If USC is going to keep its playoff push moving in Week 5, the Trojans have to win the trench battle against Washington. That’s the real hinge point here: two preseason-hyped lines, both battered by injuries, both still searching for their best form.
On the USC side, the defensive front has not lived up to the billing against the run. The Trojans are giving up 4.0 yards per rush, 29.6 rushes per game and 118.6 rushing yards per game, with four straight contests featuring at least 100 rushing yards allowed.
Only one runner has cracked 100 against them so far: Rutgers’ Antwan Raymond, who went for 122 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown in Week 3. Louisiana quarterback Lunch Winfield nearly joined him in Week 2 with 91 rushing yards.
That matters because Washington has not exactly found a groove on the ground either. The Huskies are averaging just 3.2 yards per rush, 29.7 rushes per game and 93.7 rushing yards per game.
Beyond Demond Williams Jr., freshman Brian Bonner Jr. is the team’s next-best option, with 22 carries for 126 yards and a 5.7-yard average. His top outing came in Week 2 against Eastern Washington, when he had six carries for 83 yards.
The pass rush matchup may be where USC can really tilt the game. Luke Wafle, Jide Abasiri, Alex VanSumeren and Kameryn Crawford have combined for only four quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks, but Washington’s offensive line has also been shaky, allowing 58 quarterback pressures, with 35 charged to the line, and 10 sacks. Freshman Kodi Greene could be the target after struggling against Minnesota in Week 4.
USC’s offensive line has handled lesser competition, but the Oregon game exposed it. In that matchup, the Trojans gave up two sacks and nine total pressures.
Washington’s front has been better than its reputation suggests, generating pressure on 40 percent of dropbacks and posting eight total tackles. It has also been stout against the run, allowing 3.2 yards per carry and 100 rushing yards per game.
The biggest problem for Southern Cal, though, may be Demond Williams Jr. himself. The Huskies’ quarterback is one of the conference’s best dual-threat players, and that profile has already caused USC trouble. Against Louisiana in Week 2, the Trojans shut down Winfield early, only for him to break loose later with 212 passing yards, 91 rushing yards and three total touchdowns.
Williams brings a different kind of threat. His damage comes less from called runs and more from broken plays, RPOs, bootlegs, rollouts and movement throws.
He already has 40 carries for 165 yards and two touchdowns, and he showed what happens when he gets loose in space with a 36-yard run against Utah State in Week 2. Once containment is lost, his quickness and change of direction can turn a dead play into a chunk gain in a hurry.
That’s why USC may need a linebacker spy, likely former Husky Deven Bryant, to help keep him bottled up. Wafle and Crawford will also be tested on the edges. If the Trojans can keep Williams to two or three yards per carry and force him into intermediate throws and handoffs, they’ll put themselves in position to leave the Coliseum with a win.
There’s also a clear answer on the other side of the ball. Washington’s secondary has been productive, with six interceptions, and the Huskies are allowing 180.7 passing yards per game. But they’re also giving up a 65.06 completion percentage, and that plays right into Jayden Maiava’s hands.
Maiava has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country through five games, throwing for 1,499 yards, 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions while completing 70.1 percent of his passes. At home, he’s been even sharper: 90 completions on 125 attempts, 1,222 passing yards, a 72 percent completion rate, 12 touchdowns and two turnovers.
If USC’s front can keep Maiava clean, he has the kind of game to pick apart a defense. That’s the formula the Trojans need on Saturday.
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