Caleb Williams and USC showcase playoff ambitions in blowout win over Nevada
After an underwhelming season opener, the Trojans finally played like a team with playoff hopes on Saturday, overwhelming Nevada in a 66-14 win at the Coliseum.
Quarterback Caleb Williams so casually cut up the Nevada defense that he could retire to the sideline with two minutes and 12 seconds remaining in the third quarter after his 319 yards and five touchdowns led to a comfortable 42-7 lead. Including backup Miller Moss’ seven completions on 10 passes, 14 different USC players caught a pass and six scored touchdowns, led by two from Tahj Washington.
Caleb Williams puts on a show in USC’s blowout win over Nevada
🏈 USC 66, Nevada 14 — FINAL
Caleb Williams passed for five touchdown passes and Tahj Washington caught two of them as No. 6 USC stayed undefeated on the young season with a dominant victory over Nevada at the Coliseum on Saturday.
Williams completed 18 of 24 passes for 319 yards before exiting the game in the third quarter with the Trojans in control. Tahj Washington caught two touchdown passes, giving him three TD catches through the first two games.
Zachariah Branch, Michael Jackson III, Brenden Rice, Quinten Joyner and Duce Robinson also caught scoring passes and MarShawn Lloyd scored on a 24-yard touchdown run.
On defense, USC played much better than it did in its season opener, but still struggled on deep-pass coverage. Nevada completed a 73-yard pass on its first possession and pulled off a 77-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. However, the Trojans, at one point, held the Wolf Pack (0-1) scoreless over 10 consecutive possessions and returned a fumble for a touchdown. They also had five sacks against Nevada.
USC (2-0) will open Pac-12 play next Saturday against visiting Stanford.
Duce Robinson scores on 71-yard TD catch as USC piles on
🏈 USC 66, Nevada 14 — 4:02 left in the fourth quarter
Miller Moss connected on a 71-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Duce Robinson to further extend the Trojans’ lead in the final minutes of this blowout contest.
Miller Moss and Quinten Joyner connect on 47-yard TD
🏈 USC 59, Nevada 14 — 9:09 left in the fourth quarter
Miller Moss connected on a 47-yard touchdown pass to Quinten Joyner as the Trojans continue to pile it on even without their best players on the field.
Nevada backup QB connects on 77-yard TD pass
🏈 USC 52, Nevada 14 — 11:18 left in the fourth quarter
Nevada backup quarterback AJ Bianco connects on a 77-yard touchdown pass to Jamaal Bell to give the Wolf Pack their first touchdown after 10 scoreless possessions.
USC returns a fumble for a touchdown in fourth quarter
🏈 USC 52, Nevada 7 — 12:05 left in the fourth quarter
Even USC’s defense is scoring in this one.
Freshman defensive end Braylan Shelby strip sacked Nevada quarterback Brendon Lewis, with the ball popping into the arms of defensive lineman Stanley Ta’ufo’ou, who returned it 23 yards for a touchdown.
After giving up a big play on Nevada’s first drive, the defense has been solid for the Trojans.
USC extends its lead in the fourth quarter
🏈 USC 45, Nevada 7 — 13:30 left in the fourth quarter
Miller Moss’s first (partial) drive under center today resulted in some points.
Denis Lynch kicked a 37-yard field goal to extend the Trojans’ lead.
Miller Moss takes over at QB with USC in complete control
🏈 USC 42, Nevada 7 — 35 seconds left in the third quarter
Caleb Williams’ day is over. With the USC student section chanting, “Miller Time!,” Lincoln Riley put in backup quarterback Miller Moss.
Barring some crazy comeback from Nevada, Williams will finish with 319 yards and five touchdowns on 18-of-24 passing.
USC extends lead on Caleb Williams’ FIFTH touchdown pass
🏈 USC 42, Nevada 7 — 10:08 left in the third quarter
Caleb Williams found a wide-open Tahj Washington on a 45-yard touchdown pass — the fifth TD pass for Williams today and Washington’s second TD catch.
