USC heads into Saturday’s matchup with Washington still carrying the sting of last week’s 41-27 loss to Oregon, and the Trojans’ injury picture remains part of the conversation as they try to get back on track at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Wednesday’s availability report gave an initial glimpse of who might be in line to play, and Thursday’s update didn’t bring much change. For USC, that means the focus stays on a team trying to rebound while protecting its College Football Playoff hopes in a primetime game set for 4:30 p.m. PT on NBC.
The bigger issue, though, is what’s happening on the field. Even with Gary Patterson in place as defensive coordinator, USC has not found the defensive jump it wanted. The Trojans gave up 30-plus points in each of their three games against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and Oregon Ducks, and that leaves them with another difficult assignment against a Washington offense led by Demond Williams Jr.
Washington comes in off a 27-24 home loss to Minnesota, its first defeat of the season, and Williams will be looking to put USC’s secondary under pressure. He has thrown for 1,129 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions with a 69.3 completion rate across four games against Washington State, Utah State, Eastern Washington, and Minnesota.
He’s also been a threat on the ground, where he leads the Huskies with 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 40 carries. That dual-threat ability is exactly the kind of problem USC has to solve if it wants to leave Saturday with a win.
Dezman Roebuck has given Williams a reliable target, stepping into the No. 1 wide receiver role previously held by Cleveland Browns rookie Denzel Boston. Roebuck has 30 catches for 308 yards and one touchdown.
USC’s defensive line will be counted on to make life harder for Williams. Jide Abasiri, Jahkeem Stewart, and true freshman Luke Wafle are the names to watch there, with Stewart listed as questionable after making his season debut in Week 4 against Oregon.
The betting line also leans toward USC, with DraftKings Sportsbook listing the Trojans as 9.5-point favorites and the over/under at 58.5.
The matchup also carries a long series history. USC leads Washington 51-32-4 all-time, but the Trojans have dropped three straight against the Huskies, with their last win coming in 2016. At the Coliseum, USC’s last victory over Washington came in 2011, a 40-17 result under former star quarterback Matt Barkley.
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 🡒]