Stanford Cardinal (1-1 • 0-0 Pac-12)
No. 6/7 USC Trojans (2-0 • 0-0 Pac-12)
September 19, 2015 • 5 p.m. PT
Los Angeles Coliseum (93,607) • Los Angeles, Calif.
Television • Live national broadcast on ABC with Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Chris Spielman (analyst) and Todd McShay (sideline).
Radio • Live coverage on Stanford’s flagship station -- KNBR 1050 AM -- with Scott Reiss ’93 (play-by-play), Todd Husak ’00 (analyst) and John Platz ’84 (sideline). The broadcast begins one hour before kickoff with the Cardinal Tailgate Show and concludes with the postgame Cardinal Locker Room Report. The game can be heard on Stanford student radio -- KZSU 90.1 FM -- and online at kzsulive.stanford.edu. Sirius Satellite Radio (channel 80) and XM Satellite Radio (channel 80) will carry a national broadcast.
Polls • Stanford (RV - AP, NR - USA Today) • USC (6th - AP, 7th - USA Today)
Live Stats • Live in-game statistics available at GoStanford.com
On the Web • GoStanford.com • USCtrojans.com • Pac-12.com • #GoStanford
• Stanford opens Pac-12 Conference play Saturday when it travels to the Los Angeles Coliseum to face USC.
• The Cardinal enters the matchup at USC following a 31-7 home-opening win over UCF. Stanford outgained the Knights, 491-181.
• Saturday’s game marks the 93rd meeting between Stanford and USC. In a series that dates to 1905, the Trojans lead the all-time series, 60-29-3. Stanford’s four-game win streak from 2009-12 was its longest in the series.
• Since 2010, Stanford is 39-5 in games played in California (1-0 in 2015, 7-2 in 2014, 7-2 in 2013, 10-0 in 2012, 7-1 in 2011, 7-0 in 2010). Two of those losses came at the hands of USC (2013, 2014).
• Saturday marks the first time an unranked Stanford team meets a ranked USC squad since 2008, and the first such matchup at the Coliseum since 2007. It’s the 14th consecutive meeting in which at least one team has been ranked.
• Stanford has played against USC in Los Angeles in every odd year since 1931 (save for WWII). Saturday’s game will be the sixth time in 93 meetings the two have met in September, including three of the past four.
• Stanford and USC have twice met in the season’s third week with Stanford winning at the Coliseum (21-16 in 2001) and at Stanford Stadium (21-14 in 2012). Stanford is 2-3 in Pac-12 openers against the Trojans.
• The Cardinal defense has limited USC to 68.3 rushing yards/game and 2.25 yards/rush in its past three meetings.
• Under head coach David Shaw, Stanford is 15-2 vs. in-state opponents, 15-8 on the road, 15-9 vs. AP Top 25, 5-6 when opponent is ranked higher, 12-3 in September and 7-4 on ABC.
• Stanford and Texas are the only schools among the 68 Power 5 and independent programs to play 12 FBS opponents, 11 of which are Power 5 schools or Notre Dame. Five of Stanford’s 12 regular-season opponents -- No. 7 Oregon, No. 8 USC, No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 13 UCLA and No. 22 Arizona -- are ranked in the AP’s preseason top 25.
• Stanford requires students to declare a major before their junior year. Among the team’s upperclassmen, 16 majors are represented. Eleven Cardinal are engineering majors. Majors with three or more Cardinal student-athletes: communication, economics, human biology, management science and engineering, psychology, public policy, and science, technology and society.
• No program in the nation has a higher graduation rate over the past four years than Stanford (99%). Even more, no Pac-12 Conference team has had more draftees over the last four years than Stanford (19).
• Stanford’s entire full-time coaching staff from the 2014 season returned for the 2015 campaign. It’s the first time since 1999-2000 under Tyrone Willingham that Stanford’s staff remained intact.
• Stanford’s roster includes student-athletes from 28 states and Canada.
• Fifth-year senior QB Kevin Hogan, senior LG Joshua Garnett, senior LT Kyle Murphy, fifth-year senior CB Ronnie Harris, fifth-year senior OLB Kevin Anderson and senior ILB Blake Martinez serve as captains, as voted by their teammates. Hogan is Stanford’s first two-time team captain since Bo McNally (2008-09).