Washington State Shuts Down Sam Darnold and USC’s Offense in 30-27 Win
September 30, 2017 by admin
Filed under Choosing Lingerie
Friday night’s highly anticipated Pac-12 matchup between USC and Washington State didn’t disappoint, as the No. 16 Cougars edged the No. 5 Trojans, 30–27, thanks to Erik Powell’s go-ahead 32-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining. Sam Darnold led one improbable game-tying drive but couldn’t put together a second, losing a fumble on the Trojans’ final possession that secured Washington State’s first win over USC in Pullman since 2002.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
1. It’s not difficult to extract the most concerning development for USC after Friday’s game: Quarterback Sam Darnold and his offense struggled to find any consistency throughout the night. The redshirt sophomore finished with a career-low 164 passing yards and didn’t complete a touchdown pass.
Whether Darnold tried airing it out downfield or handing off to a tailback, success only came in short spurts, if at all. He entered the fourth quarter with exactly 100 passing yards, which is less than Cougars quarterback Luke Falk totaled on third down plays alone.
Chalk some blame up to a depleted offensive line that lost starters Chuma Edoga and Viane Talamaivao to in-game injuries along with left tackle Toa Lobendhan, who didn’t travel with the team because of a staph infection. The Cougars’ pass rush swarmed Darnold for much of the second half, forcing a number of bad throws.
But it’s impossible to look past Darnold’s inability to execute with the game on the line. He had 1:40 to orchestrate a redeeming, game-winning drive and squandered it quickly. Darnold threw the ball away on the first play, but couldn’t even manage to do that on the second as he fumbled the ball on a sack.
If only for two plays, Darnold and his receivers found their form. USC head coach Clay Helton rolled the dice on a crucial 4th and 13 play in the fourth quarter, and Darnold rewarded him by connecting with Tyler Vaughns for a first down as three defenders bared down on him. Vaughns then hauled in a 26-yard pass on the next play to setup the Trojan’s game-tying score.
A 27-point game may not indicate a clear offensive struggle, but that’s precisely what it was for Darnold and the USC offense.
2. In a battle of dynamic quarterbacks, Falk outplayed his counterpart. The fifth-year senior finished with 340 yards by completing 34-of-51 passes and threw for a pair of touchdowns. Along the way he set the Pac-12 record for most pass completions and tied former Oregon quarterback for the second-most touchdown passes in conference history.
Washington State, like they do seemingly every week, funneled the offense almost entirely through Falk’s arm. The veteran quarterback got the Cougars rolling at the end of the first quarter when he completed a 61-yard pass to Renard Bell, setting up a 28-yard touchdown throw two plays later to Tavares Martin Jr.
Perhaps his craftiest pass was the shortest one of all. He shoveled the ball to Jamal Morrow with 5:02 left in the game, allowing Morrow to streak 23 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.
The Cougars’ offense is predicated on Falk’s every move. The team will go as far as he’s willing to take it, and on Friday that meant a victory over the fourth-ranked squad in the country.
3. With the presumptive Pac-12 favorite taking a loss, readjust your outlook for the rest of the conference. No. 6 hasn’t been far behind USC through the first four weeks of the season, and the Huskies are headed for a winnable road game against Oregon State this weekend. While the team might be able to coast through most of conference play, it’s worth noting that a pair of tough matchups against No. 20 Utah and, of course, Washington State in the Apple Cup, await UW at the end of this season.
That’s not to say Washington couldn’t run the table and make consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff, but their path certainly isn’t a clear one.
As for the defeated Trojans, they’ve got a tough two-game stretch coming up after hosting the Beavers next weekend. USC will play at home against the Utes and then travel to South Bend, Indiana for a big matchup with Notre Dame.
Don’t discount Washington State’s chances to continue their early-season success, but second-half success isn’t exactly the Cougars’ specialty. Their last two games of the season come on the road at Utah and Washington.
It’s anyone’s guess now as to how the Pac-12 season will play out from here.
