End of the Game - That will do it for me. Thank you for joining me as we followed USC's win over Stanford. As much as USC deserved it, Stanford really caused this loss to happen to themselves. Thank you and take care.
End of the Game - The Stanford leaders were:
QB - Kevin Hogan finished the game going 22 of 30 for 285 yards. He also lost the fumble late in the game that allowed USC to win.
RB - Remound Wright had 11 carries for 60 yards.
WR - Ty Montgomery had 9 catches for 83 yards.
End of the Game - The USC leaders were:
QB - Cody Kessler went 15 of 22 for 135 yards.
RB - Javorius Allen had 23 carries for 154 yards.
WR - Nelson Agholor finished with 9 catches for 91 yards.
End of the Game - Here are the final stats for the game:
End of the Game - The red zone offense was particularly troublesome for Stanford. Only 10 points in a game where they were inside the 25 yard line on 8 separate drives. That is horrendous.
End of the Game - Stanford has no one to blame but themselves. They had two turnovers and also could not capitalize on their numerous possessions in USC territory.
End of the Game - That is it for the game!! USC wins 13-10 over Stanford!
4th Quarter (0:13): FUMBLE!!!!!! USC RECOVERS!!!! USC gets to Hogan and he fumbles the ball and it is recovered by Scott Felix.
4th Quarter (0:40): Hogan is sacked for a loss of 3 yards.
4th Quarter (0:50): Hogan finds Montgomery again, but he is taken down quickly. It is a 7 yard pass to the USC 22 yard line.
4th Quarter (1:13): Rector is found on the slant and gets to the USC 29 on the pass.
4th Quarter (1:40): Hogan finds Montgomery again, but is stopped after a 5 yard gain.
4th Quarter (1:58): Hogan hits Montgomery, who manages to get to midfield. USC is called for holding and the penalty will be declined.
4th Quarter (2:25): Hogan hits Hooper for a 5 yard pass.
4th Quarter (2:30): Stanford will start at their own 25 yard line after the touchback.
4th Quarter (2:30): FIELD GOAL FOR USC!!! Andre Heidari hits from 53 yard out to give USC the 13-10 lead.
4th Quarter (2:35): USC takes a timeout and will talk over their options here on 4th down.
4th Quarter (3:15): USC goes with Davis on the handoff, but only pick up two yards. 4th and 5 and USC will go for it on fourth down.
4th Quarter (3:30): Davis picks up three yards and then is stopped for no gain. 3rd and 7 for US.
4th Quarter (5:00): Agholor is hit on the slant route by Kessler and USC is back into Stanford territory. 29 yard pick up and USC is at the Stanford 40.
4th Quarter (5:40): Allen is stuffed for a three yard loss. 3rd and 4 for USC.
4th Quarter (6:00): Allen gets another carry and picks up 9 yards.
4th Quarter (6:30): Allen gets the carry and he gets 14 yards and the first down.
4th Quarter (6:50): Vainuki gets the ball for a 3 yard gain.
4th Quarter (7:00): Stanford elects to punt and USC will begin on their own 7 yard line.
4th Quarter (7:45): Hogan hits Montgomery for a quick pass, but a great tackle by Cravens prevents it from being a bigger play.
4th Quarter (7:50): Stanford calls a timeout and will have a 3rd and 19 to convert.
4th Quarter (7:51): Something went terribly amiss for USC as Hooper was wide open for a touchdown, but Stanford is called for a chop block and erases the touchdown. Huge blow for Stanford.
4th Quarter (8:25): Montgomery nearly gets costless for a touchdown on the handoff, but is caught by Cravens. 3rd and 4 up next.
4th Quarter (8:33): Hogan throws the ball into the ground at Wright's feet to avoid a bad play 2nd and 10 for Stanford.
4th Quarter (8:51): Cajuste makes the catch for a first down to the 29 yard line.
4th Quarter (9:08): Wright runs for 7 yards.
4th Quarter (9:46): Hogan dropped back to pass as Cravens misses on the sack. Hogan is able to get up field and get the first down at his own 47 yard line.
