Momentum in college football has no loyalty. It is on the side of the one who deserves it. Having twelve men on the field won't let you get away with it, but it can help you survive. The Huskies look to gain momentum next Saturday in Happy Valley against Penn State after dramatically defeating USC 26-21.

With a score of 4:4 on Saturday, both teams were disappointed with the events of the past few weeks, but were hoping for a brilliant end to the regular season. USC looked good enough at times to be atop the Big Ten standings; other times it looked like a team was destined to finish just above .500. Meanwhile, UW has spent the season putting the pieces together after an ugly breakup in January.

In “establishing a new identity,” the normally slow-starting Washington Huskies took an early lead. Grady Gross opened the scoring with a 39-yard field goal, then UW extended its lead to 3-0 with a 19-yard touchdown run from Jonah Coleman late in the first quarter. While USC's defense is still developing, that side of the ball has improved significantly from what Dillon Johnson played consistently last season in Los Angeles. That has been evident all season and was on display Saturday.

Eventually, Lincoln Riley realized there was a chance on the ground against the UW defense. Earlier, USC running back Woody Marks had a one-yard score, cutting UW's lead to 10-7.

Although the scoring drive gave the Trojans a boost of energy, UW picked up another 10 unanswered points. The first seven came thanks to a 15-yard rushing touchdown from Coleman. Then Gross found the net again, hitting a 45-yard throw and showing flashes of his regained confidence.

UW went into halftime with an intact lead of 17-7. But if you've been along lately, you knew things were going to get uncomfortable at some point.

After a dominant first half, USC took the lead in the third quarter. USC quarterback Miller Moss capped an 89-yard drive with a 37-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Makai Lemon. Then the USC defense forced a turnover on downs and Moss capped another drive with a touchdown by catching Kyle Ford from nine yards out on the fourth play of the short drive.

There was momentum in choosing a part-time job. But then there was a change of heart.

UW was forced to punt after a more than ugly drive. Rogers had missed his last two passes by a mile, Husky Stadium was quieter and the USC sideline smelled of blood in the water. Then linebacker Carson Bruener jumped in front of a Moss throw. Suddenly the Dawgs were back in control.

Huskies wide receiver Keith Reynolds scored the first touchdown of his career on a four-yard carry. The Huskies led 26-21 after a failed two-point conversion.

Suddenly the question became whether UW's defense could force another stop. At times things looked bleak. Especially as USC's stomping became louder and more confident as it invaded Husky territory. That's when freshman Khmori House decided he'd seen enough and stuffed USC on fourth down from a yard out.

A few plays later, UW's offense took the field on 1st-and-10 with 1:55 left. All the Dawgs needed was a first down to win the game. In the end it was 3rd and 1 with 1:48 to go. As Demond Williams prepared to take a snap after a timeout, UW was charged with 12 players on the field. Suddenly faced with a 3rd-and-6, Rogers played it safe and threw the ball just in front of the post, ensuring USC had another chance for a game-winning drive.

After a bad punt that was made less frustrating due to a false start by USC, the Trojans found momentum from their previous performance. The downward march took place again. This time the pounding was even louder.

Then UW’s defense slammed the door one last time.

It wasn't always pretty, but the end result was a 26-21 win over USC in a loss.