We’re not going to spend an endless amount of time comparing Caleb Williams and Miller Moss, but there is one last thing to say about the two quarterbacks and how USC responded to each of them in 2023. This is not a criticism of Caleb Williams, merely a reflection of the different dynamic he seemed to create among his USC teammates.
Caleb Williams is such a brilliant, improvisational, magician-like player that it is easy for a bunch of 10 teammates to view him as the guy who can rescue every play. Caleb can elude several defensive linemen with his special pocket presence and get out of trouble. Caleb can make things happen. He can turn broken plays into big plays. He can bail out others for their mistakes. When a player with Caleb’s gifts is running the show, it is easy for teammates — simply as a reflection of human nature — to think that the superstar quarterback can do it all.
As a result, teammates lose a small but important level of attention to detail. They don’t play with the precision or total focus they need to be at their very best. The offense suffers.
With Miller Moss playing in the Holiday Bowl, his 10 USC teammates on offense entered the game with no such complacency. They didn’t view Moss as a superstar quarterback. They knew they needed to help Moss and be there for him in order for the offense to function. Guys rallied around Moss and played extremely hard for him, knowing they needed to put Moss in the best possible position to make plays.
The receivers got open more quickly for Moss. They knew that they couldn’t assume Moss would buy time in the pocket the way Caleb so often did. They knew they had to beat their man and give Moss a clear target to throw to.
Offensive linemen blocked better for Moss. They knew they had to give Moss enough time, since his level of “escapability” is nowhere close to what Caleb possesses.
Ten guys played really hard for their quarterback because they knew Miller Moss needed the help and support. Caleb Williams, a superstar, was often viewed as the guy who could make everything right. His teammates were bystanders at times, instead of playing with the urgency needed to maximize the offense. Human nature — an understandable part of sports — is what limited USC’s offense in the regular season. When Miller Moss played in the Holiday Bowl, human nature — the desire to help a less experienced teammate — helped the Trojans become their best selves.
Hopefully, every Trojan offensive player learned something very important from all of this.
We talked more about this at The Voice of College Football:
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