Saturday night’s Big Ten matchup between Washington and No. 18 Southern California arrives with a little extra edge because both teams are trying to shake off losses before they meet in Los Angeles’ Memorial Coliseum.
USC (4-1, 1-1) saw its perfect start disappear in a 41-27 home loss to then-No. 20 Oregon last week. That result also extended the Ducks’ run over the Trojans to five straight, covering the final years of the Pac-12 and the last two Big Ten seasons.
Even so, Lincoln Riley brushed back any suggestion that the setback revealed something bigger about his team.
"We didn't get run out of the stadium," Riley said on Tuesday evening. "There's a lot of good things on that tape."
Jayden Maiava still gave USC plenty to work with, throwing for 326 yards and two touchdowns against Oregon. He has topped 260 passing yards in every game this season and has thrown multiple touchdown passes in all five contests.
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt also turned in a strong night, catching seven passes for 114 yards and a touchdown.
The issue for the Trojans is that the offense has not been as sharp in recent weeks as it was early. Their 27 points against Oregon were their lowest total of the season, and the defense has been leaking points as well. USC opened with a 39-0 shutout of Fresno State on Sept. 4, then allowed 30 points to Louisiana on Sept. 12, 35 to Rutgers the next week and a season-high 41 to Oregon.
The Trojans will also be without linebacker Desman Stephens, who was suspended for one game after his late hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and the celebration that followed.
Washington (3-1, 0-1) comes in needing a reset of its own after a 27-24 home loss to Minnesota last week. The Huskies managed just 40 rushing yards on 27 carries, a number that fits a broader problem.
Through four games, Washington is averaging 107.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks 124th among 138 FBS programs. Among power-conference teams, only Cal, Oklahoma, Stanford and Arkansas have been less productive on the ground.
"We have to be better at running the football. We have to be better at taking care of the quarterback," Washington coach Jedd Fisch said on Monday.
"We can't let him get sacked, [and] he's got to not get sacked. The receivers have to win [their matchups]."
Demond Williams Jr. has absorbed 10 sacks in four games, with seven of them coming in the Big Ten opener against Minnesota. Fisch also pointed to the rushing issues and pass protection as factors in Washington’s struggles on third down. The Huskies have converted just 17 of 50 third-down chances so far.
USC has had its own issues in that area. Opponents are 22-for-54 on third down against the Trojans through five games.
Defensively, the Trojans have been uneven under first-year coordinator Gary Patterson. They piled up five sacks against Fresno State, then managed only one sack each against San Jose State, Louisiana and Rutgers. Against Oregon, they failed to record a sack at all.
In Other News...
Washington Heads To USC With One Big Break On Defense
Washingtons trip to USC picked up a little more defensive intrigue this week, and not because of anything the Huskies did on the field. The Trojans will be without linebacker Desman Stephens after he was suspended for one game following the illegal late hit that got him ejected against Oregon, a play that drew plenty of attention and forced USC to address both discipline and player safety.
For Washington, the timing matters because the Huskies are also expecting key defenders back from injury as they head into a tricky road matchup. USC coach Lincoln Riley said the suspension was necessary and stressed the programs support for Oregon quarterback Dante Moore as he recovers, but the bigger ripple for Saturday is that Washington will not have to prepare for Stephens on the other side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Washingtons Run Game Has Turned Into A Real Early Problem
Washingtons rushing game has been one of the early trouble spots of the season, and it has shown up in a hurry. Through four weeks, the Huskies sit near the bottom of the Big Ten in rushing yards per game, a sign that the ground attack has not yet found any rhythm as the league schedule starts to tighten.
The issues have been compounded by a thin backfield, with injuries slicing into the group Washington expected to lean on. Jordan Washington, Quaid Carr, Jayden Limar and Julian McMahan have all been part of the setback, leaving Brian Bonner and Trey Cooley to handle most of the load while Ansu Sanoe and Ryken Moon fill in around them. The result is a rotation still trying to settle, and the bigger concern is whether the Huskies can stabilize it before the absence list gets any longer. [Read more 🡒]
USC Suddenly Has A Linebacker Problem Heading Into Washington
USCs defense will look different when Washington comes to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and not just because of the usual late-season turnover. The Trojans are already managing a linebacker shuffle after Desman Stephens II was sidelined, leaving a vacancy in the middle of a defense that has to deal with a Huskies offense built around quarterback Demon Williams Jr. and his ability to threaten teams as a runner and a passer.
TaMere Robinson is the veteran now asked to step into the spot and steady things for USC, bringing experience from his time at Penn State into a game that figures to test his range and discipline. For Washington, it adds another wrinkle to a matchup that already had enough intrigue, because the Huskies may have found one more area where they can press an opponent that suddenly has to adjust on the fly. [Read more 🡒]