Washington defeats No. 17 USC, 17-12

As Cody Kessler goes, so go the Trojans.

No. 17 USC fell to the Washington Huskies, 17-12, on Thursday night as Kessler struggled to get the Trojans’ offense going.

Kessler completed 16 of 29 passes for 156 yards and had two passes intercepted, the first of which came on USC’s first possession.

He was underfire most of the evening at the Coliseum. He was sacked five times and hit over and over by Washington’s defensive players -- both legally and illegally.

Washington linebacker Azeem Victor was ejected in the fourth quarter for targeting after a hit on Kessler.

Tre Madden carried the Trojans most of the way, rushing for 120 yards in 17 tries. Ronald Jones II chipped in with another 65 yards and USC’s only touchdown of the night on a one-yard carry in the fourth quarter.

Kicker Alex Wood had two field goals in the first half from 34 and 21 yards out to give the Trojans a 6-3 lead at halftime.

After forcing USC receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to fumble the ball, Washington took the lead in the third quarter on a 27-yard double-pass from receiver Marvin Hall to Joshua Perkins for a touchdown.

Smith Schuster led the Trojans with six catches for 82 yards.

Huskies running back Myles Gaskin rushed for 134 yards in 22 carries and had a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Washington freshman quarterback Jake Browning completed 16 of 32 passes for 137 yards with one interception by USC freshman Iman Marshall.

USC (3-2, 1-2 in Pac-12 Conference play) travel to South Bend, Ind. next week to face No. 15 Notre Dame (4-1) on Oct. 17. Washington (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) hosts Oregon (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) next week.

Washington 17, USC 12 (final)

Alex Wood attempts a 46-yard field goal that clanks off the crossbar and Washington gets the ball back with 3:44 to play.

Kessler completes an 10-yard pass to Smith-Schuster and USC gets 15 more on top of that as Washington is called for roughing the passer.

Critical penalties for Washington.

Ronald Jones II should get the ball every play because Washington cannot stop him. He rushes for seven yards.

Tre Madden rushes for five yards and 10 yards in consecutive carries.

The drive stalls on third down, Kessler is sacked for a sixth time.

Alex Wood’s 46-yard field goal falls short.

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USC’s defense is stuffing the run and Washington punts. The feeling in the Coliseum is USC comeback.

Delvon Simmons tackles Myles Gaskin after he rushes for a yard.

Su’a Cravens tackles Gaskin on second down, no gain.

Third and nine, Browning completes an eight-yard pass to Dante Pettis.

Washington punts.

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USC makes a huge stand on defense but the offense can’t capitalize and is quickly forced into a three and out. USC attempts to throw the ball despite success running it on the last drive.

Kessler has no open receivers on first down and he throws it away as he scrambles toward the sideline.

Kessler completes a four-yard pass to Isaac Whitney.

Third down, Kessler’s pass to Justin Davis is out of his reach and falls incomplete.

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The Coliseum is finally into the game as the crowd stands up and screams. The defense looks as inspiring as its been all season and Washington punts.

Washington starts the drive with a false start.

Jake Browning hands off to Dwayne Washington who loses a yard.

The Coliseum is loud, especially given the small crowd.

Third down, Brownign competes a short pass to -- who has nowhere to run.

Washington, back in its own end zone, punts.

Washington 17, USC 12 -- 12:02 left in the fourth quarter

Ronald Jones II rushes for 39 yards in three consecutive carries and a USC touchdown. Tre Madden drops the pass on the two-point conversion.

Cody Kessler Kessler completes a 19-yard pass to Justin Davis to start the drive.

Third and four, Kessler’s pass falls incomplete but Washington is called for targeting and USC moves up 15 yards. That could be a big penalty that comes back to haunt the Huskies.

Ronald Jones II breaks two tackles and rushes for 15 yards. He is impressive.

Before I can finish typing, Jones takes off for a 23-yard carry -- breaking two more tackles.

Jones touchdown.

USC attempts a two-point conversion, Kessler has a wide-open Tre Madden, but he drops the pass.

The announced attendance is 63,623.

Washington 17, USC 6 -- 14:21 left in the fourth quarter

Washington goes 50 yards in four plays to take a 17-6 lead over USC with 14:21 left in the game. Myles Gaskin rushes for one yard for the touchdown.

Iman Marshall is shaken up on punt return coverage and walks off the field with trainers.

Washington starts on the 50-yard line and Jake Browning hands off to Gaskin, who rushes for 31 yards and drags Chris Hawkins with him.

Gaskin rushes for 11 yards. USC’s defense is having a hard time getting off blocks, leaving gaping holes for Gaskin to run through.

Gaskin rushes for seven yards and then one yard for a touchdown.

That drive, clearly, all Gaskin. USC couldn’t come close to slowing him down, better yet, stopping him.

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USC’s offense looks worse than its defense did against Stanford. USC punts.

Madden rushes for nine yards to start the drive, an impressive carry as he toes the sideline.

Washington safety Budda Baker breaks up Kessler’s third-down pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Kessler is 13 of 22 for 123 yards, with two interceptions.

More boos from the Coliseum.

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Despite an open receiver, Washington fails to convert on third down and quick-punts the ball to USC’s six-yard line.

Myles Gaskin hits a hole and makes his way through a few-would be tacklers to rush for 24 yards.

Leon McQuay III, who has slid from starter to rarely-seen backup, makes a huge pass breakup on a would-be Washington touchdown. The receiver had the ball nearly caught.

Third down, Browning sees an open receiver, but he drops the pass.

Fourth and six, Washington quick punts it and USC is down at its own six-yard line.

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USC punts after quarterback Cody Kessler is sacked for a fourth time. The offense is sputtering, and that might be putting it nicely. Receiver Steven Mitchell Jr. is out for the remainder of the game because of an ankle sprain.

Kessler, under pressure, somehow manages to avoid two would-be sacks and completes a 10-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster.

USC is called for an illegal formation, five players in the backfield. That’s the Trojans’ sixth penalty of the game and it backs them up five yards.

The pocket collapses on Kessler, who is tackled by Travis Feeney -- credited as a sack.

USC’s offensive line is doing Kessler no favors.

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Washington quarterback Jake Browning is playing like a freshman and the Huskies punt.

Washington converts on third down when Brayden Lenius makes an impressive 22-yard catch over the top of Iman Marshall. Marshell never turned his head to see the ball.

USC forces Washington into third down again, this time third and 15, and Browning’s pass falls incomplete. His receiver could tell the hit was coming.

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USC is unable to convert on third down, again, and the boo birds start to chirp in the Coliseum.

The Trojans are just one of nine on third down.

Washington 10, USC 6 -- 10:13 left in the third quarter

Washington capitalizes on a turnover and scores a touchdown on some trickeration: Double pass -- Dante Pettis completes a 27-yard throw to Marvin Hall.

Cody Kessler is under a lot of pressure from the Huskies’ defense and he hurries a throw on first down, which falls incomplete.

JuJu Smith-Schuster catches a seven-yard pass. The play is reviewed because Smith-Schuster appears to fumble, though he is ruled down.

The call is reversed, Smitch-Schuster fumbles and Washington recovers at USC’s 27-yard line.

Pettis completes a 27-yard pass to Hall for a touchdown.

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USC’ defense makes a stop on third down and Washington Coach Chris Petersen elects to punt on fourth and one.

Quarterback Jake Browning starts to find a rhthym, completes an eight-yard pass to Dwayne Washington and later another eight-yard pass to Jaydon Mickens.

USC’s defensive line is able to put enough pressure on Browning that he has to throw the ball away.

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USC goes 81 yards in 12 plays and Alex Wood kicks a 21-yard field goal to take a 6-3 lead into halftime.

Kessler starts the drive with a 26-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster, his first catch of the game.

USC is 0-5 on third down until Kessler hands off to Tre Madden, who rushes for 19 yards and a first down.

Kessler is sacked for a third time. USC is playing without starting center Max Tuerk, whose return is questionable because of a knee sprain.

USC is faced with third and six, Madden rushes for three yards, stopped well short of a first down.

Fourth and three, Coach Steve Sarkisian elects to go for it and Kessler completes a second pass to Smith-Schuster for a first down. Smith-Schuster lets out a yell in excitement.

Thirteen seconds remaining in the half, fourth and inches for USC: Justin Davis rushes for a yard.

Sarkisian has used a couple of timeouts in the drive.

Kessler drops back as the clock ticks down and has to throw it away, as Washington is flagged for roughing the passer.

USC moves half the distance to the goal with one second on the clock. Wood kicks a field goal.

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USC’s defense finally puts pressure on the quarterback and Greg Townsend Jr. sacks Jake Browning.

Washington punts for a second time.

Cameron Smith and Osa Masina lead USC’s defense with six and five tackles, respectively.

This is largely a freshmen effort by the Trojans defense.

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USC’s offense is unable to get anything going after Cody Kessler completes a seven-yard pass to Adoree’ Jackson.

Justin Davis loses two yards on a carry and Kessler, who takes a low snap from Toa Lobendahn, is under pressure and throws it away on third down.

