Washington's D stiffens late as Huskies hold off USC

Jonah Coleman rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns and Washington made a pair of late defensive stands to defeat USC 26-21 in a Big Ten Conference game Saturday in Seattle.

The Trojans had a first-and-goal at the Huskies' 4-yard line with 6:41 remaining but was unable to score. On fourth down from the 1, running back Woody Marks was stopped for a 3-yard loss by Washington linebacker Khmori House.

USC got the ball back on its own 34 with 1:36 left and drove to the Huskies' 14 before Miller Moss' fourth-down pass under heavy pressure fell incomplete with 11 seconds to go.

Will Rogers was 25-of-39 passing for 262 yards for Washington (5-4, 3-3), which snapped a two-game skid and boosted its bowl hopes. Denzel Boston made nine receptions for 99 yards.

Marks rushed for a game-high 123 yards and a touchdown for the Trojans (4-5, 2-5), who lost for the fourth time in their past five games. Moss was 30-of-50 passing for 293 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted three times.

After trailing 20-7 at the half, the Trojans scored touchdowns on their opening two possessions of the third quarter to surge in front.

Makai Lemon scored on a 37-yard pass from Moss on a fourth-and-9 play on the opening drive of the half, and Moss hit Kyle Ford with a 9-yard scoring strike to put USC ahead 21-20.

An interception by linebacker Carson Bruener late in the quarter gave the Huskies the ball back at the USC 39, and eight plays later, wide receiver Keith Reynolds scored on a 4-yard jet sweep with 13:48 remaining to restore Washington's lead. A two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the score 26-21.

The Huskies took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter as Grady Gross kicked a 39-yard field goal and Coleman scored on a 19-yard run around the right end with 21 seconds left.

The Trojans drove 76 yards in 12 plays on the ensuing drive, capped by Marks' 1-yard run over left guard, to get on the board.

The Huskies responded, with Reynolds returning the kickoff 50 yards to USC's 41-yard line. On third-and-1 from the 15, Coleman burst around the left end to score untouched and make it 17-7.

Gross added a 45-yard field goal with 40 seconds left in the half to give the Huskies a 20-7 lead.

--Field Level Media