This Miss USA pageant offered plenty of suspense and intrigue this past Sunday before Connecticut's Erin Brady was eventually crowned the winner. Her victory, however, may have been overshadowed by another contestant's flub.

Miss Utah Marissa Powell was in the thick of the hunt for the tiara and title of Miss USA when she ran into the question round of the competition. When she was asked her thoughts on a sensitive topic, she appeared unable to give a thoughtful response, freezing for a second before giving an answer that could be construed as sexist by some.

"A recent report shows that in 40 percent of American families with children, women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn less than men. What does this say about society?" queried judge Nene Leakes.

Powell did not hesitate to give a response to Leakes' question, but it was clear that she was not prepared to deliver an answer. She took a long pause early on to gather her thoughts, and seemed to be slightly rejuvenated by cheers from the crowd, only to continue to falter with her answer.

"I think we can relate the fact to education, and how we are continuing to try to strive to [long pause] figure out how to create jobs right now. And I think especially the men are, um, seen as the leaders of this and so we need to figure out how to create education better so that we can solve this problem," said Powell, stumbling over her words and appearing visibly shaken.

Powell would eventually finish third in the contest, and undoubtedly her poor response during the question segment damaged her chances of winning the contest beyond repair. The winner Erin Brady on the other hand, gave a confident and flawlessly delivered answer when asked about the Supreme Court's approval of DNA testing for murder suspects.

Despite her embarrassing response, the 20-year-old Powell still was able to nab "Most Photogenic" honors at the event. With a proven track record as a model, actress, and singer, she still has a very bright future to guide her through an otherwise cringe-worthy setback.