In USC's first scrimmage last weekend, the coaches gave quarterback Kedon Slovis a couple early series of work and then took him out to get a longer look at the freshmen QBs.

But during the second and final preseason scrimmage Saturday inside the Coliseum, Slovis was the focus, rotating in every other series and getting the most reps of any QB just two weeks before the season opener.

So how did he look?

"I thought it was about 95 percent really good and then it was 5 percent -- there were probably two or three things that jumped out at me that I know he’ll say the same as soon as I see him. We’ll look at the tape, but I thought he played like a vet today," coach Clay Helton said. "I thought he managed the two-minute drive extremely well. He’s done that before, and he really put us in a good situation. ...

"I thought he played like a vet. There were probably about three snaps that trigger my brain I can’t wait to talk to him about it, but he really stepped forward from practice one to right now. He looks like he’s getting really good chemistry with the wideouts."

One of those three plays the two will surely talk about came on the first series of the scrimmage, as Slovis was intercepted by veteran safety Isaiah Pola-Mao on an ill-fated decision. The QB was rolling to his right and trying to get it to tight end Erik Krommenhoek on that right sideline, but Pola-Mao was well positioned and easily jumped in front of Krommenhoek to snare the ball.

Slovis would rebound, though.

He wasn't given much time in the pocket during his second series of work, taking two sacks (via whistle, not contact) from linebacker Raymond Scott and outside linebacker Drake Jackson, but he settled in during his third series.

Starting just inside midfield, Slovis got the offense moving with a completion to Krommenhoek and two to freshman Michael Jackson III before eventually capping the drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to John Jackson III. It was the junior wide receiver's best moment of camp as he used his right hand to pull the ball in before securing it in the end zone with cornerback Jayden Williams right behind him.

Later, working a red zone series, Slovis found the end zone again on a beautiful 7-yard touchdown pass to Jude Wolfe, throwing the ball before Wolfe came out of his break and spotting it perfectly for the big target as he turned around.

Slovis finished with a two-minute drill series from the far 32-yard line. He immediately got the Trojans moving with on-the-money sideline passes to Tahj Washington, who nimbly got his foot down in bounds on the right side, and K.D. Nixon to the left side to get across midfield.