Clay Helton is making the right move by starting Sam Darnold at quarterback this weekend.
That’s not to say that Max Browne deserves the blame for the Trojans’ 1-2 record. Sure, he struggled against Alabama, but so do most quarterbacks not named Chad Kelly, Johnny Manziel, or Cardale Jones. Yet, Browne rebounded from that rough outing like a champion, completing 41 of 58 passes (70.6%) for 373 yards and two touchdowns against Utah State and Stanford. While those numbers aren’t the same as what Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, and Cody Kessler put up in the past, they’re still solid enough to win ball games. However, when the defense allows 5.85 yards per carry – as it did in losses to Alabama and Stanford – it’s tough for any offense to win games.
With that said, the decision to switch to Darnold makes sense. Sure, Browne didn’t play poorly, but the Trojans need to change the scheme because it was one of the least explosive attacks in college football. The USC offense currently ranks 115th in the nation in yards per play and 90th in passing plays longer than 10 yards. As a result of this inability to stretch the field, the Trojans are 107th in the country in yards per carry, averaging a paltry 3.59 yards per attempt.
Darnold can change that. As the quarterback with the stronger arm, he can keep defenses honest by connecting on a deep throw or two early on in the contest. And, since he’s a dual threat quarterback, opposing defenses will have to limit their blitzes or risk giving up a big gain if the pressure doesn’t get to him in time. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the USC staff mix in some designed quarterback runs to take advantage of his running skills considering that he ran for 1,250 yards and impressive 6.3 yards per carry in high school.
Simply put: the added dimension that Darnold’s mobility brings to the table is just what the Trojans need against an aggressive defense like Utah’s. As good as the SC offense was under Kessler’s leadership, it still allowed 11 sacks in the last three games against the Utes, including four last season. Given the team’s lack of explosiveness (thus far, at least), it cannot afford to play from behind the sticks. That’s why it makes more sense to play a dual-threat quarterback like Darnold, who can slow down – if not completely negate – the Utah pass rush, which ranks second nationally in sacks.
Let’s be honest: there’s really not a downside to making this move. Remember, Browne and Darnold were neck-and-neck throughout fall camp, so it’s not like there was that big of difference between the two to begin with. If – and it’s big if – Darnold should struggle, the coaching staff knows that Browne will be prepped and ready to play at moment’s notice, because he’s backed up Kessler for the past two years. He knows the drill.
Of course, that’s assuming that Darnold will struggle. I don’t think that will be the case. If Helton didn’t think Darnold’s unique skill set would make the offense better right away, he wouldn’t have pulled the trigger on this move three games into the season.
In other words: this isn’t a desperation move, as some have called it. Helton is simply trying to put the best 11 players on the field in order to win games. Since that’s what will ultimately determine whether he remains the head coach at USC, no one should fault him for that.
