The Stanford Cardinal had luck on their side at the LA Coliseum on Saturday night – and sure, future #1 draft pick Andrew Luck played well, but it was the old-fashioned kind of luck that helped the Cardinal beat the USC Trojans at home, 56-48.
In a game that’s already been dubbed “the game of the year,” Stanford recovered a USC fumble in the endzone in triple overtime to come away with the hard-fought win.
The game started as a defensive face-off, with just 16 total points in the first half, but turned into an offensive showdown, with 36 points scored in overtime. It’s the second straight game in which Stanford scored 56 points, but this victory, which extended the nation’s longest winning to 16 games, was a much tougher game to win.
USC's Curtis McNeal handled most of the Trojans' carries on the night, scoring 2 TDs to get USC back in the game, but also fumbling into the endzone to end the game in triple overtime.
It was an encouraging loss for the Trojans, who played very well against one of the top teams in the nation and could’ve won the game at several points, had one or two things – an unlucky high hit, a second that ran off the clock, a fumble – gone their way.
The teams combined for 948 total yards of offense, and Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck continued his Heisman campaign while USC’s Matt Barkley matched him, touchdown for touchdown for interception. Luck finished 29 of 40 for 330 yards and Barkley was 28 of 45 for 284; each had three touchdowns and an interception in the game. Luck was also the second-leading rusher for the Cardinal, with nine carries for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Stanford jumped out to an early lead, starting the game with a 10-play, 83-yard touchdown drive. The rest of the first half featured nothing but field goals, as USC kicked two and Stanford added another to make it a 10-6 game at the half.
The Trojans sparked the second-half scoring explosion on their first drive of the second half with a 61-yard touchdown run from Curtis McNeal to make it 13-10, putting Stanford in the hole for the first time this season. McNeal extended the USC lead to 20-10 just moments later. The Trojans’ defense, which was solid most of the game, forced a three-and-out and USC went right back to McNeal for a 25-yard touchdown.
Facing their only deficit this year, Luck and the Cardinal offense manufactured two consecutive touchdown drives of their own. Playing with a greater sense of urgency, Luck started passing more frequently, particularly on first down, to go 75 yards for an easy touchdown pass to tight end Ryan Hewitt. After the defense forced a three-and-out for USC, Stanford took the ball back and went 86 yards to the end zone in just 7 plays. On first and 10, Luck split out wide, came back to take the handoff, and launched a 62 yard pass to freshman Ty Montgomery. Montgomery was tripped up by Trojans’ corner Isiah Wiley, but three plays later, Luck ran it in for a touchdown to reclaim the lead.
The Trojans, though, had no intention of giving up at home, and in five quick plays to start the fourth quarter, Barkley found freshman receiver Marqise Lee for a touchdown to put USC back on top, 27-24. Lee led the Trojan receivers with 7 catches for 94 yards and the touchdown. Sophomore Robert Woods, usually a showstopper, was out of sync with Barkley after missing most of the week of practice due to injury. He finished wtih 9 catches for 89 yards.
The Cardinal kicked another field goal to make it a tie ballgame late in the fourth, and the Trojans saw the light at the end of the tunnel when sophomore corner Nickell Robey snagged a Luck pass and ran it in for a touchdown to put USC back on top, 34-27.
USC looked to be in good position to stop Stanford from scoring and preserve their lead, but a personal foul penalty against USC safety T.J. McDonald on 3rd and 6 gave the Cardinal excellent field position and a new set of downs. It was another unlucky break for the Trojans: Luck’s pass to Chris Owusu was incomplete, and McDonald was called for the high hit when he made contact as the receiver was falling to the ground. A few USC missed tackles and Stepfan Taylor runs later, and the teams were tied again, 34-34, with under a minute to play.
The Trojans tried to get into field goal range – freshman Andre Heidari, who’d been on crutches part of the week, already had a 50-yarder in the game – but after a Woods catch with :09 left, the officials ruled time expired before Woods could make it out of bounds, despite Kiffin’s attempt to call a time out to stop the clock, sending the game into overtime.
The teams exchanged touchdowns for two overtime periods. Stanford’s Jeremy Stewart scored first, then Barkley found Woods in the endzone to make it 41-41. The Trojans got the ball first in the second overtime; a facemask penalty on Stanford gave USC an immediate first down, and two plays later, redshirt freshman tight end Randall Telfer stretched into the endzone for the score.
The Cardinals got another lucky break on their next possession, as Trojans’ linebacker Dion Bailey was injured and left the game. Bailey, who had 13 tackles in the game, was replaced by freshman Tre Madden, who has played sparingly this season. Luck immediately went after Madden, throwing a touchdown right over him to Levine Toilolo.
The Trojans started to unravel in the third overtime, as safety Jawanza Starling was tagged with a personal foul on a late hit out of bounds to give the Cardinal a 1st and goal. On the next play, Taylor ran in for a touchdown and on their first 2-point conversion attempt of the year, Stanford made it look easy, scoring two on a Luck pass to tight end Coby Fleener.
USC came back fighting, as Barkley hit Lee for 21 yards. It looked like a touchdown at first but Lee stepped out at the four-yard line. The Trojans lined up and handed off to workhorse McNeal for what should’ve been another score, but McNeal lost the ball, and it was recovered in the end zone by Stanford to end the game. McNeal finished with 145 yards, 2 touchdowns, and of course, the game-ending fumble. He carried the ball on 20 of USC’s 23 rushing plays, as starter Marc Tyler left the game with an injury after his first carry and did not return.
The Trojans will have a short week to recover before facing new Pac-12 opponent Colorado on Friday night.
