Washington vs. USC: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

The No. 17 USC Trojans had nearly two weeks to prepare for Thursday night's Pac-12 showdown with the Washington Huskies, but the Trojans looked bewildered and out of sorts as they fell 17-12 at the Coliseum.

Turnovers plagued USC (3-2) all night, as three giveaways prevented the Trojans offense from establishing a rhythm against a stingy Washington (3-2) defense that entered the night having allowed just two touchdown passes.

Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler finished the night 16-of-29 for 156 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions, as Washington's defensive line provided pressure that kept the senior off-balance all night. USC entered the evening averaging a ninth-ranked 532 yards per game, but head coach Steve Sarkisian's squad couldn't match that lofty mark as hopes of revenge against his former program faded. 

Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman broke down Sarkisian's shortcomings since arriving in Los Angeles:

While USC outgained Washington 346-299, the Trojans converted a paltry one of 13 third downs.

However, USC's rushing attack did a commendable job of stabilizing the offense when it couldn't get anything going through the air. Running back Tre Madden toted the rock 17 times for 120 yards, including 96 yards on 11 carries in the first half. Ronald Jones II chipped in with 65 yards on eight carries and a touchdown that cut the deficit to 17-12.

Huskies freshman quarterback Jake Browning wasn't prolific, either, completing 16 of 32 passes for 137 yards and an interception. Head coach Chris Petersen's team leaned on the ground game all night as a result, and Myles Gaskin didn't disappoint. The freshman totaled 134 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. 

Although the Trojans were coming off a bye, they didn't appear to be locked in, as Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel observed:

USC came out flat on both sides of the ball, and that lethargy carried over to the second half. 

Kessler tossed two first-quarter interceptions, including an ill-advised pass on USC's first drive of the game. The errant throw led Bleacher Report's Bryan Fischer to compare Kessler to some other underwhelming Thursday night passers:

It also didn't help that USC's starting center, Max Tuerk, was knocked out of the game with a knee sprain, per Fischer.

On the other side of the ball, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah noted USC's defense was giving Browning a ton of time to work with:

Athlon Sports' Josh Webb concurred:

Browning couldn't capitalize on ideal working conditions in the pocket early, though. The Huskies' first drive stalled and resulted in a missed field-goal attempt, and Browning couldn't help the team capitalize on a 17-play, 79-yard drive with seven points. Instead, Washington had to settle for a field goal deep in Trojans territory.

However, the Huskies finally broke through in the third quarter thanks to some trickery that resulted in a 27-yard touchdown pass by wide receiver Marvin Hall, per the Pac-12 Networks: 

Receiver Brayden Lenius proceeded to make one of the best catches of the season on the Huskies' ensuing drive, per the Pac-12 Networks:

Plays like those proved to be the difference for a Washington team that was marginally more efficient on the offensive side of the ball.

The Huskies aren't destined for greatness this year, but they showed some nice resolve following a 30-24 loss to California on Sept. 26. Upcoming dates against Oregon and Stanford will be better measuring sticks of Washington's standing in a competitive Pac-12, but Petersen has his program headed in the right direction.

The same can't necessarily be said for the Trojans, who have now lost two of their last three games and fall to 1-2 in conference play with Thursday night's loss. And with back-to-back-to-back showdowns against Notre Dame, Utah and California on deck, Thursday may have just been the beginning of what could be a tumultuous 2015 season.

Post-Game Reaction

According to the Los Angeles Times' Lindsey Thiry, Sarkisian was the only USC representative available to the media at the postgame press briefing: 

Once he hit the podium, Sarkisian refrained from placing the blame on Kessler, per InsideUSC:

And even though his seat is starting to warm up, Sarkisian doesn't believe his job is in jeopardy, per Thiry: 

In fact, Sarkisian remained adamant that his team will rebound despite daunting upcoming dates, according to InsideUSC:

UW Football's Elise Woodward passed along comments from Petersen, who assumed an optimistic tone following the upset: