It should not come as much of a surprise that USC quarterback Caleb Williams has picked up where he left off from his promising freshman campaign with the Oklahoma Sooners. Williams is playing in much of the same offensive system that first-year USC head coach Lincoln Riley rolled out at Oklahoma last year. From the scheme to the sheer language in the playbook, Williams essentially did not have to learn an entirely new system for his debut season at USC.
Williams has also continued to simply be on very good terms with Riley, which has caught the attention of running back Travis Dye. As Dye touched on during a press conference ahead of USC’s non-conference matchup against Fresno State, it is always key for an offense when the quarterback and the head coach are continually on the “same page.”
“These are two peas in a pod,” Dye said. “They really love each other. … I feel grateful to even be in their presence. It’s like sometimes they even finish each other’s sentences and they’re two of the same people. They both love football and they’re both super smart football people. And they’re on the same page all the time.”
The thorough understanding that Williams and Riley have of each other has helped USC open up the season on a dominant note. The Trojans currently rank at first in the Pac-12 in numerous offensive stats, including in points per game (53.5). From Jordan Addison's continual involvement in the deep passing game to Dye’s quality production on the ground, they sure are among the more well-rounded offenses in the nation.
For now, USC will have two key games to round out the month of September with matchups against Fresno State and Oregon State.
Follow Us
Subscribe
