It's Noteworthy

Private Affairs

Stanford and USC are the only two private FBS schools located in California. They’re two of three private FBS programs (along with BYU) located west of the Rocky Mountains. Furthermore, they’re two of the most successful private schools in college football history.

Stanford (14) and USC (33) have combined for 47 of 60 Rose Bowl appearances by private schools.

Both teams rank among the top-6 in all-time wins and AP top-10 finishes among private schools.

It’s In the Rankings

Unranked Stanford will walk into the Coliseum to face a ranked Trojan squad, the same setting in which the Cardinal has posted some of its most memorable wins over USC.

The last three games of the series have been won by the lower-ranked team.

It’s In the Recent

The last five games in this series have produced some of the best battles between the two programs. Each game has been decided by a touchdown or less, with Stanford taking three of the five battles.

The 2009 contest was the last in which a team won by more than one score. In that game, #24 Stanford beat #11 USC, 55-21, with Toby Gerhart running for 178 yards and three touchdowns. Richard Sherman sealed the contest with a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown during a 27-0 fourth-quarter onslaught.

It's In the State

Stanford has dominated the state of California this decade. The Cardinal is 19-2 (.904) against Golden State opponents in the 2010s.

In games played in the state of California this decade, Stanford is 38-5 (.884), including a 2-1 mark in bowl games.

Stanford started the decade with 15 straight wins over California-based foes.

USC is the only California-based team to defeat the Cardinal this decade.

Series Quickies

Since the AP Poll debuted in 1936, Stanford and USC have met 76 times. In 50 of those games, at least one of the two teams has been ranked.

This series has featured a ranked team in every season since 2001 (the Cardinal were ranked one week later).

Stanford’s first ever game against a ranked team came vs. #6 USC in 1936.

Stanford has played in Los Angeles against USC in every odd year since 1931 (save for WWII).

This game marks just the sixth time in 93 meetings these two rivals have met in September.

Hogan vs. Kessler

Stanford QB Kevin Hogan and USC QB Cody Kessler enter Saturday’s game as two of the best and most experienced signal-callers in the nation »

It’s In the Defense

Stanford’s defense ranks among the top FBS teams since the start of the 2010 season »

* All Stanford rankings lead the Pac-12

Marked Improvement

Among all FBS teams, Stanford’s winning percentage has improved the most over the last five years (2010-14) compared to the previous five seasons (2005-09). Stanford’s 42.3 pct. increase in winning percentage tops Utah State (40.1) for the best mark in the country.

It Happened Against USC

Stanford does not count the 1918 contest won by the Trojans in its series scores, as it was played as part of an unofficial schedule by the Student Army Training Corps Team.

1970 - Stanford stunned fourth-ranked USC, 24-14, marking its first win over the Trojans since 1957. Jim Plunkett completed 19 of 31 passes for 275 yards and one touchdown and Stanford’s defense turned back the Trojans twice on goal-line stands.

1973 - Rod Garcia set a Stanford and Pac-8 record by booting a 59-yard field goal in the first quarter.

1979 - After trailing at halftime, 21-0, Stanford rallied to score 14 points in the fourth quarter to tie top-ranked USC, 21-21, at the Coliseum. It was the only blemish on USC’s record, as the Trojans would finish the season ranked second in both wire service polls.

1982 - John Elway completed 27 of 41 passes for 239 yards and broke Jim Plunkett’s NCAA record with his 26th career 200-yard passing game.

1991 - Stanford defeated USC, 24-21, at the Coliseum, marking the Cardinal’s first victory over the Trojans since 1975.

2000 - After coming off the bench to replace an injured Randy Fasani, Chris Lewis threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jamien McCullum as time expired to give Stanford a thrilling 32-30 comeback victory over USC.

2007 - Tavita Pritchard connected with Mark Bradford on a 10-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-and-goal play with 49 seconds remaining to lift Stanford to a 24-23 victory over second-ranked USC at the Coliseum. In his first career start, Pritchard engineered one of the biggest upsets in college football history against a USC unit favored by 41 points.

2009 - Toby Gerhart rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns to lead Stanford to a 55-21 victory over No. 11 USC at the Coliseum. The 55 points were the most ever scored against USC, as the Cardinal handed the Trojans their worst home loss since 1966.

2010 - Nate Whitaker kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired to lift Stanford to a 37-35 victory over USC at Stanford Stadium.

2011 - In one of the most dramatic finishes in the long rivalry, sixth-ranked Stanford defeated No. 20 USC in triple-overtime, 56-48, before a sellout crowd of 93,607 at the Los Angeles Coliseum to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 16 games.