How USC QB Kedon Slovis Can Improve
Kedon Slovis' costly turnovers changed the complexion of USC's game against Oregon. His offensive coordinator sees a few specific ways in which he can grow from such an experience.
The Gist
The true freshman QB had a long night against Oregon, committing a career-high four turnovers, including three interceptions. The giveaways have started to pile up in his first season. He's now thrown eight interceptions and fumbled six times, though he just lost his first one this past Saturday. It was also his first turnover in the red zone. Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said Tuesday that taking better care of the football is where he stands to improve most.
Key Quote
"When they start moving, that's just something quarterbacks do naturally," Harrell said. "You can't create robots, you can't have him, hey, if you take one step here, the ball needs to come out. You got to let him do what he does. But he has to have a sense of, taking a sack is not always the worst thing, or throwing the football away is not always the worst thing.
"That's something you ave to constantly stay on quarterbacks about. And also something the more times they're in that situation, they'll improve at. You just develop a sixth sense for that. You develop a sense for, it's a lost play. It's a lost cause. Just take the sack, or take care of the football at that point. You don't want to limit him, but you got to take care of the football. He has to understand that, and I think he will."
X Factor
On USC's opening drive, Slovis slipped by three defenders on third-and-goal before firing a strike to Drake London for a short TD pass. In the second quarter, he tried to do it again on a third down inside the Oregon 10 but was strip-sacked with the Trojans looking to take a 17-7 lead. I asked Harrell how he reconciles those two plays and he made what I thought was a salient point. Slovis has exhibited a great sense of pressure and how to avoid it when operating inside the pocket. The bulk of his fumbles have come when he's scrambled or sacked outside the pocket.
Harrell postulated that Slovis doesn't have a lot of experience in those spaces. As a young QB, he is still learning when to get the ball out or take a sack. In fact, after his first TD pass, Harrell said the first thing he told Slovis afterward was that it was a great play but a dangerous one. "I told him, don't try that one again." Harrell added that some of the best NFL QBs, like Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, make a lot of their best plays out of rhythm. He doesn't want to handcuff Slovis' mobility. But he has to have a sense of when a play is over and what the team needs in a particular situation.
-- Adam Maya is a USC graduate and has been covering the Trojans since 2003. Follow him on Twitter @AdamJMaya.
