One of the themes of USC’s 42-28 win over Arizona State was that with Caleb Williams, the Trojans’ mistakes don’t matter.
Commit a few penalties on the opening drive, face 3rd and 20. It doesn’t matter. Caleb Williams will hit Zachariah Branch with a 23-yard pass and keep the chains moving.
Commit a holding or illegal block penalty to slow down a drive? It doesn’t matter. Caleb Williams will throw a long touchdown pass to Brenden Rice on 4th and 7.
Dropped Mario Williams passes? They don’t matter. Caleb will scramble and hit a receiver for a huge play.
False starts and blown assignments by the offensive line? They don’t matter. Caleb can rescue the offense, and maybe MarShawn Lloyd can, too.
There is so much skill and talent on this offense that it can overcome a lot of mistakes and bad down-and-distance situations. It’s true. This team can overcome a lot of mistakes.
However: That doesn’t mean players should acquire the mindset which says mistakes don’t matter.
Against Arizona State, they didn’t matter enough to lose a game, but if these same mistakes recur against Utah or Notre Dame, chances are the Trojans will lose.
Yes, there were some great plays and great moments from this game, but underneath the highlights lies the reality that USC won’t always overcome its mistakes.
The Trojans have to commit fewer blunders. That’s the right mindset to have. That’s the mindset of a championship team.
Let’s look at some of USC’s game highlights below: