USC left the Coliseum with a win over Washington, but the Trojans also left with plenty to clean up before heading into the Penn State White Out.
The No. 19 Trojans knocked off the Huskies 25-21 on Saturday to move to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play, but the game never felt smooth. USC was flagged nine times for 94 yards, had a touchdown erased, and spent part of the afternoon chasing the scoreboard after falling behind 21-10 in the third quarter.
That’s why the individual performances mattered so much. Some players boosted their standing. Others made the upcoming road trip look even trickier.
Jahkeem Stewart delivered the kind of play that can flip a game in a hurry. With USC trailing 21-16 in the third quarter, the sophomore defensive tackle jumped on a fumble and rumbled 48 yards for a touchdown, giving the Trojans a 22-21 lead. It was the turning point of the day, and USC never gave the advantage back.
Stewart’s impact went beyond the score. USC held Washington to 1-of-12 on third down, and the Huskies were blanked over the final 25 minutes.
For Stewart, it was only his second appearance of the season after missing the first four games with a foot injury. He made his debut against Oregon and had two tackles for loss, but his showing against Washington carried much more weight.
Kameryn Crawford also came through in a big spot. Washington was pushing late in the fourth quarter, deep inside USC territory and threatening to take the lead, when Crawford dropped Demond Williams Jr. for a six-yard sack. That play forced a fourth-and-long from the USC 12-yard line, and Washington’s final attempt fell incomplete with 39 seconds left.
Crawford finished with one sack and one tackle for loss, and he was part of a USC front that collected five sacks on the night.
On the other side of the ball, Zacharyus Williams turned in his best outing of the season. The sophomore wide receiver caught four passes for 78 yards, both season highs, and averaged 19.5 yards per catch.
His 40-yard grab in the first half was the Trojans’ longest pass play of the game and helped set up a touchdown. He added a 23-yard catch in the second half to keep another scoring drive alive.
That performance stood out even more because Williams had just 10 catches through USC’s first five games before Saturday. Against Washington, he nearly matched half that total in one night.
Jayden Maiava helped fuel USC’s second-half rally, but his first half put the Trojans in a hole. The senior quarterback forced a pass in the second quarter and threw an interception while USC was driving into Washington territory. Later in the quarter, after an illegal formation penalty had already wiped out a USC touchdown, Maiava took a nine-yard sack that pushed the Trojans out of field-goal range and led to a punt.
Maiava finished 21-of-34 for 245 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The passing total was his lowest of the season, and he also ran three times for minus-three yards.
USC’s discipline issues showed up in the trenches and on the sideline, too. Senior offensive lineman Alani Noa drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in the second quarter, a costly mistake that helped stall a promising drive.
The Trojans were already near field-goal range, but the penalty backed them all the way up to their own 43-yard line. USC punted soon after, and Washington carried a 14-10 lead into halftime.
True freshman receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt had a tougher night. He was targeted four times without a catch and was also flagged for a 14-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty early in the third quarter. He was part of the receiver alignment on the second-quarter play that led to the illegal formation penalty and the wiped-out touchdown as well.
Now USC heads to Penn State with the good, the bad and the messy all fresh on film.
In Other News...
USC Faces A Brutal Penn State Test Beyond Just The Crowd
USC heads into its trip to Penn State with the usual warning attached to any visit to State College: the White Out is going to be loud, relentless and built to rattle visiting teams from the first snap. Lincoln Riley and several players have already acknowledged the atmosphere, and for the Trojans it is the kind of stage that tests communication, poise and the ability to stay locked in when everything around them is trying to speed them up.
Luke Wafles recognition as Big Ten Freshman of the Week after his performance against Washington gives USC at least one encouraging note as it prepares for an even tougher setting. The defensive end has provided a fresh burst of production for a defense that will need every bit of it, because this matchup is about more than handling the noise. It is also about whether USC can bring enough edge and discipline to function in one of the conferences most difficult road environments. [Read more 🡒]
Troy Fans Just Got A Glimpse Of This Offenses Ceiling
A conference opener can tell you a lot about a team, and Troys 55-34 win over Southern Miss offered a pretty clear look at just how dangerous this offense can be when it gets rolling. Goose Crowder was at the center of it, piling up 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns while adding 225 passing yards and two more scores, as the Trojans controlled the game with 662 total yards and a relentless ground attack that produced 437 rushing yards.
For a program that had not topped 400 rushing yards since 2002, that part alone made the afternoon stand out. Southern Miss moved the ball too, finishing with 512 yards, but three red zone turnovers kept the Golden Eagles from making it a tighter fight and left them with a fourth straight loss, while Troy walked away with a league win that felt like more than just a fast start. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Could Catch Oregon At A Very Different Time Saturday
UCLA may be getting Oregon at a moment when the Ducks are still managing one of the biggest personnel questions on their roster. Quarterback Dante Moore has returned to practice after a concussion, and coach Dan Lanning said the process has been gradual as Oregon keeps a close eye on his recovery heading into Saturdays game.
For a matchup like this, the timing matters almost as much as the opponent. Moore is unlikely to play, which leaves backup Dylan Raiola in line to start and gives UCLA a very different challenge than the one it would have faced at full strength. For the Bruins, that changes the look of the game in a hurry, even if Oregon is still waiting to see how much of its usual rhythm it can bring with it. [Read more 🡒]