Stenstrom Is Knocked Down but Not Out : Stanford: Quarterback picks himself up and delivers knockout punch against USC.

Stanford quarterback Steve Stenstrom fell to the Coliseum turf after a USC defender kneed him in the groin. Stenstrom was helped to the sideline, where he pleaded with Coach Dennis Green to put him back into the game.

“They said he was ready to go back into the game after one play, but I had to think about it,” Green said. “He was the starter and he’d been controlling the game so I felt he had to have a chance to win the game.”

Stenstrom was determined to get back into the game and try to pull out a victory for the Cardinal, which trailed, 21-17, with 3:16 remaining.

“I knew there wasn’t anything that was going to keep me out,” Stenstrom said. “I tried to stand up and I couldn’t so I decided to stay down and catch my breath.”

After sitting out three plays, Stenstrom returned and threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Walsh with 1:11 remaining to lift the Cardinal to a 24-21 victory over the Trojans Saturday before 61,265 fans.

Starting his second game, the sophomore quarterback completed 15 of 31 passes for 267 yards, including touchdowns of 19, 71 and 12 yards, as the Cardinal defeated USC for the first time since 1975.

“I think I was still playing with my building blocks or a little tiny football in 1975,” said Stenstrom, who was then 3 years old.

Halfback Glyn Milburn, who accounted for 216 yards in total offense, agreed with Stenstrom.

“It’s a dream come true,” Milburn said. “I don’t remember the last time that Stanford beat USC. Even when I was at Oklahoma we lost to USC, so it’s great to beat them.”

Green said Saturday’s victory over the Trojans, which broke an 0-14-1 streak against USC, was as meaningful as last season’s 36-31 victory over No. 1 Notre Dame.

“We’re pleased that we turned the tide back against USC,” Green said. “We’ll work very hard to emphasize the importance of the SC-Stanford game and the true rivalry of a game that goes back to 1905.

“I’ve spent a lot of time talking to our alums in Southern California and a lot of them feel that the win over Notre Dame last year was fantastic, but they wanted to know when the hell we were going to beat SC. I think our alums have a right to feel that way because this game is played every year and I think it ought to be a little more evenly matched.”

But it looked as if the Trojans would continue their dominance after they overcame a 17-7 deficit to take a 21-17 lead as tailback Deon Strother scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Taking over at his 35 after Strother’s second touchdown, Stenstrom threw an 11-yard pass to Walsh to give the Cardinal a first down at the 46. But Stenstrom was forced from the game when he was hit by a defender as he was throwing.

Jason Palumbis replaced Stenstrom and threw a 15-yard pass to halfback Tommy Vardell on his second play to give the Cardinal a first down at the Trojan 39. After Vardell dropped a pass from Palumbis on the next play, Stenstrom returned.

Facing a second and 10, Stenstrom threw a five-yard pass to Walsh. But Stenstrom overthrew wide receiver Jason Pinckney on the next play, setting up a fourth and five.

Stenstrom dumped a pass to Milburn along the sideline and he faked out USC cornerback Calvin Holmes before he was stopped at the Trojan 12 after a 22-yard gain.

After two incompletions, Stenstrom found Walsh in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown.

Walsh, who had been forced from the game in the second quarter after being knocked unconscious when a USC defender tackled him, caught nine passes for 174 yards, including touchdown pass plays of 71 and 12 yards.

“I was kind of wobbly at first, but I was screaming and yelling trying to get back into the game,” Walsh said. “They wanted to make sure I was OK before they let me back in the game. But I was fine by halftime.”

Walsh’s 71-yard touchdown pass play, which gave the Cardinal a 17-7 third-quarter lead, came when he caught a six-yard pass from Stenstrom on a quick turn-in pattern and eluded Trojan cornerback Calvin Holmes at the 35.

Walsh scored the winner on a corner pass route to the inside, beating USC safety Stephon Pace.

“He was lined up man-to-man really guarding the inside so I gave him an inside move because he was scared of getting beat inside and went to the corner,” Walsh said.

But USC almost had enough time to come back.

Taking over at their 33, the Trojans drove to the Cardinal 36, but kicker Jason Ford missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt on the final play of the game.