SEATTLE — Southern California’s narrow escape at Washington provided theTrojans a sobering dose of reality.

“We can’t play like that the rest of the season, or else we’ll lose like anormal team,” USC coach Pete Carroll said after the sloppy 27-24 victory overthe Huskies on Saturday night.

USC (4-0, 2-0 Pac-10) outgained (460-190) Washington in front of a loud andpacked house at Husky Stadium, but three turnovers, a blocked punt and 16penalties for 161 yards let the home team hang around.

The Trojans paid for the mistakes in The Associated Press poll, whichthey’ll surely take over a loss. LSU moved past the Trojans in the AP Top 25,though USC is still ranked first in the coaches and Harris polls.

Carroll said USC’s latest victory reminded him of the Trojans’ loss atOregon State last season.

“It felt like Groundhog Day,” Carroll said.

“We were just giving them opportunities to keep this a close game, similarto how Oregon State was,” said quarterback John David Booty, who threw twointerceptions against Washington and had a third overturned by replay review.

The Trojans recovered from that Oregon State stunner to win eight of theirnext nine games.

“I think this is a character builder,” defensive end Lawrence Jacksonsaid.

That character construction could get a boost by going home to playStanford. USC has won five consecutive games over the Cardinal by an average of26 points, including last season by 42-0.

What made USC’s night in Seattle puzzling for Carroll was that he said lastweek he thought Booty — who completed 20 of 37 passes for 236 yards Saturday — and his offense were “really ready to roll.” That was following a balanced,47-14 thrashing of Washington State and a 49-31 romp at Nebraska.

Instead, it lurched backward a bit.

“The difference between last week’s game and this week’s game isextraordinary, with all the problems we had,” Carroll said.

There were five false starts. Two holding calls. Even a personal foul on thecenter, Kristofer O’Dowd, on the return of Booty’s first interception.

“I think it’s fixable, ” Booty said of the offense’s penalties, droppedpasses and fumbled snaps.

There were also injuries.

O’Dowd (dislocated knee) and right guard Chilo Rachal (sprained knee) werelost on the same play in the first quarter. Carroll didn’t immediately know howlong either would be out.

Stafon Johnson gained 122 yards on 14 carries but had his left foot stompedon twice, including during his final carry. He was wearing a walking bootoutside the locker room afterward but said “it’s cool, nothing big.”

Shareece Wright, who was starting his first game while Cary Harris was backhome injured, left with a hamstring injury.

Matt Spanos, expected to be the starting center to begin the season until hetore his biceps, replaced O’Dowd. He had to take off his arm brace after it gotcaught on his knee brace and caused a fumbled snap in the second quarter.

USC’s defense, missing injured linebacker Brian Cushing, did its job,holding Washington to 190 yards and dynamic quarterback Jake Locker to 50 yardson 18 carries — 40 below his rushing average coming in.

The Huskies’ three touchdowns came on drives of 13 yards (after USC’sbotched snap) and 27 yards (after a blocked punt in the final minute). MesphinForrester returned an interception 54 yards for Washington’s other score to tieit at 14 late in the first half.

But the Trojans also allowed three Huskies to roam free in or near the endzone for what could’ve been touchdowns if Locker’s passes hadn’t been wild.

“We’re at fault totally. And we have to clean it up,” Carroll said.”Explanation? No, I don’t have that.”

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