Is Caleb Williams about to play his last game for USC? The Trojans’ star QB won’t say

USC quarterback Caleb Williams looks up at the scoreboard while staying loose during the Trojans’ 34-32 loss to Utah at the Coliseum on Oct. 21. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Caleb Williams slowly shook his head. He shrugged his shoulders one at a time. He cocked his eyebrow in thought. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback didn’t know how he would want fans to remember him if Saturday’s game is indeed goodbye.

“I honestly haven’t thought of anything like that,” Williams said.

Wrestling with the disappointment of another championship-less season in college, the potential end of Williams’ short, but thrilling, two-year USC career snuck up on the quarterback. Projected as the No. 1 overall pick, the draft-eligible junior may play in his final game at the Coliseum — or his last game in a USC jersey at all — on Saturday against rival UCLA.

Williams already put his mark on the rivalry last year, leading the Trojans to a thrilling 48-45 win in the Rose Bowl with 470 passing yards and two touchdowns with one rushing touchdown. The win sealed USC’s trip to the Pac-12 championship game.

Read more: ‘You keep fighting.’ Caleb Williams says USC football isn’t letting up after losses

This year’s rivalry game has much lower stakes. Both teams are unranked. UCLA coach Chip Kelly is on the hot seat as the Bruins (6-4, 3-4 Pac-12) have lost two consecutive games, including a 17-7 dud to Arizona State last week. The Trojans (7-4, 5-3 Pac-12) have lost four of their last five games.

The late-season collapse means Williams, despite hoisting the most prestigious individual award in the sport, could leave college without a conference or national championship if he doesn’t return for his senior year. But that shouldn’t diminish his impact, teammates said.

“We know Caleb, he’s the No. 1 pick, no matter what,”…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/caleb-williams-play-last-game-050009807.html

Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2023-11-16 05:00:09

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