Stewart's Fumble Return Lifts No. 19 USC Past Washington, 25-21

Jahkeem Stewart made clear how he felt after USC's 25-21 win over Washington on Saturday night. "I'm hungry," the defensive tackle told reporters at the Coliseum. "I need some gumbo."

Stewart is known within the program as one of the team's best cooks, specializing in the Cajun and Creole dishes of his home state of Louisiana. He repeated his request for gumbo as he left the press conference.

His performance served as a reintroduction for a player who had appeared at risk of fading after a promising start to his college career. Stewart arrived as a prized recruit, listed at 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds and ranked the No. 13 defensive lineman in the country. As a freshman he recorded 18 total tackles, 7½ tackles for loss and 1½ sacks, all while playing the full season with a stress fracture in his foot.

Foot injuries can be especially damaging for linemen, who cut, move laterally and explode toward the line of scrimmage carrying significant weight. Coaches and players never revealed how serious the problem was, but Stewart seemed in danger of a disappointing path after he missed the first four games of this season. The pass rush struggled in his absence while he supported teammates from the sideline.

"Our D-line is the tip of the spear," head coach Lincoln Riley said. "We have put a massive emphasis in every way possible to make our D-line as good as we can. We're to the point where we need to expect a big-time performance out of that group every week."

Stewart, now listed at 295 pounds, delivered against Washington. Linebacker Elijah Newby pressured quarterback Demond Williams enough to force a fumble, and Stewart picked it up in the backfield and returned it 48 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. "I picked the ball up and ran 22 miles per hour," he said with a big smile. Riley joked in reply, "If that was 22, they're going to disband that GPS company."

It was the longest touchdown by a USC defensive lineman since Jamaal Jarrett's 70-yard interception return against Purdue last season, a play nicknamed "the thicc six." It was also the Trojans' first fumble recovery touchdown since Stanley Ta'ufo'ou's 23-yard return against Nevada in 2023. Defensive end Luke Wafle praised Stewart: "Whenever his name is called, he's ready to take snaps and he's done an unbelievable job."

The defense as a whole improved, holding Williams to a season-low 198 passing yards. Washington's 203 total passing yards were the second-fewest by any USC opponent this season. Whether that stems from defensive coordinator Gary Patterson moving from the sideline to the booth is unclear, and a larger sample is needed. Riley said Patterson "called a really good game" and that the players responded.

Next up for 19th-ranked USC (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) is Penn State, which has dropped out of the AP Top 25 after consecutive losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern. The Nittany Lions (3-2, 0-2) score 32 points per game. The matchup also pits Patterson against D'Anton Lynn, who left USC to become Penn State's defensive coordinator. Stewart said the Trojans are focused on themselves: "There's a lot to fix, but we have one of the best staffs in the country. Because we're going to fix it."