Following last week’s lifeless 27-10 loss to Stanford, USC head coach Clay Helton revealed Monday evening Sam Darnold will start at quarterback for the Trojans Friday at Utah.
Max Browne started the first three games for USC, including Saturday’s Stanford debacle. He completed 18-of-28 passes for 191 yards before giving way to Darnold, who hit 5-of-7 throws for 45 yards and an interception.
Darnold is a redshirt freshman from Capistrano Beach, Calif., and the Utah game will represent his first collegiate start. A four-star recruit and the No. 5 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2015 as rated by 247Sports, Darnold has played in all three games to date and hit 14-of-22 passes for 136 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
USC will start Sam Darnold at quarterback against Utah, Clay Helton announces.
— Joey Kaufman (@joeyrkaufman) September 20, 2016
Browne, for his part, said he doesn’t expect to win his job back and allowed that a transfer is a possibility following this season.
The move signals Helton is feeling heat after a disastrous start to the season for USC. Granted, there is no crime in losing to Alabama and Stanford, but doing so by a combined 79-16 sends waves of panic through Trojans nation.
To date, USC ranks 115th nationally in yards per play, 108th in scoring, 111th in rushing and 97th in passing efficiency. Meanwhile, Helton is just 1-4 since accepting the full-time job last fall. The record is ugly, but, as shown by the numbers above, the execution may have been worse.
For the extra point after Christian McCaffrey's first score, #USC lined up for the PAT with EIGHT players: pic.twitter.com/LWhRUihu6Z
— Shotgun Spratling (@ShotgunSpr) September 19, 2016
USC will face No. 24 Utah at 9 p.m. ET Friday (Fox Sports 1).