Washington managed to break away from Nevada defensive back Ezekiel Robbins, making it easy for Williams to find him. Washington has 152 yards and three touchdowns on four catches this season.
USC held the Wolf Pack to another three-and-out to start the half.
Caleb Williams putting on a show as USC leads 35-7 at halftime
🏈 USC 35, Nevada 7 — HALFTIME
Caleb Williams once again underlined his Heisman Trophy candidacy with a stunning first-half performance for USC at the Coliseum.
Williams so far has completed 15 of 20 passes for 258 yards and four touchdowns. He connected on scoring passes to Zachariah Branch, Tahj Washington and Michael Jackson III and Brenden Rice. Running back MarShawn Lloyd also scored for USC.
The Trojans have racked up 379 total yards (12.6 yards per play) and 17 first downs.
A bad snap by center Justin Dedich resulted in a Williams fumble that spoiled a potential chance for USC to further extend its lead in the final minute of the half. Nevada kicker Brandon Talton missed a 54-yard attempt as time expired.
On the defensive side, USC has shown improvement despite not playing with linebackers Mason Cobb and Eric Gentry and losing Tackett Curtis to a targeting ejection. USC held Nevada to 181 total yards. Quarterback Brendon Lewis has completed 12 of 22 passes for 146 yards and running back Sean Dollars has 31 yards on eight carries.
Caleb Williams continues to show his Heisman Trophy form
🏈 USC 35, Nevada 7 — 6:17 left in the second quarter
Caleb Williams made another amazing touchdown throw, weaving and ducking around defenders before hitting Brenden Rice at the top of the end zone on a 13-yard pass to add to the USC rout.
Another spectacular pass set up the touchdown when MarShawn Lloyd hauled in a 54-yard catch.
USC linebacker Tackett Curtis disqualified for targeting
🏈 USC 28, Nevada 7 — 8:41 left in the second quarter
USC linebacker Tackett Curtis was ejected for targeting for a hit on Nevada’s Dalevon Campbell after a short catch, allowing the Wolf Pack to keep a promising-looking drive alive.
With Curtis’ ejection coming in the first half, he will not have to miss playing time in the next game.
Shortly after Curtis’ ejection, Nevada kicker Brandon Talton missed a 54-yard field goal. A Shane Lee sack on Nevada quarterback Brendon Lewis helped end what was the Wolf Pack’s best-looking drive since its opening possession.
USC continues to pile on against Nevada
🏈 USC 28, Nevada 7 — 14:08 left in the second quarter
Caleb Williams connected over the middle on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jackson III as the Trojans continue to pile on against the weary-looking Wolf Pack.
The touchdown was set up by a 46-yard run by Williams, who found a seam and carried the Trojans into the Nevada red zone.
After giving up a touchdown in four plays on the opening drive, the USC defense has completely shut down the Wolf Pack. Nevada has just a combined 16 yards on 12 of its first 13 plays.
USC extends lead on Tahj Washington touchdown
🏈 USC 21, Nevada 7 — 2:13 left in the first
Tahj Washington cut and deked his way through the Nevada secondary and got a helpful block from Dorian Singer to score on a 22-yard touchdown catch, extending the Trojans’ lead.
It wasn’t all good news for USC — left guard Gino Quinones sustained a right leg injury on the play and needed to be helped off the field by team trainers. After going to the sideline medical tent, Quinones was carted to the locker room.
USC’s defense held Nevada to another three-and-out. Caleb Williams completed a 16-yard pass to Brenden Rice, then Austin Jones put the Trojans into the red zone on a 12-yard run before the touchdown pass.
USC retakes lead on MarShawn Lloyd touchdown
🏈 USC 14, Nevada 7 — 5:18 left in the first quarter
MarShawn Lloyd pushed the Trojans back into the lead on a 24-yard touchdown run at the end of a 54-yard, four-play drive.
