PISCATAWAY, N.J. — USC’s first Big Ten road test required more resistance than expected, but the Trojans found enough answers to leave New Jersey unbeaten.
Jayden Maiava threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, King Miller rushed for 102 yards and No. 12 USC held off Rutgers 42-35 Saturday at SHI Stadium in the conference opener for both teams.
USC improved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play, never trailing despite Rutgers repeatedly cutting into the Trojans’ advantage.
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“It’s good to get a win,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “We didn’t play our best ball on all sides. We’re going to have to play a whole lot better.”
Miller helped USC establish itself early, scoring on an 11-yard run for a 10-0 lead. After Rutgers answered, Maiava connected with Corey Simms for a 52-yard touchdown that pushed the advantage back to 10.
The Trojans carried a 20-14 lead into halftime before their defense produced the game’s biggest momentum swing.
Rutgers drove to the USC 1-yard line early in the third quarter with an opportunity to take the lead. Instead, Prophet Brown intercepted Dylan Lonergan and raced 99 yards for a touchdown, turning a potential Rutgers go-ahead score into a 27-14 USC advantage.
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Rutgers continued to fight back, but USC’s offense responded when necessary. Riley Wormley scored on a 12-yard run and Maiava connected with Kayden Dixon-Wyatt on the two-point conversion to give the Trojans a 35-21 lead.
The Scarlet Knights cut the margin to seven before Maiava directed another USC scoring drive, finding Wormley for a 2-yard touchdown and a 42-28 advantage with 8:45 remaining.
Rutgers answered once more, pulling within 42-35, but USC controlled the closing minutes to secure its first conference victory.
Maiava completed 20 of 32 passes without an interception, while Dixon-Wyatt stepped into a larger role with freshman receiver Trent Mosley sidelined by a knee injury. Dixon-Wyatt finished with five receptions for 77 yards.
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“In this conference, you don’t take winning on the road for granted,” Riley said.
USC finished with 461 yards and did not turn the ball over. Rutgers nearly matched the Trojans with 460 yards, but two interceptions proved costly.
The Trojans return to Los Angeles unbeaten with a considerably larger challenge ahead. USC hosts Oregon on Sept. 26 in a matchup that will provide another early test of the Trojans’ Big Ten credentials.
Pasadena, CA- It’s been a drawn out three years since UCLA football team went 3-0 and the first time this season where the defense was not being lauded more than the offense in their Big Ten opener win, 52-38 over Purdue.
Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleav immediately answered the questions surrounding his last two game performances on finding his receivers and opportunities to put the ball in the air while reading the defense quicker or under pressure delivering on the first drive of the game connecting a 27-yard pass to Semaj Morgan, 6-0.
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“I thought in week one, I thought we performed well. Maybe not to our max potential, but we had a great week of preparation and that was the main thing, going into week three, Iamaleava said. “I thought that in week two, we took it lightly. We did not prepare well. You guys saw the results.”
Then quickly after UCLA scored their extra point, it was Purdue turn to show their offensive prowess on their first play resulting in a 75-yard pass to Xavier Townsend, to tie the game, 7-7.
UCLA responded with adding 14 points to end the first quarter, 21-7.
Boilermakers were not favored to win this game and hardly made themselves a threat for an upset despite giving Bruins’ defense their biggest challenge thus far of the season as Head Coach Bob Chesney acknowledged Purdue’s quarterback elite passing and their offensive coordinator play calls for his wide receiver routes becoming a nuisance to UCLA’s man coverage.
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“You know, as far as the coverage is concerned, I think the quarterback and the receivers were really good,” Coach Chesney said. “I felt like the pressure mounted a little bit and we were not as clean in our technique as we needed to be. We have guys that are fast. We got guys that are skilled. We got guys that could run and bang with almost anybody. We can’t put ourselves in some sort of panic mode, which might have hit us a little bit…So there’s a lot of things in there that we had stops, and then all of a sudden, it didn’t because of penalties, and good teams don’t do that, so we got to get back and clean that up.”
Still in typical UCLA fashion this season, Coach Chesney utilized what’s been their bread and butter, flexing their depth with rotations of running backs and offensive linemen, to put up 28 points in the second half for another strong finish to remain undefeated.
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UCLA’s Wayne Knight ran for 177 yards per 18 carries, just one touchdown shy of having three consecutive games with three touchdowns while nearing the total of touchdowns he had all of last season with needing two more to tie and having nine more games remaining this season to go beyond it.
