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USC vs. Washington

USC falls again in a close game, suffering a road loss to Washington

Miller Moss was tackled as he released his final pass that had no chance of connecting, sealing USC’s 26-21 loss to Washington Saturday.

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USC running back Woody Marks scores a touchdown against Washington during the first half Saturday.
(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)
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USC goes cold at the goal line, falling to Washington in another road loss

Washington running back Jonah Coleman leaps into the end zone to score in front of USC safety Akili Arnold.
Washington running back Jonah Coleman leaps into the end zone to score in front of USC safety Akili Arnold in the first half of the Trojans’ 26-21 loss Saturday night.
(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)

A long, cold night for USC had been leading here, to the doorstep of the Washington goal line, just a few familiar feet away from redemption.

For much of Saturday’s 26-21 loss to Washington, as rain fell in sheets and a freezing wind blew off Lake Washington, Lincoln Riley stuck stubbornly with his gut, testing the nation’s No. 1 pass defense by throwing into a downpour with a struggling quarterback. Riley has held tightly to his instincts in the face of criticism throughout USC’s nightmare season, defiant to suggestions the Trojans weren’t heading in the right direction, even as one close loss turned to another, and another, and another.

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Woody Marks finally getting the chance to unleash his total skill set at USC

USC running back Woody Marks celebrates after scoring the winning touchdown for the Trojans against LSU.
USC running back Woody Marks celebrates after scoring the winning touchdown for the Trojans against Louisiana State in Las Vegas on Sept. 1.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

As Woody Marks weighed his football future last winter, Darren Myles was frank with his former running back. His body of work, he told Marks, was an incomplete picture of the player Myles knew he could be. Four seasons at Mississippi State, playing in Mike Leach’s pass-happy Air Raid offense, proved Marks could catch passes out of the backfield. But he was typecast in the eyes of NFL scouts as a third-down, change-of-pace player, incapable of carrying the load as a bruising back running between the tackles.

His high school coach knew better than that. Myles had seen it during four years at Carver High in Atlanta. He watched as Marks stepped in as the starter before his first game as a freshman, taking the place of a senior who missed practice and never relinquishing the role.

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The Times of Troy: The big-play receiver USC needed was there all along: Makai Lemon

USC receiver Makai Lemon runs with the ball during the second half against Rutgers.
(Kyusung Gong / AP)

Hi, everyone! I’m Ryan Kartje, the USC beat writer around these parts at the L.A. Times. Welcome back to another week of the Times of Troy newsletter, where we’re still cursing the Big Ten for keeping us in the Coliseum press box until 2 a.m. on Friday night. But hopefully the brave souls on the East Coast who stayed up until the final whistle, a few ticks before 3 a.m. EDT, have gotten a nap by now. At least you got a win out of it.

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Beyond Varsity Blues: In pursuit of donations, USC admitted affluent kids as walk-on athletes

Illustration of USC logo with two interlocking hands, one with money and one with a diploma
(Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times, photos via Getty Images)

Energy and telecom mogul Sarath Ratanavadi, one of the richest men in Thailand, wanted his son to attend the University of Southern California a decade ago. The admissions officer who reviewed his file, however, termed him a “mediocre student at best” with grades at a Bangkok private school that USC equated to four Ds and two Fs.

But after Ratanavadi donated $3 million to the Trojan golf team, USC found a spot for his son. A special admissions committee for sports recruits admitted the teen as a walk-on golfer.

“I don’t think there is any way he will contribute to us winning or losing,” then-golf coach Chris Zambri emailed a colleague months after Ratanavadi’s son was admitted in 2015. But, he added, “his dad is now a huge supporter of USC Athletics …”

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New focus in life has USC’s Emmanuel Pregnon blocking out the pain

Emmanuel Pregnon holds his helmet on the field.
Emmanuel Pregnon, shown here last season, has become one of USC’s top linemen.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Emmanuel Pregnon woke up Friday morning convinced that, no matter the pain, he was going to play through it that night.

He might have been the only one. Lincoln Riley deemed the Trojans’ left guard “doubtful” for the meeting with Rutgers with a leg injury that had limited him all week. But really, given the aches and pains he was dealing with, no one was expecting Pregnon to give it a go. No one, apparently, but Pregnon himself.

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Former five-star receiver Kyle Ford sets aside frustration to finish strong at USC

USC wide receiver Kyle Ford (81) celebrates his touchdown against Rutgers last week.
(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)

On Sunday mornings, when Kyle Ford can feel his frustration boiling up from the night before, he tries to step away. He’ll skip the optional Sunday lift at USC, setting aside football in favor of something else entirely. Something just for him. Something to help reset.

“Just to get away,” the sixth-year senior receiver says, “and clear my mental and take a deep breath and be around people I love.”

Lately, he’s found that peace in golf, spending Sundays on the course where he can forget for a while about the season at USC.

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USC freshman edge-rushing duo Kameryn Fountain and Sam Greene bolster the Trojans

Sam Greene sacks Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis.
(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)

USC freshman edge-rushing duo Kameryn Fountain and Sam Greene have shown why they were recruited to join the Trojans’ defense: to get to the quarterback.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work, a lot of long nights and early mornings,” Greene said. “Doing extra little things just to contribute to the team. That’s all I wanted to do ever since I signed that paper to come here.”

Both players secured their first collegiate sack in a decisive win over Rutgers last Saturday.

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