Wash. uses trick play, upsets USC
Washington pulled away from USC with an awesome trick play touchdown. (USATSI)Chris Petersen sealed the biggest win of his Washington career with a fantastic play call that caught No. 17 USC off guard and put in motion what would become a 17-12 win for the Huskies.
Freshman quarterback Jake Browning, who despite some struggles, did come through with a few big passes in the fourth quarter. One of those was a toss to Marvin Hall, who then found Joshua Perkins streaking across the field between USC defenders apparently unaware that a double pass was a possibility.
Washington is leading USC thanks to this perfectly executed double pass TD http://t.co/bvQF4xlZtk pic.twitter.com/96m4NR4ES3
— SBNation CFB (@SBNationCFB) October 9, 2015
Entering the Coliseum as three-score underdogs, Washington brought the fight early with a fierce performance up front on defense. USC QB Cody Kessler began the game with just one interception on the season, but the Huskies were able to create pressure all night and that disruption helped lead to two Kessler turnovers.
But Kessler’s issues weren’t all that went wrong for the Trojans. There was a missed field goal, several dropped passes — one particularly bad drop from Tre Madden on a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter that would’ve brought USC’s deficit down to three — and the most damning stat of the evening: just one conversion on third down in 13 tries.
Same pic.twitter.com/zuAmKNZTol
— SBNation CFB (@SBNationCFB) October 9, 2015
But Washington’s highlights were not limited to USC’s mistakes or one trick play. Credit the Huskies for showing up to the Coliseum with a raised level of play, as seen in this absurd catch from Brayden Lenius.
How many times in a row can you loop Brayden Lenius’s #12Best catch? https://t.co/89fPqm0Uf4
— Pac-12 Networks (@Pac12Networks) October 9, 2015
Despite all that, USC had an opportunity late in the game, though many will question coach Steve Sarkisian’s odd decision at that juncture. Down five and faced with 4th and 9 from the Huskies’ 28, the Trojans went for a 46-yard field goal rather than attempt to gain the first down and continue a potential go-ahead touchdown drive.
The attempt from kicker Alex Wood was on line but short, leading to the groan from the crowd – which began when Sarkisian called for the field goal in the first place – getting even louder.
USC will surely fall out of the top 25 polls at week’s end despite being a favorite to win the Pac-12 prior to the start of the season. For Sarkisian, now 2-4 at USC as a double-digit favorite against Power Five opponents, this loss makes nearly every game from here on out a must-win for the him, along with the Trojans. When the expectations are conference title and the early returns include the first back-to-back home losses since 2001, there isn’t much you can do to satisfy the USC fans other than win every game from here on out.
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