4th Quarter (10:31): Hogan completes a pass to Rector, but he is stopped a yard short of the first down. Big third down coming up.
4th Quarter (11:18): Wright gets the carry, but only gets two yards. 2nd and 8 for Stanford.
4th Quarter (11:24): USC goes for it, but Kessler pass is low and Agholor cannot handle it. That makes it a turnover on downs at the Stanford 35.
4th Quarter (12:00): Allen picked up two yards to make it 4th and 5.
4th Quarter (12:37): Kessler finds his favorite target in Agholor again. He picks up 7 yards as he made a few Stanford players miss.
4th Quarter (13:14): Vainuki gets a one yard gain and USC is facing 2nd and 14.
4th Quarter (13:46): Allen gets no gain on first down, as USC is called for an illegal formation. That will make it 1st and 15.
4th Quarter (14:09): Kessler fires a strike into Agholor and he picks up extra yardage on the catch. USC is down to the Stanford 40 yard line.
4th Quarter (14:38): Allen picks up 5 yards on second down.
4th Quarter (14:54): Kessler takes a shot deep down the field, but Agholor is out of bounds as he catches the ball.
End of 3rd Quarter - Here are the stats through the 45 minutes:
End of 3rd Quarter - That ends a bizarre third quarter. USC got a field goal to tie the game, but Stanford really choked by not adding ANY points in that quarter. Poor red zone offense may burn them.
3rd Quarter (0:11): Allen gets the carry for three yards and that will move the sticks. USC is at their own 40 yard line.
3rd Quarter (0:29): Kessler keeps the play alive and hits Agholor for 9 yards.
3rd Quarter (0:37): FUMBLE!!!!!! USC RECOVERS!!! What a turn of events. Wright could not get a hold of the ball and USC is back in business. Delvon Simmons got the receovery for USC.
3rd Quarter (0:44): Montgomery takes the ball into USC territory and is popped out of bounds. Add another 15 yards for Stanford and they will start the drive at the USC 32. Pullard is also called for targeting and is ejected for the remainder of the game. Big loss for the Trojans.
3rd Quarter (0:53): Now Sarkisian is called for an unsportsmanlike conduct and cost his team 15 more yards. 20 yards on two penalties and Stanford will end up with great field position. Poor leadership there.
3rd Quarter (0:53): Sarkisian contemplated going for it on 4th and 1, but elected to go for the field goal and tie the game at 10. USC is called for a sideline "delay of game" and it will be assessed on the kickoff.
3rd Quarter (1:36): Allen gets 7 yards on the carry, which will bring up a 4th and 1.
3rd Quarter (2:21): A pair of short runs by USC leaves them at 3rd and 8.
3rd Quarter (3:06): Allen takes the ball right up the middle for a 50 yard gain!!! Just like that, USC is into Stanford territory at the 16 yard line.
3rd Quarter (3:41): Kessler hits Farmer again to give USC another first down to the USC 34.
3rd Quarter (3:57): Kessler throws a bad ball over the middle, but Algholor bails him out and USC is starting to gain momentum on offense.
3rd Quarter (4:18): Farmer gets the quick pass and makes a move to get a 14 yard gain.
3rd Quarter (4:25): USC is still hanging around, which is bad news for Stanford. The offense can come alive at any time and reclaim the lead. Got to be able to put a team away when they are down.
3rd Quarter (4:25): Stanford has been in USC's 25 yard line six times and have come away with points only two times. Pathetic red zone offense by Stanford today. No legitimate excuses either.
3rd Quarter (4:25): USC STANDS TALL!!! Stanford goes for it on 4th and 1 on the 3 yard line, but they are short!! USC will get the ball back.
3rd Quarter (5:10): Hogan hits Montgomery for a 7 yard pass, but Montgomery could not stretch enough for the first down.
3rd Quarter (5:57): Hogan pump fakes and then brings the ball down. He ends up gaining a yard to the USC 10. 3rd and 8 for Stanford up next.
