Caleb Williams turns fumble into 76-yard touchdown pass to Tahj Washington

It didn’t take long for reigning Heisman winner and USC quarterback Caleb Williams to make a big splash play in his 2023 season opener. And it came on a broken play.

With USC tied, 7-7, against San Jose State in the second quarter, Williams took a shotgun snap and turned right to fake a handoff to his running back. But the playfake went awry and the ball was jarred loose and tumbled to the turf a few yards behind the quarterback.

Williams scooted over to the ball, scooped it up and surveyed his options downfield. The ball on the turf had sucked the defensive backs closer to the line of scrimmage, leaving wideout Tahj Washington wide open down the field.

Caleb Williams is ridiculous!

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— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 27, 2023

The 76-yard touchdown pass is the longest of Williams’ career to date.

It’s this sort of cool, under-fire ability to find the punishing downfield throw that makes Williams so good. And the ability to fire a ball some 40 or 50 yards through the air while off platform is all the more impressive.

If Williams has more plays like this in him this season, the USC quarterback might be making his way back to New York for the Heisman ceremony again.

Teammates have come to expect magic moments from Williams

Wide receiver Brenden Rice wouldn’t want anybody but Williams leading the Trojans offense — not exactly a bold proclamation with the reigning Heisman winner under center. And entering a second season together at USC, Rice is excited about the growing connection he and Williams will have.

The stuff that Williams can do consistently leaves Rice impressed. There’s an almost sleight-of-hand quality to the way Williams can let a play unwind before him only to deliver an unorthodox — and devastating — throw down the field.

“This dude is a magician. I’ve seen him roll out, cross-body 40 yards down the field. His work ethic matches everything he wants to do on that field. He’s a great leader, vocal, and I wouldn’t follow anybody else. It’s a privilege,” Rice said.

Rice described it as he and Williams chasing a connection similar to that of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, who played at LSU before reuniting on the Cincinnati Bengals.

If Rice and Williams can reach a mind-meld similar to that of Burrow and Chase or other famous quarterback-receiver duos, the USC offense could ascend to a new level.

“And then just to go out there and work with him time and time again, it really builds that chemistry and builds what we want to do on that field with that Ja’Marr Chase and that Joe Burrow relationship,” Rice said.