LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jahkeem Stewart returned a fumble 48 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, and No. 18 Southern California overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half for a 25-21 victory over Washington on Saturday night.
Jayden Maiava passed for 245 yards and hit Tanook Hines for a second-half score while the Trojans (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) surged back with the game's final 15 points for their first victory over the Huskies (3-2, 0-2) since 2016.
Demond Williams Jr. passed for 198 yards and led Washington on a late drive from its 5 to the USC 12, converting two fourth downs and a third-and-11 along the way. But after Kameryn Crawford sacked Williams on third down, Williams' pass into double coverage in the end zone fell incomplete with 39 seconds left.
The win eases some of the pressure on coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, who improved sharply on defense after last week's dispiriting home loss to Oregon.
Clear chants of “Fire Lincoln! Fire Lincoln!” could be heard from the student section in the second half while the Trojans fell behind 21-10, but coordinator Gary Patterson's defense didn't allow any more points by the depleted Huskies, who have lost two straight by a combined seven points.
That USC defense turned the game around late in the third quarter when Stewart — the 295-pound defensive tackle nicknamed Thanos — picked up Williams’ fumble in a collapsing pocket and rumbled downfield for his first score.
Receiver Dezmen Roebuck threw a touchdown pass to Baron Naone for Washington’s first points.
Washington went up 14-10 shortly before halftime with an 80-yard drive ending in Kade Eldridge's TD dive. After USC had two drives sabotaged by unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on either side of halftime, Decker DeGraaf took a short pass for a 42-yard score when multiple Trojans failed to push him out of bounds.
But Hines ripped a 10-yard TD pass away from a Washington defensive back later in the third before the Trojans went ahead on Stewart's TD.
USC linebacker Desman Stephens sat out under suspension after his ejection last week for a late hit on Ducks quarterback Dante Moore. Ta'Mere Robinson took Stephens' starting spot.
Washington: Two heartbreaking losses put the brakes on the Huskies' hopes of entering the AP Top 25, but coach Jedd Fisch is getting decent efforts out of a roster with injury problems. Their remaining October schedule is fairly friendly to a resurgence if the defense can get back on track.
USC: The defense responded smartly to a poor September, holding the Huskies to 123 yards in the first half before making enough big plays to win it late. A series of crushing penalties prevented the Trojans from running away, but Riley will take any win at this point in his tumultuous tenure.
Washington: Host Iowa on Friday night.
USC: At Penn State on Saturday, Oct. 10.
___
Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here
