USC QB Kedon Slovis: 'I don't think it makes a big difference whether I'm on the road or in the Coliseum'

Kedon Slovis has technically played in four games this season and made three starts. Yet he's really played just 10 quarters. Only four of them have come on the road, and they were quite a bit different than those at home.

After sitting out last week's game at Washington, the true freshman quarterback passed the concussion protocol and will make his second career start this Saturday at Notre Dame.

Four weeks ago at BYU, Slovis completed 70.6 percent of his passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns. But he also threw three interceptions, including one in overtime that sealed USC's 30-27 loss to the Cougars.

Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, who made it clear last week Slovis would start so long as he was cleared, isn't concerned about Slovis being able to perform on the road.

"Even at BYU, after he threw his first interception, I remember him getting on the headset, he still sounded extremely confident and ready to play," Harrell said. "I think the second one kind of rattled him a little bit and we never got back in the groove. But I don't think it was the atmosphere or the moment, I just think he had an off day.

"As a quarterback, that happens sometimes, especially as a true freshman. You're going to have off days. hopefully that was his one for the year. But we'll see. Again, I expect him to play well, and I don't think the moment or the stage will be too big for him."

It will be big, though. Notre Dame is ranked No. 9 in the country, boasts a stellar secondary, its stadium will be considerably louder and packed with 80,000 people, and it's two time zones away with temperatures expected to be in the high 40s.

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Oh, and USC-Notre Dame is one of the biggest rivalries in the history of college football.

"Some of the GAs (graduate assistants) talked to me about, it's a really good atmosphere and a fun experience," Slovis said. "I look forward to it."

It's the same attitude Slovis seems to take into every opportunity. Thus far he hasn't been one to make too much out of any circumstance, from signing with USC despite the presence of an incumbent starter just one year ahead of him, to replacing JT Daniels at halftime of the season opener and becoming the starter himself.

His sample size of experience is also too small to draw any real conclusions from. At home, he's completed 83.7 percent of his passes for 451 yards with three TDs and 1 INT. A few more completions, a couple less turnovers. But we're also talking about six quarters in the Coliseum to four outside of it.

In other words, there's still a lot to learn about Slovis. BYU isn't just the lone road game Slovis has played, it's the last full game he's played. So those snaps provided learning lessons for all situations.

"I don't think it makes a big difference whether I'm on the road or in the Coliseum," Slovis said. "But just being disciplined, going through the reads, not letting the last play affect what I do the next time."

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