3rd Quarter (6:39): Young takes the ball up the middle for only a yard.
3rd Quarter (7:15): Hogan kept the ball and made a decent move to pick up the big first down. Stanford is now down to the USC 12.
3rd Quarter (8:00): Ricky Seals gets a three yard gain to make it a short 3rd and 3.
3rd Quarter (8:40): Hogan has nowhere to go with the ball and runs for a decent 4 yard gain.
3rd Quarter (9:14): Montgomery gets a quick pass outside and he does the rest for a 12 yard gain.
3rd Quarter (9:54): Hogan and Stanford go deep on first down. Hooper is able to go up the seam and makes a nice catch for a 26 yard gain.
3rd Quarter (10:00): Montgomery has no chance for a return as he fair catches the ball at the 36 yard line.
3rd Quarter (10:07): Kessler pass is at the sidelines but is out of bounds and USC is punting yet again.
3rd Quarter (10:37): Farmer catches a 7 yard pass but is stopped after that.
3rd Quarter (11:08): Davis is stuffed in the backfield for no gain.
3rd Quarter (11:14): NO GOOD!!! Williamson is wide left from 26 yards with his second miss of the game. Stanford will rue these miss opportunities in the red zone if they lose.
3rd Quarter (11:52): Wright gets another carry, but comes up three yards short of the first down. Field goal unit comes on.
3rd Quarter (12:30): Wright goes up the middle for 4 yards. 3rd and 6 for Stanford.
3rd Quarter (12:40): Hogan went up for Cajuste, but the USC secondary stood tall again. 2nd and 10 from the 16 coming up.
3rd Quarter (13:14): Young gets a carry for Stanford and cuts it back to the right. He picked up 14 yards on first down.
3rd Quarter (13:22): What a return by Montgomery!! He set up his blockers perfectly nd then used some speed and strength to get to the USC 30.
3rd Quarter (13:40): Kessler had Agholor on a crossing pattern, but he could not corral the ball and USC is punting.
3rd Quarter (14:18): Allen gets another carry, but no gain. 3rd and 7 up next.
3rd Quarter (14:40): Allen gets a tough 3 yards on the first down carry.
3rd Quarter (14:52): Agholor takes the opening kickoff from his 1 yard line out to the 21.
Halftime - Stanford has been dominant on defense as well, outside of the USC's opening drive. USC has only 91 total yards of offense. Buck Allen has 71 yards rushing, so Stanford will want to key in on him in the final 30 minutes.
Halftime - It has been a disappointing first half for Stanford in regards to their mistakes. Their opening drive had a lot of penalties, especially against the line. The blunders at the end of the half were inexcusable.
Halftime - Here are the stats at the break:
2nd Quarter (:11): The kickoff sails out of the end zone. USC will take a knee and go to halftime down just a field goal.
2nd Quarter (:11): Stanford gets the 33 yard field goal to go through, but that was a sloppy finish to the drive. 10-7 Stanford with just seconds remaining.
2nd Quarter (:16): Hogan nearly threw an interception and it would have gone for a pick-six, but Cravens is unable to get his hands on the ball.
2nd Quarter (:19): USC calls a timeout now. Bizarre events in the last few minutes.
2nd Quarter (:19): Wow, Stanford is called for a delay of game. Complete meltdown by Stanford on this drive.
2nd Quarter (:19): Stanford is called for an illegal formation with 12 guys in the huddle. Cannot make that mistake on 3rd and 1 and out of a timeout.
2nd Quarter (:19): Wright goes up the middle with the carry, but only gets a yard. 3rd and 1 coming up, as Stanford spends their second time out.
2nd Quarter (:28): Hogan goes short with Montgomery to make it 2nd and 2 with just under half a minute remaining.
2nd Quarter (:34): Hogan goes with the screen play into the blitz by finding Eric Cotton for 19 yards.
2nd Quarter (:42) Hogan goes deep for Montgomery but is too long.
