The quarterback competition at USC might be on hold, as the Trojans were without freshman QB Jaxson Dart during Tuesday's practice.
Dart did not practice on Tuesday after sustaining a knee injury in Pullman, Washington on Saturday. The Utah native was injured in the second quarter but still managed to finish the game. The young gunslinger helped lead USC to a 45-14 victory over the Cougars, and stepped in for starter Kedon Slovis who went down with a neck injury in the first quarter.
Interim head coach Donte Williams didn't confirm the long-term status of Dart heading into Oregon State, but did mention he will not play on Saturday if he can't practice this week.
"Shoot, I hope he's here tomorrow, so we'll see. I know he just wasn't here today," Williams said. "If he's not able to practice the whole week, the decision's made."
Following Dart's debut, Williams had indicated that both Slovis and Dart would need to compete for the starting spot heading into Week 4. Dart went 30-of-46 on Saturday with 391 passing yards and four touchdowns. His two interceptions were overshadowed by his stellar performance and ability to lead the Trojans to a win, after being down on the scoreboard heading into halftime.
Dart's impressive performance had many wondering if offensive coordinator Graham Harrell and Williams would make a permanent switch at quarterback come Saturday. Slovis has visibly struggled this season finding rhythm on offense and connecting with other wide receiver targets beyond veteran Drake London.
Despite the noise, Slovis isn't worried about the competition, his focus remains on continuing to hold the number one spot on the depth chart.
"I'm not really focused so much on that," Slovis said. "I'm excited for him, he had a great game, and honestly that's what we expect. He's a great player, great quarterback. He showed that all fall camp, and I'm excited for him and what he's done for our team."
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