Caleb Williams breaks down how USC is using first game against Utah as motivation to write this team's story

Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans are penning a tremendous story in 2022.

Instead of letting it end on a whimper when they lost to the Utah Utes earlier this season, Williams and company have taken the adversity they’ve gone through and turned it into strength. Speaking with the media ahead of a rematch with Utah in the Pac 12 Championship Game, Williams broke down how the Trojans are doing so.

“This is actually something we said before the game, that — I think it was the night before the game, actually it was hours before, in our team meeting. It’s a great book, or a great story can’t be written, and it won’t be a great book or a great story without some adversity in it,” stated Williams. “So after that game we lost, and that was one of the main things that’s been said in the locker room. We have this adversity in our life right now, that we just lost. I know we didn’t want to lose, but we did lose. A great book or story can’t be written without it.

“So we were focused on the next team. I wouldn’t say weird, but kind of a weird vibe since we just lost. There was a lot more, there wasn’t more smiles because we did just lose, but it was the vibes inside the room, it was completely different than times when I’ve lost before in college.”

Caleb Williams has likely captured the Heisman, and now he’s hoping to bring USC a conference championship and propel them into the College Football Playoff. Adversity has brought them this far, and they can exercise their demons on Saturday with a victory over Utah.

Caleb Williams reveals the origins of his Heisman Trophy aspirations

In a scintillating performance in a win over then-No. 15 Notre Dame this weekend, USCquarterback Caleb Williams might have realized a long-held childhood dream: his Heisman Trophy aspirations.

He is now the overwhelming favorite to take home college football’s top award.

“I started to actually learn about the Heisman probably around 10, 11, 12 years old,” Williams said this week ahead of the Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah. “It’s been a goal of mine, because I think I’m the best and that’s one of the trophies that kind of represents that.”

Williams has gone 268-of-407 passing for 3,712 yards and 34 touchdowns, while throwing just three interceptions this season. He’s also run for 351 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Only one player in the country has been responsible for more points than the 264 Williams has been a part of this season (Western Kentucky‘s Austin Reed, 272). Williams ranks fifth nationally in total yards per game and eighth nationally in passing yards per game.