USC goes cold at the goal line, falling to Washington in another road loss
SEATTLE — A long, cold night for USC had been leading here, to the doorstep of the Washington goal line, just a few familiar feet away from redemption.
For much of Saturday’s 26-21 loss to Washington, as rain fell in sheets and a freezing wind blew off Lake Washington, Lincoln Riley stuck stubbornly with his gut, testing the nation’s No. 1 pass defense by throwing into a downpour with a struggling quarterback. Riley has held tightly to his instincts in the face of criticism throughout USC’s nightmare season, defiant to suggestions the Trojans weren’t heading in the right direction, even as one close loss turned to another, and another, and another.
Miller Moss’ final pass falls short to seal Trojans’ loss
Washington 26, USC 21, end of the fourth quarter
USC started on its 34.
The Trojans were called for a false start. It was Mason Murphy’s fourth false start of the game.
On first-and-15, Moss passed to Makai Lemon for six yards and Lemon stepped out.
On second-and-nine, Zachariah Branch caught the ball for 13 yards and stepped out at the USC 48. Moss tossed an incomplete pass. On second-and-10 with 1:18 left, Moss passed up the middle to Woody Marks for eight yards. On third-and-two, Moss passed to Lemon for 13 yards.
Washington called timeout to aid injured Carson Bruener. He was allowed to stay in the game because he stayed on his feet while getting assistance.
On first down at the Washington 31 with 57 seconds left, Moss passed to Branch for 11 yards. Moss then passed to Marks for six yards before stepping out of bounds.
On first down at the Washington 14 with 32 seconds left, Moss threw the ball away. On second down, he tossed an incomplete pass.
On third econd down at the Washington 14 with 26 seconds left, passed toward the end zone and the pass was broken up.
On fourth down, Moss heaved the ball in the air as he was tackled and it fell incomplete.
The Trojans turned the ball over with 11 seconds left.
USC was called for a sideline warning. Washington ran out the clock to seal the win.
USC forces Washington punt and has a chance to score
Washington 26, USC 21, 1:36 left in the fourth quarter
Washington started on its four-yard line. Jonah Coleman ran for five yards. Coleman then ran for two yards. On third-and-three, Will Rogers passed to Giles Jackson for 11 yards and a first down.
Coleman ran for nine yards, two yards and a first down and another two yards. On second-and-eight, Coleman rushed for seven yards, triggering the two-minute time.
On third-and-one, Washington was called for a substitution penalty. On third-and-six at the Washington 47, Rogers passed to Jackson for one yard.
The Huskies punted out of bounds at the Trojans’ 34.
Washington stuff USC on fourth down on the Huskies’ one-yard line
Washington 26, USC 21, 5:08 left in the fourth quarter
USC started at its 19 after a Makai Lemon 11-yard return.
Woody Marks ran for two yards. Miller Moss passed to Zachariah Branch for four yards. Marks then ran for 19 yards to the USC 44.
Moss’ next pass intended for Ja’Kobi Lane was incomplete. Quienten Joyner ran for four yards. Marks then ran for nine yards and a first down.
Joyner ran for two yards and then four yards. On third-and-four at the Washington 37, Marks ran for six yards.
Joyner ran for 15 yards to the Washington 16. Joyner then rushed for 12 yards to the Washington 4. Marks ran for two yards. On second-and-goal from the 2, Moss tossed an incomplete pass. On third-and-two, Marks ran for one yard. On fourth-and-goal at the Washington one, Marks was stuffed for a loss of three yards.
Washington scores after Miller Moss interception
Washington 26, USC 21, 13:52 left in the fourth quarter
Washington took over on the USC 39.
Will Rogers tossed an incomplete pass. Rogers then passed to Jonah Coleman for nine yards. Colemen rushed for two yards and a first down.
Rogers passed to Cameron Davis for seven yards, moving the ball to the USC 21 as time expired in the third quarter.
Coleman ran for seven yards. Rogers tossed an incomplete pass. Coleman ran for five yards to the USC 9 and the Trojans were called for unsportsmanlike conduct, moving the ball to the USC 5.
Keith Reynolds then ran for a four-yard touchdown. Will Rogers’ pass to Denzel Boston was incomplete and the two-point conversion has failed.
Miller Moss tosses his third interception
USC 21, Washington 20, 1:18 left in the third quarter
USC started its 40 after the punt return.
Woody Marks ran for five yards. Miller Moss pased to Makai Lemon for no gain. Moss’ next pass was intercepted by Carson Bruener and Washington took over at the USC 39.
