USC had to claw its way through a messy first half, then flipped the game with a second-half surge and escaped Washington with a 25-21 win Saturday night.
The Trojans trailed by as many as 11 points early in the third quarter, but No. 18 USC (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) slammed the door with 15 unanswered points to finish the job. Washington (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) made the Trojans work for it, and for a while it looked like USC might be stuck in one of its ugliest offensive nights of the season.
The opening half was a slog in every sense. The kickoff temperature was well over 90 degrees, but neither offense brought much heat. USC’s defense kept the Trojans within reach, and the receiving group eventually found its rhythm as the night wore on.
Jayden Maiava settled in after halftime and looked far more like the quarterback USC has leaned on this season. The redshirt senior was coming off an interception in the second quarter, but he cleaned things up and finished 21 of 34 for 245 yards. His biggest throw came in the third quarter, when he connected with sophomore wide receiver Tanook Hines for a touchdown.
Hines, who had struggled to build a connection with Maiava through the first five games, gave USC a much-needed lift. He finished with five catches for 51 yards and that key score. Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Zacharyus Williams also made his presence felt, hauling in four passes for 78 yards and helping the Trojans move the chains and set up better field position throughout the night.
USC’s offense totaled 360 yards, with 115 of them on the ground. Redshirt sophomore running back King Miller accounted for 81 rushing yards, while redshirt senior running back Waymond Jordan punched in an 8-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to help the Trojans grab the lead early.
The turning point came in the third quarter on defense. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Elijah Newby knocked the ball loose from Washington junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr., and USC sophomore defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart scooped it up and took it to the end zone for the first touchdown of his career.
The Trojans’ pass rush kept pressure on all night, producing five sacks from five different players. Senior safety Christian Pierce also turned in a strong performance in the secondary, finishing with nine solo tackles.
USC now turns to Penn State, which will host the Trojans on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. The Nittany Lions enter at 3-2, 0-2.
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USC Fans Have Plenty To Debate After That Gritty Washington Win
The heat was no joke, and neither was USCs defense in a 25-21 win over Washington that gave the Trojans plenty to feel good about and even more to debate. Against the kind of grind-it-out test that can expose a team in September, USCs pass rush came through with four sacks, multiple tackles for loss and a sack-fumble recovery that turned into a touchdown, the sort of sequence that can swing a close game and change the feel of a night.
For a team ranked No. 18, the result mattered just as much as the details, and there were enough of both to keep fans talking well after the final whistle. The game offered a useful look at individual performances and how USCs defensive plan held up in tough conditions, but it also left room for questions about which players are emerging, which adjustments are working and how sustainable this kind of gritty win might be as the schedule moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Maiava's Rough Start Put USC's Offense Under A Harsh Spotlight
Jayden Maiavas afternoon against Washington put USCs offense under a harsh spotlight, as the Trojans spent much of the first half searching for any kind of rhythm. The quarterbacks decision-making and mechanics were both under scrutiny, and a series of poor throws, long holds in the pocket and drive-killing penalties left the offense looking flat when it needed to be sharp.
Maiava finished the half 12 of 19 for 143 yards, but the numbers only told part of the story as USC went to the locker room trailing 14-10. The Trojans still had time to settle in, but the opening half raised real questions about whether the offense could clean itself up quickly enough to change the tone of the game. [Read more 🡒]
USC Defense Escaped Washington After One Brutal Breakdown
USCs defense came out of Washington with a win, but not without a few uneasy moments that will linger in the film room. In a 25-21 victory over the Huskies, the Trojans had the kind of mixed outing that can leave a staff thankful for the result and still frustrated by the details, from a costly missed-tackle sequence that opened the door for a long touchdown to the kind of timely response that kept the game from slipping away.
Jahkeem Stewarts fumble return for a score gave USC a huge lift, and Kameryn Crawford made key defensive plays late to help secure the finish. Even so, Washington had chances behind Demond Williams Jr. and Chris Lawson, and the combination of injuries and breakdowns made this one feel closer than the Trojans would have preferred, with one brutal lapse standing out in a game they still managed to escape. [Read more 🡒]