Washington State Shuts Down Sam Darnold and USC’s Offense in 30-27 Win

Friday night’s highly anticipated Pac-12 matchup between USC and Washington State didn’t disappoint, as the No. 16 Cougars edged the No. 5 Trojans, 30–27, thanks to Erik Powell’s go-ahead 32-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining. Sam Darnold led one improbable game-tying drive but couldn’t put together a second, losing a fumble on the Trojans’ final possession that secured Washington State’s first win over USC in Pullman since 2002.

Here are three takeaways from the game.

1. It’s not difficult to extract the most concerning development for USC after Friday’s game: Quarterback Sam Darnold and his offense struggled to find any consistency throughout the night. The redshirt sophomore finished with a career-low 164 passing yards and didn’t complete a touchdown pass.

Whether Darnold tried airing it out downfield or handing off to a tailback, success only came in short spurts, if at all. He entered the fourth quarter with exactly 100 passing yards, which is less than Cougars quarterback Luke Falk totaled on third down plays alone. 

Chalk some blame up to a depleted offensive line that lost starters Chuma Edoga and Viane Talamaivao to in-game injuries along with left tackle Toa Lobendhan, who didn’t travel with the team because of a staph infection. The Cougars’ pass rush swarmed Darnold for much of the second half, forcing a number of bad throws.

But it’s impossible to look past Darnold’s inability to execute with the game on the line. He had 1:40 to orchestrate a redeeming, game-winning drive and squandered it quickly. Darnold threw the ball away on the first play, but couldn’t even manage to do that on the second as he fumbled the ball on a sack.

If only for two plays, Darnold and his receivers found their form. USC head coach Clay Helton rolled the dice on a crucial 4^th and 13 play in the fourth quarter, and Darnold rewarded him by connecting with Tyler Vaughns for a first down as three defenders bared down on him. Vaughns then hauled in a 26-yard pass on the next play to setup the Trojan’s game-tying score.

A 27-point game may not indicate a clear offensive struggle, but that’s precisely what it was for Darnold and the USC offense.

2. In a battle of dynamic quarterbacks, Falk outplayed his counterpart. The fifth-year senior finished with 340 yards by completing 34-of-51 passes and threw for a pair of touchdowns. Along the way he set the Pac-12 record for most pass completions and tied former Oregon quarterback for the second-most touchdown passes in conference history.

Washington State, like they do seemingly every week, funneled the offense almost entirely through Falk’s arm. The veteran quarterback got the Cougars rolling at the end of the first quarter when he completed a 61-yard pass to Renard Bell, setting up a 28-yard touchdown throw two plays later to Tavares Martin Jr.

Perhaps his craftiest pass was the shortest one of all. He shoveled the ball to Jamal Morrow with 5:02 left in the game, allowing Morrow to streak 23 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.

The Cougars’ offense is predicated on Falk’s every move. The team will go as far as he’s willing to take it, and on Friday that meant a victory over the fourth-ranked squad in the country.

3. With the presumptive Pac-12 favorite taking a loss, readjust your outlook for the rest of the conference. No. 6 hasn’t been far behind USC through the first four weeks of the season, and the Huskies are headed for a winnable road game against Oregon State this weekend. While the team might be able to coast through most of conference play, it’s worth noting that a pair of tough matchups against No. 20 Utah and, of course, Washington State in the Apple Cup, await UW at the end of this season.

That’s not to say Washington couldn’t run the table and make consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff, but their path certainly isn’t a clear one.

As for the defeated Trojans, they’ve got a tough two-game stretch coming up after hosting the Beavers next weekend. USC will play at home against the Utes and then travel to South Bend, Indiana for a big matchup with Notre Dame.

Don’t discount Washington State’s chances to continue their early-season success, but second-half success isn’t exactly the Cougars’ specialty. Their last two games of the season come on the road at Utah and Washington.

It’s anyone’s guess now as to how the Pac-12 season will play out from here. 

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Iowa Mom Arrested After Allegedly Leaving 4 Kids Home Alone to Go on a Planned 12-Day German Vacation

An Iowa woman was arrested Thursday after she went on a planned days-long vacation to Germany and allegedly left her four young children home alone, PEOPLE confirms.

Erin Lee Macke, 30, is charged with four counts of child endangerment, according to Johnston, Iowa, Police Department Lt. Lynn Aswegan.

Macke was released on bail on Friday. It is unclear if she has obtained an attorney or entered a plea. Her next court date is scheduled for Oct. 9.

A message left for her was not immediately returned on Friday. She has reportedly said the allegations against her are untrue and that she did not leave her kids alone.

Aswegan tells PEOPLE that officers were first called to Macke’s home on Sept. 21 after receiving a report from the father of two of Macke’s children that she had left the day before for a 12-day vacation in Germany.

“There was nobody lined up to be with the children,” Aswegan says. “Apparently she had talked to a couple of family members that earlier on had some conflicts watching the children during that time-frame, and she gave them the indication she had it taken care of.”

According to Aswegan, “She felt comfortable that the kids were responsible enough to take care of themselves during that duration.”

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Macke was reportedly in Germany visiting a brother and a niece and “[by] all indications it was a social venture,” Aswegan says.

He says that the children had been left alone for 24 hours before police went to Macke’s apartment after 7 p.m. on Sept. 21 and found her 12-year-old twins and two younger daughters, ages 6 and 7, home alone.

“When the officer arrived, the 12 year-old did have food on the table and was preparing to feed the younger two children,” Aswegan says.

Macke was also charged with one count of transferring a firearm to a person under 21 after officers found a gun and ammunition on Macke’s bedroom shelf.

“It was not properly secured,” Aswegan says. “One of the 12-year-olds showed us where the weapon was at.”

The Iowa Department of Human Services has taken custody of the kids, he says. They are staying with relatives, according to the Des Moines Register.

Officers spoke to Macke while she was in Germany and she didn’t “understand the concern,” Aswegan says. He says she had planned to stay in the country until Oct. 1.

“She didn’t understand or agree with the concern and didn’t recognize it was a potential issue and wasn’t alarmed by it,” he says. “She had the same demeanor upon her arrest.”

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Macke flew back to Iowa on Thursday and was arrested at her apartment.

The father of Macke’s two youngest children, Matthew Macke, spoke to Inside Edition on Friday, saying he believed what she did was “a clear, deliberate, intentional act.”

“I’m really angry,” he said. “But I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’m not.”

“I think most people are pretty surprised,” Aswegan says. “Everyone juggles with whether or not your kids are responsible enough and you take distance and duration in account. I think everyone would raise an eyebrow on the judgment used in this decision.”

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