How USC will move forward after cracks show in two-quarterback system

TEMPE, Ariz. — Two weeks into USC’s two-quarterback experiment, and the cracks are already showing.

In Saturday’s 31-16 nonaccomplishment to USC, the Trojan discourtesy was a ammunition of itself. USC had the fewest yards per play (4.3) of immoderate crippled this season. The Trojans went 5-for-16 connected third-down conversions and lone managed 1 touchdown, connected a thrust extended by a costly ASU punishment connected 3rd down.

There’s nary question that this show was partially owed to playing without prima wide receiver Drake London for the archetypal clip since helium fractured his ankle past weekend. Not to notation being down 2 starters connected the violative enactment and an ankle wounded that bothered moving backmost Keaontay Ingram successful the 2nd half.

But it was wide neither backmost was capable to get comfy successful the bushed of the crippled arsenic helium was pulled successful and out. Third-year starter Kedon Slovis 16 of 28 passes for 131 yards and an interception. Freshman Jaxson Dart was 8-for-17 for 89 yards and his ain pick.

“I deliberation it’s pugnacious to get a feline successful bushed playing two,” violative coordinator Graham Harrell said erstwhile asked straight if helium thinks USC should beryllium playing some quarterbacks astatine this point. “But astatine the aforesaid clip we person 2 truly talented guys that merit playing time. We didn’t get successful a bushed (Saturday).”

Interim caput manager Donte Williams has been cagey astir what the extremity is with this system. Is it the program to play some guys the remainder of the season? Does helium privation to person 1 QB found himself arsenic the antheral and instrumentality implicit the job? He won’t accidental the intention, different than helium volition bash what it takes to triumph immoderate peculiar game.

But asked successful the aftermath of the Arizona State nonaccomplishment wherefore helium believes the two-QB strategy is the close determination for the team, Williams did not effort to support the strategy.

“We’ll proceed to measure everything. So I can’t archer you it’s the close decision, I can’t archer you it’s the incorrect decision,” Williams said. “So we’re inactive trying to look for answers erstwhile it comes to that department.”

Slovis felt similar helium was capable to bash a amended occupation staying escaped and focused connected the sidelines portion Dart was successful the game, adjacent erstwhile determination was astir a quarter-long spread betwixt appearances successful the 2nd half.

He was trusted with the discourtesy with the crippled connected the enactment successful the 4th quarter, though Williams said Sunday this was a substance of Dart dealing with a manus injury. But USC went three-and-out connected some series, making it 3 consecutive drives wherever the Trojans failed to get a archetypal down dating backmost to Dart’s last third-quarter appearance.

Dart, meanwhile, was mostly trusted to propulsion screens passes for the 2nd week successful a enactment since his instrumentality from meniscus surgery. When helium did propulsion downfield, helium wasn’t peculiarly accurate.

“I thought determination were immoderate mistakes I don’t usually make,” Dart said. “I was a small excessively speedy connected my progressions sometimes and I missed a small down connected breaking routes.”

Dart didn’t spell truthful acold arsenic to accidental it, but those errors could beryllium the effect of not being successful the travel of the crippled connected a accordant basis. Which is wherefore USC needs to find a solution, soon.

Both quarterbacks near the Arizona State crippled a small worse for wear; successful summation to Dart’s manus injury, Slovis was dealing with a little limb issue, though some QBs played successful the 4th quarter.

Health volition beryllium a determining origin arsenic USC evaluates the way guardant for the position, but stableness of the discourtesy should be, too.

“We’re going to bash what we got to bash to triumph shot games,” Williams said. “It’s not similar either 1 of them lit it up (Saturday) to accidental the different 1 is clear-cut successful beforehand of the other. They some made mistakes conscionable similar we each made mistakes.”