3 reasons why Lincoln Riley's USC lost to Washington in Week 10

USC suffered its fifth loss of the 2024 college football season on Saturday against Washington in Seattle. The Trojans were defeated 26-21 by the Huskies in the Week 10 encounter, marking their fourth defeat in the last five games.

The program’s first season in the Big Ten has been a largely disappointing one. Lincoln Riley and his team now find themselves in a difficult situation on the route to securing bowl qualification as they currently boast a 4-5 record with three games left.

Here’s a look a three reasons why USC was handed a defeat on the road by Washington on Saturday.

3 reasons USC lost to Washington

#1, Miller Moss performance

Miller Moss started the season on a high note, leading USC to a crucial victory over LSU in Las Vegas. However, the quarterback has had a series of disappointing performances in the last couple of games, playing a crucial role in the Trojans’ poor outing.

Moss completed 30 of 50 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns against Washington. However, he made a host of mistakes that played a role in the team’s loss to the Huskies in Seattle on Saturday.

He threw three interceptions, highlighting a troubling lack of ball security. These errors from the quarterback have been a defining feature of his season.

#2, Poor late-game management

This has been a recurring problem for USC in the 2024 college football season. The Trojans have not been able to manage the final phase of the game effectively.

Going into halftime 20-7 behind against Washington, Lincoln Riley's team had staged a comeback in the third quarter, ending it 21-20 ahead. However, they went on to lose it in the fourth quarter.

That was the case in all the Trojans’ previous four losses. They entered the last quarter of the game ahead but went on to lose.

#3, Mediocre plays in the red zone

The failure of USC to convert its red zone chances on Saturday played a role in the team's loss. Washington survived two opportunities in the red zone in the fourth quarter that could have earned the Trojans a win.

With just over five minutes left in the game, the Trojans reached the Huskies' one-yard line with an opportunity to take the lead. However, the Huskies stopped running back Woody Marks on fourth down.

They were once again in the red zone a few minutes later. Miller Moss’ pass to Kyron Hudson on 3rd-and-4 was broken up by Ephesians Prysock. The quarterback’s final attempt on fourth down also fell incomplete.