USC vs. Stanford: Game Grades, Analysis for Trojans and Cardinal

The USC Trojans opened conference play with a hard-fought 13-10 victory on the road over the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday.

Mental errors cost Stanford the victory, but the Trojans and head coach Steve Sarkisian will take their first conference win, no matter how ugly.

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	C-	C+
Run Offense	C+	B
Pass Defense	C	C+
Run Defense	B-	B
Special Teams	B	A-
Coaching	C	D

Pass Offense: Cody Kessler hardly attempted downfield throws but found his target on 15 of 22 attempts for 135 yards. The Trojans converted on 50 percent of their third downs, and Kessler was an important distributor. Top NFL prospect Nelson Agholor reeled in nine passes for 91 yards, while George Farmer chipped in 36 yards on four receptions.

Run Offense: USC's offensive line had a solid showing in the running game, leading the way for Javorius Allen to overcome a fumble on his first carry to finish with 154 yards and a 6.7 yards-per-carry average. Justin Davis scored the Trojans' lone touchdown, adding 20 more yards on the ground.

Pass Defense: J.R. Tavai hit Kevin Hogan during his windup, forcing a fumble that USC recovered with 19 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The Cardinal consistently moved downfield on the Trojans secondary, but the unit tightened up when Stanford entered scoring territory.

Run Defense: Despite Stanford's well-known prowess in the running game, defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox had his players ready. USC held the Cardinal to 3.4 yards per attempt and allowed just a single touchdown. The run defense also came up with a crucial stop on 4th-and-1, which was yet another of Stanford's red-zone blunders Saturday afternoon.

Special Teams: For the second straight year, Andre Heidari nailed the difference-making field goal to beat Stanford. This time, he drilled a career-long 53-yarder to go with another from 25 out. Punter Kris Albarado averaged 47.8 yards per kick.

Coaching: Whereas Wilcox had his run defense prepared, the opposing passing attack lifted the Cardinal to a 413-291 advantage in the total yards department. Sarkisian nearly cost his team dearly with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty, but the defense bailed out its new head coach by recovering a fumble.

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	B+	B
Run Offense	C	C-
Pass Defense	A	B+
Run Defense	B	B-
Special Teams	C	D
Coaching	B-	C-

Pass Offense: Keith Hogan consistently moved the group through the air, completing 73 percent of his passes for 285 yards and zero interceptions. Ty Montgomery led the wideouts with nine catches for 83 yards. It's only been two games, but it's clear Austin Hooper is going to be a serious part of an effective Stanford offense. The sophomore tight end registered four receptions for 61 yards.

Run Offense: This isn't 2013 anymore. Sure, Remound Wright and Kelsey Young managed 60 and 39 yards, respectively, but Stanford didn't dominate like the nation has come to expect. The Cardinal need to find that crucial part of their offense; otherwise, there will be a few more conference losses on the way.

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Pass Defense: Last week against Fresno State, the USC offense ran more than 100 plays. Stanford's secondary would not let that happen, however, making Agholor and Farmer stay underneath for any effectiveness. Kessler averaged a mere 6.1 yards per pass.

Run Defense: The Cardinal did a decent job of containing Allen, but they couldn't quite stop him. Allowing 4.2 yards per attempt is far from terrible, and the defense was ultimately let down by the offense.

Special Teams: Jordan Williamson missed a pair of field goals, and the 26-yard chip shot he didn't even give a chance will linger in the senior's mind for a while. Montgomery ripped off a 44-yard punt return, setting up the team for a chance to extend the lead.

"

Jordan Williamson has been a great kicker for Stanford; he's their all-time scorer, but his two misses today are backbreaking.

— Shane Alexander (@A1GFootball) September 6, 2014"

Coaching: David Shaw elected to punt from the 29- and 31-yard line. It really just didn't make sense, considering Williamson had proved capable of attempting a kick from that range. In his first big game since replacing now-Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason, Lance Anderson called a fantastic game for Stanford.

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.