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No letdown here: Defense backs undefeated USC to win over Washington State
The emotional leader of the defense was sidelined, his arm in a cast. The team’s top safety was disqualified for targeting, left to watch from the locker room. At the start of a two-week stretch that almost certainly would define USC’s season, its defense was depleted, its scant depth stretched to its limit against Washington State, an offense known for stretching the field to its maximum.
The stage was set for a letdown, with a marquee meeting at Utah looming next week. But after weeks of letting its offense take on a lead role, it was USC’s defense that drew the final curtain, pitching a second-half shutout and willing the Trojans past Washington State in a 30-14 victory on Saturday night at the Coliseum.
Sixth-ranked USC improved to 6-0 for the first time since 2006, when Pete Carroll still roamed the sideline. It had its defense to thank for that.
Travis Dye’s workhorse load pushes USC past Washington State
Team Williams was brilliant twice, Caleb tossing touchdown passes to Mario of 38 and 24 yards.
But in a game that required a workmanlike effort to defeat a blue-collar opponent, fifth-year transfer running Travis Dye made the difference for USC.
Dye, a Southern California kid who played four years at Oregon before coming home, rushed for 149 yards and one touchdown in a 30-14 win over Washington State, seemingly churning and cutting and juking for yardage every time the Trojans seemed wobbly.
Which was often.
Caleb Williams passed for only 188 yards, completing 15 of 28 passes. He was often under pressure, and ran nine times for 34 yards, more than once taking a vicious hit. Mario Williams had four catches for 82 yards, displaying his exceptional skills on both touchdown receptions.
“We didn’t throw and catch the ball well tonight,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said.
USC improved to 6-0, 4-0 in the Pac-12 Conference, the first time the Trojans are 6-0 since 2006 when Pete Carroll was coach. Washington State fell to 4-2 and 1-2.
Yet the Trojans found themselves behind 14-10 late in the first half. The USC defense stiffened in the second half, and from there the Dye was cast.
Dye had 13 carries and a reception in the fourth quarter when the Trojans successfully kept the ball out of the hands of Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward and his own playmaking running back Jaylen Jenkins, who rushed for 126 yards in 12 carries and had a 45-yard reception.
“You have to win in different ways. You have to find ways to move the ball,” Riley said. “We adapted, and he was a big part of that.
A key juncture occurred midway through the third quarter. Defenses had dominated since halftime, with USC going three-and-out on its first two possessions, gaining only six yards.
Washington State’s first two possessions were no better, one ending with a punt and the second on downs.
But USC’s third possession gave Team Williams another chance to connect.
One play after a spirited 14-yard run to the end zone by Dye was nullified by a holding call, pushing USC back to the Washington 29, Caleb Williams hit a sprawling Mario Williams in the end zone with 5:17 left in the third quarter to extend the lead to 24-14.
Williams got his left hand just underneath the ball as he dived. A review confirmed the catch.
Dye, who attended Norco High, ran for 16 yards to begin that possession, and a Cougar interception was nullified by a defensive holding call two plays later.
Late in the first half, USC put together a sometimes efficient, sometimes sputtering drive following Washington State’s two quick second-quarter touchdowns.
The march was marred by pass interference penalties by both teams, but the decisive one came on a Caleb Williams pass into the end zone to tight end Malcolm Epps that gave USC a first-and-goal.
Dye scored from four yards on the next play, putting the Trojans back on top 17-14 with 2:10 to play in the half. The Trojans thought they ended the half with a safety when Washington State’s Jaylen Jenkins fumbled at the three-yard line and the ball was fallen on in the end zone by a lineman.
The ruling on the field was that Jenkins’ knee hit the ground before the ball came loose, and the call stood after a review requested by USC coach Lincoln Riley.
The Trojans defense held Washington State to 316 yards neutralized Ward, putting intense pressure on one of the Pac-12’s most dangerous dual threats.
Tuli Tuipulotu was regularly the Trojan laying chase, tearing through Washington State’s line with impunity. He had three of USC’s five sacks to go with four tackles for loss.
The Cougars grabbed a 14-10 lead with 11:50 to play in the first half when a six-play, 75-yard drive was capped by a one-yard scoring pass from Ward to Nakia Watson.
The big play came moments earlier when Jenkins hauled in a 45-yard pass from Ward despite being grabbed by a USC defender. Jenkins had 48 yards rushing on three carries in addition to the long reception in the half.
