If ESPN still ran it’s “Jacked Up!” segment, Friday night’s Pac 12 Championship between USC and Utah would’ve likely made the next episode. Specifically, the hit that Utes quarterback Cameron Rising took late in the third quarter.
It was one of the hardest hits of the college football season.
With 3:44 to go in the third and on 3rd-and-3, Rising rolled to his right and scrambled out of the pocket. After juking one defender, he made a move for the first down only to get drilled by USC linebacker Ralen Goforth.
The hit was a clean one, and Rising’s helmet’s went flying.
Rising was also stopped short of the first down, though he popped up and played on.
Even more good news for Utah was that it was able to rally from a 14-3 first quarter deficit and pulled away from the Trojans on its way to the Pac 12 title.
The loss drops the Trojans to 11-2 and all but ends their chances of reaching the College Football Playoff.