Caleb Williams Accounts for Four TDs as No. 6 USC Crushes Stanford 56–10

Southern California wide receiver Dorian Singer (15) and wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) celebrate after a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Stanford in Los Angeles on Sept. 9, 2023. Ashley Landis/AP Photo

Caleb Williams passed for 281 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for a score in one half of action to help No. 6 Southern California pound Stanford 56–10 in Pac-12 action on Saturday night, September 9, in Los Angeles.

MarShawn Lloyd, Austin Jones and Miller Moss rushed for touchdowns, and Dorian Singer, Brenden Rice and Lake McRee had scoring receptions for the Trojans (3–0, 1–0 Pac-12). Freshman Zachariah Branch returned a punt 75 yards for another USC touchdown.

Williams, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, completed 19 of 21 passes before calling it a night with the Trojans leading 49-3 at the half

Quarterback Caleb Williams (13) stands with head coach Lincoln Riley of the USC Trojans on the sidelines in the second half against the Stanford Cardinal at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Sept. 9, 2023. Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

Stanford’s Ashton Daniels sustained an apparent injury to his throwing arm when USC’s Solomon Byrd fiercely hit the arm while sacking him in the opening minute of the second quarter. Daniels, who was 2 of 7 for 19 yards and one interception, didn’t return.

Justin Lamson completed 8 of 18 passes for 121 yards and rushed for a fourth-quarter touchdown for the Cardinal (1–1, 0–1). Josh Karty kicked a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter for Stanford, which has lost five of its last seven games against USC.

The Trojans, who outgained Stanford 573 to 349, are averaging 59.3 points per game. They scored 56 in their opener against San Jose State and 66 the following week against Nevada.

USC scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and notched four more in the second.

Williams got things started with a 21-yard scoring run on the Trojans’ first drive. An ensuing interception by Max Williams gave USC the ball at the Stanford 19-yard line and Lloyd scored from the 5 three plays later to make it 14-0 less than six minutes into the game.

Jones scored from the 1 with seven seconds left in the opening quarter to cap a 12-play, 93-yard drive and make it 21–0.

Branch sped up the middle and was in the clear around midfield during his long punt return with 13:43 left in the first half.

Three minutes later, Williams teamed up with Singer on a 19-yard scoring pass to make it 35–0.

Karty’s 38-yard field goal with 6:57 left ended the shutout. USC followed it in style as Williams threw a 75-yard scoring pass to Rice on the next play to make it 41–3.

Wide receiver Brenden Rice (2) of the USC Trojans catches a pass in front of cornerback Jaden Slocum (20) of the Stanford Cardinal and runs into the end zone for a 75 yard play in the first half at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Sept. 9, 2023. Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

With 10 seconds left in the half, Williams capped his strong outing with a 1-yard TD toss to McRee.

Lansom snuck in from the 1 with 3:35 left in the contest for Stanford’s touchdown.

Moss replaced Williams for the second half and completed 11 of 15 passes for 112 yards. He scored on a 15-yard run with 58 seconds to play.