As disappointing as Saturday’s 43-42 loss to Utah was, the 12th-ranked Trojans have all of their goals still ahead of them.

They’ll need help, sure. Oregon is unbeaten in Pac-12 play, but still has to face UCLA and Utah. Utah has a loss in league play, but has to go to Eugene for that November contest with the Ducks. And the unbeaten Bruins host the Trojans on Nov. 19. USC wants to play for a Pac-12 title. The path still exists to get there.

The key will be making sure the things that caused Saturday’s loss don’t linger and cause further harm.

“There’s no time to sulk,” said Trojan linebacker Shane Lee. “You have to pick yourself up and get back to work. That’s what it’s about. There are other games to play. It’s not the end of the season, not by any stretch of the imagination.”

Lee said the defense in particular has been critical of itself in film review. The defense was in position throughout, but Lee felt like it didn’t finish often enough. Missed tackles were a major concern, particularly on Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid, who finished with north of 100 yards after the catch. “We’ve got to cut that stuff off for sure,” Lee told reporters.

The defense had been building confidence in recent weeks. It entered Saturday’s contest leading the country in sacks (24) and interceptions (12). The Trojans produced neither (officially) against Utah.

“I don’t think we need to abandon ship. I just think we need to tighten the hatches and bear down and really just continue to dig into the details,” Lee said. “There’s always things as the season goes on that you’ve got to continue to fix. New things might show up. It’s about handling that kind of stuff.

“We’ve kind of taken a deep breath. Nobody likes to lose, but we’re trying to take the most out of it, not just let it be a loss and go to waste but use it to our advantage.”