Whereas a lot of the nation was sleeping, USC quarterback Caleb Williams was doing what he does greatest.
Placing on a present.
The defending Heisman Trophy winner accomplished 19-of-21 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns, including a 21-yard landing run of his personal, because the Trojans constructed a 49-0 halftime lead over the visiting Cardinal.
He solely performed on seven offensive possessions.
Williams opened the scoring for USC early within the first quarter. After the Trojans obtained the opening kickoff, USC drove down the sphere and confronted a primary down simply outdoors the purple zone. Williams meets the operating again on the mesh level and, with the defensive finish crashing inside, decides to drag the soccer and take a look at the sting.
He passes the take a look at with flying colours:
The quarterback dances into the open area and picks up a pair of blockers to slice contained in the 5-yard line. However with yet another defender in his approach, the quarterback lowers his shoulder and drives by way of him, and into the top zone for USC’s first rating of the evening.
USC was already out to a 28-0 lead early within the second quarter when Williams dialed up a bit magic within the pocket:
Stanford rushes simply three on the play, utilizing a linebacker to spy the quarterback as properly. However whereas they drop seven into protection, Williams is ready to purchase time, dancing round within the pocket earlier than flushing to his proper. That offers extensive receiver Dorian Singer time to interrupt free deep within the secondary, and Williams fires a dart that hits Singer in stride for the rating.
On the Trojans’ ensuing possession, Williams determined to indicate off his arm power. After assembly his operating again on the mesh level within the backfield, the QB makes use of a half rollout to the fitting, earlier than organising at his personal 20-yard line to launch a rocket downfield:
Vast receiver Brenden Rice settles below this throw on the Stanford 20-yard line, with the throw overlaying in extra of 60 yards within the air because the receiver is on the left hashmark. Rice skips into the top zone because the Trojans construct a 39-point lead.
And Williams provides yet one more clip to his seemingly infinite spotlight reel.
USC went on to a 56-10 win in what may be the final sport between these outdated Pac-12 rivals for some time. The Trojans are on their strategy to the Massive Ten subsequent season, whereas the Cardinal are headed to the ACC. This was not misplaced on the Trojans and their head coach, Lincoln Riley.
“We’re happy with profiting from the second, in that that is probably the final SC-Stanford sport for some time,” stated Riley after the win. “This was a collection that we talked with the crew so much final 12 months. This was a collection that lately had went a bit little bit of a unique approach. I’m actually, big-picture, proud to have the ability to get the ultimate final two right here. It was vital for us to grab the second and alternative.”
The Trojans now get a bye week earlier than issues get a lot more durable, schedule-wise. USC faces Arizona State coming off a bye, they usually shut out September with a sport in opposition to Colorado that at present appears to be like fascinating due to the beginning from the Buffaloes.
October and November are even more durable, a minimum of for the time being. October sees the Trojans tackle Notre Dame and USC in back-to-back video games, a pair of groups ranked within the High 15. November has each Washington and Oregon on the schedule in back-to-back weeks, one other pair of High-15 groups.
However with Williams delivering highlight-reel moments like these, one other Heisman would possibly simply be within the playing cards.
Together with even greater issues for the Trojans.