NFL Draft

Caleb Williams Looks Downright Human in Blowout Loss to Notre Dame

The top QB prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft class had a night to forget in the Trojans' first loss of the year.

Luke Easterling

Caleb Williams Looks Downright Human in Blowout Loss to Notre Dame
Caleb Williams Looks Downright Human in Blowout Loss to Notre Dame /
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Heading into Saturday night's rivalry matchup on the road against Notre Dame, Caleb Williams and USC had been without blemish so far this season.

The Trojans were undefeated and looking to keep pace in their hunt for a playoff spot, while Williams was somehow topping the impressive numbers he put up last season on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy.

All of that came to a screeching halt in South Bend, as Williams tossed a trio of first-half interceptions that helped doom the Trojans from the start in what would eventually be a 48-20 defeat.

Williams spent much of the game running for his life, as the Fighting Irish racked up a whopping six sacks. When he was able to escape the pocket, Williams was unable to avoid some errant throws and bad decisions that we've rarely seen from him throughout his college career.

Things got out of hand so badly in the final minutes that Williams finished the night on the sidelines after completing 27 of his 37 pass attempts for just 199 yards and one touchdown.

Though he remains the consensus top quarterback prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft class, and the easy favorite to be next year's No. 1 overall pick, Williams' performance Saturday night proved that he is indeed human, and capable of turning in a rough performance against a tough opponent.

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Luke Easterling
LUKE EASTERLING

Luke Easterling (he/him) has been covering college football and the NFL for more than two decades, with a particular focus on the nexus of both, the NFL Draft. Writing for some of the largest and most recognizable brands in sports media, Luke's experience and expertise in evaluating potential NFL prospects and evaluating team needs/fits has earned the appreciation of his readers, and the respect of his peers. Luke cut his sports journalism teeth at The Tampa Tribune before spending two years at Bleacher Report as a featured columnist covering the NFL Draft and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke then spent nearly seven years at USA TODAY Sports Media Group as editor of Draft Wire and Bucs Wire, building both into authoritative destination sites for their respective audiences. Now at The Arena Group, Luke covers the NFL and college football for Athlon Sports, and runs Sports Illustrated's FanNation site for the NFL Draft. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Luke has been a featured guest on ESPN Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Fox Sports Radio, SiriusXM and more.  Based in Tampa, Florida (the true home of the Cuban sandwich), Luke plays the drums, loves 2000s pop-punk, watches way too many British murder mystery shows, and channels the energy of his deep-south Grammy and his full-Italian Nana in the kitchen. Twitter: @lukeeasterling Email: luke.easterling@si.com

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