Stanford 21, USC 14
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford beat USC for the fourth consecutive time on Saturday, and this one hurt the Trojans and quarterback Matt Barkley a lot more than the previous three.
No. 21 Stanford handed the No. 2 Trojans a 21-14 defeat at Stanford Stadium, severely damaging USC's national championship hopes as well as Barkley's chances of winning the Heisman Trophy.
In the last three Stanford wins over USC, Andrew Luck was the Cardinal's quarterback, and the Cardinal was favored in the last two.
This time, the Trojans (2-1) were the favorites, and Barkley was the experienced Heisman candidate. But he was just 20 of 41 for 254 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, and the Trojans were shut out in the second half.
Meanwhile, the Cardinal (3-0) scored twice in the second half to overcome a 14-7 deficit and win the Pac-12 opener for both teams.
Stanford quarterback Josh Nunes, making just his third collegiate start, was the better quarterback in the second half. He finished 15 of 32 for 215 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Stepfan Taylor rushed for 153 yards for the Cardinal. He scored on a 59-yard run in the first half, and his 23-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass tied the score 14-14 with 10 seconds left in the third quarter.
Stanford took a 21-14 lead with 10:20 left in the fourth quarter when Nunes hit Zach Ertz over the middle for a 37-yard touchdown pass to complete a 79-yard drive.
The Cardinal seemed to be sitting pretty when a fourth-down pass to Marqise Lee was ruled incomplete with a little more than a minute left, but it was overturned on replay, giving the Trojans a first down at their 34.
USC got as far as the Cardinal 46, but a holding call and two sacks ruined the Trojans' final opportunity as Barkley failed to rally the team in the clutch.
USC led 14-7 at the end of the first half, which featured interceptions on three consecutive plays late in the second quarter. Two of the picks were thrown by Barkley, who was 11 of 20 for 150 yards and the two interceptions in the first half.
Several plays later, Nunes threw his second interception in the final 1:17 of the half to end the Cardinal's last threat of the quarter. He was just 6 of 17 for 78 yards and two interceptions at halftime.
USC tailback Silas Redd left the game midway through the second quarter with an apparent shoulder or arm injury after fumbling at the Trojans' 42-yard line. The Cardinal got to the USC 2 after a pass interference call in the end zone on Nickell Robey. But Stanford could not punch it in for the tying touchdown and kicker Jordan Williamson was wide left from 23 yards.
Stanford had a scoring opportunity on its first possession after Ty Montgomery returned the opening kickoff to the USC 33-yard line. But Williams' 47-yard field goal attempt hit the upright and was not good.
The Trojans scored first on a 2-yard run by Redd two plays after a 49-yard pass to Ryan Henderson put the ball at the Cardinal 1-yard line.
Stanford tied it on its next possession, getting two first downs before Taylor ran 59 yards for a score.
The Trojans regained the lead at the 11:19 mark of the second quarter on a 58-yard touchdown drive that included two fourth-down completions by Barkley. The second was a 24-yard completion to Robert Woods on a fourth-and-20 play from the Cardinal 25.
NOTES: Stanford had won the previous three meetings against USC, although the past two were decided on the final play. Stanford won 37-35 two years ago when Nate Whitaker kicked a 30-yard field goal on the game's final play. Last year, USC's McNeal fumbled after reaching the 1-yard line in the third overtime of a 56-48 Cardinal victory. ... USC was without kicker Andre Heiden, who will be out about three weeks after having knee surgery. He had made his only field-goal attempt this season, a 28-yarder. ... USC center Khalid Holmes, who injured his leg last week, was not in the starting lineup on Saturday.
