Caleb Williams: Good Play, Bad Play - Volume 1

In this first installment, I chose two plays from USC's 2023 game against Notre Dame. This was Williams' worst game of the season and has become a constant talking point around his draft profile. In the first half, he threw three interceptions, which led to a 24-6 deficit entering halftime. Williams' play improved significantly in the second half, but the Trojans' offense couldn't muster enough juice to narrow the deficit as they fell by a final score of 48-20.

Bad Caleb

The first play we are looking at here happened on the fourth play of the game. On first and 10, the Trojans called for a middle-of-the-field concept to the tight end. The play also featured a go route down the sideline with an out route underneath it, a hook on the opposite boundary, and a flat route from the running back. The Irish defense sent five rushers after the passer combined with a defensive line stunt. On the back end, the safeties rotated from a two-high look to a one-high look at the snap as they dropped into cover-one (man coverage across the board with one high safety).

USC's center missed his block on the stunting defensive end, allowing a free runner straight up the middle of the pocket toward Williams. The quarterback's eyes were on the middle of the field immediately as he wanted to place the football in the location of the blitzing linebacker. At the same time, the other linebacker with man-coverage responsibility for the tight end bit on the play fake, leaving the tight end open over the middle. But lurking above him was the single-high safety. Williams delivered a throw off his back foot, but the football sailed over the tight end and into the hands of the safety.

Maybe Williams had time to get around to the flat route, or maybe he should've just taken the sack. I have a hard time with this play because it feels like a lose-lose situation due to the blown blocking assignment.

Good Caleb

The second play reviewed is identical in formation and route concepts. But this time, Notre Dame sent three players after the quarterback with one defensive lineman playing the run lanes, ready for a scramble up the middle. On the back end, the coverage played a variation of cover-2. But pre-snap, the Irish were showing a single-high safety before rotation at the snap. Williams had to notice the rotation here to know that the safeties would be split, leaving the middle of the field open.

Off the snap, Williams looked for the go route, saw the lurking safety, and flipped his vision to the middle of the field. There, he found the tight end, on time, in the soft spot between the linebacker and the two-high safeties. He used touch and timing in the concept to deliver the football on time for a nice gain.

We can see how the same concept was executed in two very different ways here against two very different defensive attacks. The Notre Dame defense gave USC's offense fits all game, but Williams did play notably better in the second half.

Be sure to look for another article in this series next week, as I'll be trying to get one out each week until the 2024 NFL Draft!

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