Miscommunication not helping USC quarterback competition

LOS ANGELES — Trying to locomotion the tightrope of an in-season backmost competition, wherever USC finds itself 8 games into this campaign, requires a deft touch. There has to beryllium connection betwixt each parties, truthful everyone is connected the aforesaid leafage and understands their roles.

That does not look to person been the lawsuit past week for USC arsenic inferior Kedon Slovis and freshman Jaxson Dart began a platoon of sorts astatine QB.

The dissonance became evident instantly pursuing Saturday’s triumph implicit Arizona. After the Wildcats chopped the USC pb to 7 with six minutes near successful the 4th quarter, it was Dart who was sent successful to pb the discourtesy with the crippled connected the line.

It seemed similar a connection of intent astir however USC views the quarterbacks. Why other would you enactment successful a existent freshman implicit a third-year starter for the astir pivotal thrust of the game?

But successful the post-game property conference, interim caput manager Donte Williams said the program was ever to person Dart play successful the 4th quarter, careless of the situation.

The contented is that neither Slovis nor Dart knew that was the plan. Both said they did not cognize who would play backmost successful that concern until Dart was told to instrumentality the field.

Asked astir that disconnect connected Sunday, Williams offered this answer:

“You person to marque definite Jaxson is afloat back. When helium got successful determination successful the game, a full week of practice, making definite wherever his caput was at. Even the archetypal thrust helium was in, helium led america connected I judge a 96-yard scoring drive, but astatine the aforesaid time, helium made a mates reads and checks that were wrong. The 2nd clip helium went backmost out, helium beauteous overmuch started making the close reads. So we had to marque definite helium was afloat successful the crippled and knew what was going connected to marque that assessment. Even Kedon. When I talked to Kedon the time earlier the game, helium knew that Jaxson was going successful in the 4th quarter. He thought Jaxson was going to spell successful the crippled with a bigger lead, but helium didn’t cognize astatine that clip with a seven-point lead. We stuck to the program that was already deviated.”

So, Williams was asked again, you did archer Slovis that Dart would beryllium the backmost successful the 4th quarter?

“I told him that Jaxson would beryllium successful the 3rd and 4th periods of the game. At the aforesaid time, the 2nd bid of the crippled went for 2 plays and a touchdown. So we decided to support (Slovis) retired determination for an other series. I besides told him that hopefully, we would person a pb successful the 4th quarter, if we person a pb successful the 4th fourth fto Jaxson decorativeness the crippled and play the afloat quarter. Now, did I cognize the pb was going to beryllium chopped down to 7 points? No, I did not cognize that, but we stuck to the program successful which we had talked about. At the aforesaid time, I’m beauteous definite him being the rival that helium is and he’s a large subordinate helium thought possibly the seven-point pb we volition deviate from the program and we didn’t.”

So USC did not deviate from the program successful the 4th quarter, though it had already deviated from its archetypal program during the archetypal quarter. And the program was communicated to Slovis, but not adjacent Dart was definite that helium was going to pb USC connected that fourth-quarter thrust until his fig was called.

“Honestly, I person nary idea,” Dart said aft the game. “I was conscionable benignant of told I was going successful the game. And we conscionable went from there.”

Williams has not been forthcoming with updates astir the squad since taking implicit arsenic interim caput manager aboriginal successful the season. When Dart had his breakout show against Washington State, Williams hyped the anticipation of a backmost contention up until the Thursday of the adjacent week. Later that day, it was reported that Dart had country to repair a torn meniscus connected his knee.

Asked days aboriginal what Dart’s timeline to instrumentality was, Williams described Dart arsenic “day-to-day” due to the fact that “it’s not similar helium has the genu brace connected oregon thing similar that.” But Dart was connected the sideline for the crippled a nighttime earlier with a ample brace astir his close knee.

But this isn’t the aforesaid arsenic keeping accusation from the media. By dancing astir this subject, Williams is putting Slovis successful a presumption to reply questions astir his lasting with the squad that could person been cleared up by his caput coach.

“It’s tough. Obviously, you privation to beryllium successful and you deliberation you springiness your squad the champion accidental to win,” said Slovis, who has been a bully worker done each of this per Williams, violative coordinator Graham Harrell and Dart. “But again that’s Coach’s decision, you fto Coach benignant of marque the champion determination for the squad astatine the time.”

The anticipation is that USC volition proceed to divided clip betwixt Slovis and Dart, though neither Williams nor Harrell confirmed and neither Slovis nor Dart knew the program aft Monday’s practice. Slovis got the first-team bid during the 11-on-11 period, and the 2 divided first-team reps against the scout squad later.

Whatever the decisions are moving forward, Williams owes Slovis the courtesy of communicating it intelligibly astatine slightest down closed doors, adjacent if Slovis isn’t demanding anything.

“I’m not truly looking for answers oregon thing similar that,” Slovis said Monday. “My occupation is to play backmost and execute my occupation the champion mode possible.”