Dillon Johnson rushed for 256 yards and 4 touchdowns, Michael Penix Jr. handed for 256 yards and two scores and No. 5 Washington’s prolific offense stored the Huskies unbeaten with a 52-42 victory over No. 24 Southern California on Saturday night time.
Devin Culp and Ja’Lynn Polk caught TD passes from Penix, who additionally rushed for a rating whereas the Huskies (9-0, 6-0 Pac-12) gained a high-octane thriller that includes two elite offenses and two poor defenses.
Johnson had the fifth-biggest dashing efficiency in Washington historical past and its first 200-yard recreation or four-TD recreation since 2017 whereas the Huskies racked up 572 whole yards.
Caleb Williams handed for 312 yards and three touchdowns for the Trojans (7-3, 5-2), who’ve misplaced three of 4 to derail their championship hopes regardless of one other prolific outing from the Heisman Trophy winner and his offense. Raleek Brown, Darwin Barlow and Williams rushed for TDs, whereas Tahj Washington, Brenden Rice and Mario Williams caught scoring passes in entrance of a sold-out Coliseum for USC’s one centesimal Homecoming weekend.
The offenses mixed for 1,087 yards, however Washington repeatedly made larger performs at key moments. The Huskies by no means trailed within the second half after Williams’ fumble deep in USC territory allowed Washington to take a 35-28 lead on Johnson’s third TD run 20 seconds earlier than halftime.
Mario Williams caught a 20-yard TD go from Caleb Williams to make it 42-42 late within the third quarter, however Washington’s Grady Gross made a 43-yard discipline objective with 12:25 to play. Caleb Williams then took an extended sack that put the Trojans out of field-goal vary on their subsequent drive, and Washington marched 91 yards for Johnson’s fourth TD with 2:20 left.
USC gave up not less than 40 factors for the fifth time in its final six video games, rising the stress on head coach Lincoln Riley’s longtime defensive coordinator, Alex Grinch.
USC performed with out Pac-12 dashing chief MarShawn Lloyd, who sat out with a beforehand undisclosed damage, however the Trojans are loaded with skill-position expertise: Whereas Austin Jones ran for 127 because the backfield starter, Brown scored in his first recreation since Week 0 and Barlow added 44 yards and a rating on his first carries since Week 2.
Massive, daring offensive performs occurred commonly on this assembly between two longtime Pac-12 rivals heading to the Massive Ten collectively subsequent season.
Penix threw a spectacular 22-yard TD go to Culp whereas working out of bounds within the second quarter. USC answered with a 95-yard drive capped by two electrifying runs from Barlow, however Johnson made an untouched 52-yard TD run moments later.
USC went forward on Washington’s 41-yard TD reception off a chic flea-flicker that just about seemed improvised by freshman Zachariah Department when he lateraled again to Williams. However after Polk’s TD catch tied it, Zion Tupuola-Fetui pressured a fumble by Williams on USC’s subsequent snap, and Johnson rushed for his third TD 20 seconds earlier than the half.
Tupuola-Fetui, whose father died final week, was visibly emotional on the sideline after his large play.
Christian Roland-Wallace intercepted Penix’s tipped go ultimately zone on Washington’s opening drive out of halftime, and Williams led an 80-yard scoring drive capped by Rice’s 25-yard TD catch on fourth and 1. The Coliseum crowd was frenetic, however the Huskies calmly reclaimed the lead with a 75-yard drive ending in Penix’s TD sneak.
THE TAKEAWAY
Washington: The Huskies stay unbeaten, however they’ve struggled to complete all three opponents since their victory over Oregon. They’re nonetheless not utterly convincing as a Faculty Soccer Playoff contender, they usually’ll virtually definitely discover it more durable to maneuver the ball of their closing three video games in opposition to defenses significantly better than woeful USC.
USC: The Trojans’ second season underneath Lincoln Riley is formally a failure, and the protection deserves almost the entire blame for not supporting a group that has scored not less than 32 factors in 9 of its 10 video games. A fan mutiny might happen if Grinch sticks round subsequent season.
UP NEXT
Washington: Host Utah on Nov. 11.
USC: At Oregon on Nov. 11.
