Here’s the update that I’ll have in the Monday paper as the Huskies head into bye week:

LAST WEEK

Washington (2-3, 0-2) lost its third straight game and slipped below .500 for the first time this season with a 27-24 loss to No. 1 USC at Husky Stadium. However, that score does not reflect the Trojans statistical domination. USC mistakes left the door to a major upset ajar, but UW couldn’t push through.

SOMETHING TO BUILD ON

The Huskies played at less than their best and still took the nation’s top-ranked team into the final minute.

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USC survived its mistake-prone game against Washington with a victory, but not with its No. 1 ranking … at least not in the AP media poll.

The writers moved previous No. 2 LSU past the Trojans, while USC remained on top in the coaches poll.

Here is my game story, columnist John McGrath’s take, Ryan Divish’s report from the USC locker room and TNT photos from the game.

Bottom line: On a day of upsets all across the country, that was a game that was there to be won.

Southern California outgained Washington 460 total yards to 190. However, the Huskies stayed close because the Trojans committed 16 penalties for 161 yards, threw two interceptions, lost one fumbles, and suffered a blocked punt. The penalty yardage was the third-most ever by a UW opponent.

Not too surprisingly, USC

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Lots of mistakes by both sides.

USC leads first downs, 11-10; passing yards 109-48; rushing yards, 159-76, and total yards, 268-124.

However, a Mesphin Forrester 54-yard interception return gave UW just the kind of quick score everyone expected they might need in a game against the nation’s No. 1 team.

And … lots of upsets across the country today …

Lots of mistakes both ways.

Huskies had the best scoring opportunity, but Jake Locker missed a wide open Corey Williams in the end zone.

However, two SC starting offensive linement went down on the same play, and they have both been carted to the locker room.

(And now, as I type this, UW safety Jason Wells — who got his first career interception in the first quarter — is down on the field as his right leg is being attended to.)

2:40 p.m.: Just arrived at the stadium. Not as much traffic today as the past couple of home games, and from what I hear, maybe a slightly smaller crowd.

It’s also a much drearier day: cloudy, cool, breezy and a slight drizzle that is expected to give way to rain by the second half.

From here, usual game-day drill: I’ll pop in with news as it develops, try to pop in with quarterly reports, and then turn things over to you guys for postgame discussion, before I’ll finally hop in again with quotes and notes.

3:50:

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No news out of UW on Friday, so we can turn our attention to this evening and the USC game.

NO. 1 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (3-0, 1-0)

AT WASHINGTON (2-2, 0-1)

Kickoff: 5 p.m., Husky Stadium

Television: ABC. Radio: 950-AM.

The series: USC leads 47-26-4 overall and 17-16-4 in Husky Stadium. The Trojans have won the last five meetings.

What to watch: Even if it hurts, Huskies fans have the rare opportunity to see what may be one of the best college teams, now or ever. Former O’Dea star Taylor Mays in the SC

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In tomorrow’s paper, I’ll have a story on the 1960 Huskies and my opinion on UW recognizing their claim to the national football championship after all these years.

In terms of pure news, there wasn’t much out of our meeting with coach Willingham today.

He clarified that all of the starters who were available last week — including linebacker E.J. Savannah, who had been bothered with a neck stinger — will be available Saturday. The only player with a new injury that might keep him out is linebacker Matt Houston, who has been used mostly on

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