The Washington Huskies were oh-so close to pulling off an upset against the No. 18-ranked USC Trojans on Saturday night, but couldn't make plays when they needed them most. Despite Jedd Fisch's offense outscoring Jayden Maiava and the Trojans' high-powered attack 21-19, a strip-sack that USC's defense returned for a touchdown helped propel the Trojans to a much-needed 25-21 victory.
Here's everything to take away from the Huskies' second-straight loss.
1. Third Down Struggles Continue
Washington STAYS ALIVE to move the chains on 4th down! @UW_Football
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 4, 2026
📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/bP9wWqda8o
Entering Saturday, USC ranked No. 83 in the nation in opposing third-down conversion rate, allowing opposing offenses to convert on over 40 percent of their attempts. If you thought this was an area
that quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and co. would take advantage of, think again.
Washington was 1-for-12 on third downs, with the only conversion coming on the final drive of the game. While they were 3 for 4 on fourth down throughout the game, the offense still struggled to stay on the field in the late stages of the game. The Huskies' average distance was nearly ten yards on third downs, putting Fisch's offense in obvious passing downs against a USC pass rush that had its best showing of the season.
2. The O-Line Struggled, but QB Play Didn't Help
After giving up seven sacks a week ago to Minnesota, Fisch challenged his offensive line to bounce back against a USC pass rush that had just three sacks entering Saturday. Now, that total is up to eight, as Williams was brought down on five separate occasions. While the Trojans also totaled 6 tackles for loss on the night, not all the blame can be pointed up front.
The junior quarterback struggled to get rid of the ball on time, playing a key role in why Washington was put in so many down-and-distance situations. With speed up front in freshman edge rusher Luke Wafle and junior linebacker Ta'mere Robinson, Gary Patterson's defense welcomed the dual-threat athlete to try and make plays with his legs.
With 47 seconds left to play, the Huskies were knocking on the doorstep of victory, set up on the USC 12-yard line on 3rd-and-4. With USC deciding to bring extra rushers, Williams failed to get rid of the ball on time, resulting in a six-yard sack. Instead of anticipating the pressure and getting the ball out quickly, or even just throwing it away, Williams' sack brought up a fourth-and-long situation. At that point, the Hollywood magic had run out for the offense, as they were unable to convert on a pass intended for Dezmen Roebuck, who was double-teamed on the play.
3. Defense Holds Its Own Against a Premier Offense
Washington's defense comes up BIG. 🙌
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 4, 2026
📺 Big Ten Saturday Night: Washington at USC on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/eYXeU3Wu7F
Ryan Walters' unit couldn't have done much more on Saturday, holding USC to their lowest-scoring performance of the season. The Trojans offense, which was averaging 36 points per game coming into the contest, was held to just 19, including nine in the second half. After a Hunter Green punt pinned Jayden Maiava and company inside their own 1-yard line, a three-and-out helped flip the field and give Washington its first lead of the game at 7-3 in the first quarter.
After giving the offense a possession that started in USC territory, the secondary made its presence felt with an interception from safety Rylon Dillard-Allen. Unfortunately, the defense was back out there just moments later, as the offense produced a three-and-out of their own for a total of -1 yard. After showing some vulnerability at times last week, Walters' crew rose to the occasion and put the team in position to come away with a win. Instead, with the offense spotting the Trojans six points, Washington is now 0-2 in Big Ten play.
The Huskies return home next week to take on No. 14 Iowa.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Immediate Reactions Following Washington Football's 25-21 Loss to USC
