Heisman Trophy Watch 2017: Quarterbacks take center stage after Week 2

Notables

• Leaderboards: 19th nationally in passing yards per game (302.5 YPG)
• Passing: 44-of-59 for 605 yards, 4 touchdowns vs 4 interceptions
• Other: 7 carries for -2 yards, 1 touchdown (3 sacks)

Over the first two weeks of the 2017 season, it isn’t that Sam Darnold has played poorly. He would not be in the top five of the Heisman race were this actually the case. But because he played at such a high level toward the end of last season, Darnold is being compared against those marks rather than his present peers.

That said, Darnold has also played possibly the two toughest games in a row for any Heisman contender. The opener against Western Michigan was a trap game in which Darnold threw two interceptions and failed to reach the endzone through the air. On Saturday, he redeemed himself with a statement performance against No. 14 USC in the Pac-12 opener for both teams.

Throwing for 316 yards and four touchdowns against the Cardinal defense, Darnold boosted his Heisman resume by leading the Trojans to a confident 42-24 win. The USC quarterback did throw two more picks, raising his total to four already on the season. Last year, he threw nine over the course of the entire season. If he continues to cough up the football, turnovers could come back to haunt Darnold by December when the final Heisman ballots are tallied.