Caleb Williams has no magic left in what could be his final game at USC
Two years of magic at USC, conjured at the most critical moments and in the most spectacular fashion, made it possible to believe Caleb Williams was capable of rewriting fate whenever he pleased.
He turned the tide so many times for the Trojans, bending games to his favor, that his on-field heroism had become the expectation. Before long, the sentiment was second nature. Whatever hole USC dug, Williams would dig the Trojans out.
But by Saturday, the hole dug during the second half of the Trojans’ season had grown cavernously deep, too deep even for a generational talent like Williams to climb out of. One narrow loss turned into two. Then three. Then four. Then, finally, a fifth in six weeks — the last an embarrassing 38-20 beating by UCLA that may prove to be his swan song at USC.
Lincoln Riley was supposed to transform USC back into a college football powerhouse. Instead, the Trojans are mired in mediocrity and it’s his fault.
A 6-0 start spiraled into a six-week nightmare, and Williams, the star who seemingly could do anything, was helpless to stop it.
That helpless feeling, unlike anything Williams had been forced to confront, finally came to a head against USC’s crosstown rival. Williams still threw for 384 yards and a touchdown against UCLA. He still made something out of nothing several times, albeit only in spurts as a ferocious Bruins front kept him off balance all afternoon. He put his tremendous talents on display, but couldn’t carry USC to a victory over UCLA like he had the year before in a command performance that was the high point of a dream season.
All season long, pressure and expectations built and built. Ever since last December in New York, as Williams raised the Heisman Trophy, the spotlight had grown brighter — and harsher — following the quarterback into the fall when his face would regularly appear not only on football broadcasts but also the commercials in-between.
“It’s definitely tested him, there’s no question,” coach Lincoln Riley said last week.
It was a heavy weight to bear but the quarterback carried it, brushing off any suggestions that it might have worn on him, even as those watching closely could tell it clearly had.
“Most people in this room ain’t never felt that type of pressure, including myself,” receiver Tahj Washington said.
Williams still dazzled, throwing for 3,633 yards and 30 touchdowns while adding 11 more on the ground — a stat line that for anyone other than the reigning Heisman winner would have been viewed as a triumph.
But by Saturday, as the sun disappeared behind gray clouds over the Coliseum, Williams looked ready to ride off into the sunset.
The goals he’d set at USC were long gone, the finality now surely would sink in. There would be no conference championship, no College Football Playoff, no national title trophy to raise like the Heisman.
He’d come to USC on the highest possible note, the star quarterback who called himself “Superman,” brought in to save one of college football’s proudest programs. And over two seasons, he’d carried the Trojans as far as he could. It just wasn’t far enough.
Whether he returns for one last bowl appearance — or improbably returns for a fourth college season, something he’s often alluded to — is still to be determined. Though, the notion that Williams might continue on after Saturday has seemed far-fetched to those who have watched closely. After all, as the potential No. 1 overall selection in the NFL draft, Williams carries a considerable cachet.
Williams chose not to address his future Saturday, electing not to speak to reporters after the loss. Days earlier, in his last meeting with the media, Williams wouldn’t say if he planned to return.
He’ll take the Trojans’ season-ending bye and the Thanksgiving holiday to consider whether he should play in the bowl game. If Williams was hoping for another signature moment Saturday to make the decision easier, he didn’t get one.
Instead, the loss was littered with reminders of why his second season had gone so miserably awry.
Take your pick of disappointments: There was the Trojans’ toothless defense, steamrolled by a UCLA offense that barely had moved the ball in a month. Or the smothered ground game, which managed a mere three yards, its worst total since 2018. Or the flailing offensive line, which left Williams running for his life once again.
Behind another strong defensive effort and a standout game from Ethan Garbers, UCLA might have saved Chip Kelly’s coaching job with its win over USC.
Buried beneath the frustration were a few bits of that Williams magic. The poise in a collapsing pocket. The pirouettes to escape pressure. A 74-yard touchdown pass that scraped the heavens on its way to receiver Brenden Rice. Enough to remind you how much Williams meant to USC over the last two seasons.
“He came here and took a chance on this place and took a chance on being a part of restarting this program and getting it going,” Riley said. “He’s a special player.”
Most of the USC faithful seemed to sense the end of his special run was near, even before the game. As Williams loosened his arm long before kickoff, a crowd gathered in the far corner of the end zone to watch. One after another, fans young and old lifted their phones, catching whatever last glimpse they could. None seemed to mind when a light rain started to fall on the field. There were only so many moments with Williams like this left, after all.
Williams’ most magical moments surely will be immortalized in the annals of USC history, alongside the likes of Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer and other Trojans greats. But as the last seconds ticked away Saturday, his final few moments paled in comparison to the career that came before it, an unremarkable send-off for a player who was anything but.
Williams hugged his mother, then his father. UCLA coach Chip Kelly pulled him in close, whispering in his ear.
There was no lingering after that, as Williams skipped toward the student section and put up both hands to wave. Then, he turned toward the Coliseum tunnel, one last exit to take him where the rest of his football life presumably waited.
Highlights from UCLA’s 38-20 win over USC at the Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