2nd Quarter (:58): Hogan finds Cajuste down the middle for a big gain of 21 yards to the USC 35 yard line.
2nd Quarter (1:19): Hooper gets 8 yards on the catch.
2nd Quarter (1:42): Stanford goes to the air on third down and Hogan finds Montgomery for the 8 yard pick up.
2nd Quarter (2:25): Sanders picks up two more yards on the ground. Third and 4 coming up for Stanford.
2nd Quarter (2:58): Stanford goes with Sanders on the first down carry. He picks up 4 yards on the play.
2nd Quarter (3:05): Stanford will start from their 20 yard line after a touchback on the punt.
2nd Quarter (3:12): The Trojans will be punting after another incomplete pass by Kessler. The screen was easily sniffed out.
2nd Quarter (3:48): Kessler is sacked by for another 10 yard loss!!! Peter Kalambyi was there on the sack.
2nd Quarter (3:54): Kessler throws the ball away on the blitz. He is called for intentional grounding. 2nd and 20 form the Stanford 35.
2nd Quarter (4:00): Kessler does a pump fake and looks for his wide receiver. Dallas Lloyd is called for holding on a very late thrown flag, but it was the correct call)
2nd Quarter (4:30): Allen slips after two yards on the first down carry.
2nd Quarter (4:55): Allen gets close to the marker on the third down run. He is given the first down on closer inspection.
2nd Quarter (5:10): Allen makes a cut back and picks up 6 yards on second down.
2nd Quarter (5:16): Kessler throws his first down pass into the dirt with no one open.
2nd Quarter (5:43): No blitz by Stanford allowed Kessler to find Agholor for easy pitch and catch for the first down. USC at the Stanford 47 yard line.
2nd Quarter (6:30): Allen gets three yards before he is driven back. 3rd and 5 coming up for the Trojans.
2nd Quarter (6:46): Allen gets a first down with his 12 yard carry. They then throw a quick pass but only gain two yards.
2nd Quarter (7:30): Allen gets two yards on the carry.
2nd Quarter (7:38): Nelson Agholor takes the kickoff, but ends up running into two of his own guys. USC will start at their own 22.
2nd Quarter (7:45): TOUCHDOWN STANFORD!!! Skov punches the ball in to tie the game at 7 apiece.
2nd Quarter (8:21): Hogan fumbles the snap but is able to get the ball back and also back to the line of scrimmage. Big 3rd and goal coming up for Stanford.
2nd Quarter (8:52): USC is called for a 12 men in the formation to make it a 2nd and goal from the 2 yard line.
2nd Quarter (9:27): Hogan was back to pass, but he is forced to run and picks up 4 yards.
2nd Quarter (10:02): Kelsey Young takes the handoff from Montgomery and is able to get a first down to the USC 8 for a first and goal.
2nd Quarter (10:40): Stanford gets 7 yards on Wrights carry.
2nd Quarter (11:05): Hogan finds Austin Hooper wide open against a LB and gains 21 yards to the USC 22.
2nd Quarter (11:11): Hogan's pass is waay too high for everyone and Stanford faces 2nd and 10 from the USC 43.
2nd Quarter (11:48): Wright gets the handoff and dives over everyone to get the first down with ease.
2nd Quarter (11:55): Hogan's pass is a bit too high for Cajuste, who did get a hand on it. Still, 3rd and a managable 1 for Stanford coming up.
2nd Quarter (12:38): Rector goes up high for the 9 yard catch on 1st and 10. Stanford at the USC 47 already.
2nd Quarter (13:11): Hogan finds Wright out of the backfield for a 21 yard gain. Stanford going to the no huddle.
2nd Quarter (13:19): Stanford will start from their own 23 after a nice roll on the punt. Albarado's punt went for 55 yards.
2nd Quarter (13:58): Kessler hits Agholor, but he is immediately stopped to force a punt.
2nd Quarter (14:13): Kessler's pass is a bit too long for Agholor to stay inbounds. 3rd and long for USC up next.
