Los Angeles, CA – Heisman trophy winning quarterback Caleb Williams passed for 318 yards and five touchdowns to lead No. 6 USC to a 66-14 win over Nevada on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
USC had 668 total yards of offense and 501 yards in the season opener. USC now has now 11 games of 500 or more total yards under Lincoln Riley. USC’s 668 yards total yards were it’s most since amassing 737 total yards vs. Idaho on Sept. 12, 2015.
“I think we made a lot of improvements throughout the week,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said. “I’m proud of all sides. A few plays here and there that we’re going to want back that we know we have to continue to clean up.
USC took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when freshman Zachariah Branch hauled in a 22-yard touchdown.
Nevada came right back to even the score 7-7 on the ensuing drive with a 3-yard touchdown run from Sean Dollars. Spencer Curtis had a 73-yard reception to set up the touchdown.
The Trojans regained the lead 14-7 on running back MarShawn Lloyd’s 24-yard touchdown run. After the defense forced a punt, Williams hit Tahj Washington for a 22-yard touchdown and a 21-7 lead with 2:10 left in the first quarter.
Williams threw two touchdowns in the second quarter to Michael Jackson III and Brenden Rice. USC led 35-7 at halftime.
The defense was led by linebacker Shane Lee, who finished with 10 tackles. Lee got the start for the injured Mascon Cobb.
“First off, credit to my coaches for putting me in the right position and always believing in me and instilling in me, as well as my teammates,” Lee said. “I hadn’t been on the field a whole bunch for fall camp but just always taking reps, always asking questions and just always being around the guys.”
USC’s offense continued to roll in the second half. Tahj Washington caught his second touchdown of the game.
In the fourth quarter, the defense got in on the scoring when Stanley Ta’ofu’ou returned a fumble 23 yards for the score and a 52-7 lead.
Freshman running back Quinten Joyner scored on a 47-yard run and Duce Robinson hauled in a 71-yard touchdown reception to put the game out of reach.
USC will be back at home when they host Stanford on Saturday, Sept. 9. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
