Daily Trojan USC.edu

Issue date: 10/1/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Joel Zink | Daily Trojan Escape | Senior running back Chauncey Washington rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown against the Huskies, helping the Trojans survive 27-24 Saturday at Husky Stadium. The narrow win gave voters reason to drop USC below LSU in the latest AP Top 25.

SEATTLE - ­On a night when USC routinely gave Washington second chances and renewed hope, the Trojans closed the window of opportunity for the Huskies in the final minute.

Cornerback Terrell Thomas recovered an onside kick to seal a narrow victory over Washington, 27-24, in front of 68,654 fans at Husky Stadium.

The Trojans (4-0, 2-0) committed a season-high 16 penalties, costing them 161 yards. The Huskies (2-3, 0-2) gained only 190 yards of total offense on USC but capitalized on the Trojans' penalties and three turnovers.

"We almost beat ourselves tonight," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "Washington was there to take it. All they needed was one more chance."

The Huskies nearly found that chance after drawing within three of USC with less than a minute left in the game. A blocked punt by the Huskies set up quarterback Jake Locker for a short drive, which he would finish by scoring a one-yard touchdown run.

Locker finished with a season-low 140 yards of total offense Saturday but scored two touchdowns.

"I thought there were mistakes on both teams," Washington coach Tyrone Willingham said. "I felt that we did not overcome some of the ones that we made, but I am extremely proud of our football team."

Despite all the Trojans' errors, it may have been a Husky slipup that proved to be the most costly of all the game's mistakes. With USC in field goal position and up seven points, John David Booty threw what appeared to be an interception to Washington cornerback Byron Davenport with a little more than three minutes left in the game.

The officials determined upon review that Davenport had not secured the ball as it hit the ground and the pass was ruled an incompletion. Kicker David Buehler connected on a 33-yard field goal on the next play to give USC what would eventually be the margin of victory.

"We can't play like that the rest of the season or else we'll lose like a normal team," Carroll said.

The near-turnover was a fitting end to USC's passing game, which could not stay on track Saturday. Booty completed 20 of his 37 passes for 236 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Booty's second interception, a pass tipped by fullback Stanley Havili, was returned 54 yards for a touchdown by Washington safety Mesphin Forrester to tie the game at 14.

"We just kept killing ourselves," Booty said. "We pulled out the win, which is ultimately what matters, but there's a lot we'd like to fix."

Booty faced the additional pressure of working behind an offensive line that lost two of its regular starters on the same play. Center Kris O'Dowd and guard Chilo Rachal were carted off late in the first quarter. O'Dowd suffered a dislocated kneecap and Rachal went down with a sprained knee. The extent of the injuries was not immediately known.

Matt Spanos, who was expected to be the starter at center in the beginning of the year but was sidelined by injuries, replaced O'Dowd.

"I wish I had been more prepared, because the only thing I was thinking about when I saw [O'Dowd] go down was how bad I felt for him," said Spanos, who was part of a fumbled quarterback exchange caused by his knee brace hitting his elbow brace. "Sometimes your adrenaline gets going and you lose focus for that half of a second, which will kill you."

Despite the replacements on the interior line, USC's running backs pounded the Washington defense and ripped off a handful of big runs. Both Chauncey Washington and Stafon Johnson ran for more than 100 yards and had a touchdown each.

"We're champions," Washington said when asked if he felt lucky to come away with the win. "You can't win a game in the first, second or third quarter, because that's all for the fourth."

The ability to run the ball was integral to USC's effort to grind out the end of the game for a win.

"We wanted to run out the clock and get out of there," Carroll said. "We were so horrid that sometimes it was hard to watch."

Despite being 21-point favorites heading into their Pac-10 road opener, the Trojans saw signs early that Washington would test them.

"It happens every year where you go on the road and it is a tight game with all the elements: there was rain; it was cold; the wind was swirling; the crowd was really into it," Booty said. "But we were able to come out with a win."

Despite highlighting all of his team's shortcomings, Carroll found some silver lining in the contest.

"It was a horrible night, but it's how we responded that mattered," Carroll said. "We overcame all that, and I feel grateful to have this win under the circumstances of everything that happened."

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