mateusz klich

 The reasons USC could have lost its first game of the season against Arizona on Saturday night were plenty -- some more familiar than others: A slow start, a lukewarm offense led by a version of Caleb Williams that found more success on the ground than in the air, an inconsistent defense, questionable time management and even a botched field goal that could have given the Trojans the win in regulation but did not. Nearly everything went wrong.

Yet somehow, there was Williams in the third period of overtime, sliding past a Wildcats defender with a stutter step that gave him enough space to sneak into the end zone for the lead. Arizona couldn't match, USC stayed undefeated with a 43-41 win and, afterward, the reigning Heisman winner felt the need to voice his feelings on a particular hit topic: the Trojans' defense.

"We wouldn't have won that game without the defense," Williams said, jumping to address a question initially directed at Riley. "We were down 17-0. This whole defense thing, our brothers, the score wouldn't be 43-41 without them. Put it simply that way."

Riley echoed the sentiment, noting that an interception in the first half by Jacobe Covington shifted the game while the game-winning tackle for loss on Arizona's two-point try sealed it.

"When you go down 17-0, you get tested internally," Riley said. "Your culture gets tested quick. Defense is what got us going."