Whittingham says USC QB change won't alter Utah game plan

LOS ANGELES — Utah coach Kyle Whittingham caught the news like everyone else Monday.

USC had picked a new starting quarterback. Redshirt freshman Sam Darnold was in. Redshirt junior Max Browne was out.

It seemed possible the Trojans’ abrupt shakeup could alter the Utes’ prep for the teams’ game Friday night in Salt Lake City.

But Whittingham shot down the idea Tuesday.

“He’s got two quarterbacks who are pretty darn talented and fairly similar,” Whittingham said. “They’re not complete polar opposites as far as their skill sets. It wasn’t, in our estimation, any impact on our game planning.”

One reason is USC has played Darnold in its first three games, even as Browne started and saw the majority of the snaps.

Whittingham estimated Darnold was behind center for about 50 snaps.

After reviewing game film, he said the offense looked similar, no matter who was at quarterback.

“They don’t change the offense dramatically depending on which one was in there,” Whittingham said.

But they could look to change their philosophy in future games.

USC coach Clay Helton has hinted at a shift toward a spread offense with Darnold inserted as the starter.

“He’s a different players than Max,” Helton said. “Both of them are elite arm talents, but Sam brings some quarterback-driven runs. That’s become the nature of the college football game right now.”

Darnold is regarded for his running ability. He first played wide receiver and linebacker at San Clemente High before moving to quarterback. Behind center as a senior, he rushed for 785 yards and 13 touchdowns on 125 carries.

Whittingham’s staff recruited Darnold in high school.

“We know a lot about him,” Whittingham said

Travis Wilson, Utah’s quarterback last season, was a fellow San Clemente High grad. That connection was strong, but Darnold eventually picked USC over Utah and Duke the summer before his senior season.

For extra review, Whittingham said his staff planned to review additional film from his high school games.

In his three college appearances, Darnold has completed 14 of 22 passes for 136 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

He has also picked up 12 rushing yards on five carries.

Whittingham, were he in Helton’s shoes, seemed unsure about going public with such an important position change.

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Ultimately, he said, Helton’s announcement would have little impact when kickoff commences.

“If you have a quarterback where one is a pure pocket guy and one is more of a dual-threat, you may want to keep that under wraps until game day,” Whittingham said. “I think the rule of thumb is, why announce anything that is going to help your opponent? The object is to win. There’s no reason to tip your hand if it’s going to have an impact. … In this case, I don’t think it was any type of competitive disadvantage for them to announce.”