Utah's Travis Wilson to start at quarterback vs. USC
Junior quarterback Travis Wilson is once again the man in charge of the offense at Utah after coach Kyle Whittingham anointed him the starter Tuesday.
Kendal Thompson, a transfer from Oklahoma, took over for an ineffective Wilson on Oct. 4 versus UCLA, throwing for 95 yards and a touchdown, and rushing for another 83 yards in an upset win.
Last week against Oregon State, things went differently: both quarterbacks saw nearly equal time, and neither did much to stand out. It didn't matter though, as running back Devontae Booker led the Utes with three touchdowns and more than 200 yards rushing on the day.
Whittingham evidently saw more from Wilson than Thompson this week in practice, reports ESPN's Kevin Gemmell.
"We think Travis's performance is a little bit better so far this season than Kendal overall," Whittingham said. "When you look at the numbers, it's very close."
Wilson has completed 56.8 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and no interceptions this season, while Thompson has completed 59.6 percent of his throws with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Each has run for one score.
"We're waiting for some separation to occur," Whittingham said. "Ideally we'd like some separation to occur, and one guy to take charge and settle in and be the guy, but that hasn't happened yet, so they're both going to get opportunities until that does happen."
The No. 19 Utes take on No. 20 USC on Saturday night.