Stanford 24 USC 23
Mark Bradford catches the winning touchdown for Stanford. (AP)
In the greatest upset in college football history, Stanford beat No. 2 USC 24-23 at the Coliseum on October 6, 2007, on fourth and goal with 49 seconds left to go. Stanford was a 41 point underdog going into the game. Stanford handed SC its first loss at home in 35 games since Stanford beat USC 21-16 on September 29, 2001. A leaping Stanford receiver Mark Bradford caught backup quarterback Tavita Pritchard’s ten yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone to tie the game. Stanford’s Derek Belch kicked the winning point after that left the crowd of 85,125 in stunned silence. Bradford had dedicated the game to his father who died less than two weeks ago. “I just kept hearing his words,” Bradford said. “You’re a receiver. You’ve got to catch the ball.” Bradford grew up in South Central near USC but went to Stanford for the academics. “A kid like me, from the city, when I had the chance to go to Stanford, and get that education, I had to take it.” Pritchard, a red shirt sophomore, played his first college start in the game. He lobbed a perfectly placed football into the sky to Bradford for his first scoring college pass. Before the touchdown pass, Pritchard called his own play from the field because he could not hear the coach above the Coliseum crowd. Stanford’s junior defensive end Pannel Egboh had his first career blocked kick when he swatted away SC’s extra point attempt in the second quarter. This is Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh’s first season on the Farm.
Read news coverage of the Stanford victory.