USC forces a Washington punt
USC 21, Washington 20, 2:54 left in the third quarter
Washington starts at its 24.
Will Rogers passed to Cameron Davis for no gain. Rogers then passed to Denzel Boston for 16 yards. Jonah Coleman then rushed for two yards. On second-and-eight, Rogers tossed an incomplete pass and Washington was called for holding. On third-and-18 at the Washington 32, Rogers tossed an incomplete pass.
Jack McCallister punted for 48 yards and Zachariah Branch returned it for 20 yards to the USC 40.
Miller Moss connects with Kyle Ford for touchdown pass, USC takes the lead
USC 21, Washington 20, 5:07 left in the third quarter
USC started on its 30 after the fourth down stop.
Woody Marks ran for 16 yards to the USC 46.
Miller Moss passed to Zachariah Branch for 32 yards to the Washington 12.
Marks ran for three yards. Moss then passed to Kyle Ford for a nine-yard touchdown. Michael Lantz hit the extra point.
USC stuffs Washington on fourth down
Washington 20, USC 14, 6:53 left in the third quarter
Washington started on its 25.
Will Rogers passes to Giles Jackson for 21 yards. Jonah Coleman ran for three yards. Rogers then passed to Keleki Latu for 18 yards to the USC 33.
Rogers tossed an incomplete pass. Coleman ran for three yards. Demond Williams Jr. tossed an complete pass. And on fourth-and-seven at the USC 30, Rogers tossed another incomplete pass.
Miller Moss connects with Makai Lemon for touchdown
Washington 20, USC 14, 9:16 left in the third quarter
USC started on its 11.
Woody Marks ran for four yards. Miller Moss then passed to Duce Robinson for five yards. Marks then ran for 14 yards.
On first down at the USC 49, Marks ran for 13 yards. Quinten Joyner ran for one yard. Moss tossed an incomplete pass. And Moss passed to Makai Lemon for a 37-yard touchdown. Michael Lantz then hit the extra point.
USC forces Washington to punt on opening drive
Washington 20, USC 7, 13:08 left in the third quarter
Washington started on its 25 after the kickoff.
Will Rogers passed to Denzel Boston for 17 yards. Jonah Coleman ran for two yards. Rogers passed to Boston for two yards. On third-and-six, Rogers tossed an incomplete pass.
Washington punted to the USC 11.
Miller Moss tosses Hail Mary interception as time expires in second quarter
Washington 20, USC 7, end of second quarter
USC started on its 35.
Miller Moss passed to Woody Marks for one yard and USC called timeout with about 30 seconds left.
Moss passed to Ja’Kobi Lane for 10 yards. Moss passed to Marks for four yards.
With six seconds left, Moss passed to Lemon for seven yards and he ran out of bounds.
On first down at the Washington 43 with one second left, the Huskies called timeout.
USC was called for false start and a five yard penalty.
Moss’ deep pass was intercepted by Kamren Fabiculanan and time expired.
Washington extends its lead in second quarter with field goal
Washington 20, USC 7, 40 seconds left in the second quarter
Washington started on its 6-yard line.
Cameron Davis ran for four yards to the Washington 10.
Will Rogers passed to Decker DeGraaf for 36 yards to the Washington 46. Rogers tossed an incomplete pass. Rogers then connected with Keleki Latu for eight yards. Jonah Coleman ran for five yards to the USC 36. Rogers passed to Coleman for eight yards to the USC 29 with 56 seconds left.
Rogers tossed an incomplete pass. On third-and-11, rogers passed to Giles Jackson for two yards.
Grady Gross hit a 45-yard field goal to extend Washington’s lead in the rain.
USC’s drive stalls and Trojans are forced to punt
Washington 17, USC 7, 2:29 left in the second quarter
USC started on its 26 after Makai Lemon returned the kickoff 24 yards.
Woody Marks ran for two yards. USC then was called for a false start. On second-and-13, Miller Moss shoveled the ball to Marks for a loss of four yards. On third-and-17, Washington was offsides. On third-and-12, Moss passed to Zachariah Branch for 12 yards and first down.
Moss passed to Makai Lemon for no gain. On second-and-10 at the USC 36, Moss pass toward Lake McRee. Washington’s Isaiah Ward dropped a sure interception and potential touchdown. On third down, Moss passed to Lemon for nine yards. On fourth-and-one at the USC 45, Marks ran for two yards and the first down.