2nd Quarter (14:39): Buck Allen gets two yards on the first down carry.
2nd Quarter (14:46): USC will start from their 20 yard line after the punt sailed into the end zone. The net on the punt was a whopping 9 yards.
2nd Quarter (14:53): Hogan puts a deep ball into the end zone to Rector, but it is good defense by USC to force a punt.
End of 1st quarter: Here are the stats from the first quarter, courtesy of ESPN:
End of 1st quarter: Stanford ends the quarter on a horrendous play. Montgomery was at quarterback, but the ball sailed over his head. The Cardinal go back to the USC 29 and will face a 3rd and 22.
1st quarter (:58): Young takes the carry 5 yards to make it 2nd and 6.
1st Quarter (1:07): What a catch by Rector!! Hogan threw a pass into double coverage, but Rector caught it on the sideline despite hands in his face!! Stanford down to the USC 17.
1st Quarter (2:00): Yet another penalty on Stanford, this time a a 5 yard penalty for a false start. Young takes the carry on 2nd and 11 and goes nowhere.
1st Quarter (2:20): Hogan gets a few yards while avoiding a sack.
1st Quarter (2:59): Hogan goes downfield, but the ball is knocked away. The Trojans get called for two penalties. Hawkins is called for holding and give the Cardinal a first down.
1st Quarter (3:29): Hogan fires into traffic to Montgomery, who shows great strength to get to the 49 yard line.
1st Quarter (4:10): Wright gets the carry and gets three yards to set up 2nd and 7.
1st Quarter (4:19): A short kickoff by USC is taken by Montgomery, but USC is there quickly to stem any big yardage. USC's kicker Heidari is called for a late hit. We will have to see a replay of that.
1st Quarter (4:26): Yours truly can catch his breath and give his hands a rest after that furious 12 play, 68 yard drive in 4:30 by the Trojans.
1st Quarter (4:26): TOUCHDOWN USC!!! Davis finishes off the drive with a 2 yard touchdown dive. 7-0 Trojans
1st Quarter (4:44): FIRST AND GOAL USC!! Kessler finds a wide open Justin Davis to get down to the two yard line.
1st Quarter (5:20): Allen got another carry but only 1 yard and was spelled by Justin Davis who got 4 yards.
1st Quarter (5:57): Allen with a third straight carry and a third straight first down. He got 10 yards on that carry.
1st Quarter (6:15): Allen with another first down run, this time for 13 yards.
1st Quarter (6:38): Buck Allen gets the first down with a a run to the 40 yard line.
1st Quarter (6:59): JuJu Smith gets a wide receiver screen, but it goes for no gain.
1st Quarter (7:18): Kessler completes a 6 yard pass to get into Stanford territory.
1st Quarter (7:48): Kessler moves to his left and finds Nelson Agholor on the sideline for a first down.
1st Quarter (8:20): Allen is stuffed on 2nd and 3 for no gain.
1st Quarter (8:50): USC starts with a run from Buck Allen, who fumbles, but is recovered by USC.
1st Quarter (8:56): Stanford gets 13 yards on 3rd down to make it a 49 yard field attempt. The ball curves to the right and is wide. Still scoreless as USC will get the ball.
1st Quarter (9:43): Hogan does a shovel pass to Barry Sanders Jr, but Sanders is BLOWN up on the play and the ball falls incomplete.
1st Quarter (9:48): Hogan tried a short dump down pass, but the ball was mishandled by the receiver. Stanford will keep backing up after being called for a clipping on Caspers. 2nd and 33 now.
1st Quarter (10:12): Montgomery takes the ball to the outside, but the Cardinal (Peat) are flagged for a hold and that will make it 2nd and 18.
1st Quarter (10:51): Hogan dropped back to pass but ended up running for a 2 yard gain.
1st Quarter (11:25): USC is called for a facemask on the first down run by Wright. Stanford already at the USC 22.
1st Quarter (11:58): Nice blocking by Caspers got Stanford a huge run gain by Wright to get inside the USC 40 yard line.