The Coliseum grumbles. This isn’t a pretty game.

Max Tuerk and Claude Pelon are questionable to return because of knee sprains.

Surprising that Pelon was even playing, given he suffered a high-ankle sprain during practice this week, Coach Steve Sarkisian said.

USC 3, Washington 3 -- 9:54 left in the second quater

USC’s defense makes a nice goal line stand and forces Washington to settle for three points on a 21-yard field goal.

The drive went 79 yards in 17 plays.

Washington running back Myles Gaskin has rushed for 38 yards in nine carries and did most of the work on the drive.

Keeping an eye on penalties for USC, the count is up to five for 42 yards.

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USC 3, Washington 0 -- 1:43 left in the first quarter

What a turn of events.

USC kicks a 34-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. The drive went 60 yards in 10 plays.

USC quarterback Cody Kessler throws his second interception of the game, his third of the season.

But once again, Washington can’t capitalize. Freshman cornerback Iman Marshall intercepts Jake Browning. It is Marshall’s first career interception.

Toa Lobendahn is in at center for USC, as Max Tuerk limps on the sideline.

USC is depending on its running game as Kessler hands off to Justin Davis and Tre Madden, before completing a pass to Dominic Davis.

Third and six, Kessler takes his second sack of the game.

Alex Wood kicks a 34-yard field goal.

A few observations: USC’s defense is swarming the Huskies, penalties continue to be a problem for the offense and freshman Ronald Jones II carried two defenders on his back as he rushed for eight yards and a first down.

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USC’s defense shuts down freshman quarterback Jake Browning.

The Huskies offense, despite good field position, have been unable to get their offense moving.

It doesn’t appear this game will come down to a field goal, given Washington punted from USC’s 35-yard line.

Keep tabs on this -- USC already has two penalties for 26 yards, a facemask and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

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USC’s offense is struggling to find its rhythm early against Washington’s defense, which is the top-rated defense in the Pac-12.

Offensive lineman Zach Banner is called for a facemask, which moves USC back to its own five-yard line.

Adoree’ Jackson makes a catch, but is immediately tackled by Kevin King.

Quarterback Cody Kessler is under pressure and has to throw it away, which puts USC in a third and 25 situation, which they are unable to convert.

USC punts.

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USC didn’t start the way it wanted, but gets away unscathed. Washington misses a 31-yard field goal.

Quarterback Cody Kessler is sacked on the first play from scrimmage and throws an interception on third down -- his second interception of the season.

Washington takes over at USC’s 33-yard line.

Freshman quaterback Jake Browning looks a bit unsteady, but completes a 16-yard pass to Jaydon Mickens on third down to keep the Huskies’ drive moving.

USC’s defense keeps Washington out of the end zone and the Huskies miss a 31-yard field goal.

The Coliseum remains quiet -- and fans are few and far between.

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USC wins the coin toss and will receive to start the game.

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The four members of the Wild Bunch II -- Shaun Cody, Mike Patterson, Kenechi Udeze and Omas Nazel -- lead USC out of the tunnel. This is a much more appropriate group than Will Ferrell was when USC played Stanford a couple of weeks ago.

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If the Coliseum fills in tonight, it will be a very late arriving crowd.

The student section at least half empty and the rest of the bowl is only speckled with fans with less than 10 minutes until kickoff.

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The New York Jets have an open date on Sunday, which means former USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams is in the Coliseum.

He’s practically participating in warmup drills.

Also expected on the sideline tonight is former tailback LenDale White.

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The weekend has come early, kind of. It’s time for Thursday night college football.

We are about an hour away from kickoff, No. 17 USC vs. Washington. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

It’s a hot fall evening at the Coliseum, where temperatures hover in the 80’s.

USC announced its starting lineups.

Offense: Linemen Chad Wheeler, Damien Mama, Max Tuerk, Toa Lobedahn and Zach Banner, receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steven Mitchell and Isaac Whitney, tight end Taylor McNamara, tailback Tre Madden, fullback Jahleel Pinner and quarterback Cody Kessler.

Defense: Linemen Delvon Simmons, Antwaun Woods and Greg Townsend Jr., linebackers Su’a Cravens, Cameron Smith, Anthony Sarao and Scott Felix, cornerbacks Adoree’ Jackson and Iman Marshall and safeties John Plattenburg and Chris Hawkins.

Receiver Darreus Rogers and defensive lineman Claude Pelon are sidelined because of injuries.

Cornerback Kevon Seymour, who did not play against Stanford or Arizona State because of knee injury, is expected to be available.

Follow Lindsey Thiry on Twitter @LindseyThiry