USC uses explosive, highlight-filled first half to take big road lead on Colorado
USC leads Colorado 34-14 at halftime in Boulder. The Deion Sanders hype train has officially been halted.
A week after CU was blasted by Oregon and knocked out of the AP Top 25, USC did more of the same to CU in the first half on Saturday. The Trojans scored touchdowns on five of their seven first-half possessions as quarterback Caleb Williams came out firing to begin the game.
Williams completed 16 of his 19 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns. Williams needed only 30 minutes to extend his streak of games with at least three touchdown passes to seven. He had completions to seven different receivers, including different targets for all four of his touchdown passes. Tahj Washington led the group with 102 yards and a score on four catches.
The USC offense had a 27% explosive play rate in the first half.
Defensively, it wasn’t as clean a game from USC’s defense, but they did well to capitalize on Colorado’s mistakes.
A 16-play, 67-yard Colorado drive ended with nothing after CU missed a field goal from the USC 23. The next drive ended with an interception from quarterback Shedeur Sanders on the third play. CU found the endzone on its next drive, but the momentum immediately dissipated as Eric Gentry blocked a CU punt to end a three-and-out with an exclamation point.
Here are the highlights from the first half:
MarShawnLloydTD.mp4 ✌️
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/uVcDUOrOfL
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 30, 2023
.@Calebcsw delivered an absolute strike and @tahj_washington took care of the rest ✌️
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/jZ5BEjtESm
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 30, 2023
.@xhrisroland gets the ball back to the offense ✌️
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/1GVRHGiiqa
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 30, 2023
Williams. Singer. Touchdown.
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/6qIx4LGJft
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 30, 2023
THERE IT IS!
Shedeur Sanders finds Jimmy Horn for the @CUBuffsFootball TD 🦬 pic.twitter.com/BlIKgZA0FF
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 30, 2023
🗣️ "CLEANED HIS CLOCK"
The @CUBuffsFootball defense comes up with a BIG sack on Caleb Williams 😤 pic.twitter.com/aBfgHxk3Cw
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 30, 2023
EG sent it back ‼️ https://t.co/Osgh6hhJSZ pic.twitter.com/rH8e3YT0Gr
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 30, 2023
That Williams to Williams connection!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/dPDIsn38X9
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 30, 2023
B RICE ‼️
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/RPlicCgYQl
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 30, 2023
Shedeur Sanders said 'I got this' 😤
He takes it himself for the @CUBuffsFootball TD 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ItHpodtolD
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 30, 2023