1st Quarter (12:35): Hogan's first pass was complete to Devon Cajuste for a 5 yard gain.
1st Quarter (13:05): It was enough for the first down. Stanford at the USC 41 early in the first quarter.
1st Quarter (13:36): Ty Montgomery got the call in the wildcat, but it is not clear if he got enough for the first down.
1st Quarter (14:15): Young gets another handoff but only gets two yards. 3rd and 2 coming up.
1st Quarter (14:47): Kelsey Young takes the handoff for 11 yards on first down.
1st Quarter (14:53): Johnny Caspers is a bit anxious and is called for a false start to backup the Cardinal on first down.
1st Quarter (14:53): Ty Montgomery takes the kick out to his own 31 yard line to get the game underway.
3:40 PM EST - Some people are not happy about such an early season matchup occurring in week 2, but that is what happens when there are 9 conference games, as well as USC and Stanford both having to keep traditional non-conference rivalries.
3:37 PM EST - Well, according to the gamecast, USC defensive end Leonard Wiliams was bothered mightily by his ankle injury. He took one rep in pregame and was not seen again.
3:35 PM EST - It is just about game time for this top 15 matchup between two rivals! This game is sure to have an impact on how each team finishes in their respective division in the Pac-12.
3:27 PM EST - The weather is perfect for football. It is 75 degrees with plentiful sunshine in the sky. There should be no excuses on that front in this game.
3:24 PM EST - That will require to USC to be efficient on offense, something that is not easy against a physical Stanford defense.
3:20 PM EST - Of course, even if Stanford holds the ball for 40 minutes, it does not mean USC will not put up points. They can easily score enough points in the 20 minutes IF they make the necessary plays.
3:13 PM EST - Stanford's best defense will be their offense. If they can hold the ball for at least 40 minutes, they will have a great chance to win this game.
3:08 PM EST - Stanford has shut down the high tempo Oregon Ducks the previous two years and it is safe to say that this USC attack is not quite as proficient as Oregon at the spread attack.
3:03 PM EST - We have seen this before, especially with Stanford, but the matchup of USC's high tempo offense against Stanford's physical, tough defense it the key to this game.
2:55 PM EST - We are still about 35 to 40 minutes from the kickoff between USC and Stanford.
2:45 PM EST - Javorius Allen had a wonderful game rushing the ball. He had 22 carries for 133 yards and 1 touchdown.
2:35 PM EST - Kessler will have a bevy of options to throw to. JuJu Smith led the rojans in receiving against Fresno State last week with 4 catches for 123 yards. Darreus Rogers had 5 catches for 60 yards while Nelson Agholor had 5 catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns.
2:31 PM EST - Kessler did settle down after Lane Kiffin was fired. He threw only 3 interceptions in the 9 games following Kiffin's departure. He threw four in the four games with Kiffin as head coach.
2:28 PM EST - Cody Kessler's stats from last week against Fresno State were mentioned before, but it was clear that Kessler was much more comfortable last week in the up-tempo offense. 2013 saw Kessler have a solid year with 2,968 yards (65.4% completions) with 20 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
2:21 PM EST - Let's turn to USC and look at some of their offensive stars who may make an impact in today's game.
2:16 PM EST - Montgomery caught 61 passes for 958 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2013. He also had 13 carries for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns. It would not be surprising to see him get an end around or two in order utilize his speed and athleticism.
2:12 PM EST - Hogan's top target will be Ty Montgomery. Montgomery had some injury concerns in preseason, but he was declared fit to play against UC Davis. Montgomery caught 5 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown in that easy win for the Cardinal.
2:05 PM EST - Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan will look to have an improved season over 2013. He did well in 2013 with 2,630 yards passing, a 61 completion percentage, and 20 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. He will want to improve on the later two categories with more touchdowns and less interceptions. To be fair, it was Hogan's first full season as the starter.
