The Stanford game is not the end-all of any season. Last year, the Trojans beat Stanford handily but never matched that standard of play for the rest of the season. So, just as that game was a mirage, this game could be as well.
Unfortunately, that seems unlikely. The same things that have plagued head coach Clay Helton’s teams in the past two seasons also plagued them in this game: Poor offensive line play, poor play calling, lack of urgency, allowing teams to convert on long third downs, etc. There was one bright spot; for the most part USC’s special teams played well, which certainly was not the case last season.