Caleb Williams treating UCLA rivalry 'like another game'

Aside from being quite aesthetically pleasing due to both teams wearing their home uniforms, the annually Los Angeles showdown between USC and UCLA hasn’t been a particularly noteworthy rivalry of late. And for first-time entrant Caleb Williams, it doesn’t seem to be that big a deal.

Most years in recent memory, one or both of the squads have entered the contest in poor form — it’s been rare to have the high-level bout of Top 15 teams set for Saturday. For Williams, the sophomore transfer quarterback for USC, it’s just game No. 11.

“Treating it like another game, just like any other game we have been in,” Williams said. “I’ve been in other big rivalry games so far in my career so, treating it like another game.”

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Last year at Oklahoma, as a true freshman, Williams came off the bench to lead a miraculous come-from-behind win against Texas in the Red River Rivalry.

And though the Trojans are going on the road to the Rose Bowl to face UCLA, the atmosphere in the Cotton Bowl is as good a proving ground as any.

Williams, asked what he learned about the rivalry, was pretty mum. He’s not here for history, he’s here to win.

“I wouldn’t say that I’ve learned much,” Williams said. “I used to watch it a couple times when I was younger. I’ve watched it a couple times before I got here. Haven’t learned much though, to be honest with you.”

Williams isn’t focusing too much on the rivalry aspect of playing UCLA

USC is the one making the short trip across LA county this time around, bringing their 9-1 record and No. 7 College Football Playoff ranking to face an 8-2 UCLA team still in the hunt for a Pac 12 title game appearance while trying to spoil the Playoff party for the Trojans.

Suffice to say: a lot on the line at the Rose Bowl Saturday evening. And with such pressure, especially on the road team, how is USC handling the pressure? According to star quarterback Caleb Williams, the team is just focused on going 1-0. Just doing everything they can to maintain normalcy ahead of such a high-stakes matchup.

“When you start trying to ramp up things,” Williams said, “when you start trying to, you know, do things that you haven’t normally done or do things that aren’t regular or anything like that — bad things start to happen. Like I said, we’re treating it like a regular game here.”

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Caleb Williams may be just a sophomore, but he’s a two-year starter on a pair of teams with national championship hopes. The kid has played in a handful of massive matchups already in his collegiate career. He knows that placing an extra emphasis on bigger games does no good. And he’s sharing that message with his teammates.

“One of the first things that we talked about as a group and as a team is focusing on us, not focusing on the social media. Because it’s going to blow it up with the other team and what they have to say or what they’re doing or anything like that. Just focusing on us playing our game and going out there and, you know, trying to help the Trojans go 1-0.”