headstart.

With the Utah receivers running a mesh scheme, short crossing routes just a few yards off of the line of scrimmage, USC's defenders are running all over the place to stay with their man. With little insurance in the secondary, no one slides over to cover Vaki, who easily finds his way into the end zone.

Utah ran this play, with Vaki as the intended target, the previous week against Cal, as Saturday Out West's Spenser Davis notes. However, USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said that he had not seen Utah run the concept before.

“Third play of the game, you’re trying to be aggressive. There’s no justification for doing it other than it’s a play that hasn’t shown up on video,” Grinch said. “We were playing the percentages … They catch you in a call and put some bigger bodies on the field and give them credit. That’s two plays in the ball game and you’re sick to your stomach when they happen.”

(Via Spenser Davis, Saturday Out West)

Grinch has faced pressure from the USC fanbase as the Trojan defense continues to underperform. Only 13 Power 5 programs have allowed more yards per game than USC, whose second loss almost guarantees an absence from the CFP.

The Trojans will take on Cal Saturday at 1 p.m. PDT.

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