Stanford vs USC 2015 Score Ignites AP Top 25 College Football

Stanford’s Bryce Love, at right, celebrates with teammates after a 93-yard touchdown against Central Florida in the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Saturday, September 12, 2015.

But the Cardinal found its rhythm and produced touchdowns on four of its next five possessions. Last season’s victory ended Stanford’s 17-game home winning streak, but also included USC AD Pat Haden’s memorable trip down to the field to yell at the officials….

In the span of just six years, Troy had fallen.

The Cardinal returns to the L.A. Coliseum with a sputtering ground game and no accompanying aura of brutality. It means Aziz Shittu, Solomon Thomas and Brennan Scarlett will be playing extensively against a bulky USC offensive line that is eager to have an impressive game after a slow start. “Consistency is always what you’re striving for”.

“He’s the best, the greatest in my opinion, so it’s way too soon for all that”, Jones said.

This year was supposed to be different.

Heyward has been working with Marshall on something that doesn’t come naturally to most freshmen: understanding the value of practice. The Cardinal will have to minimize miscues and not turn the football over, plus try to control the line of scrimmage. Penalties would plunge. Efficiency would soar. “This is a big team defense game”. I believe that it will happen because Northwestern smashed Stanford in the running game with 225 yards.

This is USC week, and practice – the intensity level, the attention to detail, the repetition and adjustments – was never more important for the wobbly Cardinal (1-1).

Running lanes open sporadically and close quickly.

“We have young guys back there and we need to help them grow as fast as possible and get them to play as a unit”, Shaw said. Third-and-short, once a mortal lock – just send Toby Gerhart or Stepfan Taylor or Tyler Gaffney over left tackle – is now a coin flip. As the quarterback of the USC Trojans, he gets plenty of the spotlight when it comes to award watchlists and was a favorite for many to contend for a Heisman Trophy this December.

Actually, Stanford could be doing everything better.

In other words, the Trojans dominated from start to finish.

But the problems extend to the backfield.

The excitement of recent games is probably the only thing making this seem like a big game especially when the Cardinal average 3.2 yards per carry. They complete 26.5 passes per game on 34.5 attempts for a 76.8 percent completion percentage and average 386.5 yards in the passing department for each outing. Quarterback Kevin Hogan was lined up wide as a receiver. The offense has lacked pace and creativity.

Freshman cornerback Iman Marshall of Long Beach Poly appears to be on track to man the spot opposite Adoree’ Jackson when sixth-ranked USC (2-0) plays host to Stanford (1-1) on Saturday night. One play was a fumble.

Shaw said the injury will give more time inside to players like defensive ends Jordan Watkins and Nate Lohn, and outside linebacker Luke Kaumatule. “It can’t be a zero gain or minus-one or two. It was not in the game plan but we talked about it at halftime”.