USC vs. Washington: Huskies 32, Trojans 31 (final)
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Erik Folk is the local kid who came back to haunt USC.
Twice.
For the second year in a row, the former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High kicker stomped his foot into the side of the Trojans by kicking the game-winning field.
And for the second year in a row, unranked Washington (2-2, 1-0 in the Pacific 10 Conference) has upset a ranked team from USC.
Again, the winning kick came as time expired. There were three seconds left last year when Folk made a 22-yard field goal. This time, the clock showed 0:03 when the snap was made and the ball was placed on the 22 -- Folk splitting the uprights from 32 yards as time expired.
USC Coach Lane Kiffin tried to freeze the junior by taking back-to-back timeouts just before the snap, but Folk just smiled confidently.
It was Folk’s fourth field goal of the game, and he’s seven for seven this season.
USC entered the game ranked No. 18. The Trojans are now 4-1, 1-1 in Pac-10 play heading into next week’s game against Stanford.
Washington started its winning drive with 2:34 to play at its own 23 after USC’s Joe Houston missed a 40-yard field-goal try.
Quarterback Jake Locker and running back Chris Polk took over from there.
Locker completed 24 of 40 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown. He was also the Huskies’ leading rusher, with 111 yards in 12 carries. Polk, a tough-running tailback, gained 92 yards and had a touchdown in 13 carries.
Allen Bradford had a breakout game for USC, rushing for 223 yards and two touchdowns in 21 carries. Matt Barkley completed 14 of 20 passes for 186 yards.
USC 31, Washington 29 (2:39, fourth quarter)
Joe Houston no longer looks relieved. He looks really disappointed.
Houston just missed a field goal that would have given USC some breathing room. His try from 40 yards out hit the right upright.
If the Trojans can’t hold on, it won’t be Allen Bradford’s fault. The tailback has 222 yards in 21 carries. USC’s scoring opportunity was set up when Washington failed on fourth-and-8 from the USC 38, with quarterback Jake Locker’s pass intended for Devin Aguilar falling incomplete under close coverage by Brian Baucham.
Washington receivers have had trouble holding onto the ball.
USC receivers have been getting open, but quarterback Matt Barkley has been missing them.
USC 31, Washington 29 (10:00, fourth quarter)
Joe Houston looked relieved after his field goal from 27 yards out split the uprights, putting USC in the lead.
Houston, who shared a personal coach with Washington kicker Erik Folk, came into this game only one for four on field-goal tries this season.
Folk already had three field goals for Washington in this game.
Houston’s field goal was set up by yet another monster run by Allen Bradford, who gained 34 yards--moving the ball from the Trojans’ 41 to the Washington 25--on the first play of the drive.
Washington 29, USC 28 (13:52, fourth quarter)
Jake Locker took a knee to the side of the head on a quarterback sneak, and he had to come out of the game with the Huskies on the USC 1.
No matter. In came Keith Price, a redshirt freshman from Bellflower St. John Bosco High.
Next play: touchdown.
Price, throwing only his second college pass, connected with tight end Chris Izbicki after a play-action fake.
Washington’s try at a two-point conversion failed, however, when a Price pass was batted down at the goal line.
Locker is walking around on the Washington side, so expect him to re-enter the game when the Huskies get the ball back.
USC 28, Washington 23 (start of fourth quarter)
Allen Bradford has already put up career-high rushing numbers and there’s still a quarter to play at the Coliseum.
Bradford’s second touchdown, on a 16-yard run with 4:44 left in the third quarter, put the Trojans in the lead.
He has 149 yards in 13 carries.
--Mike Hiserman
Washington 23, USC 21 (early in the third quarter)
Erik Folk just kicked his third field goal of the game, a 35-yarder that put the Huskies ahead.
Folk kicked three field goals in last season’s 16-13 upset of the Trojans at Seattle.
Jake Locker is 18-of-26 passing for 237 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He also has rushed for 76 yards in six carries.
USC 21, Washington 20 (halftime)
Erik Folk kicked a 41-yard field goal with 35 seconds left in the second quarter to pull the Huskies to within one point.
