When the Snap Went Wrong: A Moment of Brilliance
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – 9:49 remaining in the second quarter, USC and San Jose State knotted at 7-7.
Heisman trophy winner and USC quarterback, Caleb Williams, is set up in shotgun formation when the snap squirts away from him. For a moment it appears the Trojans are in trouble. Then, Williams recovers the ball on his own 13-yard line and with his weight on his back foot, launches a 45-yard dime to wide receiver Tahj Washington who scampered in for a 76-yard touchdown.
And just like that…the Caleb Williams Heisman Trophy defense began in earnest.
USC Dominates: The Trojans Leave No Doubt
The Trojans, who led by just one score (21-14) at halftime, went on to pounce the San Jose State Spartans 56-28 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Williams ended the day completing 18 of 25 passes for 278 yards, 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. His 76-yard flight to Washington was his longest completion of the day – during which USC saw 12 different receivers haul in a total of 24 passes on the day (backup quarterbacks Miller Moss and Malachi Nelson combined to go 6/10 for 63 yards).
Looking Forward: The Road Ahead for Caleb Williams
Prior to the impressive first showing of the season, Williams was already the betting favorite to repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner. According to BetMGM, Williams leads the pack at +500 odds to repeat; next up are quarterbacks Jaylen Daniels (LSU) at +900 and Quinn Ewers (Texas) at +1100.
Despite winning the award in 2022, Williams was not the early favorite. That distinction belonged to Alabama quarterback Bryce Young who started the season at +350 to win the Heisman.
Williams and the Trojans face Mountain West foe Nevada at home next week before getting into the heart of their Pac-12 schedule for four straight weeks. Perhaps the first major test for Williams comes on October 14 when USC heads to South Bend to take on Notre Dame.