Miller Moss gearing up USC’s offense for life after Caleb Williams
USC quarterbacks Caleb Williams (13) and Miller Moss (7) participate in throwing drills before Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah Friday December 2, 2022 at Allegiant Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
INDIANAPOLIS — It’s no mystery that the junior quarterback is approaching this upcoming season with some huge shoes to fill.
After all, Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy, and broke the program’s single-season record for passing yards and touchdown tosses. Miller Moss backed up Williams for the past two years, and now he’s ready to build his own legacy with the Trojans.
He put together a memorable performance in the Holiday Bowl win over Louisville. Moss scorched the Cardinals’ defense for 372 yards, six touchdowns and earned MVP honors. His promising performance is what has the fans believing the gunslinger can make an instant impact in the Big Ten. Still, Moss doesn’t want to take too much from his starting debut.
“I think it was a super positive moment for the team, and myself, but it’s not something that we have to feed off to build confidence,” Moss said. “You have to have a certain amount of confidence in yourself no matter what happens, because there’s inevitably going to be adversity, and when adversity comes you need something to fall back on.”
Coach Lincoln Riley is the quarterback whisperer, but the Big Ten is going to present some new challenges for Moss and the offense. The weather will be dramatically different for road games later in the season, the stadiums are massive, the fans are passionate and the defenses are stifling.
Moss knows he’s has to put his best foot forward as USC invades uncharted territory starting August 2. The Los Angeles native will face a bunch of teams with quality defenses this fall, including LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Penn State and Notre Dame. Which is they the Trojans made it a priority to beef up the offensive line. Moss feels safer than ever before behind center, and that’s going to help him sharpen his skills.
In USC’s spring game Moss completed 16 of his 21 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown, but also threw two interceptions. Which is why he’s working non-stop to perfect his craft, and trusts that Riley is going to put him in the best situations to be successful.
“It’s hard to gain Coach Riley’s trust without experiencing the fire, obviously you can play lights out in practice, but in order to get Coach Riley’s trust you need to have live bullets coming at you,” he said. “Me and Coach Riley have been through a lot together, and that only strengthens our relationship.”
Moss will have weapons at the skill positions to operate with, and stud wideouts grow out on trees in southern California. Riley will surround his-signal caller with talent, and has an eye for explosive players. It’s going to be up to Moss to take care of the rest, and great quarterbacks make others around them better. And Riley is a firm believer that hard work brings success, which is what Moss is striving for.
“I think that comes from your process, what you put into your game, and what you put into the work you’ve done,” the 22-year old said. “He (Riley) is someone that I truly respect and love playing for, and also someone I can go to for anything.”
The Trojans are the headliners from the west coast, and the traditional blue bloods, so fans should expect them to make a statement this fall. Moss just wants to get the program to the promised land, and carry the torch that Williams left behind.
