LOS ANGELES — For about one half of football, the 2023 version of USC looked like a lot like the 2022 version. In its season opener against San Jose State on Saturday night, the No.
6-ranked Trojans scored plenty of points but also struggled at times to keep their opponents from doing the same. Quarterback Caleb Williams began his repeat Heisman campaign by picking up where he left off, throwing for 278 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-28 win.
But the new-look defense was once again shaky, showing flashes of the team's added talent but struggling to contain a mobile quarterback. «No matter what the score was, if this was a three-point game, if it was a 28-point game, if it was a 50-point game, there's gonna be that climb to the next step,» head coach Lincoln Riley said postgame. «And that's where our focus is gonna stay.
A lot of work to do, and we're the right people to get it done.» Last season, Williams often rendered inconsistent defensive performances moot by himself.