Just two days after being named the 2017 Rose Bowl Offensive MVP, USC QB Sam Darnold won the 2016 Archie Griffin Award, presented annually to college football's most valuable player.Click here for the full release!
In his debut season, Darnold went 9-1 as a starter, completing 67.2 pct of his passes for 3,086 yards and 31 TD, with just 9 INT. There's no doubt that Darnold's 453 pass yards and 5 TD in the Rose Bowl Game made him a lock for the award, as the Archie Griffin Award is the only award that takes bowl games into account.
Darnold becomes the first-ever freshman to win the award and the second Trojan, as Matt Leinart earned it in 2003 and 2004. Last year's recipient was Clemson QB Deshaun Watson, and other past winners include Ezekiel Elliott, Jameis Winston, Andrew Luck and Michael Vick.
