After five weeks of mostly closed practices, aside from the stretching and individual periods open to media twice a week, we finally got to see Lincoln Riley's Trojans in action.
We watched the spring game closely, we rewatched the spring game, we scrutinized, we assessed and here are the top 10 takeaways we're left with after it all.
That's right, a spring game First-and-10 ...
1. Physicality welcomed
It’s often difficult to gather much from spring games as a result of their typically inherent lack of intensity. By design, things usually aren’t going full speed; hitting is minimized and contact is noticeably softer than in live action. I was curious to see if the Trojans would approach this year’s spring game in the same vein as they have routinely in prior years, especially as Lincoln Riley and his staff made a point to indicate that they planned for this year’s iteration to be much more intensive. It turns out, they were true to their word; the Trojans may not have been “full speed” on Saturday, but they seemed to be at least 90% there. On offense, skill players were moving with urgency and purpose, while the linemen had no problems getting into it in the trenches with their defensive counterparts. We saw the running backs take on contact without hesitation all through the contest, and even receiver Kyron Ware-Hudson made his physicality felt as he trucked through a cornerback on the sideline at the end of a long run.
The team’s intensity was palpable on the defensive side of the ball, where players were unafraid to mix it up at the line of scrimmage and to deliver hits with gusto. Guys like Tuli Tuipulotu were noticeably going all out consistently from snap to snap, Latrell McCutchin even got temporarily "ejected" from the game for a questionable targeting call, and that all created a truly physical contest that allowed us to have a much better gauge on what this team might look like in live action. For a squad that’s persistently faced questions about their physicality and toughness for years, that’s a welcome step in the right direction.
2. All eyes on Caleb Williams
Heading into this game, all eyes were on the two lone players in gold instead of red or white. Though limited in its depth, the potential of the Trojans’ quarterback room is one of the most significant indicators of the success the program hopes to achieve in the near future. Riley has made his career as a “quarterback whisperer” -- the kind of coach able to maximize on his signal-callers' strengths in order to get their very best on the field. With the freakishly talented Caleb Williams penciled in as the starter for the fall, expectations for Riley’s offense and the success of its passing attack are sky high. Williams did not disappoint in his debut, going 10/12 for 98 yards and two touchdowns in his limited action on the day.
The sophomore’s elusiveness in the pocket was evident from the jump; his ability to maneuver behind the line of scrimmage is hands down among the best of anyone in the FBS today. Once he’s bailed on his initial position in the pocket, Williams consistently keeps his eyes downfield while setting himself up to take off if need be. Working within structure, he showed a firm grasp of the offense, making quick decisions when openings presented themselves and consistently checking through his reads across the field.
It was also hard not to be impressed with Williams’ accuracy. His completion percentage Saturday -- he started 9 for 9 for 90 yards on his first two series -- speaks to that somewhat, but I found his ball placement in particular to be worthy of admiration. Both at the short and intermediate levels, he put the football just where it needed to be to maximize the receiver’s separation, most notably on his second touchdown pass to Mario Williams in the redzone.
Though Williams was calm and collected throughout, there were times that it seemed his decision making could have been better. On a number of snaps, he seemed too quick to begin escaping the pocket, rather than re-setting and getting to the next read in time. There were also a handful of plays where he appeared to play it safe instead of taking shots that he should be capable of hitting, but that’s likely largely due to the nature of the spring game and a desire to keep a steady rhythm instead of gambling. There was a lot to like about what Williams put on display Saturday; I have no doubts in my mind that he’s capable of being one of the best quarterbacks in the country this fall.