“This was a game that was gritty, first game in the Big Ten and the other team is very talented,” UCLA linebacker Sammy Omosigho said to fi360News during postgame presser. “…Going forward, it starts tomorrow for the next Saturday.”
Photo by Jevone Moore / fi360 News
Next up for Bob Chesney’s UCLA (3-0) is the Maryland Terrapins (2-1) as they hit the road to travel to College Park at Byrd Stadium for a 10:30am, Pacific time, kickoff.
SEATTLE, WA — After two weeks of leaning heavily on its defense, Washington finally showed what its offense can look like when everything starts clicking.
Demond Williams Jr. threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns as the Huskies rolled past Eastern Washington 48-16 Saturday at Husky Stadium, completing their nonconference schedule unbeaten and carrying some offensive momentum into Big Ten play.
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Washington improved to 3-0 after opening the season with victories over Washington State and Utah State. Those wins produced only five touchdowns combined, but the Huskies found the end zone on four of their first five possessions against Eastern Washington.
Williams completed 27 of 33 passes, spreading the ball across a receiving group that consistently created opportunities downfield. Dezmen Roebuck finished with a career-high nine catches for 121 yards, while Rashid Williams caught six passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns.
Chris Lawson opened the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown reception on Washington’s first possession. After Eastern Washington pulled within 7-3, Williams found Rashid Williams for a 5-yard score and a 14-3 advantage.
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The Eagles briefly made things interesting when quarterback Nate Bell scored on a 14-yard run early in the second quarter, trimming Washington’s lead to 14-10.
The Huskies responded instead of allowing the game to tighten.
Williams connected with Jordan Clay for a 3-yard touchdown before finding Rashid Williams for an 18-yard score. Tyler Robles added a field goal just before halftime, sending Washington into the locker room with a 31-10 advantage.
Photo by Alex Lopez / fi360 News
Washington coach Jedd Fisch had emphasized finishing throughout the week after the Huskies struggled to put away their first two opponents.
“Our whole focus this week has been about finishing in all three phases,” Coach Fisch said before the game.
That message showed up in a key third-quarter sequence. Eastern Washington drove to the Washington 5 before the Huskies stopped Bell on fourth-and-1. Three plays later, Williams connected with Baron Naone for 75 yards, setting up Ansu Sanoe’s 1-yard touchdown run.
Washington finished with 546 total yards, including 398 through the air. The Huskies also overcame 101 yards in penalties and a pair of third-quarter ejections to maintain control.
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“Glad we got we got a bunch of our younger guys touchdowns,” said coach Fisch.
The performance provided Washington with the offensive breakthrough it had been searching for through the first two weeks.
Now 3-0, the Huskies turn their attention to Big Ten play with Minnesota visiting Husky Stadium next Saturday night.
San Diego, CA- Javion Kinnard gave San Diego State the offensive spark it needed Saturday night, but the Aztecs spent too much of the game trying to recover from a difficult first half.
Kinnard rushed for a career-high 181 yards and a touchdown and added 70 receiving yards, but San Diego State fell 26-13 to unbeaten James Madison at Snapdragon Stadium.
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The loss dropped the Aztecs to 1-2 and snapped their seven-game home winning streak. Playing without three offensive starters, including running back Lucky Sutton, SDSU fell behind 19-0 at halftime after two interceptions and a James Madison offense that scored on its first three possessions.
James Madison quarterback Camden Coleman opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run. Morgan Suarez followed with field goals of 46 and 32 yards before Coleman connected with Cole Keller for a 7-yard touchdown with 30 seconds remaining in the half.
San Diego State regrouped after halftime, and Kinnard became the centerpiece of the comeback attempt.
The sophomore capped an Aztecs drive with a 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 19-7. SDSU outgained James Madison 238-136 in the second half after being outgained 281-163 before halftime.
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Kinnard finished with 251 yards from scrimmage in his first start for San Diego State, providing a bright spot for an offense still searching for consistency.
The Aztecs’ momentum was slowed early in the fourth when Coleman found Keller for a 20-yard touchdown, extending James Madison’s advantage to 26-7.
Quarterback Jayden Denegal answered with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Nathan Acevedo, but SDSU could get no closer. Denegal finished with 209 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
“There’s no need to make the superhero play,” coach Sean Lewis said afterward while discussing one of Denegal’s early mistakes.
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Lewis said the responsibility for improving the offense goes beyond his quarterback.
