Reporter Roundtable: Predictions and perspective for USC-Arizona State

USC quarterback Kedon Slovis is returning home this weekend as the Trojans visit Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz., just 20 minutes from where Slovis went to high school and launched his compelling narrative of underrated 3-star prospect to one of college football's most surprising stories a couple years ago.

If Slovis' USC story is now in its final chapters as many believe, well, the plot has taken a twist few expected.

The three-year starter and first-team All-Pac-12 QB had to share the position with exciting freshman Jaxson Dart last week in USC's win over Arizona, has been facing persistent questions about the QB situation and just lost his best target in injured star receiver Drake London.

Perhaps it's not the homecoming he would have imagined when this year began, but Slovis expressed that he was looking forward to the trip same as ever.

"I’m excited. Obviously excited for the opportunity to go play football again. But you know, going to have family there and friends. I obviously have friends that go to ASU. So just like any other game, looking forward to the opportunity, but especially fun going back home," Slovis said this week.

Slovis completed 15 of 21 passes for 204 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT last week, while Dart was 12 or 18 for 109 yards and 2 TDs, and it remains unclear exactly what the plan will be at QB this week.

"You can ask Coach Harrell, but I thought I did my job for the most part," Slovis said of his performance last week.

The QB situation has become a lightning rod for debate and strong opinions within the fan base, but any reader of TrojanSports.com knows that we believe Slovis has done his job for the most part all season and hasn't necessarily brought this scrutiny upon himself, as much as interim coach Donte Williams has stoked the flames of the debate with his comments and handling of the position to this point.

Make no mistake, Dart has played well enough to justify the excitement he's generated as well.

"It’s something that me and [offensive coordinator] Graham [Harrell] will constantly talk about, and we continue to talk to those particular guys," Williams said on Thursday in his final comments of the week about the matter. ...

"The great thing for us is both guys will get an opportunity to play. When both guys get an opportunity to play, we look forward to seeing what they can do out there. We’re going to do what we need to do to win this particular ballgame."

Slovis had some understandably raw reactions after the game last Saturday when he said he had asked the coaches for an explanation of why he was suddenly losing playing time down the stretch of his junior season. It wasn't a topic he was willing to revisit earlier this week after practice, however.

"I mean I’m not really looking for answers or any of that. My job is to go play quarterback and execute my job the best way possible," he said. "You've just always got to be ready. I think that’s the main message. Regardless of the plan, regardless of anything, you always got to be ready because you never know what’s going to happen or what situation you’re in."

While the Trojans clearly got together to smooth out their messaging on the matter this week, it can't be an easy situation for Slovis, who was the celebrated young QB and budding star the last time he led USC into Tempe, and now it's Dart firing up the fan base with thoughts of what he can bring in not only the future but the present.

The reality is this isn't the same offense Slovis starred in two years ago or even last year. His velocity is there, his accuracy is there ... but first-round NFL offensive linemen Austin Jackson and Alijah Vera-Tucker are not, nor are star wide receivers Michael Pittman, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyler Vaughns and now London.

That's a lot of NFL talent removed from the equation -- the production and results are not going to be immune to it -- and yet Slovis has been in the crossfire of criticism all fall nonetheless.

"He handles everything well. Kedon's a great teammate, he's a great player. He does everything right and he wants to do everything he can to help the team win, and like I said, he always handles things well and does things the right way," Harrell said. "So for him, like I said, when his number's called he's ready to play and that's not ever going to change."

It would be nice for Slovis' sake if his return to the state of Arizona this week was a vintage one.

His first two career games against the Sun Devils turned out pretty well -- 29 of 39 for 432 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT in Tempe in 2019, and 40 of 55 for 381 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT last year in the Coliseum.

In fact, two of the best throws of his career have come against Arizona State -- a missile to St. Brown for a 95-yard TD two years ago and a 21-yard dime to London on fourth down last year for the dramatic game-winning score in a 28-27 win.

Maybe going back home is exactly what Slovis needs right now.

As for the Trojans (4-4, 3-3 Pac-12), they head into this 7:30 p.m. PT kickoff (on ESPN) as 10-point underdogs to Arizona State (5-3, 3-2).

The Sun Devils have been reeling a bit the last six quarters, since blowing a 21-7 halftime lead at Utah while allowing 28 unanswered points in an eventual 35-21 loss, which was then followed by a 34-21 loss at home to Washington State after a bye week. That significantly undermined their hopes to win the Pac-12 South. (Utah sits in the driver's seat at 5-1 in the conference).

Arizona State's strength is a rushing attack that ranks 37th nationally at 194.6 yards per game, led by RB Rachaad White (483 yards and 9 TDs) and mobile QB Jayden Daniels (432 rushing yards, 4 TDs.)

