The Washington Huskies defense has a difficult challenge in front of it in facing the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans. After giving up 367 passing yards to Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels, the secondary will face a much tougher test from coach Lincoln Riley's offense.
Cornerback Jabbar Muhammad has proven that he is the leader among Washington's cornerbacks and says he's ready for the challenge. After getting beaten on a few routes by the Cardinal receivers and called for pass interference twice, the junior intends to make amends against the Trojans.
"I have to just keep playing my game," Muhammad said. "I'm an aggressive player, I think I can bounce back by just being the same me. I've been doing it all season."
The same Muhammad involves two things for him: being stronger at the top of routes and making more plays on the football.
He knows that's easier said than done, especially against Williams. The USC quarterback is one of the best in the country at making plays outside the pocket and also possesses an accurate arm.
"When he gets outside the pocket, he's electric," Muhammad said. "He's elusive, he can run and he can throw a dot on the run no matter if the receiver is coming down on him, at an angle, or upfield on a deep ball. That's a big task for us, just plastering and staying on our guy."
The cornerback has encountered Williams once before when the quarterback was at Oklahoma and the corner was at Oklahoma State. Muhammad's team won 37-33 at home in Stillwater.
Williams, as a true freshman, completed 20 of 39 passes for 252 yards and 3 touchdowns, and got sacked 6 times, while Muhammad, then a sophomore, came off the bench as a reserve corner.
Muhammad has helped lead a notable turnaround in the Washington secondary and has been very productive. He is second on the team with 7 passes defended this season, just behind Mishael Powell, who is tied for second in the Pac-12 with 8.
USC's receiving corps, headlined by Dorian Singer, Tahj Washington and Zachariah Branch will present a new set of challenges for the secondary. The Trojans have an explosive offense that rivals Washington's, leading the conference in passing plays of over 40 yards.
Led by Muhammad, the Husky defense can assert itself with a strong performance against USC. While it won't be easy to contain Williams and his supporting cast, the cornerback is ready to do his part.
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