Caleb Williams is overrated or he really – really – doesn’t want to play for the Arizona Cardinals next season.
How else to explain the reality that he completed just 64.5% of his passes on 20 of 31 for 322 yards and three touchdowns late Saturday against Arizona State in a 42-28 USC win at Mountain America Stadium?
This is the same ASU that barely outscored Southern Utah, faltered in the second half against Oklahoma State and was completely embarrassed by Fresno State.
Williams should have had 300 yards and two touchdowns at halftime.
Instead, Williams had a chance to put the Sun Devils to shame late in the third quarter and missed a shotgun fumble below the belt.
That wasn’t his only mistake.
On third-and-6 late in the first half, Williams threw a pass directly to ASU cornerback Dee Ford. Ford couldn’t get into gear quickly enough to intercept the ball, but it was still a bad throw.
Williams also got sacked twice and threw it to multiple receivers who didn’t catch the ball. He should know better than to stand behind linemen who miss blocks and throw to players who don’t catch the ball – those plays were obviously all his fault.
September 23, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic
His first touchdown run was proof that Williams was determined to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL draft out of fear that he would be selected by the Arizona Cardinals.
Williams ran, dove toward the pylon and barely broke the level of the goal line. (Kyler Murray would have quickly forced his way through the defense for an easy walk-in score.)
There was also a play in the first quarter where Williams must have tried to hurt himself to diminish his value. The USC offense ended with a reversal and Williams took the lead as the lead blocker, as if he were a walk-on fullback and not the best quarterback prospect in college football.
Caleb Williams in Tempe had a chance to be perfect, but he didn’t. And besides, he allowed his teammates to be imperfect.
So either he’s overrated, or he fired his shot to impress Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort, who was on the sidelines before the game.
Well, actually there’s another option: Those words are all satire, and Caleb Williams is on his way to his second straight Heisman Trophy, sparking a quarterback controversy in the desert.
After all, the guy was responsible for a total of five touchdowns in a 42-point performance.
There aren’t too many players in college football who could play an imperfect game and put up numbers like that.
Reach Moore at [email protected] or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @SayingMoore.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State football makes Heisman winner Caleb Williams look human