Lincoln Riley addresses the idea that Caleb Williams might be scrambling too much

Lincoln Riley is currently in his second year as Caleb Williams‘s head coach. So, needless to say, he’s had plenty of time to dissect his game at quarterback. Williams is one of the better dual-threat quarterbacks in college football, with the ability to make explosive plays with his legs. But is he doing that far too often instead of locating targets downfield? Riley doesn’t think so, as he addressed the idea when he met with the media on Thursday.

“No. I mean, some of it was designed… take advantage of that with a couple that obviously weren’t designed. He’s getting better, but that’s the kind of player he is,” said Riley. “That’s great. If the pockets clean all day, that’s fine. But, in modern-day football, that doesn’t happen very often.

“And I think that’s why you’re seeing an influx of guys that they give you that ability to make those things happen. So, for him, as the OC and head coach, you want to see, you want to see it all clean and perfect all the time. But as a quarterback coach, you gotta make the plays that are there, right? And sometimes it’s perfectly blocked, and when it’s not, you gotta be able to improvise and know what we wanna do there as well.”

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Williams returned to his elite form Saturday against the Arizona State Sun Devils, completing 27 of 37 passes for 348 passing yards while tossing in three touchdowns in a 42-25 victory. He didn’t run as much as he has in previous games, only pulling the ball down eight times for 44 yards. And despite the question from the reporter, viewers can tell that there is more of an emphasis on staying in the pocket and completing passes than in Williams’ freshman year at Oklahoma. In just five games, the sophomore is just 29 completions away from his total from last season of 136.

Williams has shown a proclivity to make impromptu plays on the fly and be successful in doing so. That is part of the reason why he is considered a Heisman Trophy candidate this season. His ability to make plays with his legs constantly keeps opposing defenses guessing. Riley knows that and appreciates that about Williams’s game.