After forcing Nevada to punt from its seven-yard line, USC started from the Wolf Pack 34. Lloyd ran the ball five yards and picked up five yards before his touchdown run — a patient scramble as he waited for the O-line to find its blocks before finding the edge and turning on the speed to win a sprint to the end zone.
Lloyd has 59 yards on three carries so far.
USC’s defense shows up on Nevada’s second possession
🏈 Nevada 7, USC 7 — 7:30 left in first quarter
USC’s defense looked better on Nevada’s second possession.
Tight coverage by cornerback Ceyair Wright prevented a deep pass from connecting on second down and Jamil Muhammad sacked Nevada quarterback Brendon Lewis on third down.
On the Trojans’ second possession, Caleb Williams was sacked after briefly losing the ball when Nevada’s Mackavelli Malotumau smacked the ball out of his hands.
Nevada ties game as USC’s defensive woes continue
🏈 Nevada 7, USC 7 — 11:01 left in the first quarter
Nevada quarterback Brendon Lewis connected on a 73-yard pass to Spencer Curtis, setting up a three-yard touchdown run by Sean Dollars two plays later to tie the game.
Curtis was able to get away from Domani Jackson on coverage to make the catch down the sideline.
After USC’s defensive struggles in its season-opening win against San José State, the promises of a revamped defense have yet to materialize for coordinator Alex Grinch and head coach Lincoln Riley.
With Mason Cobb and Eric Gentry out, the Trojans could be in trouble on defense today.
USC strikes first on touchdown catch by Zachariah Branch
🏈 USC 7, Nevada 0 — 12:40 left in the first quarter
The Trojans continue to be a dominant first-possession team under coach Lincoln Riley.
Zachariah Branch caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Williams to cap a stellar, four-play, 79-yard drive to open the game.
Dorian Singer provided the bulk of the yards on a spectacular, one-handed catch on an equally stellar throw from Williams as he was flushed out of the pocket. The 30-yard completion spurred a drive complemented by catches of 10 and 11 yards by Mario Williams.
Riley-led teams have scored on their first possession in 11 of the last 16 games.
Before the game, USC basketball legend Cheryl Miller, led the Trojans on to the field.
USC looking thin at inside linebacker ahead of Nevada game
It appears Emmanuel Pregnon (left guard) and Jarrett Kingston (right guard) are poised to see first reps today based on the initial warmup combos.
On the defensive side, the Trojans are looking thin at inside linebacker vs. Nevada, with Mason Cobb and Eric Gentry sidelined.
Also, USC will be without cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace for the first half because he was ejected for fighting in his final game with Arizona last year.
Alex Grinch says USC’s defense ‘tilted in the positive direction’
Alex Grinch knows how this sounds. The fans who already were calling for the USC defensive coordinator’s job before watching the No. 6 Trojans give up 28 points to San José State in their season opener Saturday probably aren’t interested in it anyway.
But yes, Grinch is still “very bullish” on his defense.
“It sounds like coach speak if you play the way we played and get too positive, but percentage is way tilted in the positive direction,” he said Tuesday. “I’m not really a rose-colored-glasses type of guy, but you can’t ignore that. The percentage of plays I thought we played at a high level were obviously good.”
Breaking in a rebuilt defense that started four transfers and one freshman, the Trojans (1-0) did little to sway skeptical fans who were hoping to erase the memories of back-to-back losses to end last season, which was marked by defensive failures.
Pac-12, the ‘Conference of Champions,’ dies at 108
It was the early days of college football’s great shake-up, with schools jumping from one conference to another, everyone looking for more money. The Pac-12 had a chance to not just survive, but thrive.
Conference officials fielded interest in absorbing eight teams from the rival Big 12. They could have become a behemoth, a powerhouse, the Pac-20.
