Sam Darnold is a 2-year Clutch Passer for USC. Sam's 2017 season ranks in the 60th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 554 plays — a average rate for the QB.
Elevates on passing downs — 3rd-and-medium, two-minute drills, and pressure situations are where this QB is best.
Players from 2014–2024 matched on EPA efficiency, play volume, and adjusted value tier — not just one metric.
| Player | Team | Yr | Plays | WEPA/play | Line val | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle McCord | Syracuse | 2024 | 632 | 0.509 | 12.1 | 321.4 |
| Stetson Bennett | Georgia | 2022 | 509 | 0.635 | 12.4 | 323.0 |
| Trace McSorley | Penn State | 2017 | 626 | 0.513 | 12.7 | 321.0 |
| Sam Hartman | Wake Forest | 2021 | 647 | 0.556 | 11.8 | 359.6 |
| Ryan Higgins | Louisiana Tech | 2016 | 571 | 0.586 | 13.7 | 334.6 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | C/ATT | Pass Yds | Pass TD | INT | QBR | Rush Yds | Rush TD | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsWestern Michigan | W49-31 | -2.4 | 23/33 | 289 | 0 | 2 | 71.0 | -6 | 1 | 0.33 |
| 2 | vsStanford | W42-24 | 15.8 | 21/26 | 316 | 4 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Chart shows per-game EPA (bars) and rolling 5-game average (line). Season breaks marked with dashed lines. Line value = est. points over replacement per game.
C/ATT 26/45 · Pass Yds 356 · Pass TD 0 · INT 1
| 2 |
| 95.8 |
| 4 |
| 0 |
| 0.83 |
| 3 | vsTexas | W27-24 | 10.6 | 28/49 | 397 | 3 | 2 | 54.1 | -12 | 0 | 0.35 |
| 4 | @California | W30-20 | -1.0 | 26/38 | 223 | 2 | 1 | 60.5 | 14 | 0 | 0.19 |
| 5 | @Washington State | L27-30 | 8.6 | 15/29 | 164 | 0 | 1 | 37.6 | 25 | 2 | 0.25 |
| 6 | vsOregon State | W38-10 | -12.6 | 23/35 | 316 | 3 | 1 | 67.0 | -18 | 0 | 0.34 |
| 7 | vsUtah | W28-27 | 12.0 | 27/50 | 358 | 3 | 0 | 50.9 | 15 | 0 | 0.26 |
| 8 | @Notre Dame | L14-49 | 20.8 | 20/28 | 229 | 2 | 1 | 53.0 | 7 | 0 | 0.33 |
| 9 | @Arizona State | W48-17 | 1.0 | 19/35 | 266 | 3 | 0 | 75.2 | 19 | 0 | 0.31 |
| 10 | vsArizona | W49-35 | 3.7 | 20/26 | 311 | 2 | 1 | — | 10 | 0 | 0.58 |
| 11 | @Colorado | W38-24 | 2.0 | 21/34 | 329 | 2 | 0 | 87.3 | 31 | 1 | 0.61 |
| 12 | vsUCLA | W28-23 | 4.9 | 17/28 | 264 | 0 | 1 | 74.3 | 10 | 1 | 0.35 |
| 14 | vsStanford | W31-28 | 15.8 | 17/24 | 325 | 2 | 0 | 94.5 | 1 | 0 | 0.80 |
| 1 | vsOhio State | L7-24 | 30.9 | 26/45 | 356 | 0 | 1 | 35.0 | -18 | 0 | 0.04 |
