sputtering

The star quarterback completed 20 of 32 passes and was again the steadying force for the sputtering offense that struggled with protection up front and punted a season-high three times in the first quarter.

The fact that the Chargers have kept games close despite their sputtering offense is a testament to the defensive makeover under first-year coordinator Jesse Minter.

Once again, the Trojans found themselves forced to overcome a sputtering start and hope for the best after halftime, exactly the sort of circumstances they’d set out this week to avoid.

A common theme of the Dodgers’ recent postseason failings has been high-powered lineups sputtering in surprise playoff eliminations.

She described the flaming projectile was “bright and consistent” before “sputtering out in pieces, like welding sparks.”