Caleb Williams showed the college football world how he can be the first back-to-back Heisman winner since Archie Griffin in No. 8 USC’s 48-41 win over Colorado.
Williams threw for six touchdowns as the USC offense couldn’t be slowed down by a Buffaloes defense missing both Shilo Sanders and Travis Hunter. The Trojans scored less than 150 seconds into the game on a six-play drive that covered 75 yards and went up 14-0 later in the first quarter after Willams scrambled to his left and made an impressive throw to a wide-open Tahj Washington for a 71-yard catch-and-run TD.
Less than three minutes later, the lead was 21-0 on a Williams pass to Dorian Singer and Colorado’s chances of a win were all but over until the fourth quarter when USC’s defense gave fans flashbacks to 2022. The Buffaloes scored 27 points in the second half and cut USC’s lead to a TD with 1:43 to go but failed to recover an onside kick to get a shot at a tying possession.
Williams finished the game 30-of-40 passing for 403 yards. He threw his first interception of the season in the second half with an ill-advised throw on the run that he made when trying to get too greedy with the Trojans up multiple scores.
It was a good thing USC jumped out to such a big lead. The Trojans looked to be far and away the better team in the first half as Colorado was simply outmatched. It was a different story in the second half, however. And it’s not as simple as USC letting its foot off the gas in the final 30 minutes either.
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders was 30-of-45 passing for 371 yards and four TDs and an interception. Freshman wide receiver Omarion Miller had seven catches for 196 yards and a TD while Jimmy Horn had seven catches for 84 yards and two scores.