“I think it’s everyone’s opportunity to rally around him, do something for him and be better around him,” Lewis said.
For San Diego State, Kinnard’s emergence and a stronger second half provided something to build on, but the Aztecs will need cleaner starts as they move forward.
Photo by Rashad Griffin / fi360 News
SDSU travels to Toledo on Saturday for its final nonconference game before beginning its first Pac-12 schedule.
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon spent the week looking for a response. The Ducks delivered one almost immediately Friday night.
No. 21 Oregon scored four touchdowns in the opening quarter and never slowed down, overwhelming Portland State 84-0 at Autzen Stadium in its final nonconference game before beginning Big Ten play.
The Ducks improved to 2-1 and gave coach Dan Lanning his 50th victory at Oregon, rebounding emphatically from a 39-31 loss at Oklahoma State that dropped them from No. 6 to No. 21 in the AP Top 25.
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Oregon set a modern-era program scoring record and recorded the largest margin of victory in Autzen Stadium history. The Ducks piled up 726 yards of offense while holding Portland State to 103 and forcing four turnovers.
“No disrespect to Portland State, but that’s the way it should look when you execute the way we’re supposed to execute,” Lanning said.
Quarterback Dante Moore was sharp from the start, completing 19 of 23 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Jordon Davison added 81 rushing yards and two touchdowns as Oregon established control on the ground after being outrushed in each of its first two games.
Davison’s 3-yard touchdown capped Oregon’s opening possession. Moore then hit Dakorien Moore for a 45-yard score before Davison scored again from 5 yards out. Evan Stewart’s 39-yard touchdown reception gave the Ducks a 28-0 advantage before the first quarter was over.
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Oregon carried a 49-0 lead into halftime, allowing Lanning to turn to his depth throughout the second half.
Dylan Raiola completed all 11 of his passes for 124 yards and three touchdowns in relief. Freshmen and reserves also contributed as Kendre Harrison, Andrew Olesh, Brady Bidwell, Tradarian Ball and Brandon Smith recorded their first collegiate touchdowns.
The Ducks finished with 273 rushing yards while limiting Portland State to just 2 yards on the ground. The Vikings never reached the end zone and managed only five first downs.
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“I did like some of the creativity that I was able to see from scheme, and then the execution,” Lanning said. “What showed up in practice really showed up in the game tonight.”
The level of competition will increase considerably from here. Oregon opens Big Ten play next Saturday on the road against No. 12 USC.
After an uneven opening two weeks, the Ducks head into conference play having produced the type of complete performance they were searching for.
INGLEWOOD, Ca. — Inglewood defeated Long Beach Poly 36-10 Friday night at SoFi Stadium, but the final score told only part of the story.
For the young athletes representing both schools, the nonleague matchup provided an opportunity to compete inside an NFL stadium, experience a professional football environment and create a memory that could last long after their high school careers end.
The stadium was larger than their usual Friday night setting. The lights were brighter, the surroundings were unfamiliar and the moment carried a different weight. Inglewood walked away with the victory, but the opportunity belonged to every athlete who stepped onto the field.
The win improved Inglewood to 4-1, while Long Beach Poly fell to 1-4.
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity
Photo by Mynt Jay
Before the game, Long Beach Poly associate head coach Keith Anderson spoke about what the experience meant to the Jackrabbits.
“It’s actually a great experience for the kids,” Anderson said. “They work hard each and every week, each and every day. So, to be able to play in a venue like this, for these kids, it’s kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Most high school athletes will not play professional football. Some may continue at the college level, while others will play their final organized game before graduating. That reality made Friday night about more than winning or losing.
“Not all these kids will be fortunate enough to play in the NFL on Sundays,” Anderson said. “For some of them, this really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Photo by Mynt Jay
Anderson said Poly prepared through its game plan and film study. Once the players arrived at SoFi, the message was to remain focused and make the most of the moment.
“We just asked them to come out here, give 100 percent and take advantage of being here,” Anderson said.
Poly Returns to SoFi
Friday’s game continued SoFi Stadium’s growing tradition of giving high school athletes a professional stage.
The stadium hosted its first high school football game in 2023, when Warren defeated Downey 28-21. For Long Beach Poly, Friday marked a return to SoFi for the second time. The Jackrabbits first played there in 2024, losing 49-14 to Mission Viejo.
SoFi also hosted St. John Bosco’s 27-17 victory over Servite and the East L.A. Classic between Garfield and Roosevelt that year. Additional Southern California programs played at the stadium in 2025.
