Jonah Coleman ran for 104 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Washington held off a furious second-half rally by USC for a 26-21 victory Saturday night that snapped a two-game losing streak.
Will Rogers threw for 262 yards for the Huskies against their former Pac-12 foes before realignment dismantled the conference. The victory extended Washington's 19-game winning streak at home.
The Trojans (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) got to Washington's 1-yard line in the fourth quarter with a chance to pull in front but the Huskies stopped running back Woody Marks on fourth down and took over with 5:04 left in the game.
Washington (5-4, 3-3) was forced to punt on its drive, and USC quarterback Miller Moss led the Trojans to the Husky 14. On third-and-4, Moss’ attempt to Kyron Hudson was broken up by Ephesians Prysock. Moss' final chance on fourth down fell incomplete.
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“I’m just proud of our D," Washington linebacker Carson Bruener said. “I mean, we go out there and no matter what situation we’re put in, no matter the score, no matter what the quarter, we’re playing four quarters and I mean, we know that we can step up to any adversity thrown our way.”
The Trojans (4-5, 2-4) are struggling in their first Big Ten season with a fourth loss in five games. Moss threw for 293 yards and two scores, but he was hurt by three interceptions and now has nine for the season.
“Put ourselves right there in position to win the game, and so proud of the team for doing that, but obviously didn't make the plays in the end to do it and came up one play short,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said.
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The victory got the Huskies a win closer to bowl eligibility, with games on the road against No. 3 Penn State and No. 1 Oregon still on the schedule.
“We're continuing to build the program the way we want it, which is going to take time,” Huskies coach Jedd Fisch said. “But to be able to get the win today against a USC team that I'm sure came in here expecting to win, and for us to be able to challenge and get the win after a tough third quarter really proud of our guys to be resilient.”
On the Trojans' second series of the game, Moss' pass to Kyle Ford tipped into the hands of Bruener for the interception. Grady Gross' 39-yard field goal capped Washington's drive.
Coleman, the Huskies' leading rusher, ran for a 19-yard touchdown before the end of the first quarter.
Zachariah Branch caught a 25-yard pass from Moss that was originally ruled a fumble. Video review showed Branch was down, giving USC a much-needed first down in Washington territory. Moss also hit Hudson with a 19-yard pass on the drive, which ended with Woody Marks' 1-yard TD dash to close the gap to 10-7.
The Huskies responded with Coleman's 15-yard scoring run to extend the lead once more and Gross' 45-yard field goal in pouring rain gave Washington a 20-7 lead at the half.
USC rallied in the second half. Moss pumped his fist when Makai Lemon caught his pass and sprinted into the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown that closed the gap in the third quarter. Moss pulled the Trojans ahead 21-20 with a 9-yard TD pass to Ford.
But Washington capitalized after Moss was intercepted by Bruener again. Aided by an unsportsmanlike conduct call on USC, the Huskies retook the lead early in the final quarter on Keith Reynolds' 4-yard scoring run — but the 2-point conversion failed.
TAKEAWAYS
USC: The Trojans were coming off a 42-20 win over Rutgers that snapped a three-game skid. .... Marks, who ran for a career-high three touchdowns against Rutgers, rushed for 123 yards against Washington. Lemon had eight catches for 70 yards and Branch had six catches for 102 yards.
Washington: The Huskies were coming off a 31-17 loss to Indiana. ... Former Washington and current WNBA star Kelsey Plum was honored during the game. Plum's No. 10 jersey will be retired by the Huskies on Jan. 18. It will mark the first time a Washington women's basketball player will have her number retired.
UP NEXT
USC: The Trojans have a bye next weekend before hosting Nebraska on Nov. 16.
Washington: The Huskies visit No. 3 Penn State, which fell 20-13 to No. 4 Ohio State earlier on Saturday.
