USC could be down to its third-string QB


With two injured USC quarterbacks, redshirt freshman Jack Sears may start under center against Arizona State on Saturday. (Emily Smith | Daily Trojan)

The Trojans’ quarterback situation may be in a state of crisis coming out of their loss against Utah on Saturday, with freshman starting quarterback JT Daniels forced to leave the game with a possible concussion and redshirt sophomore backup quarterback Matt Fink diagnosed with broken ribs.

Daniels had been struggling in the game before a hard hit during a late third quarter intercepted throw knocked him out of the game.

Fink played well in his place, completing six of seven passes for 43 yards and a touchdown, along with rushing for 21 yards. So, he took a number of tough shots on those carries, leading to a postgame diagnosis of broken ribs that ruled him out for next week.

Reports from Monday indicate that Daniels has cleared the first part of concussion protocol; he’s expected to be available to play in Saturday’s game against Arizona State. He’s still going through concussion protocol and has not yet been cleared to practice.

With Fink out for the foreseeable future, redshirt freshman Jack Sears will be handling first team responsibilities in practice this week. Sears has been third on the quarterback depth chart all season and has yet to throw a pass in a game as a Trojan. If an unexpected turn holds Daniels out for Saturday, he will get his chance.

Sears’ style of play is very different from that of Daniels and Fink, and he easily has the biggest arm on the team. He was responsible for some of the Trojans’ biggest plays downfield throughout training camp.

He is less mobile than both Daniels and Fink and has a tendency to leave the pocket quickly in the face of pressure. His accuracy can be inconsistent at times, and he’s displayed a habit of occasionally holding on to the ball too long. But because Sears has only played in practice and camp, there’s no way to tell what a Sears-led offense will look like until he starts throwing passes in a live game.

As of now, all signs still point to Daniels starting against ASU. However, if he can’t play or gets injured again, Sears will step in. It’s a situation worth monitoring throughout the remainder of the week as the Trojans look to rebound from Saturday’s loss and keep their 19-game home win streak intact.