Complimentary tickets for Friday’s game were distributed through the schools with support from the Hollywood Park Foundation, allowing students and families to share the experience. The field is also scheduled to host Super Bowl LXI in February 2027.
Inglewood Establishes Its Offense
Once the game began, Inglewood’s running attack became one of the clearest differences between the teams.
Senior running back Semaj Welch, who wears No. 4, entered the matchup averaging 102.5 rushing yards per game. The 5-foot-9, 202-pound back displayed his physical running style during the third quarter when he powered through Poly’s defense and into the end zone.
Senior running back Marlon Watson, No. 8, gave Inglewood another option out of the backfield. Watson entered the game averaging 95 rushing yards per contest. Together, the two backs gave Inglewood a combination of strength and speed that allowed the Sentinels to control the pace.
Inglewood also found success through the air. Senior receiver Brandon Crawford, No. 3, scored a touchdown, while junior receiver Andre Williams, No. 10, also reached the end zone. Their production showed that Poly could not focus solely on stopping the running game.
The Jackrabbits had a harder time establishing their own rushing attack. Without consistent yardage on the ground, Poly struggled to stay on schedule offensively and sustain momentum.
Inglewood also committed several penalties that helped Poly move the ball and extend possessions. Those mistakes gave the Jackrabbits additional opportunities, even when their offense was having difficulty creating yardage.
Poly Continues to Fight
Poly’s defense still produced moments of resistance.
Sophomore cornerback and wide receiver Logan Kirk, No. 21, delivered one of the biggest hits of the game against an Inglewood receiver. The collision briefly stunned the Sentinels’ offense and brought energy to Poly’s sideline.
It was a physical reminder that the Jackrabbits had not stopped competing, but the play was not enough to change the direction of the game.
Poly continued showing fight until the end. After entering the fourth quarter with only a field goal, the Jackrabbits scored a late touchdown to bring their total to 10 points.
The score did not alter the outcome, but it showed that Poly’s athletes remained engaged and continued competing through the final quarter. That effort reflected Anderson’s pregame message to give 100 percent and take full advantage of the opportunity.
Intensity From Inglewood’s Sideline
Coach Bats served as Inglewood’s acting head coach while also handling his responsibilities as defensive coordinator.
His intensity remained visible throughout the game. Even after Inglewood created separation, Bats continued instructing, correcting and encouraging his athletes. He did not coach as though the game had already been decided. Every possession still appeared to matter.
After the game, Bats said the Sentinels prepared for Poly through film study. He also described playing at SoFi Stadium as a special experience for the athletes and coaches because it allowed them to feel like professionals for a night.
Although the contest did not count toward the league standings, Bats viewed it as valuable preparation for league competition. His approach showed that Inglewood could appreciate the moment without losing sight of the work required to improve.
A Memory Beyond the Final Score
The scoreboard told the competitive story. Inglewood’s balanced offense controlled the game, while Poly struggled to produce the same consistency.
But the scoreboard could not measure what it felt like for the athletes to enter SoFi Stadium and compete on the same field used by professional players. It could not capture what the moment meant to their coaches, families and communities.
Years from now, the players may not remember every possession, penalty or missed opportunity. They will remember playing beneath SoFi Stadium’s bright lights.
Inglewood earned the victory. Both teams earned a memory the final score could not take away.
INGLEWOOD, CA — On Sunday, September 13th the Los Angeles Chargers suffered the worst upset of week 1 of the new NFL season falling to the Arizona Cardinals, 26-14 in front of a disappointed sellout crowd at Sofi Stadium.
Despite being a 9.5 underdog and coming off a 3-14 season, the Cardinals are for real. As for the Bolts, it was a sloppy game filled with turnovers and blunders.
During the preseason we heard what a dynamic offense the Chargers would possess hiring Offensive Coordinator Mike McDaniel.
Justin Herbert and the Chargers execute Mike McDaniel’s new offensive scheme and struggle on defense in the season opening loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Photo by Jevone Moore
From the first play of scrimmage the visiting Cardinals played like a team that wasn’t interested in moral victories. Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett to Tight End Trey McBride for a huge gain set the tone for the afternoon.
The Chargers seemed flat, while the upstart Cardinals proceeded to dismantle the Bolt. The score was not indicative of how lopsided the contest was.
The loss ended Jim Harbaugh’s unbeaten streak in NFL season openers and gave the Cardinals their first win since Week 9 of the 2025 season.
