Besides turnovers -- USC had four giveaways to Stanford's one -- another key factor in Saturday's loss was third downs.
The Trojans offense played "really sharp" according to Coach Carroll, as it converted 6-of-12 third downs.
But the USC defense, on the other hand, did just the opposite. Stanford was successful on a stunning 8 of its 11 third-down chances, including going 5-for-6 in the second half. The Cardinal's effectiveness on third downs kept drives alive, crippled any USC defensive momentum and paved the way for 55 points.
"That murdered us in this game," Carroll said of Stanford's third-down success.
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