LOS ANGELES — USC trailed by one point heading into the final quarter of what felt like a must-win game against Washington on Saturday night, but a game-changing fumble recovery by defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart got the Trojans the go-ahead touchdown and win they desperately needed.
Read more Alexander: The veterans in the Dodgers’ clubhouse set the example
The Trojans, who won 25-21, were in danger of losing their second straight game at the Coliseum after falling to Oregon the week prior due to a short-handed offense and disconcerted defensive efforts.
Trent Mosley and tight end Mark Bowman — who rank second and third in receiving yards — did not play on Saturday due to injury.
Zacharyus Williams was the leading receiver with 78 yards on four catches. Quarterback Jayden Maiava went 21-of-34 for 245 yards and a touchdown with one interception.
Washington was leading USC 14-10 at the end of the first half.
Caden Chittenden hit a 26-yard field goal early in the opening quarter to get the Trojans on the board, but the Huskies were the first to score a touchdown and did so with a trick play.
Ta’Mere Robinson, who was starting in place of a suspended Desman Stephens II, sacked Williams on second down after initial pressure from safety Alex Graham for a loss of five yards. Washington rallied, however, and Williams got off a 7-yard pass and ran for 11 yards to help the Huskies convert on fourth down.
They relied on running back Brian Bonner to get to the 5-yard line and scored on a double-pass play. USC’s defense took the bait when Washington faked a run play, leaving Dezman Roebuck open to catch a quick pass from Williams and toss the ball to uncovered tight end Baron Naone for a 5-yard touchdown.
Maiava threw his third interception of the season at the start of the second quarter. He was forced to throw off his back foot as the pocket collapsed around him, and the ball landed in Ryan Dillon-Allen’s hands.
Washington was unable to score, however, and USC finally reached the end zone when it got the ball back.
Maiava launched a 40-yard pass to Williams to start the drive, but it was a well-designed run play that got the Trojans a touchdown. Two tight ends shifted to the left to block, leaving Waymond Jordan to trot eight yards into the end zone.
Read more Dodgers playoff schedule for 2026
Bonner, a Valencia High School product, continued to be the go-to guy in the run game. He broke off runs of eight and 13 yards in the Huskies’ final drive of the third quarter, and had a quick 2-yard gain to put Washington on the 1-yard line after the team pulled off its second successful double-pass play of the night.
Kade Eldridge took a direct snap and ran in for a 1-yard touchdown that gave Washington a 14-0 lead with 1:50 left in the opening half.
Tackling once again proved to be USC’s detriment at the start of the third quarter. Williams made a quick pass to his right to connect with tight end Decker Degraaf, who took off for a 42-yard touchdown and a 21-10 lead.
The Trojans missed two tackles as Degraaf hurtled toward the end of the field. They were out-tackled by Washington 63-47 in the game.
USC kept chugging away on the ensuing drive, rattling off five run plays for a gain of 19 yards, and Maiava connected with Tanook Hines for a 10-yard touchdown. Hines battled with cornerback Dylan Robinson for the ball and ultimately snatched it before landing in the end zone.
The defense picked an opportune time to make its biggest play of the game and put USC in the lead again.
Linebacker Elijah Newby, who was playing in his first game of the season, delivered a hit on Williams as his arm was cocked to make a throw and knocked the ball to the ground. Defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart scooped the ball up and rumbled 48 yards down the field for a touchdown and a 22-21 lead heading into the final quarter of play.
Chittenden knocked in a 39-yard field goal to increase USC’s lead to 25-21 with 9:36 remaining in the game, and Kameryn Crawford sacked Williams for a loss of six yards on Washington’s final drive of the game to knock the wind out of the Huskies.
Read more Josue De Paula, Hyeseong Kim make Dodgers’ roster for NLDS