“Sloppy at times, too sloppy,” Harbaugh said. “That’s something we’ve got to get fixed.”
Herbert seemed to absorb fewer hits than he did in a typical game last season, but he didn’t have a lot of places to go with the football. He completed 17 of 27 passes for 209 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He was sacked three times.
This was a prime opportunity for the Chargers, as the Los Angeles spotlight was focused squarely on them after the Rams’ blowout loss to the 49ers, followed by the deflating news Sunday that Rams defensive end Myles Garrett, the most anticipated acquisition of the offseason will miss at least four weeks with a knee injury.
Photo by Jevone Moore
Brissett completed 27 of 37 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown. He had the type of ending every quarterback savors: three consecutive kneel downs to run out the clock.
“It’s on us to execute,” Herbert lamented. “We’ve run those plays since camp. We know them. And we just have to go out there and do what we’re capable of.”
Next week, the Las Vegas Raiders (1-0) visit SoFi Stadium on Sunday, September 20th, Chargers vs. Raiders at 1:05 p.m.
Los Angeles, Ca- USC quarterback Jayden Maiava threw five touchdowns and King Miller rushed for 128 yards to help the Trojans improve to 3-0 after a 49-30 win over Louisiana Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
True freshman tight end Mark Bowman finished with six receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow freshman Trent Mosley continued to impress with an 86-yard punt return for a touchdown and added another score with his fourth receiving touchdown as a Trojan.
Photo by Jensen Fluellen / fi360 News
“A little bit of an up and down win.” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “Had some really good contributions on all three sides, especially early in the game and the early part of the third quarter. We’re getting a lot of stops defensively. Obviously, the big punt return was a huge play in the game.”
After Louisiana got on the board first with a field goal, USC took a 7-3 lead when Maiava hit Bowman for his first career touchdown.
Bowman caught a 9-yard touchdown to give USC a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter. Louisiana answered with a 1-yard touchdown run from Steven Blanco to cut the lead 14-10.
USC came back with a 12-play, 102-yard drive that was capped by a Maiava 19-yard touchdown pass to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt.
Photo by Jensen Fluellen / fi360 News
Mosley ended the first half with an 86-yard punt return for a touchdown and opened the third quarter with a 21-yard touchdown reception to give USC a 35-10 lead.
“We’ve played a ton of young guys, some early in games, some later.” Riley said. “Generally, I feel very positive. If there’s another team having more young guys contribute in the country right now, I’d love to see it.”
Louisiana quarterback Lunch Winfield passed for 212 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 91 yards and two running touchdowns.
Photo by Jensen Fluellen / fi360 News
Zacharyus Williams scored his first career touchdown on a 44-yard pass from Maiava and Miller scored from 12 yards out to put the game away in the fourth quarter.
USC opens BIG 10 conference play when they hit the road for a matchup against Rutgers on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Pasadena, CA- UCLA unmatched in the fourth quarter of their first two games, on both sides of the field to earn wins, on the road and now at home, giving their new head coach, Bob Chesney, an impressive home debut for closing out games as they did against San Diego State at the Rose Bowl stadium after a scoreless first half.
“That is not the way we want to play football, especially in the first half,” Chesney said. “It wasn’t pretty but it was gritty. I was proud of our guys, and we found a way to win the game.”
Iamaleava (9) Photo by Jevone Moore / fi360 News
The beauty of UCLA football is that they have two ugly wins after two pretty finishes with scoring 21 fourth quarter points, once at home and last week on the road.
Neither Aztecs or Bruins scored for 35:00 minutes of the game before transfer Wayne Knight finally put UCLA on the scoreboard first for an 8-yard rush touchdown as he slipped by the defense into the end zone.
“I think we all knew what he [Wayne Knight] was pretty capable of and I thought, again – you watch Wayne but let’s just talk a little bit about the offensive line in there as well you know from [the offensive line] pulling around on that one run it was violent at the point of attack like he was and then the receiver’s blocking on the outside,” Chesney said. “Wayne [Knight] doesn’t just score by himself, you know, he needs a whole lot of help and I think that those guys played a physical tough game up front which allowed him to have the success that he had and I think he’d be the first to say that.”
UCLA’s offense relied on their running backs heavily while missing key wide outs as Knight became the first and last Bruin to rush for touchdowns, matching his previous game total of three, to help offset their defense dominance in shutting down the Aztecs reputable rush game.
