Autumn had just fallen upon the sleepy, tree-lined streets of Boulder, and the leaves were only beginning to transition to warmer hues. Saturday morning, Folsom Field told a different story. A piercing white blanket shrouded the bleachers, and the chilling roar of 54,032 fans hailed onto the Trojans down to the final two minutes.

It was a high-scoring thriller, and only one player was able to astound the crowd into short lulls of silence in the 48-41 victory — No. 9 USC’s reigning Heisman winner, junior quarterback Caleb Williams.

Whether he was throwing across his body near the sidelines or sending darts between defenders from the pocket, Williams showed all those in attendance why he’s still the best quarterback in college football.

“People definitely take what [Williams] does for granted,” said senior wide receiver Brenden Rice. “And it won’t be until he leaves that people will really realize the greatness that they’re watching.”

Leading the undefeated Trojans to 5-0 (3-0 in the Pac-12), Williams achieved season highs on the day with six passing touchdowns and 403 yards in the air. He also averaged over 10 yards per passing attempt while spreading the ball to 10 different receivers.

Redshirt senior wide receiver Tahj Washington had one of his biggest outings wearing cardinal and gold. He posted a touchdown and a season-high 117 receiving yards on eight completions.

Rice, who began his collegiate career in Boulder, had a massive game as well. In his homecoming to his “first home,” Rice acquired two touchdowns with 81 receiving yards.

“Being back in Folsom, it was everything I’d dreamt it to be,” Rice said. “I didn’t hear too much chatterboxing, but just a little more people cheering me on. And I was thankful for that.”

The only knock to Williams’ display was a third quarter interception, which Colorado cashed in for their third touchdown of the half. Williams brushed off the turnover with a smile.

“[I] threw my first interception [of the season] and won the game,” Williams said.

Typically, you’d think a historic 48-point performance by a top 10 team in the nation would seal the deal, but that’s hardly ever the case with the Trojan defense, and yesterday was no exception.

“It’s embarrassing,” said redshirt senior safety Bryson Shaw. “We’re not doing our job, I’m not doing my job, and we’re letting [the team] down.”

Shaw’s comments echoed the sentiments of most followers of the game — the Trojan defense was frightful.

Although they contained Colorado’s junior quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the pocket to start the game, even forcing an early interception, their game plan dissolved quickly.

In the second half, Sanders extended plays all along the line of scrimmage. Freshman wide receiver Omarion Miller, who’d never recorded a reception before the game, caught seven passes for a touchdown and 196 yards.

USC nearly allowed Sanders and the Buffaloes to climb out of a 27-point hole when Colorado scored three unanswered touchdowns in 15 minutes to make it a one-possession game in the final two minutes.

Despite not having their greatest weapon in sophomore cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, Colorado gained 564 yards of total offense, the most by any USC opponent in the era of Head Coach Lincoln Riley. Just the week prior, Colorado had acquired just a mere 199 yards against Oregon.

The Buffaloes were also one of the worst rushing teams in the country heading into the game, but against the Trojan defensive line, they posted 4.3 yards per carry, more than double their former season average of 1.9.

Now, there is evidence of hope for the Trojan defense — they make big plays when it matters most. Junior inside linebacker Eric Gentry came up big in the second quarter with a blocked punt deep into Colorado territory. Additionally, redshirt senior defensive lineman De’jon Benton practically secured the USC victory when he sacked Sanders on a fourth down, limiting the time Colorado would have to complete the comeback.

Riley maintained that the defense has progressed since last season.

“No, it doesn’t look like last year. There’s a lot that’s improved and we’ve got to, obviously, put it all together,” Riley said.

Irrespective of these comments, the Trojan defense does face similar challenges. Their struggles in closing out games, resisting the run and controlling momentum-shifting plays have persisted, and time is closing in. Nearing the halfway point of the season, it’ll be interesting to see if the defense can match the glamor of Williams and the offense to contend with other Pac-12 powerhouses.

For now, the Trojans will return to sea level and catch a breath of fresh air. USC will take on the Arizona Wildcats Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.