Three keys to a Washington football upset win over USC

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After the Washington Huskies suffered a disappointing 27-24 loss to Minnesota in their Big Ten opener, Jedd Fisch's team is set to hit the road for the first time this season to take on coach Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans.

Here are three things they can do to get out of Los Angeles with a win.

Take what's given

Washington's offense has been one of the most disappointing units in the Big Ten this season, averaging 28 points (No. 16 in the conference), 107.25 rushing yards (No. 17), and 395.8 yards per game (No. 14). Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. has had several ups and downs through the early portion of the season, and Fisch has implored him to get the ball out quickly and trust his receivers to make plays, which he should have plenty of opportunities to do against a defense that ranks No. 16 in the conference, surrendering 236.2 passing yards per game.

"I need you to make extra ordinary plays, rather than extraordinary plays," Fisch said on the Husky Football Coaches Show on Monday. "I think if you can start making more extra ordinary plays, then the extraordinary plays will still come, but if you're seeking an extraordinary play, or you're feeling the pressure of having to make an extraordinary play, that's when you maybe pass up the slant for the possibility of if, maybe, what if the…fade pops on the backside, you don't need that, right?"

Win on third down

The chess match on third down is where this game could be won or lost. USC's offense ranks No. 5 in the nation, converting on 56.14 percent of its third-down attempts, while defensive coordinator Ryan Walters' unit has allowed a conversion on just 28.85 percent of opposing attempts, which ranks No. 5 in the Big Ten.

On the other side, Fisch's offense ranks last in the Big Ten at just a 34 percent conversion rate after going 1-for-10 against Minnesota, while defensive coordinator Gary Patterson's unit has let up a first down on 40.74 percent of attempts, which sits at No. 15 in the Big Ten.

"Altogether as an offense, we want to play better," Fisch said on Monday. "We would like it to at least be 5-for-10, or 4-for-10 on third down. If you're that, you're somewhere between the top 25 and the top spot. No. 1 is probably 52 percent, or whatever it is when the season's over. You're not looking at trying to get 8 out of 10; you're just trying to get four or five."

Limit mistakes

After struggling with penalties throughout the non-conference slate, the Huskies were able to limit those errors against the Golden Gophers, but others popped up. Williams threw a pair of bad interceptions, forcing the ball while under pressure, and the defense was credited with double-digit missed tackles. Against a USC team that is among the nation's most talented, Washington can't afford to make mistakes to make any facet of the game easier on the Trojans.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Three keys to a Washington football upset win over USC

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