Early on, Team Williams connected for a touchdown that would foreshadow what was to come. Caleb hit Williams for a score on a 38-yard pass play to cap an 82-yard, eight-play drive on the Trojans’ first possession with 8:31 to play in the first quarter.
USC’s lead grows to 30-14 after another field goal
Denis Lynch kicked his third field goal, this one from 31 yards, to extend the USC lead to 30-14 with 2:08 to play.
The kick ended an 11-play, 51-yard drive that chewed up 5:21. USC controlled the ball most of the fourth quarter thanks to the efforts to Travis Dye.
The fifth-year transfer running back from Oregon has rushed for 149 yards in 28 carries.
USC’s drive of 7:27 results in a field goal, extending lead to 27-14
A USC drive that began in the third quarter and didn’t end until only 9:09 remained in the game ended with a 27-yard field goal by Denis Lynch that extended the Trojans’ lead to 27-14.
The 13-play, 70-yard march frustrated the Trojans in the red zone after a 20-yard run by Travis Dye and an 11-yard scramble by Caleb Williams had USC knocking at the door.
USC extends lead to 24-14 on another connection by Team Williams
One play after a spirited 14-yard run to the end zone by USC running back Travis Dye was nullified by a holding call, pushing USC back to the Washington 29, Caleb Williams hit a sprawling Mario Williams in the end zone with 5:17 left in the third quarter.
USC 24, Washington State 14.
Williams got his left hand just underneath the ball as he dived. A review confirmed the catch. Williams has four catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns.
Quarterback Caleb Williams is a pedestrian 12 for 24 for 149 yards while running eight times for 23 yards and taking a couple of hard hits.
Defenses dominate first half of the third quarter
USC: Two possessions, two punts in the first half of the third quarter. The Trojans gained only six yards in six plays.
Washington State: Two possessions, one punt and one turnover on downs.
Neither team can move the ball and the Trojans still lead 17-14, the same lead they took into halftime.
Travis Dye ran for 16 yards to begin the Trojans’ third possession of the quarter, and a Cougars interception was nullified by a defensive holding call two plays later.
USC leads 17-14 after nearly adding points with a safety on last play of first half
The Trojans thought they ended the first half with a safety when Washington State’s Jaylen Jenkins fumbled at the three-yard line and the ball was fallen on in the end zone by a lineman.
The ruling on the field was that Jenkins’ knee hit the ground before the ball came loose, and the call stood after a review requested by USC coach Lincoln Riley.
USC leads at halftime 17-14.
Helped by two pass interference calls, USC regains the lead 17-14
USC put together a sometimes efficient, sometimes sputtering drive following Washington State’s two quick touchdowns.
The march was marked by pass interference penalties by both teams, but the decisive one came on a Caleb Williams pass into the end zone to tight end Malcolm Epps that gave USC a first-and-goal.
Travis Dye scored from four yards on the next play, putting the Trojans back on top 17-14 with 2:10 to play in the first half.
Washington State seizes the lead with second TD of the second quarter
The Cougars grabbed a 14-10 lead with 11:50 to play in the first half when a six-play, 75-yard drive was capped by a one-yard scoring pass from Cameron Ward to Nakia Watson.
The big play came moments earlier when Jaylen Jenkins hauled in a 45-yard pass from Ward despite being grabbed by a USC defender.
Jenkins has 48 yards rushing on three carries in addition to the long reception.
USC’s ensuing possession was a short-lived three-and-out. Washington State takes over at its 23-yard line after a Trojans punt.
Washington State gets its offense going, scores on first play of second quarter
Jaylen Jennings ripped off runs of 28 and 23 yards on Washington State’s possession following a USC field goal that stretched the score to 10-0.
The drive ended on the first play of the second quarter with quarterbak Cameron Ward hitting Robert Ferrel from 12 yards for a touchdown that pulled the Cougars to within 10-7.
The Cougars began the 92-yard drive from their eight because a holding call on the kickoff return moved the ball back half the distance to the goal line.
Ward scrambled for a first down and passed to De’Zhaun Stribling for another first down as the first quarter ended with Washington State at the USC 12. It didn’t take long to score from there.
Trojans’ second possession stalls in red zone and they settle for a field goal
USC moved the ball with ease early in its second possession, gaining 52 yards in four plays. But the Washington State defense stiffened and the Trojans settled for a 31-yard field field goal by Denis Lynch to extend their lead to 10-0 with 3:32 to play in the first quarter.
