Trojans escape UW upset bid
SEATTLE – Washington’s night date with top-ranked USC ended so simply – and in the manner that most figured it would – with Trojans quarterback John David Booty taking a knee while the final seconds ticked away.
Little else on this bizarre Saturday night was so routine, however, as the Trojans and Huskies stumbled and bumbled their way though four quarters in a game that ended as a 27-24 USC win in front of 68,654 fans at Husky Stadium.
Despite being outgained by 270 yards, the Huskies were in the game until the final seconds thanks to a multitude of USC errors, including two interceptions, a fumble, a blocked punt, and 16 penalties for 161 yards.
The Huskies were far from perfect themselves, which made what could have been a big upset into frustrating night of “what ifs?”
“At times we just don’t play to our full potential, and that’s hard,” said UW cornerback Roy Lewis. “Especially when you have a team on the ropes, you have some momentum going, and all we have to do is turn the corner, we’re one play away, and something happens. Always something happens.”
Lewis made one of the biggest plays of the night for Washington when it looked like the game was all but over. With USC leading 27-17 with 1:12 left, Lewis blocked a punt after a high snap, recovered the block and returned it 18 yards to the USC 9-yard line. Three plays later, Jake Locker was in the end zone with and it was a three-point game.
USC’s Terrell Thomas caught Jared Ballman’s ensuing kickoff with 33 seconds remaining, however, ending Washington’s comeback hopes.
USC headed back to Los Angeles feeling lucky to escape with a win.
“We couldn’t do more things wrong in the game,” said USC coach Pete Carroll. “We just couldn’t get out of our own way. … Washington was there to take it. All they needed was one more chance. On this night we overcame that. I am grateful to have this win under all of the circumstances and all of the stuff that happened. … We almost beat ourselves tonight, we tried really hard.”
The mistakes started early for USC, as it helped Washington’s opening drive with two 15-yard penalties. In what would become the norm on this wild night, Washington failed to capitalize, as Jake Locker threw an interception on second-and-7 at the 8-yard line.
After a Jason Wells interception gave Washington the ball back, the Huskies drove to the 30, where Locker overthrew a wide-open Corey Williams in the end zone. That drive ended with a punt.
USC gave Washington its first two touchdowns on turnovers. The first score, a 10-yard Locker run that gave the Huskies a 7-0 lead, came after a fumbled snap at the USC 14-yardline.
The Trojans answered that score with a touchdown of their own, then went ahead 14-7 with an 88-yard drive. The Huskies tied the game late in the half when safety Mesphin Forrester returned an interception 54 yards for a score.