Instant observations from UW Huskies’ thrilling win over USC

SEATTLE – After back-to-back road losses to Iowa and Indiana, the UW Huskies returned home and made two big red-zone stops in the fourth quarter to hang on for a nail-biting 26-21 win over the USC Trojans on Saturday evening in the first-ever Big Ten matchup between the former longtime Pac-12 rivals.

Bruener’s big night | Huskies’ defense bends, but doesn’t break | Recap

With the victory, the Huskies (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) took a major step toward bowl eligibility. Washington now only needs to win one of its final three games to qualify for a bowl. That means the Huskies just need to beat 3-5 UCLA at home on Nov. 15 to secure a bowl berth, rather than also needing to pull a massive road upset over No. 3 Penn State or No. 1 Oregon.

It was also Washington’s 19th consecutive victory at Husky Stadium, which extended the program’s longest home win streak in more than a century. The Dawgs are 5-0 at Husky Stadium this season and 0-4 away from Montlake.

Here’s a look at what stood out from the Huskies’ bounceback win:

• Huskies make two massive red-zone stands: The Huskies have come up with several goal-line stands this season. None were bigger than the one they made Saturday night. With UW clinging to a 26-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter, USC was on the verge of pulling back in front after marching 77 yards to the 4-yard line. But the Huskies refused to back down. Washington held USC running back Woody Marks to a 2-yard gain on first down, forced an incompletion on second down and then stopped Marks for a 1-yard gain on third down. Then on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Washington freshman linebacker Khmori House burst through the middle to stonewall Marks for a 3-yard loss to preserve the Huskies’ five-point lead. USC then got the ball back and drove to the Washington 14-yard line in the closing seconds, but the Huskies held strong again. Junior cornerback Ephesians Prysock broke up a third-and-4 pass and sophomore edge rusher Lance Holtzclaw pressured USC quarterback Miller Moss into a fourth-down incompletion to seal the victory.

🙅🏽‍♂️😤 HOUSE PARTY @khmori_house

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— Washington Football (@UW_Football) November 3, 2024

• Bruener has career night: Washington senior linebacker Carson Bruener had likely the best game of his accomplished four-year career, finishing with two interceptions, two pass breakups and a team-high 12 tackles. It was the first multi-interception game of his career and the first time he has recorded both an interception and a pass breakup in the same contest. Bruener opened with big plays on USC’s first two possessions, batting down a third-down pass to force a punt and then snagging an interception on a pass that glanced off a wide receiver’s hands. But his biggest moment came late in the third quarter, when he made a leaping interception on a third-down pass over the middle. That second pick swung the momentum back to UW after two long USC touchdown drives. It also gave the Huskies prime field position, which they converted into a go-ahead 39-yard TD march. Bruener also came up big during Washington’s goal-line stand, teaming with edge rusher Voi Tunuufi for a key third-down tackle at the 1-yard line.

Bru with another one 🙌 @BruenerCarson

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— Washington Football (@UW_Football) November 3, 2024

• Coleman shows his playmaking ability: Washington running back Jonah Coleman showcased his talent with a pair of touchdown runs in the first half. In the final minute of the first quarter, USC appeared to have Coleman boxed up on a first-down run. But Coleman bounced outside to evade two defenders and then cut back and outran another defender on his way to the end zone for an impressive 19-yard TD. The 229-pound junior scored again midway through the second quarter, taking a third-and-1 handoff and bouncing outside for a 15-yard TD. Coleman topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the fifth time this season, finishing with 104 yards and two TDs on 23 carries.

🗣️RUN. IT. UP. JAY. @jonahcoleman8

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— Washington Football (@UW_Football) November 3, 2024

• Defense shows cracks in second half: Washington’s defense stymied USC in the first half, allowing just seven points and 161 yards through the first 30 minutes – including a mere 22 rushing yards on nine carries. But after the break, the Trojans found their rhythm. USC moved up and down the field with ease for most of the second half, racking up 298 total yards after the break – including back-to-back touchdown drives of 89 and 70 yards to begin the third quarter. USC ran for 144 yards on 20 carries in the second half and also hit some big plays in the passing game, including a 37-yard TD pass from Moss to Makai Lemon on a fourth-and-9. But ultimately, the Huskies came through with the two massive red-zone stops to bend just enough without breaking.

• Gross comes through: It’s been a rough season for Washington kicker Grady Gross, who missed seven field goals over a four-game span earlier this year. But the junior came through on Saturday, converting both of his field-goal attempts. Gross nailed a 39-yarder in the first quarter and then hit a 45-yarder through driving rain in the final minute of the second quarter. If he had missed either one of those kicks, USC would have only needed a field goal to pull in front late in the game. But UW head coach Jedd Fisch has maintained confident in his kicker, and Gross rewarded his faith on Saturday night.

More on the UW Huskies

• UW Huskies Notebook: State of starting QB spot, bowl math, more
• How UW Huskies’ outgoing transfers have fared with new teams
• Instant observations from UW Huskies’ loss to No. 13 Indiana
• Caple: Assessing the future of UW Huskies’ O-line and D-line

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