It was one of the defining moments for Stanford offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren in the 2015 Pac-12 Championship Game. Late in the fourth quarter, the USC defensive line, gassed and run over, began to beg for mercy.
“That’s our goal,” Bloomgren said. “To see doubt in another man’s eyes.”
That was the standard set before the 2016 edition of the Stanford offensive line and, after moments of brilliance and stretches of inconsistency in the Cardinal’s season opener against Kansas State, Bloomgren challenged his line to refine their technique and play with more physicality.
Challenge accepted. And then some.
Behind a brilliant performance from the Tunnel Workers Union, the No. 7 Stanford (2-0, 1-0 Pac-12) wore down the visiting Trojans (1-2, 0-1 Pac-12) for a 27-10 victory.
After a shaky opening drive that resulted in a quick punt, the Stanford offense rebounded on their second possession with a 56-yard touchdown through the air from quarter Ryan Burns to Christian McCaffrey. The play also showcased the return of sophomore running back Bryce Love, who served as a decoy in the backfield to free McCaffrey. The Cardinal would tack on another touchdown in the second quarter with McCaffrey, taking over short-yardage duties, leaping over the goal line, putting the Cardinal head 17-3 heading into halftime.
When the dust finally settled, McCaffrey, who feasted on the outstanding line play, finished with 165 yards on 30 carries and four receptions for 73 yards. The junior sensation also eclipsed the 5000-yard all-purpose mark to move to fifth in school history. Burns finished the day 9-for-15 for 109 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The Trojans came out firing out of the locker room to begin the second half with a nine play, 75-yard scoring drive to cut into the Cardinal’s lead. However, the Trojan offense would fail to score for the remainder of the game, as the Stanford defense turned heads with another dominant performance, holding the Trojans to just four third-down conversions on twelve attempts. Trojans quarterback Max Browne finished the day 18-for-28 for 191 yards.
The Trojans did have some success in the running game, taking advantage of the absence of Cardinal defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, to average 4.5 yards per carry. Sophomore running back Ronald Jones led the way with 11 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown.
The Stanford secondary, in particular, impressed against a talented USC receiving corps. USC All-American wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was limited to just 3 catches for 34 yards.
The Cardinal also added one more touchdown in the second half behind a 56-yard dash to the end zone from wide receiver Michael Rector off of a reverse. The touchdown was the first rushing score of Rector’s career.
Senior kicker Conrad Ukropina finished the day 2-for-2 on field goal attempts and also set a school record with his 78th consecutive made extra point.
Stanford will travel to the Rose Bowl next weekend for a showdown with UCLA. USC, meanwhile, will also hit the road for a matchup with Utah.