Stanford football 2015: The Cardinal opens conference play with a huge win

Stanford has risen back into the AP Top 25, sneaking in at #21 after triumphing over a #6 USC Trojan team on the road.

This Cardinal team had a lot to prove walking into the Coliseum Saturday evening and they turned a lot of heads as they defeated many experts' preseason Pac-12 favorite in the USC Trojans.

The Stanford offense was clicking on all cylinders, lead by Quarterback Kevin Hogan's solid outing of 279 yards and 2 touchdowns. The breakout performer for Stanford was Remound Wright, who punched in 3 rushing touchdowns for the Cardinal offense. Christian McCaffrey lead the way for the Cardinal running game, rushing for 115 yards.

The win could not have come at a better time for Stanford as they begin Pac-12 play 1-0 with a very solid win over perennial powerhouse USC.

The lone loss on the year of year for Stanford against then unranked Northwestern is the only blemish this Cardinal team has on their resume, but with Northwestern undefeated and moving up to #17, Stanford is in pretty good shape entering the main stretch of the season.

Stanford looks to continue their success in Pac-12 conference play, as they take on Oregon State next week in what appears to be a very winnable game. This Cardinal team cannot get too comfortable however, with showdowns against #16 Arizona and #9 UCLA looming in the upcoming month.

As the season begins to play out, the Pac-12 is beginning to shape up and Stanford has made it clear they are still very much a part of the picture.