College Football: 25 most unforgettable games of the 21st century

No. 20: Stanford at USC, Oct. 6, 2007

When the Stanford Cardinal (1-3) and the No. 2 USC Trojans (4-0) took the field in 2007, the Trojans entered the game favored by 41 points.

First-year Cardinal head coach Jim Harbaugh had already dropped contests against the No. 14 UCLA Bruins, the No. 13 Oregon Ducks and the No. 23 Arizona State Sun Devils. So a loss to the No. 2 team in the country seemed likely. Plenty of unforgettable moments happen when someone’s counted out, though.

USC controlled the game for the entire first half, posting nine points after a field goal and a touchdown. However, a missed extra point would come back to haunt the Trojans, in addition to four total interceptions.

Stanford’s defense got the Cardinal on the board first, as Austin Yancy picked off John David Booty in the third quarter and returned it for a touchdown. This kept Stanford afloat while their offense figured things out.

Once the fourth quarter arrived, Stanford seemed to flip a switch. Trailing 16-7 to open the quarter and faced with a fourth-and-1 on the goal line, the Cardinal offense punched it in to cut the deficit to just two. The Trojans struck back with a 47-yard touchdown pass, but a Stanford field goal kept them in striking distance.

What’s Harbaugh known for as a coach right now? Other than his khaki pants, I’d say it’s his team’s defense. Well, it started in this game.

After a Cardinal field goal made the score 23-17 USC, Harbaugh’s defense forced an interception. 10 plays later, which felt like 30 because of all the penalties and timeouts, Stanford scored the game-tying touchdown.

After the Derek Belch PAT gave Stanford a one-point lead, all the Cardinal defense needed was one more stop. They got it, of course, four plays later on fourth-and-16.

Stanford’s victory over USC was the biggest point-spread upset of all time until surpassed in 2017. A 41-point underdog led by a first-year head coach defeated Pete Carroll and mighty No. 2 USC.