USC Football: 3 takeaways from Pac-12 South victory over Arizona

3. Sam Darnold is back on track after a rough start to the season

Entering the year, Sam Darnold was supposed to be among the top candidates for the 2017 Heisman Trophy. He was a sure-fire lock to go first overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. Once the games actually started to be played, though, Darnold’s reputation took a hit as he posted inconsistent numbers over the first two months of the season.

As he followed big performances with disappointing showings, some even began to question whether Darnold would leave USC this season.  The thinking went that Darnold could come back to the Trojans and bolster his draft stock with a more consistent junior season. After all, only two weeks ago, Darnold was actually benched against Notre Dame for his lackluster play.

In sealing up a statement win over No. 22 Arizona on Saturday night, though, Darnold went a long way toward rehabilitating his reputation. The redshirt sophomore finished 20-of-26 for 311 passing yards, with two touchdowns and an interception that helped USC pull away for the key victory over the Wildcats.

Darnold was efficient and calm under pressure, helping push USC back up the College Football Playoff rankings with a big win at home. While he needs to string together more performances like this to get back in the Heisman race, Darnold bolstered his credentials with a solid showing in Week 10.