Stanford Cut Off at Pass : USC: After throwing for 230 yards in first quarter, Cardinal’s Palumbis finds only frustration against Trojan defense.

After serving an apprenticeship under Coach Bill Walsh, who built the San Francisco 49ers into the NFL’s team of the 1980s, Dennis Green installed the 49ers’ quick-strike passing attack when he took over as Stanford football coach last season.

Green has taught his team well.

Cardinal quarterback Jason Palumbis was as efficient as 49er quarterback Joe Montana, and split end Ed McCaffrey was as explosive as 49er wide receiver Jerry Rice in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against USC.

Confounding the Trojan secondary by throwing underneath the coverage, Palumbis passed for 230 yards and two touchdowns, completing 13 of 18 passes, in the first quarter as the Cardinal took a 16-7 lead.

“I think that’s the best start we’ve had all year,” Palumbis said.

McCaffrey, who had been averaging 112.5 yards receiving, caught six passes for 125 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown, in the first quarter.

With the Trojans unable to stop Stanford’s passing attack, it seemed that the Cardinal, which beat No. 1 Notre Dame, 36-31, last week, was primed to defeat USC here for the first time in 20 years.

Although the Trojans slowed the Cardinal passing attack in the second quarter, Palumbis had thrown for 275 yards by halftime, compiling more yardage in one half against USC than he did in an entire game against Notre Dame.

But USC shut down the Cardinal passing attack in the second half, limiting Palumbis to 85 yards as USC defeated Stanford, 37-22.

Employing double coverage against McCaffrey, USC held him to one reception in the second half, a two-yard touchdown.

“We played like were capable of playing in the first quarter,” McCaffrey said. “We let down the rest of the game. We had penalties, dropped passes and we didn’t play the way we’re capable of playing. I’m not taking anything away from USC, because they’re a great team, but we definitely didn’t play up to par.”

Palumbis, who suffered a cracked rib in a 37-3 victory over Oregon State last month, was reinjured when he was sacked by Don Gibson late in the second quarter. Although he was able to continue, Palumbis seemed bothered by the Trojan pass rush in the second half.

USC, which was unable to get to Palumbis in the first half, harassed him in the second half, sacking him four times. The Trojans sacked Palumbis on three of four plays in a fourth-quarter sequence as the Cardinal was trying to mount a comeback.

What adjustments did USC make against Stanford’s passing attack after the first quarter?

“I don’t know if they forgot about Ed McCaffrey in the first quarter or what, but I think they learned that they can’t play ‘man’ on him,” Palumbis said.

“So they started going to zones on him and double covering him. They got a great pass rush going, and their defense did a great job.”

But USC Coach Larry Smith said the Trojan defense didn’t make any adjustments.

“We just started playing football, that’s all,” Smith said.

“We were a little flat early. We just kept changing up defenses and coverages, and we were getting a much better pass rush inside.”

Green merely shook his head when asked about Stanford’s collapse.

“We got off to a good start and fired our guns really early,” Green said. “But we did not play well in the second and third and fourth quarters.”