Moss passed to Ja’kobi Lane for 21 yards. Moss was under pressure and tossed an incomplete pass. On second down at Washington’s 32, USC was called for a false start. On second-and-15 at Washington’s 37, Marks ran for two yards. On third down, Moss tossed an incomplete pass.
On fourth-and-13 at the Washington 35, USC took a delay of game penalty to better position its punter.
USC’s Eddie Czaplicki punted to the Washington 6.
Washington quickly responds to USC’s score with a touchdown
Washington 17, USC 7, 8:16 left in the second quarter
Washington started on USC’s 41 after Keith Reynolds returned the kickoff 50 yards.
Will Rogers passed to Denzel Boston for 17 yards to the USC 24.
Jonah Coleman rushed for two yards to the USC 22. Will Rogers passed to Denzel Boston for seven yards to the USC 15. Coleman then ran for a 15-yard touchdown and Washington hit the extra point.
Miller Moss leads a USC touchdown drive
Washington 10, USC 7, 10:05 left in the second quarter
USC started on its 24 after Makai Lemon returned a kickoff 16 yards.
Miller Moss passed to Lake McRee for five yards as the first quarter ended. Moss ran for five yards and a first down.
Moss passed to Woody Marks for seven yards. Moss tossed an incomplete pass intended for Kyron Hduson. Moss’ threw another incomplete pass intended for Kyle Ford, but Washington was called for pass interference.
On first down on the 50, Moss tossed an incomplete pass. Marks rushed for no gain. On third-and-10, USC called timeout. Moss passed to Zachariah Branch for 20 yards. Moss then passed to
Moss tossed an incomplete pass. Moss then passed to Hudson for 19 yards to the Washington 11. Marks rushed for no gain as USC was called for illegal formation.
Marks ran for five yards. Moss passed to McRee for 10 yards to the Washington 1. Marks then rushed for the one-yard touchdown and Michael Lantz hit the extra point.
Washington scores a touchdown after USC’s missed field goal
Washington 10, USC 0, 21 seconds left in the first quarter
Washington started on its 35.
Jonah Coleman fran for three yards. Will Rogers tossed an incomplete pass. Rogers then pased to Keleki Latu for 15 yards. Rogers passed to Demond Williams Jr. for three yards. Rogers tossed another incomplete pass. He then passed to Giles Jackson for six yards. On fourth-and-one at the USC 38, Adam Mohammed ran for two yards and the first down.
Mohammed ran for three yards. Rogers then passed to Denzel Boston for 14 yards. Coleman capped the drive with a 19-yard touchdown and Grady Gross hit the extra point.
USC drive stalls, Trojans miss long field goal
Washington 3, USC 0, 4:40 left in the first quarter
USC started on its 40 after A’Marion Peterson returned the kickoff 14 yards.
Washington was called for delay of game.
On first-and-five at the USC 45, Miller Moss passed to Makai Lemon for a two-yard loss. Moss then passed to Ja’kobi Lane for 16 yards.
Moss passed to Woody Marks for four yards. Marks then ran for two yards. On third-and-four, Moss’ pass intended for Duce Robinson was broken up.
Michael Lantz’s 52-yard field goal attempt was short and no good.
USC defense limits Washington to a field goal after pick
Washington 3, USC 0, 6:47 left in the first quarter
Washington started on its 45.
Will Rogers passed to Jeremiah Hunter for 15 yards. Jonah Coleman rushed for two yards. Rogers passed to Denzel Boston for 12 yards.
Rogers tossed an incomplete pass. Coleman rushed for six yards. On third-and-four, Rogers passed to Boston for a five-yard gain, moving the ball to the USC 19.
Washington was called for a false start. On first-and-15 at the USC 24, Rogers tossed an incomplete pass. Coleman ran for three yards. Rogers tossed another incomplete pass and Grady Gross hit a 39-yard field goal.
Miller Moss tosses an interception
USC 0, Washington 0, 11:08 left in the first quarter
USC took over at the Washington 37 after a bad punt and immediately surrendered its advantage.
Miller Moss’ pass was intercepted y Carson Bruener and Washington took over at its 45.
Washington boots poor punt and gives USC strong field position
USC 0, Washington 0, 11:25 left in the first quarter
Washington started on its 6.
Jonah Coleman ran for three yards. Washington was then credited for a team rush and loss of three yards. Will Rogers passed to Denzel Boston for nine yards. On fourth-and-one at the Washington 10, the Huskies were hit with a false start penalty.
