Game Information
Location: Husky Stadium / Seattle, WA
Time: 4:30 p.m PST
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: ESPN 710 (Los Angeles), KSZL AM 1230 (Barstow, Calif.), KGU-FM 95.1/ AM 760 (Honolulu, Hawaii), KSHP AM 1400 / FM 107.1 (Las Vegas, Nev.), KJJZ-HD3 102.7 FM (Thousand Palms, Calif.)
Line / Total: USC -2 / u55.5
Injuries
USC: QUESTIONABLE: CB Jaylin Smith (undisclosed), CB Jacobe Covington (undisclosed), S Kamari Ramsey (undisclosed), CB Greedy Vance Jr. (undisclosed), DT Nate Clifton (undisclosed)
Washington:
Stats to Know
USC has a 52-31-4 record versus Washington
USC is 0-3 on the road this season.
What's at Stake: USC (4-4, 2-4 Big Ten) returned to winning ways last Friday in dominating fashion versus Rutgers. Miller Moss and the offense rolled through all four quarters, playing winning football on all three sides.
It was the complete game coach Lincoln Riley had been looking for all season from his Trojans. USC had 443 total yards of offense and a season-best four sacks. However, what remains to be seen is the program's consistency.
Since the start of the conference, USC has failed to win back-to-back games. Second-half blunders have been the Trojans' achilles heel all year. The offense goes stale, while defensive assignments are missed.
Heading to Washington (4-4,2-3) is an opportunity to get on track. Last Friday’s win showed what USC can do when they put it all together on all three sides. The College Football Playoffs are out of the picture for Riley and USC, but a strong finish to the season can earn respect.
The Trojans' season has been different from what they predicted. In Week 10, they are near the bottom of the Big Ten at 13th place. With every loss, Riley’s seat is getting warmer by the week.
Riley can cool the seat by creating optimism heading into 2025. To create hope, the Trojans must show signs of progression to end the season. For USC, that starts with stringing together wins to finish the 2024 campaign.
Washington Huskies Scouting Report: No Fly Zone
In Seattle, you are guaranteed to find two things: flying fish and shutdown secondaries. First, it was the infamous Legion of Boom of the 2010s. In 2024, the Washington Huskies secondary is causing fits for opposing quarterbacks.
The Huskies unit is one of the best in the country, allowing a nation-best 123.1 passing yards per game. Quarterbacks have struggled to generate much success, completing a messily 48% of their passes.
Washington has allowed one passing touchdown in four games at home.
Relative to other units nationwide, the Huskies play a sound scheme focused on limiting air success rather than turnovers. Washington has five interceptions and 34 pass breakups in eight games.
The Huskies have three cornerbacks with four or more pass breakups: junior Ephesians Prysock (4), freshman Jordan Shaw (5), and senior Thaddeus Dixon (7)
Matchup to Watch: Denzel Boston and Giles Jackson vs. USC Secondary
The Huskies Denzel Boston and Giles Jackson duo have home-run ability every time they step on the field.
Both receivers had to wait their turn last season, sitting behind NFL rookies Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillian, and Ja’Lynn Polk. In 2024, they have taken advantage of their opportunities.
Boston is the larger and more physical of the two receivers, standing at 6 feet 4 inches. He leads the Big Ten with nine recovered touchdowns. Jackson has the speed and route running, leading the team in receptions with 49.
The USC secondary has struggled and is wounded heading to Washington. The Trojans allow 234 passing per game, ranking 13th in the Big Ten.
Last week, four starting Trojans secondary players—Jacobe Covington, Greedy Vance Jr., Jaylin Smith, and Kamari Ramsey—missed last Friday's game.
With the possibility of a handful of their secondary players missing a second straight game, the Trojans need to play a cleaner game on the back end.
"There was some stuff to clean up...playing defensive back and going in for 15 to 20 plays is completely different than going in there for an entire game," defensive coordinator D'Atonn Lynn said.
USC gave 313 yards in the air versus Rutgers and allowed Scarlet Knights receiver Dyreme Miller to go for 131 yards and one touchdown.
Slowing down the Huskies' offense starts with limiting the duo of Boston and Jackson.
Prediction: If USC's starting secondary player cannot suit up on Saturday, the Trojans will struggle against the Huskies passing attack. Riley will need his offense to keep up with Washington's offensive success if defensive stops for USC come at a premium.
USC has struggled to finish close games, but its lack of success on the road makes Saturday an even harder uphill battle. Husky Stadium is notorious for giving opposing teams trouble with its ruckus atmosphere. At the start of the season, ESPN ranked the stadium sixth among the Top 25 college football stadiums.
Washington 30 - USC 23
