Sam Darnold is a 2-year Clutch Passer for USC. Sam's 2016 season ranks in the 83th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 403 plays — a above-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaidon Salter | Liberty | 2023 | 486 | 0.711 | 14.7 | 345.6 |
| Tanner Mordecai | SMU | 2021 | 510 | 0.630 | 14.0 | 321.5 |
| Blake Sims | Alabama | 2014 | 473 | 0.696 | 15.4 | 329.4 |
| Stetson Bennett | Georgia | 2022 | 509 | 0.635 | 12.4 | 323.0 |
| Malik Cunningham | Louisville | 2021 | 502 | 0.681 | 14.7 | 341.6 |
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 | vsAlabama | L6-52 | 31.7 | 4/8 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 11.8 | 9 | 0 | -0.14 |
| 2 | vsUtah State | W45-7 | -4.4 | 5/7 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 93.5 | 3 | 0 | 0.78 |
| 3 | @Stanford | L10-27 | 16.4 | 5/7 |
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 33/53 · Pass Yds 453 · Pass TD 5 · INT 1
| 45 |
| 0 |
| 1 |
| 35.9 |
| — |
| — |
| -0.26 |
| 4 | @Utah | L27-31 | 10.9 | 18/26 | 253 | 0 | 0 | 83.5 | 41 | 1 | 0.46 |
| 5 | vsArizona State | W41-20 | -3.0 | 23/33 | 352 | 3 | 0 | 93.3 | 8 | 1 | 0.67 |
| 6 | vsColorado | W21-17 | 6.3 | 25/37 | 358 | 3 | 1 | 71.3 | 22 | 0 | 0.46 |
| 7 | @Arizona | W48-14 | -4.5 | 20/32 | 235 | 5 | 0 | 94.0 | 54 | 0 | 0.63 |
| 9 | vsCalifornia | W45-24 | 2.4 | 18/25 | 231 | 5 | 1 | 74.4 | 12 | 0 | 0.52 |
| 10 | vsOregon | W45-20 | 6.1 | 28/40 | 309 | 2 | 1 | 72.6 | 23 | 0 | 0.56 |
| 11 | @Washington | W26-13 | 26.7 | 23/33 | 287 | 2 | 2 | 77.7 | 15 | 0 | 0.49 |
| 12 | @UCLA | W36-14 | 9.1 | 25/36 | 267 | 2 | 2 | 75.6 | 27 | 0 | 0.39 |
| 13 | vsNotre Dame | W45-27 | 15.7 | 19/29 | 205 | 2 | 0 | 61.9 | 16 | 0 | 0.35 |
| 1 | vsPenn State | W52-49 | 19.0 | 33/53 | 453 | 5 | 1 | 79.4 | 20 | 0 | 0.57 |
