USC Football: Did Sam Darnold blow his Heisman chances vs. Wazzu?

Did USC football sensation Sam Darnold blow his chances for the Heisman Trophy with an ugly performance against Washington State?

Sam Darnold isn’t a flashy quarterback nor is he the kind of guy to get in your face when he makes a big play. In fact, the USC football star is a low-key superstar who might be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

When it comes to personal accolades, he was the favorite to win the 2017 Heisman Trophy before the season began. Those chances took a major hit on Friday night in #Pac12AfterDark play against No. 16 Washington State.

Everyone knew the game would be a tough one for the Trojans, but no one expected the Cougars to completely shut down the redshirt sophomore. Washington State’s defense has been much better this season and it showed.

After the first drive of the game (4-for-5 with 34 yards and two rushes for 13 yards and a TD), Darnold looked as pedestrian as any quarterback in college football. That’s what happens when an entire team depends on you to excel game in and game out.

Darnold finished the game 15-for-29 with 164 yards, a pick and two rushing touchdowns. He was helped out by Ronald Jones II who finished with 128 yards and a touchdown.

Did he blow his Heisman chances, though?

I’m going to say it’s far too early for that kind of talk. Players can have a tough game and completely turn things around. It hasn’t been the ideal start to the season for Darnold, but he still has seven games to pad his Heisman resume.

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Don’t rule Darnold out just yet, despite his lackluster showing in Pullman. Even if he was the second-best quarterback on campus Friday night. Hats off to you, Luke Falk.