Having Doubts About Caleb Williams’ Hamstring Injury

[AlaskaSteveUteAlum]

Having watched a replay of the entire PAC-12 Championship game twice, I see no evidence of the professed hamstring injury by Caleb Williams in the first half. Certainly not on the 59 yard run, but he did suffer an injury to his right hand. He was hobbling in the latter part of the third quarter, but it is not clear where that came from. Not claiming that he never suffered a hamstring injury in the game. Just saying that the game video doesn’t support it happening in the first half.

[UteBrook]

I agree 100% that the long run was not where he pulled his hammy. He did not start limping until Utah was back in the game.

[Milton Vanderslice]

I rewatched with that question in mind, also.  If the injury did come on the long run, I’m wondering if the long period of time over halftime was enough time for his hamstring to tighten up.  There was a period where it was almost an hour before he touched the ball again with the halftime break.

That being said, I couldn’t see where he was injured either.

[krindor]

I think the two have become conflated. He definitely hurt his leg/hamstring in some way at some point. He had the old man walk. And he definitely hurt himself on the long run (cut on his hand).

I think in talking about his injuries, those have just kind of been merged

[HoosierUte]

It is weird that it isn’t really apparent when it happened. What is evident is that he basically stopped trying to run which is a big part of his game. It is possible that the visible limp started after halftime because it tightened up and the adrenaline of the moment wore off. He was clearly injured.

This doesn’t take anything away from Utah. Hell Cam was injured in the Rose last year, does that mean we won? You must be ready to play through those things as a team, especially with a running QB. USC was completely unprepared and became a very average team when Caleb couldn’t run. That is on them. 

[UteBacker]

All I know is that there was a direct relationship between the score and the severity of that limp.

[D T]

They likely score more points if he doesn’t get injured, but the final outcome of us emerging victorious doesn’t change….We obliterated their D.

[utahman3431]

I just got done editing some of the video, and just after his long run, maybe a play or two after, he threw an incomplete pass where our defenders were pressuring him pretty good.  On that play his footwork looked really weird and he kind of jumped up and landed on his butt right when he threw the ball.  When he landed he looked like he was holding his hamstring on one leg, but he may have been just picking himself up.  That’s the only thing I saw that indicated anything weird.

The next set of downs they mentioned on the radio that the backup QB came out on the field but then Williams ran out and the backup went back to the sidelines.

[Summit Ute]

I just got done editing some of the video,

My response…

[BoiseUTE]

I was thinking the same thing when i first saw him limping coming onto the field after the 4th and out. I felt like USC was getting a beating and all of a sudden Williams was limping around and didn’t recall anything other than the long run and slide. 

[Tony (admin)]

I kept a close eye on him on the USC bench during the game. Dude was getting the shiznit beat out of him. After the game he was walking like he’d just rode a horse 4000 miles bareback. 

[EagleMountainUte]

It was on the long run. It is because he doesn’t know how to be tackled. He is weird when he goes down but you can see how he awkwardly goes down. Then it tightened up more and more by the end he could barely get any flex.

[AlaskaSteveUteAlum]

In all of the hamstring injuries I’ve seen, the player displays a noticeable caution with making quick moves and running after the actual injury, in order to compensate and avoid aggravating the injury. Williams displayed none of those traits after the long run during the remainder of the first half. Yes, stiffening does occur, but it doesn’t mask the caution an injured person displays immediately after a hamstring injury.

[HoosierUte]

I honestly don’t get why some Utah fans are questioning whether he was really injured. Did you watch him at all during the season? Did you see the first couple drives of this game? He was a completely different player. Are we saying that up 17-3 he decided to start faking an injury and stuck with the bit to lose a playoff bid? It’s ok to admit that he got hurt and his injury slowed down the USC offense to Utah’s benefit. Utah still dominated that game all over the field. We were down our top 2 running backs and receiver, nobody cares. We still won the pac-12. It’s ok. 

[AlaskaSteveUteAlum]

The reason the injury story is important is that ESPN has story today pushing Williams candidacy for the Heisman trophy, and the story implies that Utah pummeled USC because Williams suffered the hamstring injury on the 59 yard run and was limited by that for the rest of the game, instead of the fact that Utah won by playing great defense and its defense limited Williams.

[EagleMountainUte]

No offense to you but if ESPN is pushing a narrative that will be the one they go with. The Stanford QB, and Williams have the most awkward falling over, non slide abilities I have ever seen. Williams it is particularly strange to me because he is very athletic.
He goes down like he has a fused spine or stick up his ass. I watched it several times when we were getting pressure and thought he is going to injure himself.
I have injured my hamstring before and I remember it felt funny and I kept lifting. But then as I kept working out and everything it got tighter and tighter. Soon I couldn’t even bend the leg and had to roll it out the next day.

[AlaskaSteveUteAlum]

No offense taken. You’re actually describing a hamstring strain, not a tear. Caleb Williams’ injury is described as feeling “a pop”, which would indicate a tear in the hamstring. His movements in the first half showed no caution or limitation, which is not consistent with a torn hamstring.

[EagleMountainUte]

Yeah and I agree the WHEN he injured it doesn’t make sense. It seemed most plausible at that particular time. I think he had a short hobble for ten and side stepped an over pursue by OToole but you could see the play calling had clearly changed AFTER that run. Utah recognized it and went after him.

I think that is the consensus because his legs all folded weird on that tackle. He also let up and was kind of weird in the eventual touchdown.
I don’t really read espn or care about who wins the Heisman. I thought most of the votes were cast prior to the CCG game? In fact Did he end up winning it?

[AlaskaSteveUteAlum]

The Heisman will be announced tomorrow. Caleb Williams will likely win it. To me, Williams was seriously winded after the long run, and any alteration in their play calling for the rest of the first half seemed to be more of a reflection of his lack of stamina than from an injury.

[UtemanUtefan]

watch the play where Gabe Reid gets his first sack early in the 3rd quarter, where Caleb Williams kinda gingerly falls backwards and it looks like Gabe barely hits him –

 

If you watch closely it kinda looks like Caleb tries to plant and twitch and move away but literally can’t, and as he’s trying to get up on his own he’s struggling, that’s the first indication that his leg is hurt and I honestly think this is the play that exascerbated the injury.

[AlaskaSteveUteAlum]

I agree, but would suggest that is probably when he actually injured his hamstring. The only time that would be earlier is their possession just prior to the Utes scoring their second touchdown at the end of the first half.

[Dallas]

USC and their QB are easy to hate, and as much as I’d love for that little b!tch to have faked an injury, I’m sure it’s not the case, and more importantly, this thread is sounding a bit zoobish.