The Sun Devils' passing attack has been more erratic as Daniels has passed for 1,735 yards, 7 TDs and 5 INTs.

Meanwhile, ASU is respectable defensively, ranking 29th nationally in holding opponents to an average of 330.9 yards per game.

As always, the TrojanSports.com team delivers its predictions and perspectives leading into gameday ...

What will the USC offense look like without Drake London moving forward?

Ryan Young: "The loss of Drake London is just devastating on multiple levels, but the one that hurts the most is losing out on watching him chase some historical milestones and stamp his much-deserved place in the USC record books. As for the impact on the team, yes, it's substantial, but this is a lost season at this point. Getting some underused players more opportunity will be a valuable evaluation tool heading into next year. So I'm most intrigued by what the wide receiver target share becomes. I still believe Gary Bryant Jr. can be a major weapon, especially if he gets more downfield targets like the 62-yard touchdown he connected on last week. My hope for Tahj Washington is simply that they use him correctly, with a lot of short targets that allow him to use his footwork and moves to create major yards after the catch. But I'm most excited for redshirt sophomore Kyle Ford. I have not understood his limited usage this season with just 7 catches for 104 yards and a TD. I think he has the best hands on the team and still looks very much like the guy who was a top-100 national prospect in the 2019 recruiting class. My favorite stat of the week is that Ford is tied for second on the Trojans -- behind London -- with 4 contested catches this season despite barely playing. I sincerely hope the offense gives him an extended opportunity now to prove what he can do.

"All of that said, I expect Keaontay Ingram and the run game to be front and center. Ingram has been one of the most productive running backs in the country over the last month, averaging 134 rushing yards per game, and that should continue. My other favorite stat of the week is that USC's two best individual rushing outputs of the last three seasons have been ... Ingram's last two games. Let's not overthink this."

Tajwar Khandaker: "For starters, the running game is going to continue to be a focal point. It had already started to take a more central role in the offense given Keaontay Ingram’s recent production, but in London’s absence the ground game will have to shoulder a greater share of the load. Many of the consistent yardage generation that came off of quick throws and screens to London will no doubt be replaced by handoffs for Ingram. I think there’s no way to avoid a noticeable drop-off in the passing game, particularly as Kedon Slovis inevitably holds the ball longer with a receiving corps that doesn’t do much to get open early. Even though Slovis has been heavily criticized this year for locking onto London too often, we’ve seen him do a masterful job of spreading targets among his receivers in the past. Players like Kyle Ford and Joseph Manjack are likely to see a significantly increased role as they provide big targets out wide for the quarterback, and Gary Bryant and Tahj Washington will continue to see their roles increase. If the receiver group continues to improve as they indicated they might last week, things might not get too bad."

Whose role will change the most on offense?

Khandaker: "Kyle Ford has been an afterthought in this offense for most of the season, but I really see this as his time to step up. He’s stood out to me in his limited action every time he’s gotten on the field, and I think his natural skill set will allow him to help make up somewhat for London’s absence. With a massive catch radius and smooth movement skills, Ford can be a serious threat in the red zone and perhaps serve as a consistent chain-mover once he can get in a rhythm with Slovis. He’s only been targeted a handful of times all year, but I could see him finishing 2nd or 3rd on the team in targets through the remainder of the season.

Young: "Totally agree. I said on the podcast this week that I believe Ford is one of the two best receivers on this team, along with Bryant. I really think we're going to come out of this game asking why he was so underutilized to this point. It's a question I'd already been wondering well before London's injury, but I do expect he finally gets his chance to contribute in a big way this week. If not, I'll only have more questions for this coaching staff."

Based on what we saw last week, what should USC do with its QB rotation, if there is one?

Khandaker: "Kedon Slovis should start, and unless he struggles badly or this game turns into a blowout, he should remain the Trojans signal-caller. Otherwise, Jaxson Dart might warrant some situational reps at the goal line or in short-yardage, but that’s about it. Once again, I just don’t think a two-quarterback strategy works, nor do I think it fair given USC’s circumstances at the position."

Young: "Well, very simply, I would start by saying don't go into a game with a rigid preset plan that doesn't take into account game flow and situation. That would be a good start. As in, if Slovis is 10-of-12 passing for 150-plus yards and has led two touchdown drives in the first three series, maybe let him stay in the game for a bit. I actually don't have any problem with getting Jaxson Dart some work and experience. I certainly believe he's shown he's good enough to warrant the reps. But Tajwar is right -- a two-QB system isn't going to be ideal. USC isn't playing lowly Arizona again. The emphasis needs to be first and foremost on winning the game, and that means letting your starting quarterback build and maintain momentum. If Slovis comes out totally flat, then sure, see if Dart can give a spark. But I would have some patience and not yank Slovis after one quiet series. It's a long game -- there will likely be a more conducive opportunity to get Dart in for a series or two."