In the third quarter against Utah on Friday, on consecutive plays, Sam Darnold demonstrated why USC coaches couldn’t resist making him the starting quarterback despite being a freshman. “That’s a ball we haven’t thrown many times.”In a season when almost nothing has gone right, Darnold’s debut was an exception. His performance ranked among the best for a first-time USC starter in recent memory. None was as accurate in his debut as a starter as Darnold’s 18-of-26 performance. Only Palmer and Booty passed for more than Darnold’s 253 yards.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 27, 2016 01:41 UTC