By Tim Peterson
(Los Angeles) – USC allowed 512 total yards of offense to Washington and fell to the Huskies 52-42 Saturday night at the LA Memorial Coliseum in Pac-12 action. The Trojans offense kept up into the fourth quarter but ultimately fell short.
Wahington, leading 45-42, forced USC to punt late in the fourth quarter and then scored with just over two minutes left to secure the win and remain undefeated on the season.
USC got on the board first marching 75 yards on 12 plays with Raleek Brown finishing it with a two-yard run on the first possession.
Washington responded with a 75-yard drive of its own. Dillion Johnson went in from two yards out to tie it at 7 with 3:38 left in the first quarter.
USC forced Washington to punt on the next possession and the Trojans special teams came up with a big play. Duce Robinson, who also plays tight end, burst through the line and blocked the Huskies punt setting the Trojans up at the Washington eight-yard line. Two plays later, Caleb Williams kept it himself and ran it in from the one to make it 14-7 late in the first.
In the second quarter Washington came right back. The Huskies used 10 plays to go 79 yards. Michael Penix Jr. scrambled out of trouble and fired a strike in the endzone to Devin Culp who leaped up and hauled in a 22-yard touchdown pass and it was tied once again at 14-14.
On the next possession Darwin Barlow and Austin Jones busted off runs of 43 and 31 yards to set up a one-yard touchdown run by Barlow and just like that the Trojans were up 21-14 with 9:31 left in the first half.
The Huskies, smiled, said ‘ok let’s go’ and again answered. Johnson took a handoff, broke through the line and outran the USC secondary for a 52-yard touchdown romp and it was knotted at 21.
USC didn’t waste any time on the next series as Williams on a flea flicker, took a pitch back from Zachariah Branch found a wide-open Tahj Washington for a 41-yard TD strike and the Trojans were up 28-21 with 4:04 left in the half.
Less than three minutes later the Huskies were in the endzone again. They drove 70 yards on eight plays. Penix found Ja’Lynn Polk on a four-yard scoring pass with 1:14 left in the half to tie it at 28.
Williams was hit and fumbled on the next series, Washington recovered and was in business again at the Trojans 12-yard line. Three plays later, Johnson scored his third touchdown of the night on a one-yard run and the Huskies had their first lead of the night at 35-28 with 20 seconds left in the half.
Washington took that advantage into the half.
Washington had the ball to open the third quarter but the Trojans defense finally came up with a stop as Eric Gentry intercepted Penix in the endzone to thwart a Huskie threat.
USC capitalized on the turnover as they moved down the field 80 yards. Williams connected with Brenden Rice on a 25-yard touchdown pass to even things up at 35 with 8:00 to go in the third quarter.
Three and a half minutes later Washington was on top again. Penix kept it and rushed in from three yards out to cap a 75-yard march and give the Huskies a 42-35 lead with 4:21 left in the third quarter.
Now it was USC doing the chasing and trying to keep up. The Trojans did just that on the next series. Williams capped an 80-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Mario Williams. Denis Lynch booted his sixth extra point of the night and it was 42-42 with 1:41 left in the third quarter.
The Trojans finally held the Huskies on the next possession but Grady Gross kicked a 43-yard field goal to give Washington a 45-42 lead early in the fourth quarter. Washington then forced a Trojans punt in the ensuing series.
Washington then iced it with 2:20 left in the game when Johnson bulled his way in for a score on a one-yard run to make it 52-42.
Penix completed 22 of 30 for 256 yards and two touchdowns with the one pick. Ironically Johnson also ran for 256 yards and scored four TDs.
Williams finished the night with 312 yards passing and three scores completing 27 of 35. Austin Jones ran for 127 yards on 11 carries as the Trojans racked up 515 total yards of their own. The offense was there but USC had no defense for this one.
Washington, ranked number 5 coming in, improved to 9-0 on the year with the victory. USC fell to 7-3 with Oregon and UCLA still remaining on the schedule.
Cal High is looking for a new coach; I say we get USC to buy-out Riley’s contract and stick the man over in Condor land. Only thing is, this would just make fans want Zamora back.
Are we going to continue to put it on the defense.