Jonah Coleman rushed for 104 yards and scored two touchdowns, helping Washington hold off a strong comeback from USC for a 26-21 win on Saturday night, which ended a two-game losing streak.
Will Rogers passed for 262 yards for the Huskies against their former Pac-12 rivals before the conference changed. This victory also marked Washington’s 19th straight win at home.
The Trojans (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) reached the Washington 1-yard line in the fourth quarter with a chance to take the lead, but the Huskies stopped running back Woody Marks on fourth down, gaining possession with 5:04 remaining in the game.
Washington (5-4, 3-3) had to punt on their next drive, and USC quarterback Miller Moss moved the Trojans to the Husky 14-yard line. On third-and-4, Moss’ pass to Kyron Hudson was broken up by Ephesians Prysock. Moss’ last attempt on fourth down was incomplete.
“I’m just proud of our D,” said Washington linebacker Carson Bruener. “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 we know we can handle any challenges that come our way.”
The Trojans (4-5, 2-4) are having a tough time in their first season in the Big Ten, suffering their fourth loss in five games. Moss passed for 293 yards and two touchdowns, but he was hindered by three interceptions, bringing his season total to nine.
“Put ourselves right there in position to win the game, and I’m proud of the team for doing that, but we didn’t make the plays in the end and came up one play short,” said USC coach Lincoln Riley.
The win brought the Huskies closer to being eligible for a bowl game, with upcoming road games against No. 3 Penn State and No. 1 Oregon.
“We’re continuing to build the program the way we want it, which is going to take time,” said Huskies coach Jedd Fisch. “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, I’m really proud of our guys for being resilient.”
On USC’s second possession, Moss’ pass to Kyle Ford was tipped and caught by Bruener for an interception. Grady Gross kicked a 39-yard field goal to finish Washington’s drive.
Coleman, who leads the Huskies in rushing, scored a 19-yard touchdown before the end of the first quarter.
Zachariah Branch caught a 25-yard pass from Moss, which was first ruled a fumble. After a video review showed Branch was down, USC gained a much-needed first down in Washington’s territory.
Moss also connected with Hudson for a 19-yard pass during that drive, which ended with Woody Marks’ 1-yard touchdown run to make it 10-7.
The Huskies answered back with Coleman’s 15-yard touchdown run, and Gross kicked a 45-yard field goal in heavy rain to give Washington a 20-7 lead at halftime.
USC came back in the second half. Moss celebrated when Makai Lemon caught his pass and ran for a 37-yard touchdown, cutting the lead in the third quarter. Moss then put the Trojans ahead 21-20 with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Ford.
However, Washington took advantage after Moss was intercepted by Bruener again. With help from an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on USC, the Huskies regained the lead early in the final quarter with Keith Reynolds’ 4-yard touchdown run, though the 2-point conversion attempt failed.
