The evolution of Caleb Williams and the instant remaking of USC into a contender

[DCSportsFan.com]

The video that’s been dubbed “45 Seconds of Madness” on YouTube doesn’t quite tell the full story. The final 45 seconds of a 2018 high school game between Gonzaga and DeMatha was one of the most thrilling finishes to a game, any game, ever. Randy Trivers, who is still the head football coach at Gonzaga, can recall the sequence from that night as if he was watching it off the clip that now has over 500,000 views, including a play that didn’t make the final cut.

In the video,Caleb Williams’ heroicsare on full display, but Trivers adds in the color that is missing. Gonzaga had gone down 20 points to DeMatha in the first quarter. What appeared to be a hopeless game turned into a comeback spearheaded by the then sophomore quarterback. Yet, with less than a minute left, Gonzaga still trailed by three points.

Williams needed to work some magic. The first escape was a third-and-33 that Williams had to convert after an offensive pass interference and a sack set them back. He shuffled around the pocket before dropping a downfield dart to his receiver. First down. A few plays later, an end zone fade gave Gonzaga its first lead of the night. It was short-lived — DeMatha returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, leaving Williams and Gonzaga only 15 seconds for a miracle.

The next play you see on the video is the game-winner — a ridiculous Hail Mary attempt where Williams tosses the ball way up in the air and it finds a wide receiver. Pandemonium ensues.

But Trivers likes to talk about the play that came before. It’s not in the video, but it’s just as crucial. To even have a shot at the Hail Mary, Williams needed a chunk of yards and he needed them fast. So, he dropped back, hung in the pocket and hit a receiver streaking toward the sideline. The throw went for 15 yards, left four seconds on the clock and the stage was set for the game-winning prayer. To Trivers, that play (as well as the third-and-33) in that environment, with the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship on the line, embodies Williams.

Full article: https://abc7.com/sports/the-evolution-of-caleb-williams-and-the-instant-remaking-of-usc-int/12323581/

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