USC Football: 3 bold predictions for Week 3 bout vs. Texas
By Zach Bigalke
3. Sam Darnold will shine for USC as he builds Heisman campaign
After a mediocre outing in the opener against Western Michigan, the shine came off Sam Darnold a bit. But the redshirt sophomore rebounded with a huge performance in the decisive win over Stanford, reinserting himself into the Heisman race in the process.
In the win over the Cardinal, Darnold completed 21 of his 26 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns. He has already thrown four interceptions in his first two games, the biggest blemish on his record to date. Against Texas, though, he will boost his statistical standing among the other Heisman threats at quarterback.
Related Story: College Football: Top 50 players for 2017
The Longhorns have defended the pass well so far this year. But those stats are bolstered by the fact that Maryland is not a pass-first offense and San Jose State started freshman quarterback Montel Aaron. Texas allowed Tyrone Pigrome of the Terrapins to complete 80 percent of his passes as Maryland pulled off the road upset in Austin.
On Saturday night in Los Angeles, Darnold is going to reveal the illusory nature of the Longhorns’ passing defense numbers. Look for USC’s star quarterback to throw for 350 yards and four touchdowns. Darnold will also refrain from throwing an interception for the first time in a game in 2017, as the Trojans offense explodes at home.