USC Football: 3 takeaways from Pac-12 rivalry victory at Cal

3. Kedon Slovis stood tall at quarterback for USC

Starting as a true freshman at USC is an impressive — and pressure-packed — role to play. Kedon Slovis has lived up to the billing ever since taking over for JT Daniels after the preseason starter was knocked out for the season  in the season opener against Fresno State with a torn ACL and torn meniscus. Slovis in turn has dealt with injury issues, but back on the field and healthy he put in another huge performance for the Trojans.

Against a Cal defense that entered the game giving up 235 yards per game through the air to rank middle of the pack in the FBS, Slovis inflated that season average with a huge night. The freshman threw for 406 yards and four touchdowns on 29-of-35 passing, spreading the ball around to seven different receivers over the course of the California evening.

Slovis is never going to be the type of quarterback that does much with his legs, and he did take several sacks from a Cal defense that couldn’t be contained all night long. In general, though, he was able to minimize his mistakes and prevent turnovers to post his third 400-yard, four-touchdown game in his past four appearances.

As he matures and gains more familiarity with the Trojans offense, Slovis only continues to improve on the field. What that means for JT Daniels when he returns to full health will be an interesting question for 2020 and beyond.