USC Football: Can The Trojans Exploit the Faltering Washington Huskies?

Can USC play spoiler against the fifth-ranked Huskies?

Week 10 poses a big challenge for your USC Trojans, as they are set to take on the fifth-ranked Washington Huskies in what promises to be a Pac-12 showdown for the ages.

The 2023 Trojans have yet to meet expectations; as a matter of fact, they have fallen flat on their face, losing two games in a row prior to their nail-biting Week 9 victory over the 3-5 California Golden Bears. 

This season may look like a disaster, but they still have a shot to turn things around and compete for a Pac-12 title. On top of that, the fifth-ranked Huskies aren't playing their best ball at the moment, as the Trojans have upset on their mind. 

Here's USC insider Antonio Morales of the Athletic providing some detailed facts on the Huskies. 

Washington simply hasn’t looked the same since its dramatic victory over Oregon earlier this month. First came the sloppy win over

Arizona State

when the Huskies didn’t score an offensive touchdown but managed to pull out a 15-7 win. Then last week, there was the troubling 42-33 victory at

Stanford

. If Cardinal receiver

Jayson Raines

hadn’t dropped a catchable pass on fourth down, Stanford would’ve been in position to take the lead in the final minutes.

(per Antonio Morales via The Athletic)

Could an upset be brewing for the Huskies, or will they turn things around just in time for the Trojans? Maybe Washington played down to their completion, or perhaps they're on a downward trajectory at the wrong time? 

Saturday will say a lot about both squads, particularly USC, which aims to spoil Washington's playoff chances while keeping their Pac-12 title hopes alive. 

In order to do that, USC will look to exploit Washington's weakness: the run defense. 

The Huskies rank 70th nationally in yards per rush allowed (4.08 yards) and are 118th in passing defense.

(per Antonio Morales via The Athletic)

A great week of preparation should do the trick, and if Caleb can repeat his performance from last week, the Trojans will be in a great position to stay alive and play spoiler. 

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