There was a certain symmetry to what the Huskies accomplished on Oct. 8, going to Los Angeles as a 17-point underdog against No. 17 USC and then pulling off a 17-12 upset against former Washington coach Steve Sarkisian.
The Huskies had entered the game with a 2-2 record and were coming off a 30-24 loss at home to California in their Pac-12 opener. It’s little surprise that, two and half months later, two UW seniors on Wednesday pointed to that victory at USC as a turning point in the Huskies’ season.
“I think it gave us a lot more confidence that we could play with anybody,” UW senior center Siosifa Tufunga said at a press conference in Dallas on Wednesday, three days before his final game in a UW uniform against Southern Mississippi in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.