Chesney (HC) Photo by Jevone Moore / fi360 News
“Sometimes there’s just a hot hand that shows up and Wayne’s made the most of his opportunity,” Chesney said to fi360 News during postgame presser. “…but we’re going to need everybody. I think this is important to just keep in mind… you need as many as you can possibly have cuz it’s a long season and we’re playing against some pretty you know heavy hitters from the D line to the linebackers to the safeties that you know wear and tear on them pretty good. So it’s all together one game to set up the pass game. Yes. And then also distributing the ball through all sometimes somebody gets a little hot.”
Knight might’ve had the hot hands, continuing to fly by defenders across the goal line un wavered by any tackle attempts but his quarterback, Senior returning starter, Nico Iamaleava seemed to play at times with cold feet.
Iamaleava completed 14 of 22 passes for 151 and an interception plus a couple of poor play decisions that cost his team points or extra downs. Iamaleava warmed up his legs in second half finishing with 57 yards behind Knight’s 97 yards.
Photo by Jevone Moore / fi360 News
“I think just overall as a team, I think coach Chesney has built something special,” Iamaleava said to FI360News during postgame presser. “It feels good to have that support cast, from the defense and then obviously our running game has been great for us. I got to play you know way better, but yeah, it feels great to have a supportive cast that even if I don’t play the best, we can still pull out a win.”
UCLA tallied 365 yards on offense, consisting of 228 running yards and now totaling 10 rush touchdowns exceeding last season’s six in just two games.
“There’s never no doubt, you know, in a tough game like this and we didn’t play our best,” Knight said to fi360 News. “The confidence is always high. You always believe brother next to you. And I think that’s just a big part of this whole culture that we got here at UCLA.”
Photo by Jevone Moore / fi360 News
UCLA hasn’t figured out yet in two games how to start better, particularly having a scoreless half against a lower conference team as San Diego State but it doesn’t seem to matter much when you finish games strong with fourth quarter statements of figuring out how to put away teams.
Next up for the Bruins are their first league opponent matchup versus Purdue as they return to Rose Bowl.
SEATTLE, WA — Washington’s offense never found the rhythm it wanted Saturday, but the Huskies’ defense made sure an uneven afternoon still ended with a victory.
No. 19 Washington forced three turnovers, including a game-clinching interception in the final seconds, to escape with a 16-14 victory over Utah State at Husky Stadium and improve to 2-0.
The Huskies led 16-7 after Takoda Robles kicked field goals of 26 and 43 yards in the fourth quarter, but Utah State refused to go away. Grady Brosterhous connected with Eli Wood for a 7-yard touchdown with 1:56 remaining, cutting Washington’s lead to two.
Photo by Alex Lopez / fi360 News
Utah State got one final opportunity and drove into Washington territory, but the Huskies’ defense delivered again. Rashawn Clark intercepted Brosterhous at the Washington 4-yard line with three seconds remaining, sealing a victory that highlighted Washington’s defensive strength while exposing areas of concern offensively.
“We’re 2-0, which we’re happy about,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said. “We need to do some things better. We need to find some points. We need to not pass up opportunities for touchdowns when they’re there.”
Washington finished with 356 yards of offense and controlled the ball for more than 35 minutes, but repeatedly settled for field goals. Robles made three of four attempts, including a 30-yarder that opened the scoring in the second quarter.
Photo by Alex Lopez / fi360 News
The Huskies’ lone touchdown came on Ansu Sanoe’s 1-yard run with 6:44 remaining in the first half. Utah State answered almost immediately when Brosterhous found Javon Robinson for a 78-yard touchdown, sending Washington into halftime with a 10-7 advantage.
Demond Williams Jr. completed 26 of 41 passes for 249 yards without a touchdown or interception. He also led Washington with 56 rushing yards, but the Huskies struggled to establish consistent production from their running backs.
Williams credited the defense for carrying Washington through its offensive difficulties.
Photo by Alex Lopez / fi360 News
“I would say not very good,” Williams said of the offense. “As an offense, we shot ourselves in the foot a lot. When you do stuff like that, you just got to understand that the game’s going to be close. I want to shout out to our defense for the way that they played. They closed out the game for us.”
Brosterhous threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns for Utah State, but his three interceptions proved costly. Washington held the Aggies to 271 total yards and did not commit a turnover.
Photo by Alex Lopez / fi360 News
For the Huskies, the result was far from polished, but their defense provided enough timely plays to keep Washington unbeaten through two games.
