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Did Notre Dame spoil Caleb Williams' bid to join Archie Griffin as two-time Heisman winner?

zac al-khateeb, usa today network
·3 min read
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Caleb Williams' 2022 Heisman moment came in a 38-27 win over Notre Dame in Los Angeles. One season later, the Fighting Irish returned the favor in South Bend with a dominant game that could keep the Southern Cal quarterback from becoming the second repeat winner of college football's most prestigious award.

Defense was the story of the day in Notre Dame's 48-20 victory over No. 9 USC. The Fighting Irish (6-2) hurried and harassed Williams like few other teams have in his college football career, sacking him six times and forcing him to throw three interceptions, his most in a single game.

REQUIRED READING: What the numbers tell us. Notre Dame football vs. USC team and individual statistics

USC's season isn't over by any stretch. The Trojans (6-1, 4-0 Pac-12) could still have earn a Pac-12 championship game berth and move into the College Football Playoff. But one thing might be finished after Saturday's shellacking: Williams' bid to join Ohio State running back Archie Griffin as the only two-time winners of the Heisman Trophy.

The USC signal-caller and presumed No. 1 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft is not out of the picture, but on a day when he wasn't the best player on the field — let alone the best quarterback — his chances as a legitimate Heisman candidate have taken a hit.

Caleb Williams stats vs. Notre Dame

  • Passing: 23 of 37, 199 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions

  • Rushing: 13 rushes, minus-8 yards

Williams had a night to forget against Notre Dame, which held him to arguably the worst collegiate performance of his career. He completed just 23 of 37 passes (62.2%) for 199 yards and one touchdown to just three interceptions.

Williams threw all of his interceptions in the first half, including two to Notre Dame's Xavier Watts. The Fighting Irish defender later had a fumble recovery for a touchdown, though that had nothing to do with Williams' play. (Though it does illustrate how thoroughly Notre Dame dominated USC).

REQUIRED READING: How social media reacted to Notre Dame-USC: Irish side

Two-time Heisman Trophy winners

To date, only one player in the history of college football has won the Heisman Trophy twice: Griffin, who did it in consecutive seasons in 1974-75. The former Ohio State running back achieved the feat by rushing for 1,620 yards and 12 touchdowns in 1974 and 1,357 yards and four scores in 1975.

Other players who came close to replicating Griffin's feat include Billy Sims (1978 Heisman winner, runner-up in 1979) and Herschel Walker (1982 Heisman winner, third place in 1980, second place in 1981).

As for players who have actually won two Heismans, however, Griffin remains one-of-one. And that might be the case for at least another season after Williams' struggles vs. Notre Dame.

REQUIRED READING: Notre Dame football rankings: Where will Fighting Irish rise in top 25 after win over USC?

Caleb Williams Heisman odds

According to the latest odds entering Sunday, courtesy of BetMGM, Williams ranks eighth in the Heisman Trophy odds at +3500. Two fellow Pac-12 quarterbacks, Michael Penix Jr. at Washington (-145) and Bo Nix at Oregon (+3000), rank ahead of him.

Here's where Caleb Williams ranks in the updated Heisman Trophy odds:

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Is Caleb Williams out of Heisman Trophy race after Notre Dame loss?