Washington punted 27 yards to the Huskies’ 37.
USC can’t make the most of 50-yard kickoff return, punts
USC 0, Washington 0, 13:30 left in the first quarter
USC started on the 50-yard line after the kickoff return.
Woody Marks ran for three yards. Miller Moss passed to Lake McRee for no gain. Moss’ next pass was incomplete. UCLA punted to the Washington six-yard line.
USC returns opening kickoff 50 yards
USC 0, Washington 0, 14:53 left in the first quarter
USC received the opening kickoff and Makai Lemon returned it 50 yards to the 50-yard line.
Woody Marks finally getting the chance to unleash his total skill set at USC
As Woody Marks weighed his football future last winter, Darren Myles was frank with his former running back. His body of work, he told Marks, was an incomplete picture of the player Myles knew he could be. Four seasons at Mississippi State, playing in Mike Leach’s pass-happy Air Raid offense, proved Marks could catch passes out of the backfield. But he was typecast in the eyes of NFL scouts as a third-down, change-of-pace player, incapable of carrying the load as a bruising back running between the tackles.
His high school coach knew better than that. Myles had seen it during four years at Carver High in Atlanta. He watched as Marks stepped in as the starter before his first game as a freshman, taking the place of a senior who missed practice and never relinquishing the role.
The Times of Troy: The big-play receiver USC needed was there all along: Makai Lemon
Hi, everyone! I’m Ryan Kartje, the USC beat writer around these parts at the L.A. Times. Welcome back to another week of the Times of Troy newsletter, where we’re still cursing the Big Ten for keeping us in the Coliseum press box until 2 a.m. on Friday night. But hopefully the brave souls on the East Coast who stayed up until the final whistle, a few ticks before 3 a.m. EDT, have gotten a nap by now. At least you got a win out of it.
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Beyond Varsity Blues: In pursuit of donations, USC admitted affluent kids as walk-on athletes
Energy and telecom mogul Sarath Ratanavadi, one of the richest men in Thailand, wanted his son to attend the University of Southern California a decade ago. The admissions officer who reviewed his file, however, termed him a “mediocre student at best” with grades at a Bangkok private school that USC equated to four Ds and two Fs.
But after Ratanavadi donated $3 million to the Trojan golf team, USC found a spot for his son. A special admissions committee for sports recruits admitted the teen as a walk-on golfer.
“I don’t think there is any way he will contribute to us winning or losing,” then-golf coach Chris Zambri emailed a colleague months after Ratanavadi’s son was admitted in 2015. But, he added, “his dad is now a huge supporter of USC Athletics …”
New focus in life has USC’s Emmanuel Pregnon blocking out the pain
Emmanuel Pregnon woke up Friday morning convinced that, no matter the pain, he was going to play through it that night.
He might have been the only one. Lincoln Riley deemed the Trojans’ left guard “doubtful” for the meeting with Rutgers with a leg injury that had limited him all week. But really, given the aches and pains he was dealing with, no one was expecting Pregnon to give it a go. No one, apparently, but Pregnon himself.
Former five-star receiver Kyle Ford sets aside frustration to finish strong at USC
On Sunday mornings, when Kyle Ford can feel his frustration boiling up from the night before, he tries to step away. He’ll skip the optional Sunday lift at USC, setting aside football in favor of something else entirely. Something just for him. Something to help reset.
“Just to get away,” the sixth-year senior receiver says, “and clear my mental and take a deep breath and be around people I love.”
Lately, he’s found that peace in golf, spending Sundays on the course where he can forget for a while about the season at USC.
USC freshman edge-rushing duo Kameryn Fountain and Sam Greene bolster the Trojans
USC freshman edge-rushing duo Kameryn Fountain and Sam Greene have shown why they were recruited to join the Trojans’ defense: to get to the quarterback.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work, a lot of long nights and early mornings,” Greene said. “Doing extra little things just to contribute to the team. That’s all I wanted to do ever since I signed that paper to come here.”
Both players secured their first collegiate sack in a decisive win over Rutgers last Saturday.
USC vs. Washington: How to watch the game, plus betting odds
USC (4-4) looks to pick up an important road win Saturday when it faces Washington (4-4) in the first Big Ten meeting between the former Pac-12 rivals. The game is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. PDT and will be shown on the Big Ten Network. The radio broadcast will be available on 710 AM in the Los Angeles area.
Here’s a look at the betting odds for the game:
