SEATTLE – Through the nighttime first-half clouds that opened up and closed again on a sea of Huskies faithful, through the blistering winds off Union Bay that whipped and whispered through USC’s sideline, Lincoln Riley dug his white sneakers into the turf and stuck to his guns.
Again, on drive after drive, quarterback Miller Moss dropped back to pass on first downs or pulled handoffs away from Woody Marks. Again, USC entered another Big Ten road environment – against the best pass defense in the country, no less – and attempted to establish the throw. And again, USC’s offense floundered, trudging into the visiting locker room in Seattle down two scores and down the sheer ability to move the ball.
And then, over the course of 20 halftime minutes, Riley changed. Suddenly, the quick-hit Air Raid became smashmouth, riding Woody Marks on early downs to set up explosive Moss bombs. On a pivotal fourth-quarter drive, with USC needing a score, Riley simply put the ball in Marks and backup back Quinten Joyner’s hands and let them ride.
USC scored twice on drives in the third quarter and took a lead into the fourth. Washington took the lead back, but USC had its chances on two possessions. They drove for nine minutes, and faced a fourth-and-goal on the Washington 1, and suddenly Marks found himself planted on the turf with nothing to show for it – and USC (4-5, 2-5 Big Ten) fell 26-21 in another Big Ten gut-punch on the road.
After an end-of-half Hail Mary was picked off, a sea of cardinal and gold trudged off the Husky turf in dismay, bludgeoned 20-7 by Washington. Riley, largely, had refused to run the ball on early downs against the top-ranked pass defense in the country. Moss had thrown the ball a heaping 28 times, with a heap of nothing to show for it, and USC needed a miracle pin-the-ball-to-his-body 19-yard grab by Kyron Hudson to set up their lone first-half score.
They looked like a different team in the second half, though, as Moss activated for two third-quarter touchdowns. But in the pattern that had doomed him – and USC – all season, a poor decision struck in the worst moment, a toss intended for Ja’Kobi Lane snagged by the Huskies’ Carson Breuner for his second pick of the night.
Gone, suddenly, went USC’s momentum. Moss trudged back to the sideline, clapping his hands together, tearing off his own helmet in disgust.
After USC’s defense had valiantly stuck it out for three straight third-quarter stops, Moss’ interception flipped the field back on D’Anton Lynn’s unit, and within a few plays Washington’s Keith Reynolds punched in a 4-yard score as the Huskies took a 26-21 lead.
On a subsequent drive, with a quarterback sitting with three picks and a back in Marks picking up steam, Riley turned to his workhorses. In the span of 11 plays, he ran the ball 10 times, USC steadily motoring the ball down the field as Marks and backup Quinten Joyner traded jabs. Six yards for Marks, 15 yards for Joyner, and another 12 for Joyner. They ground the ball to the red zone, beating the Huskies down into the turf, until the end zone beckoned on that vital fourth-and-one.
Moss handed it to Marks. The Huskies’ Khmori House immediately pounced. And Marks wound up, legs splayed on the turf, with a 3-yard loss.
He sat there, for a moment, in contemplation, with USC’s hopes seemingly crushed.
The Trojans had one final shot with 1:36 left, after creative timeout-usage and one last defensive stop, Moss rebounding with admirable aplomb and moving his program down the field in quick efficiency. But on a fourth-and-4 from Washington’s 10-yard line, the Huskies sent the house, dragging Moss helplessly to the turf as a last-gasp toss trickled away.
Related Articles
USC-Washington notebook: Kyle Ford starts over Ja’Kobi Lane at WR
USC football limps into Washington wanting to ‘find that identity’
USC football at Washington: Who has the edge?
From USC to UCLA and back again, WR Kyle Ford has reached enlightenment
Young USC DEs Sam Greene, Kameryn Fountain bringing the pass-rush