1:55 PM EST - USC will have to stop a bevy of Stanford ball carriers. Barry Sanders Jr., son of the legendary Detroit Lions' Barry Sanders, will be featured prominently, as will Kelsey Young. Remound Wright and Ricky Seale will also see some carries if the top two of Sanders and Young prove ineffective.
1:45 PM EST - The ankle injury that Leonard Williams has was touched on earlier, but he will be key to how well the Trojans do on defense, especially stopping the run. Stanford's Andrus Peat will be at left tackle to stop Williams from getting in the backfield and wreaking havoc.
1:38 PM EST - Just like USC, Stanford has a bye on September 20 and then open up Pac-12 play on September 27. The Cardinal will make the trek up to Seattle, Washington to face the Washington Huskies on the 27th.
1:34 PM EST - Stanford gets a home game next week against Army after they made the trip out to West Point in 2013.
1:27 PM EST - USC will have a bye on September 20 before they open up Pac-12 play against Oregon State on September 27. That will be a home game for the Trojans.
1:22 PM EST - USC will travel to Chestnut Hill next weekend to face Boston College. It has the potential to be a tough road trip if the Trojans do not take BC seriously enough. However, USC should be able to take care of business after their performance last night against Pittsburgh.
1:17 PM EST - Looking ahead to the schedule for both teams, each has one final non-conference opponent.
1:11 PM EST - Stanford extended their winning streak in the rivalry to 4 games in 2012 with a 21-14 win at home. USC broke the streak last year with the 20-17 win in the Coliseum.
1:08 PM EST - Stanford won the 2010 game 37-35 and also won the thrilling three overtime contest in 2011, 56-48. 2011 was David Shaw's first year at Stanford.
1:05 PM EST - 2008 saw the Trojans exact a small measure of revenge with a 45-23 victory at Stanford. The 2009 game featured Stanford crushing USC in the Coliseum 55-21. That game featured the famous "What's your deal?" exchange between Harbaugh and then USC coach Pete Carroll.
12:59 PM EST - That 2007 season saw what was probably the biggest upset in the series. Stanford, a 41 point underdog, went into the LA Coliseum and won 24-23 against the #2 ranked Trojans.
12:55 PM EST - This is also a great rivalry, one that dates back to 1905. The rivalry got some renewed vigor when Jim Harbaugh became the coach at Stanford in 2007.
12:52 PM EST - This should be a great game. USC is ranked number 14 and Stanford is ranked number 13.
12:48 PM EST - One area Stanford HAS to improve is on third down conversions. They went a horrid 3 for 9 on third downs against an FCS team last week.
12:45 PM EST - Stanford had a 38 point lead going into halftime. Kevin Hogan went 12 of 16 for 204 yards with 3 touchdowns and an interception. The defense, as usual,
12:40 PM EST - As for Stanford, it was a typical day at the office for them. They built up a big lead and then got the backups some reps.
12:36 PM EST - Another Trojan, Leonard Williams, is also expected to play. Williams had an ankle issue that caused him to miss practice on Wednesday. The Trojans will need both Williams and Kessler if they are going to beat the Cardinal on "The Farm."
12:33 PM EST - Speaking of Cody Kessler, he had a procedure done on one of his toes, but he will be 100% for this game.
12:28 PM EST - USC ran 105 plays last week against Fresno State in Sarkisian's up-tempo offense. Quarterback Cody Kessler seemed to respond well to the change. He went 25 of 37 for 394 yards passing with 4 touchdowns. He also had 28 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
12:23 PM EST - The game last week was the coaching debut of Steve Sarkisian, who came to USC from Washington. Lane Kiffin was during the 2013 season and the Trojans opted to bring back a familiar face to the program.
12:20 PM EST - Both teams are coming off big wins. USC crushed Fresno State at home, 52-13. Stanford took care of the FCS team UC Davis with a 45-0 domination.
12:15 PM EST - The USC Trojans and Stanford Cardinal will kickoff a top 15 matchup at 3:30 PM EST.
12:11 PM EST - Welcome to VAVEL USA's live coverage of today's game between the USC Trojans and Stanford Cardinal!