Caleb Williams had yet another big game during USC’s win over Arizona State on Saturday night. Although the Sun Devils hung around longer than most people expected, the Trojans eventually put them away with a 15-point fourth quarter to win 42-28.
However, there was a moment of panic during the third quarter as Williams laid on the ground in pain.
Williams, the reigning Heisman Trophy award winner, completed 20-of-31 pass attempts for 322 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He also added 10 yards on nine carries and scored twice on a pair of quarterback sneaks.
Despite the big stat line, it was not necessarily Williams’ best college football game, which says a lot about how good he is because USC relied heavily on its quarterback in the win. He now boasts a 74.3% completion rate with 1,200 yards, 15 touchdowns, and no interceptions through four games in 2023.
There is still a long way to go in the season, but Williams is firmly in the mix to be named a back-to-back Heisman finalist. His future as the No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick is not in jeopardy.
However, there was an unfortunate moment during the third quarter against Arizona State that led Williams to writhe on the ground in pain. If any Trojans fans were watching the game but didn’t see what happened, it would have been cause for concern.
Williams lined up in the gun and checked over to the sideline. As he turned back toward the line of scrimmage to call an audible, he held up his hand in an effort to tell his center not to snap the ball.
The center did not get the memo and snapped the ball anyway.
Williams took the snap directly where the sun doesn’t shine and crumbled to the turf. Direct nutshot!
Fortunately, it was nothing severe. Just unlucky— and painful.
Williams took a moment to gather himself, returned to his feet, and helped the Trojans pull away from an inferior opponent during the second half. Ouch!