Caleb Williams propels No. 5 USC past Notre Dame 38-27

After Caleb Williams flawlessly faked a handoff and sprinted up the center for the first of his 3 speeding touchdowns in opposition to Notre Dame, he went to the Southern California sideline and prolonged a stiff-arm with his frame coiled in a acquainted manner.

Williams’ teammates have been traumatic a Heisman Trophy pose from him, and USC’s brilliant quarterback is nothing if now not a crew player.

“They stored pronouncing it, so I simply ended up doing it within the moment,” Williams said with a smile and a shrug.

Williams and the Trojans had masses to have fun after a skid-snapping rivalry victory over the Fighting Irish stored them in play for even bigger honors — and made Williams the likely frontrunner to gather the actual trophy next month.

Willams polished his Heisman credentials with 232 yards passing and four overall touchdowns, and No. 5 USC capped its high-quality normal season beneath new instruct Lincoln Riley by way of staying firmly inside the College Football Playoff race with a 38-27 victory over No. Thirteen Notre Dame on Saturday night.Tahj Washington caught an early TD skip from Williams even as USC (eleven-1, No. 6 CFP) ended its four-recreation dropping streak in its famed intersectional contention with the Irish (eight-4, No. 15 CFP). The Coliseum was filled with fans of each groups, but USC’s devoted had a night time that recalled this lengthy-struggling application’s glittering past.“I don’t know how lengthy it’s been because it changed into like that,” Riley stated. “I haven’t been right here earlier than (this season), but man, it changed into electric in there. That’s what I do not forget watching as a younger kid. … These men have introduced it to lifestyles.”

The night time felt like a Heisman coronation for Williams, who iced it with 2:35 to play with the aid of sprinting sixteen yards thru the heart of the defense for his college-record 44th total TD. Williams changed into serenaded with common chants of “Heisman! Heisman!” from the Coliseum crowd, which has cheered seven previous Heisman winners in this college’s fabled records.

“I’ve never seen not anything like it,” Washington stated. “The things he does on a regular foundation … He merits it. He got the crown, you recognize what I imply?”

Although USC is headed to Pac-12 identify recreation in Las Vegas on Friday to stand No. 14 Utah, the revitalized Trojans first stored their CFP hopes intact with this victory — or even were given a lift from LSU’s loss to Texas A&M in the course of this sport. USC became the primary crew to benefit four hundred yards and to attain extra than 32 factors this season against the Irish whilst completing its first 11-win regular season given that 2008.“I think we’re as properly as any team, and I’m not just speaking approximately these days,” Williams said. “We notion we were a exceptional crew, and we got to expose it tonight.”

Drew Pyne surpassed for 318 yards and hit Michael Mayer for 2 of his 3 TDs for the Irish, whose five-sport winning streak ended of their everyday-season finale below new teach Marcus Freeman.

Pyne completed his first 15 throws into the fourth zone, however he in the long run couldn’t hold up with Williams, and the Irish surrendered the Jeweled Shillelagh of their first ride to the Coliseum seeing that 2018.