Sam Darnold stood in front of a spread of Mexican food outside USC’s locker room on Saturday and answered the same questions he’s heard all season. Why has he not put up the same statistics as a year ago? What’s up with the turnovers? How is he handling the pressure of expectations?
His face brightened when a reporter asked about his receivers.
"A positive question,” he said, smiling.
On Saturday, for the first time, USC’s steely quarterback showed traces of a new emotion: stress. He blamed himself for the offense’s problems. He lamented his turnovers. He discussed how he has coped with having his every pass dissected for signs of progress or problems.