College football: Christian McCaffrey leads Stanford to 27-10 win against USC

STANFORD - Christian McCaffrey showed off his trademark versatility, slipping out of the backfield for a 56-yard touchdown reception and diving over the pile for a 1-yard score, and No. 7 Stanford beat USC 27-10 on Saturday night.

The AP player of the year and Heisman Trophy runner-up had a routine 260 all-purpose yards.

Stanford drew most of the USC defense into the box with a steady dose of inside runs before receiver Michael Rector went 56 yards for a touchdown on a reverse with 3:26 left in the third quarter to make it 27-10.

“I thought (the Trojans) were chasing,” said Stanford coach David Shaw, adding that he told Rector: “Stay wide and run fast. Brilliant coaching by me.”

The Cardinal (2-0, 1-0 Pac-12) have now won seven of nine against the Trojans, the best nine-game stretch for the Cardinal in the history of a rivalry that covers 96 games and more than 111 years. Stanford has also beaten USC three times within the last calendar year.

“We don't use anyone but us to set our standards,” Shaw said.

USC (0-1 Pac-12) is 1-2 for the first time since 2000, when the Trojans started 1-4 in Pete Carroll's debut season as coach.

The Trojans weren't as thoroughly dominated as they were in the opener against Alabama, but in the end they have been outscored 79-16 by the Crimson Tide and Cardinal.

“I hope we play that team again, I really do,” USC coach Clay Helton said about a possible rematch in the Pac-12 title game. “This is going to be a good football team. We've played two very good teams and we need to find a way to win those games.”

THE TAKEAWAY

USC: The Trojans looked like a team still trying to find an offensive identity and some creativity under coach Clay Helton.

Their best player, receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, had three catches for 34 yards. Max Browne (18 for 28 for 191 yards) was solid, but the Trojans did little to stretch the field and played it safe on several third-and-longs.

Mobile freshman quarterback Sam Darnold's only extended playing time came late in the fourth quarter.

“We spread the ball around,” Helton said. “I can never be right. I can throw to one guy or throw to the guy who is open.”

Stanford: The Cardinal were content to mash away against a thin USC defensive line. McCaffrey was the workhorse between the tackles, carrying 30 times for 165 yards.

“Sometimes when the game's on the line, we're OK getting 5, 5, 5, 12, 5, 4 yards a pop if that's what it takes to win and that's what they're giving us,” said McCaffrey, who surpassed 200 all-purpose yards for the eighth consecutive game.

UP NEXT

USC: The Trojans have a short week of preparation to get ready for another road game against a smash-mouth team. USC plays at Utah on Friday night.

Stanford: This was the start of the toughest stretch of the season for the Cardinal. UCLA is up first next week. Stanford has owned the Bruins lately, winning eight consecutive meetings. After that, Stanford has its own quick turnaround road game on a Friday night at No. 8 Washington.