USC GAME REPORT

1st QUARTER

Stanford 7

USC 0

THE SCORING: * Stanford 7, USC 0: Carter three-yard run at 8:50. 60-yard drive, 14 plays. PAT--Biselli (kick).

TURNING POINT: USC put Stanford in good field position for its scoring drive when Mike MacGillivray’s punt traveled only 27 yards on fourth and 12 at the USC 33.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: Stanford’s touchdown was its first rushing touchdown since the first game of the season, a 24-10 victory over Washington State on Sept. 2. . . . Randy Fasani had been out for the last three games because of a knee injury, but he carried the ball on the first play of the game. Fasani ran three times for 18 yards.

STAT WATCH: There was little difference in total offense--USC had 68 yards and Stanford had 75--but the Cardinal ran 22 plays to 15 for USC. . . . Sultan McCullough ran four times for 28 yards, including an 18-yard run. . . . Carson Palmer completed three of seven passes for 30 yards and had one pass intercepted when Tank Williams knocked Palmer’s arm in his throwing motion and the ball flipped into the air.

2nd QUARTER

Stanford 14

USC 8

*

THE SCORING: * Stanford 14, USC 0: Carter, four-yard run at 10:55. 64-yard drive, nine plays. PAT--Biselli (kick).

* Stanford 14, USC 6: Papadakis, two-yard run at 12:30. 92-yard drive, six plays. PAT--kick failed.

* Stanford 14, USC 8: Biselli tackled in end zone for safety at 13:35.

TURNING POINT: With USC trailing, 14-0, and beginning a drive on its eight-yard line, Palmer completed three consecutive passes to the Stanford 27 to get USC back in the game. Palmer completed four of five passes for 90 yards in USC’s scoring drive.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: It is probably not the best way to begin a drive, but USC’s Frank Strong and Kevin Arbet collided when Arbet caught the football on a Stanford kickoff. Arbet was floored by his teammate at the USC eight. However, Palmer came up big and in six plays produced USC’s only touchdown of the half.

STAT WATCH: Palmer completed five of 11 passes for 96 yards and McCullough carried three times for 18 yards. . . . Fasani completed one of five passes for 13 yards. . . . Kerry Carter rushed seven times for 44 yards. . . . John Wall’s failed conversion was his second this season and USC’s fifth. . . . After scoring one rushing touchdown all season, Stanford had two in the first half.

3rd QUARTER

USC 21

Stanford 20

*

THE SCORING: * Stanford 20, USC 8: Carter, two-yard run at 5:02. 80-yard drive, 11 plays. PAT--kick failed.

* Stanford 20, USC 15: McCullough, 39-yard run, at 7:18. 65-yard, six plays. PAT--Wall (kick).

* USC 21, Stanford 20: Papadakis, two-yard run at 8:16. 25-yard drive, three plays after Cash intercepted Fasani pass. PAT--pass failed.

TURNING POINT: After USC took the lead, Fasani drove Stanford downfield on a drive that began at the Stanford 20. On first and 10 at the USC 13, Fasani’s pass was intercepted at the USC one-yard line by DeShaun Hill and returned it to the USC 11.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: On consecutive possessions for Stanford, Fasani had passes intercepted to kill Stanford drives--but only one resulted in a USC touchdown. Before his left knee injury, which required arthroscopic surgery Sept. 29 to repair a strained ligament and torn cartilage, Fasani was the top-rated passer in the Pac-10 and was among the national leaders in every passing category.

STAT WATCH: Fasani completed five of nine passes for 87 yards. . . . Palmer completed six of eight passes for 59 yards. . . . McCullough ran once--his 39-yard touchdown run and finished the quarter with 80 yards in only eight carries. . . . Carter was Stanford’s leading rusher with 84 yards - 27 of them in the quarter.

4th QUARTER

Stanford 32

USC 30

*

THE SCORING: * USC 24, Stanford 20: Wall, 22-yard field goal at 2:52. 75-yard drive, six plays. PAT--Cesca (kick).

* USC 30, Stanford 20: Palmer, 1-yard run at 6:44. 63-yard drive, six plays. PAT--kick failed.

* USC 30, Stanford 26: Carter, 20-yard run at 9:38. 78-yard drive, 11 plays. PAT--kick failed.

* Stanford 32, USC 30: McCullum, 20-yard pass from Lewis at 15:00. PAT--run failed.

TURNING POINT: With a 30-26 lead and 5:22 to go, the USC offense ran three plays and punted--a 23-yard punt from MacGillivray to midfield--when a couple of first downs would have kept Stanford off the field and prevented its winning drive.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: When Fasani went down with his knee injury, he stayed on the field several minutes to allow Chris Lewis time to get ready and that allowed the backup quarterback to mentally prepare himself.

STAT WATCH: McCullough had runs of 69 and 46 yards to set up two Trojan scores.