Fresh Performance: Jaxson Dart

September 19, 2021 CFB Saturdays Staff

In the first game after the dismissal of Clay Helton, USC lost starting quarterback Kedon Slovis to an injury early against Washington State. True freshman, Jaxson Dart entered the game and threw an interception on his first drive, but he would settle down and lead the Trojans on a comeback. USC flipped the momentum of the game behind the play of their young quarterback and ran away with a 45 -14 victory.

With time running out in the first half and USC trailing 14 – 0, the Trojans were faced with a 4th and 9 at the Washington State 38, Dart delivered a deep post pass to Gary Bryant for USC’s first touchdown of the game. Washington State fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half and Dart quickly moved the Trojans down the field and connected with Drake London on a bullet pass into tight coverage to tie the game at 14. In less than four minutes of game time, USC had tied the game and their young quarterback had found his rhythm.

Dart continued to impress the rest of the way, delivering several accurate throws downfield to his receivers. He connected with Drake London on a long touchdown down the seam and then found Kyle Ford down the sideline for a long touchdown pass. Dart threw the ball accurately, ran the ball effectively and was in control of the offense for the entire second half. The result was a 38 – 0 second half in favor of the Trojans, turning what could have been another tough loss into a dominant win.

Jaxson Dart had a strong performance, completing 31 of 46 passes for 391 yards and 4 touchdowns with two interceptions. He added 6 carries for 32 yards running the ball and showed he was threat to move the chains with his legs as well. Dart put together a strong senior season to earn his USC offer and continued that strong play in his first extensive action of his college career. He proved that he is more than capable of leading the team if Slovis is out for an extended period of time.

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