Washington comes out 'ready to play' in 52-42 win over USC - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — If the Pac-12 as we know it will find itself dissolved by the death knell of conference realignment next season, then it would be fitting that one of its final season's lasting memories may be Saturday's night offensive explosion between No. 5 Washington and No. 20 USC.

Under the lights of the Los Angeles Coliseum, two of the nation's best offenses, led by two of the nation's best quarterbacks, went mostly undeterred over the course of 60 minutes, totaling more than 1,000 yards of offense while bouncing from one end zone to the other as if in a video game. Or in this case, as if the defenses that were supposed to be stopping them may as well have been just wallpaper.

But when the fourth quarter arrived, a defense did have to make a stand, and it was Washington. The Huskies held USC scoreless in the final frame, leading to a 52-42 victory that kept Washington's undefeated record intact, while further igniting their already fervent confidence.

«We thought we were the best team in the country coming into the season,» Washington linebacker Zion Tupuola-Fetui said. «So, we just got to go out there and prove it every week. I know that there may be a particular style in ways that people want us to win, but a win is a win.»

Washington coach Kalen DeBoer did not pretend that he and his team hadn't heard the chatter that had surrounded them in recent weeks. After winning a three-point thriller against Oregon in Seattle, the Huskies had proceeded to escape close contests against Arizona State by a score of 15-7 and Stanford by a score of 42-33.

What appeared unbecoming of a top-5 team with College Football Playoff aspirations was, to DeBoer and his players, both affirmation of their abilities and motivation for what