PASADENA, Calif. — In mid-August, after prolonged vacillation, Southern California Coach Clay Helton declared the junior Max Browne his starting quarterback. Browne, a onetime top-ranked recruit nationally, had waited his turn behind Cody Kessler, and the decision generated minimal dissent among Trojan fans.
Three games into the season, Helton made a change. Out went Browne, in came the freshman Sam Darnold. Ever since, U.S.C. has been on a tear, ending its season on an eight-game winning streak.
Darnold continued apace in a pulsating 52-49 Rose Bowl win Monday over fifth-ranked Penn State (11-3). Blessed with uncommon mobility for a 6-foot-4 passer and an array of receivers with sprinter speed and flypaper hands, Darnold threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns, including three to Deontay Burnett, in a back-and-forth affair that could be remembered as one of the best iterations of this bowl game.