Washington has outgained the Trojans, 319 yards to 305, but USC overcame a 10-point deficit to take the lead.
The key play in the half came about midway through the second quarter. With USC trailing, 17-14, Washington quarterback Jake Locker took off on a 50-yard run. Locker, however, lost the ball at about the Trojans’ six-yard line and officials ruled that the ball rolled through the end zone for a touchback.
Replays seemed to indicate the ball had gone out of bounds, but officials upheld the call on review.
USC answered with an 80-yard scoring drive to take the lead.
Locker is 14 of 20 for 200 yards and has also rushed for 77 yards in five carries.
Marc Tyler has rushed for two touchdowns and Allen Bradford has gained 100 yards in nine carries for the Trojans.
Matt Barkley is 11 of 15 for 141 yards.
USC 21, Washington 17 (late in second quarter)
Tailback Marc Tyler took a direct snap and rushed for a six-yard touchdown to put the Trojans ahead.
Tyler’s run completed an 11-play, 80-yard drive that followed a touchback when Washington quarterback Jake Locker lost the ball through the end zone after a 50-yard run to inside USC’s 10-yard line.
Tyler has run for 48 yards and two touchdowns in 10 carries.
His touchdown was the Trojans’ first this season out of the Wildcat formation.
Washington 17, USC 14 (midway through second quarter)
Just as he did against Minnesota, freshman Robert Woods changed the momentum with a terrific kickoff return.
Woods’ 55-yard return gave USC a first down at the Huskies’ 38-yard line.
The Trojans needed only five plays to reach the end zone; tailback Marc Tyler pulling the Trojans to within three points with a four-yard touchdown run.
Matt Barkley had a nice 14-yard completion to tight end Jordan Cameron during the drive.
Barkley is three of six for 38 yards.
Tyler has rushed for 40 yards in eight carries, many on direct snaps.
Washington 17, USC 7 (early in second quarter)
The Huskies just scored two touchdowns within a span of three minutes.
Jake Locker connected with receiver Devin Aguilar on a 44-yard touchdown pass on the first play after USC was forced to punt.
On their previous series, the Huskies drove 80 yards in 12 plays, Locker setting up Chris Polk’s one-yard touchdown run with a 16-yard gain on a fourth-and-one play and then a 24-yard completion to running back Jesse Callier.
Locker is nine-of-13 passing for 150 yards with a touchdown.
USC 7, Washington 3 (end of first quarter)
USC is off to an early lead but the Trojans have a big play coming up.
Washington and quarterback Jake Locker will start the second quarter with a third-and-one play at USC’s 32.
USC quarterback Matt Barkley is two of four for 22 yards.
Locker is seven of 10 for 91 yards.
USC tailback Allen Bradford has rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown in four carries.
USC 7, Washington 3 (midway through 1st quarter)
Washington quarterback Jake Locker completed only four passes last week against Nebraska.
He completed his first four attempts against USC, but missed on two passes inside the Trojans’ six-yard line. Washington had to settle for Erik Folk’s 23-yard field goal to complete the 10-play, 72-yard drive.
Beware of Folk: last year against USC he made all three of his attempts, including the last-second game-winner at Seattle.
USC 7, Washington 0 (early in first quarter)
Allen Bradford did not practice Thursday because of back soreness.
The senior tailback looked fit on his first carry, sprinting 37 yards to the end zone to give USC the early lead.
The Trojans drove 76 yards in seven plays on their first drive, which featured starting tailback Marc Tyler carrying twice out of the Wildcat formation. Tyler carried four times for 22 yards.
Pregame
USC and Washington have finished their warmups and we’re waiting for them to return to the field for kickoff.
Trojans defensive end Wes Horton, who leads the team with three sacks, is not in uniform. Horton was accidentally kicked in the back by fellow end Nick Perry last week at Washington State. He dressed for practice this week but was listed as ‘limited’ by Coach Lane Kiffin.
The starting defensive line will be Perry and Armond Armstead at ends with Jurrell Casey and DaJohn Harris at tackles.
Marc Tyler was announced as the starting tailback.
--Gary Klein