The big play was a pass from Caleb Williams to Jordan Addison for 25 yards.
Williams is five of six passing for 86 yards.
Team Williams (Caleb to Mario) puts the Trojans ahead early
It didn’t take USC long for Team Williams to connect for a touchdown.
Caleb Williams hit Mario Williams for a score on a 38-yard pass play to cap an 82-yard, eight-play drive on the Trojans’ first possession with 8:31 to play in the first quarter.
Caleb Williams completed four of five passes for 61 yards on the drive. Mario Williams had two catches for 49 yards.
Caleb Williams mastering the art of escape as USC’s football Houdini
Long before he would tap dance across the Coliseum field last Saturday, dodging and dipping and darting through defenders in a way no other USC quarterback ever has, Caleb Williams was already a master in the art of escape.
The skills that would one day make him a scrambling savant were born largely out of necessity. Growing up, Williams played regularly with older kids. The cousins he often saw were older. His best childhood friends — Gary, Michael, Malik and DJ, to name a few — were older. Most were much bigger too.
“They were huge,” USC’s sophomore quarterback recalled during the summer. And by no means did they take it easy on the smaller, younger kid in their crew. So Williams had to get creative.
High stakes for Trojans: Three things to watch for in USC vs. Washington State
Travis Dye has been around football long enough to see the signs: The emotional road win in Corvallis. The less-than-stellar week of practice that followed. The sloppy start against Arizona State. Sure, the ship was eventually righted in a 42-25 win, USC’s fifth straight to start the season. But the effort was enough to remind the fifth-year senior running back how hard it is to keep winning — and how quickly a letdown could come.
He passed along that message after the Arizona State game on Saturday.
“We need to put our main focus on the little stuff and just realizing that winning does not come easy. It’s not something that you just get used to,” Dye said. “You have to come in, week in, week out with everything you have. Because you’re going to get everybody’s best shot. That’s just how it is. When you go to USC with all this hype around you, you’re going to get everybody’s best shot.”
Viral sensation USC Cardinal Divas strive to ‘create a Black space for Black women’
Princess Lang pressed send on her innocent tweet. If she got 50 likes on this simple, seven-second video clip of her dancing, the junior majoring in musical theater at USC would feel so famous.
The notifications that followed nearly buzzed a phone-shaped hole into her friend’s couch cushion.
More than 3 million views and 104,000 likes streamed in on the video of Lang dancing in the front row at the Coliseum with a newly formed majorette team during USC’s football game against Fresno State. Her curly, shoulder-length hair bounced with every arm movement. A bright smile lit up her face.
“The Cardinal Divas of SC are UP NEXT,” the tweet said.
USC offensive line vows to improve after leaving Caleb Williams scrambling
When Josh Henson first took stock of USC’s offensive line last spring, the new offensive coordinator made note of what he thought was the Trojans’ most glaring need up front.
“We need to develop depth,” Henson said in March. “I think that’s what our challenge is this spring, to develop depth behind that first group and to get some guys closer to the first group so they can go compete. The best lines I’ve been in, we’ve had eight or nine guys that could play.”
Six months later, that depth suddenly faced its stiffest challenge yet, as redshirt junior reserve Gino Quinones stepped in at right guard last Saturday in place of injured team captain Justin Dedich, with fewer than two dozen snaps of experience.
Quinones hadn’t played a snap on the offensive line during his three previous seasons. Now he was being thrust into 70 snaps against one of the Pac-12’s stoutest interiors. It was a tall order.
USC vs. Washington state: Betting odds, lines, picks and predictions
Las Vegas sportsbooks have the sixth-ranked USC Trojans (5-0, 3-0 in the Pac-12) as 13-point favorites as they host the Washington State Cougars (4-1, 1-1) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Coliseum.
The Trojans are undefeated on the scoreboards, but they’re just 3-2 against the spread on the betting boards as they’re coming off a 42-25 win against Arizona State in which they failed to cover as 24½-point favorites, and that followed a 17-14 win at Oregon State when they were 5½-point faves.
First-year coach Lincoln Riley’s offense is averaging 42.2 points with the Oregon State game the only one in which quarterback Caleb Williams & Co. didn’t score at least 40 points. On paper, the Trojans should be able to win this game and continue their march toward the Pac-12 championship game, but the problem with laying this many points is that while USC will probably be up by two touchdowns at some point, will they be able to hold on for the cover?