Two Stanford players are among the three Pac-12 Players of the Week, the conference announced Monday.
Running back Stepfan Taylor (offensive player of the week) and defensive end Ben Gardner (defensive player of the week) played key roles in the Cardinal's 21-14 upset of No. 2 USC Saturday in Palo Alto. Taylor, a senior, logged a career-high 213 all-purpose yards (153 rushing, 60 receiving) and two touchdowns. Those numbers included a 59-yard touchdown run and a 23-yard score on a screen pass to tie the game at 14 in the third quarter.
Gardner, a senior from Wisconsin, helped the Stanford defense hold USC to 26 total rushing yards. His six total tackles included 3.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback sack, as the Cardinal defense recorded 12.0 tackles for loss and four sacks against the Trojans.
Stanford's defense dominated USC after halftime, as the Trojans had minus-13 rushing yards and six scoreless possessions - including four three-and-outs.
California running back Brendan Bigelow was a nominee for offensive player of the week.