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Reviewing last season, there were a number of wins that were important for the Utes. Victories against Michigan, UCLA, USC and Stanford all stand out as huge wins for the program. Each win
As a quick refresher, here is a look back at the 2014 schedule and results.
Opponent | Score |
Idaho State | W, 56-14 |
Fresno State | W, 59-27 |
@ Michigan | W, 26-10 |
Washington State | L 28-27 |
@ UCLA | W, 30-28 |
@ Oregon State | W, 29-23 (2OT) |
USC | W, 24-21 |
@ Arizona State | L, 19-16 (2OT) |
Oregon | L, 51-27 |
@Stanford | W, 20-17 (OT) |
Arizona | L, 42-10 |
@ Colorado | W, 38-34 |
Colorado State (Bowl) | W, 45-10 |
There are a number of ways to gauge a victory as "big" You can measure by scoring margin, in which case Idaho State,
Looking at last year's schedule and results, the game that stands out as the "biggest" win is the blackout game against USC. First and foremost the cache' that comes with beating USC makes this
The win was the first time the Utes had beaten USC since joining the Pac-12 and the first time since the 10-6 Las Vegas bowl win back in 2001. Utah had played USC close in 2011 and for a large portion of the game in 2012, but
Travis Wilson didn't have his best game of the season, finishing 18-32 for 194 yards passing and 1 touchdown, but his one touchdown throw was a game winner. Wilson was
The most important reason why the USC game ranks as the biggest win of the season, is Utah became bowl eligible for the first time since the 2011 season by beating USC. The schedule for the second half of the season was much more difficult than the first half of the season, and even though Utah had five victories entering the showdown with USC, there were no promises Utah would find another win on their schedule. A loss to USC with Arizona State, Oregon and Stanford following, could have very well spelled disaster for the Utes season. Instead, Utah was able to pull out the win with a late Wilson to Kaelin Clay touchdown, a connection the Utes would need against Stanford a couple weeks later.
Entering the season one of the primary goals was to return to bowl season and with the victory over USC, the Utes guaranteed they could return to the post season. The win provided confidence for the team and propelled them through the difficult latter half of the schedule and provided the team national recognition. Without beating USC, Utah's season would have felt a little less triumphant. These reasons make USC the biggest victory for the Utes in 2014.