The deal never materialized and now, a few years later, the Pac-12 — known to sports fans as the “Conference of Champions” — has died. It was 108.
Chris Petersen explains why he always trusted new USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen
When Boise State takes the field against Washington on Saturday in Seattle, Chris Petersen will conveniently be in Los Angeles at the Fox studio working in his role as an analyst.
“I get to be Switzerland,” Petersen joked.
It’s a busy week for Petersen, who made his name as Boise State’s coach for eight years before taking the Washington job in 2014. But he made time for a conversation to discuss USC’s new athletic director, Jennifer Cohen, his former boss.
Cohen became Washington’s athletic director in 2016, two years into Petersen’s tenure. By that time, the two already were close confidants. Their relationship actually began in 2014, when Petersen finally was taking calls from suitors at bigger programs. USC called and paid a visit to Boise, but Washington ended up being the perfect match — and Cohen deserved some credit for building the connection.
College football roundtable: Will USC or UCLA win the Pac-12 title?
USC and a few other teams got a head start, but the rest of the college football world will kick off the 2023 season this week.
Times reporters Ben Bolch, J. Brady McCollough and Thuc Nhi Nguyen weigh in on what to expect for UCLA, USC and the rest of the Pac-12.
What are the key things that have to go right for USC this season?
Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Caleb Williams will cook. We know that to be sure. The defense just has to be good enough to not get in the way. Much like their rivals across town, the Trojans need a defense that can step up in the big moments and carry their weight. Alex Grinch’s scheme needs pressure on the quarterback to be successful, so the Trojans especially need edge rushers like Solomon Byrd, Jamil Muhammas and Romello Height to step up.
‘I just love the energy.’ Electric Zachariah Branch brings infectious optimism to USC
Everyone focuses on the speed. Brent Browner watches Zachariah Branch for the opposite.
“When he starts slowing down,” Branch’s head coach at Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman said, “something’s going to happen.”
Combining patience, vision and yes, breakneck speed, Branch opened USC’s season with an electric, two-touchdown performance that had the freshman receiver turning heads and taking ankles.
Ultimate SoCal college football sports bar guide: Find out where to watch your team
It’s easy to find USC and UCLA fans in Southern California, but where can proud Georgia, Michigan, Florida or Alabama fans go to watch games in the Los Angeles area with like-minded sports expats?
Look no further than the Los Angeles Times’ ultimate SoCal college football sports bar guide.
If you’re an alum or fan of teams from the Power Five conferences — the ACC and ally Notre Dame, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC — this guide will lead you to your tribe. No longer will you be the only person cheering and clapping at the bar when Alabama scores a touchdown or walk into a bar wearing Michigan blue and only seeing others decked out in Ohio State gear.
USC vs. Nevada preview: Caleb Williams turns up the pressure on his teammates
The first-game excitement has faded. The nerves have settled. Now the real work starts.
After a mostly uninspiring season-opening win against San José State, No. 6 USC will try to level up against Nevada. While freshman Zachariah Branch exceeded already lofty expectations for the five-star prospect, inconsistencies left quarterback Caleb Williams frustrated after the game and pushed him to step up his leadership during practice.
“I’ve been hard on myself,” he said. “I’ve been hard on the team.”
Position battles remain in focus for USC
Well, it’s a start.
USC dusted off the cobwebs in a 56-28 victory over San José State at the Coliseum but immediately shifted focus back to the practice field. The Trojans know that their performance won’t be good enough for a College Football Playoff berth.
“We were a bit inconsistent tonight, especially in the first half,” said quarterback Caleb Williams, who completed 18 of 25 passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns. “That was a key sense of frustration, [the] inconsistency.”
The No. 6 Trojans (1-0) unveiled their newest playmaker in Zachariah Branch, and the five-star prospect saved the team from its lackluster first half by becoming the first USC player to score off a kickoff return and catch a touchdown pass in the same game since Adoree’ Jackson in 2016.