The USC Trojans couldn't have asked for a better start to their football season as they dominated the field of play against the Rice Owls, 66-14. At the center of it all to bask in the glory were head coach Lincoln Riley and star quarterback Caleb Williams.
Riley, who made the move to California after coaching the Oklahoma Sooners in seasons prior, was jubilant with how he introduced himself to USC football fans. But he also wasn't ready to rest on his laurels as he spoke on getting “better” at the postgame press conference:
“We understand this is just the beginning and there's so much left, so much better to play, so much better to coach,” Riley said of his USC football debut against Rice. “It's a great start; it's not anything more than that, not anything less than that.
Caleb Williams was a big reason behind said success. The Oklahoma football transferee followed his coach across state lines and rewarded him with a stellar Trojans debut: 249 passing yards on a 19-for-22 passing clip and led his team in rushing yards with 68 on six carries.
“I think we have a lot of confidence,” said Caleb Williams. “And we didn't just build that confidence coming out here being excited for the first game.”
But beyond Williams and the offense playing to their potential, it was the defense that helped inflate the score to reach the 60s. USC tallied three interceptions returned for touchdowns in their first game, which tied the Pac-12 and school record for most pick-sixes in a single game.
Follow Us
Subscribe