Stanford Cardinal vs USC Trojans Match Player Stats On Dec 05, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Dec 5, 2015

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey broke Barry Sanders' season record for all-purpose yards while collecting a school-record 461 all-purpose yards on Saturday night in the No. 7 Cardinal's 41-22 victory over No. 20 USC in the Pac-12 championship game at Levi's Stadium.

The Cardinal (11-2) captured their third Pac-12 title in four years and presumably will play in the Rose Bowl against a Big Ten opponent. USC (8-5) has a number of bowl possibilities.

McCaffrey aided his Heisman Trophy hopes with his big game, which included 207 rushing yards on the ground on 32 carries. He surpassed Sanders' all-purpose mark of 3,250 yards in Stanford's 13th game of the season while Sanders established his record in 11 games during his Heisman Trophy season of 1988, when the NCAA did not count statistics from bowl games.

On Saturday, McCaffrey ran for a touchdown, threw a touchdown pass and caught a touchdown pass, and his 67-yard reception in the third quarter was the pivotal play of the game.

USC had scored 16 straight points to turn a 13-0 deficit into a 16-13 lead when Stanford faced a third-and-6 from its own 26-yard line. That is when Hogan hit McCaffrey over the middle for the 67-yard play that put the ball at the USC 7.

Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan scored on the next play to put Stanford ahead 20-16.

When Stanford linebacker Blake Martinez knocked the ball out of the hand of USC quarterback Cody Kessler, Cardinal defensive end Solomon Thomas picked up the fumble and ran 42 yards for a touchdown that increased Stanford's lead to 27-16.

Kessler, who was 22 for 37 for 187 yards and a touchdown, ran 12 yards for a touchdown that made the score 27-22 after a two-point attempt failed early in the fourth quarter.

Hogan, who was 9-of-12 passing for 144 yards, then completed a 28-yard touchdown pass to McCaffrey to increase the lead to 34-22 with 6:33 left. McCaffrey added a 10-yard run for a score with 1:38 left.

USC had reduced a 13-3 halftime deficit to 13-9 on Kessler's 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Jahleel Pinner on the Trojans' first possession of the third quarter.

The Trojans took their first lead at 16-13 when running back Ronald Jones scored on a 27-yard run with 5:28 left in the third quarter.

Stanford regained the lead ag 20-16 on Hogan's 7-yard run after McCaffrey's 67-yard reception.

McCaffrey collected 155 rushing yards and 244 all-purpose yards in the first half, which ended with Stanford leading 13-3.

McCaffrey even led the Cardinal in passing yardage in the first half with 11 yards, and Hogan was the Cardinal top receiver with 11 yards.

Stanford dominated play in the first two quarters, outgaining USC 209-80, with all but 16 of the Cardinal's yards coming on the ground.

However, USC's goal-line stand followed by a late scoring drive kept the Trojans in the game.

Stanford took a 3-0 lead on Conrad Ukropina's 30-yard field goal, which ended a 65-play drive. Stanford had a first-and goal at the USC 5 on that possession but had to settle for the field goal.

The Cardinal made it 10-0 when McCaffrey threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Hogan on the first play of the second quarter.

McCaffrey's 50-yard run set up Ukropina's 23-yard field goal that increased the Stanford lead to 13-0 after the Cardinal failed to get into the end zone on running back Remound Wright's third-down run from the 1.

Stanford failed to add to its lead when Hogan was tackled for a 5-yard loss by linebacker Porter Gustin on a fourth-down play from the USC 6-inch line.

After taking over at its 6, USC drove 71 yards to set up Alex Wood's 40-yard field goal 10 seconds before halftime.

NOTES: Stanford beat USC 41-31 in Los Angeles on Sept. 19. Steve Sarkisian was the Trojans' head coach then, and Clay Helton was USC's head coach for Saturday's game. The Trojans entered Saturday's game with a 5-2 record under Helton, who was given a five-year contract this week to remain the head coach. ... Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey was named one of five finalist for the Maxwell Award, which goes to the nation's top player. ... USC C Khaliel Rodgers (ankle) did not play and fourth-string C Nico Falah started in his place. ... The Pac-12 North entered Saturday's game 4-0 in the conference title game, with Stanford winning twice and Oregon winning twice.