Monday Morning Quarterback: Travis Wilson named starter for USC game

In a bit of a surprising move from Coach Kyle Whittingham, it was made very clear in today's press release from the athletic department, that Travis Wilson will be the starter for the USC game. Coach Whittingham has employed much more of a 'cloak and dagger' approach with his depth charts in recent weeks and years. So to see him tip his hand and who the starter is going to be is very interesting.

If I were reading the tea leaves here, I'd say the coaching staff is trying to instill some confidence into Wilson. By going public stating that Wilson is the starter, they are basically saying 'Ok, everyone knows you're the guy, we believe in you.' This could be key for Wilson, as he has had a roller coaster of a season since the Michigan game. The main thing that he has lacked since then is confidence, and this may help with that. When Wilson was inserted against Oregon State, he did lead four scoring drives, and provided a more tangible passing threat.

Now that Wilson is the starter, three things need to happen for him. First, he needs his o-line to give great pass protection, which is an area they've been inconsistent at this season, and going against the likes of Leonard Williams, that will be critical. Second, Utah needs to feed the "Beast." That beast being Devontae Booker. And lastly, Wilson needs support from his wide receivers, that means no bad drops, and the ability to get open and convert big third downs to keep the chains moving.

Also, I feel the coaches need to unleash Wilson a little bit. He seems a bit tentative delivering the ball, which leads me to believe he's been told over-and-over to make sure to maintain ball security. While that is extremely important, don't get me wrong, but Wilson's aggression is also what made him so good early last season.

Regardless of my thoughts, the passing game needs to be better to beat the Trojans, while keeping Booker rolling on the ground.

What are your thoughts? Did the coaches do the right thing? Should they have kept it secret until kick off? Was Wilson the right call? Chat about it below!