Dec. 9 (UPI) — USC’s Caleb Williams claimed the 2022 Heisman Trophy, edging Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, TCU’s Max Duggan and Georgia’s Stetson Bennett for the top individual honor in college football Saturday in New York.
The sophomore quarterback became the eighth Trojans player in history to claim the Heisman Trophy, setting a record for the most from any school. USC was previously tied with Oklahoma, Ohio State and Notre Dame for the most Heisman Trophy winners.
“I may be standing up here today, but y’all get to go to the College Football Playoff,” Williams said in his acceptance speech to the other finalists in front of him at the Lincoln Center ceremony, which aired on ESPN. “Guess you can’t win them all.”
Duggan came in second place with Stroud taking third and Bennett taking fourth. Williams won all six regions and had 2,031 points to Duggan’s 1,420 points.
Your 2022 @HeismanTrophy winner… @CALEBcsw! ✌️
@ESPN pic.twitter.com/JsPPkWG9zJ— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) December 11, 2022
Williams completed 66.1% of his pass attempts for 4,075 yards and tied Stroud and Houston quarterback Clayton Tune with a national-best 37 touchdown passes in 13 games this season. He also threw just four interceptions and was responsible for 282 points, the most of any player in the country.
He ran for 372 yards and another 10 scores for the No. 10 Trojans (11-2). Williams took home the Maxwell Award, given to college football’s Player of the Year, and Walker Camp Player of the Year honors Thursday at the Home Depot College Football Awards.
Bennett, who led No. 1 Georgia to a national title last season, completed 67.9% of his throws for 3,425 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions in 13 games this season. The senior quarterback also ran for seven touchdowns for the Bulldogs (13-0).
On Thursday, Bennett claimed the Bulsworth Trophy, given to college football’s most outstanding player who started his career as a walk-on.
Duggan completed 64.9% of his throws for 3,321 yards, 30 touchdowns and four interceptions to lead the No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs (12-1) to the College Football Playoff semifinals. He also edged Stroud, Williams and Bennett on Thursday for Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award honors.
Stroud, the preseason Heisman favorite, completed 235 of 355 passes for 3,340 yards, 37 scores and six interceptions in 12 games for the Buckeyes. The redshirt sophomore also led the No. 4 Buckeyes to an 11-1 regular-season record and a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Williams and the No. 10 Trojans will face the No. 16 Tulane Green Wave in the Cotton Bowl Classic at 1 p.m. EST Jan. 2 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. That game will air on ESPN.
No. 2 Michigan will face No. 3 TCU in the Fiesta Bowl, the first College Football Playoff semifinal, at 4 p.m. EST Dec. 31 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. No. 1 Georgia will battle No. 4 Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, the second semifinal, at 8 p.m. Dec. 31 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Both of those games will air on ESPN.
The winners from the two semifinals will meet in the national title game at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
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