LOS ANGELES — The questions came bearing down on USC’s star quarterback like blitzing defenders, lingering all week in the wake of his worst performance yet as a Trojan: What exactly happened to Caleb Williams in Corvallis? And how might he respond when faced with adversity for the first time?
The answers would speak volumes to where USC might wind up in the coming months. But his coaches and teammates had side-stepped any such insinuations, shaking their heads at the very notion that Williams might falter. Still, by Saturday night, those lingering concerns from the Trojans’ narrow win at Oregon State remained unanswered by Williams, until the sophomore quarterback took it upon himself to shrug them off.
Williams once again was asked to mount escape after escape on Saturday in a 42-25 win over Arizona State. This time, however, he put the entire team on his back to do so, dragging along an inconsistent Trojans defense, an iffy offensive line and a quiet ground game.
