Clay Helton wanted to see consistency Friday night against Washington State. What he got from USC was the same kind of uneven performance that put the Trojans’ season in 1-2 hole.
In the fourth quarter, the Trojans’ 17-game Coliseum unbeaten streak — the second-longest home winning streak in the country to Alabama’s 21 — hung in the balance. But a blocked field goal helped preserve a 39-36 win.
Entering Friday night, the streak stood tall for Helton as more than just a number. Given the way things have gone for the Trojans since last year’s Cotton Bowl, with USC losing its last three games against Power Five competition, it represented one of the last vestiges of USC’s place among college football’s elite teams.