Jerry Rice’s son Brenden takes a dig at teammate Caleb Williams over him throwing multiple interceptions against Notre Dame resulting in USC’s 28-point loss

Against the Irish, Caleb Williams was picked three times in the first half.

Jerry Rice’s son Brenden takes a dig at teammate Caleb Williams over him throwing multiple interceptions against Notre Dame resulting in USC’s 28-point loss

Brenden Rice did not like Caleb Williams performance against Notre Dame (Image via IMAGO)

The USC Trojans’ Brenden Rice was not happy with quarterback Caleb Williams after their team suffered a shock defeat at the hands of the Notre Dame Irish. This was their first defeat of 2023 after a dominating start to the season, going 5 and 0.

In all honesty, Notre Dame was on the verge of missing out on the playoffs after falling behind the leading 12 teams prior to the game. On the other hand, USC was among the favorites to go all the way alongside the Georgia Bulldogs, Michigan Wolverines, and Washington Huskies.

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Both sides were playing for the win, but the game ended up being a lopsided affair. Caleb Williams had a rare off day, considering his high standards. The reigning Heisman winner is one of the most accurate marksmen in college football. Last season, he only threw five interceptions; against the Irish, he was picked three times in the first half.

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Needless to say, it wasn’t happy hunting for Williams. And Trojans wide receiver Brenden Rice (son of Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice) took a not-so-subtle dig at his quarterback. “Can’t be great sometimes and average others,” Rice wrote on his Instagram.

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Notre Dame did not give an inch to Caleb Williams and USC

Coming into the game, USC averaged 51.2 points per game. But they also conceded a lot, which is a big talking point for most analysts. The Saturday night festivities started off with an Irish pick. Safety Xavier Watts intercepted Caleb Williams twice and returned a fumble for a touchdown as Notre Dame took a 21-10 lead going into the break. Besides that, Watts plucked a fumble and gained 15 yards.

Jerry Rice's son Brenden takes a dig at teammate Caleb Williams over him throwing multiple interceptions against Notre Dame resulting in USC's 28-point loss
Williams joined USC last year before that, he was starting for Oklahoma Sooners (Image via FOX)

The No. 21-ranked side needed a win badly, and it showed in their play. Defenders were not giving Williams room to breathe and sacked him four times yesterday. The 21-year-old finished the night with 27 pass completions from 37 for 199 yards and one offensive touchdown.

“I made mistakes that I usually don’t make,” he said during the post-match press conference. “Nights like that happen. You have to get through it; you have to keep fighting; you have to be a leader.”

USC had five turnovers in the game and was limited to only 92 yards in rushing. Not to mention the Irish racked up 11 tackles, and it could have easily been more.

Brenden Rice only had 2 receptions for 18 yards, and one of them finished in the Irish endzone. The Trojans’ best carrier was running back Marshawn Lloyd, with eight successful runs for 46 yards and one touchdown.

If Caleb Williams aims to be just the second-ever player to win the Heisman Trophy twice, then he needs to pat himself on the back and forget about this game. If he doesn’t remedy the mistakes soon, then Michael Phinx Jr., Shedeur Sanders, and Bo Nix will catch up to him.

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