SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Christian McCaffrey continues to rewrite the record books, and this time his spectacular performance, which led Stanford to a 41-22 victory over USC, probably punched the Cardinal's third ticket to the Rose Bowl in four years.

McCaffrey, a sophomore running back and Heisman Trophy candidate, electrified Levi's Stadium, smashing his own program record with 461 all-purpose yards and shattering Barry Sanders' NCAA single-season mark in that category (3,250, set in 1988) along the way. To put icing on the cake, McCaffrey also threw his second touchdown pass of the season. The sum of his efforts, combined with a second-half resurgence of the Stanford pass rush, pushed the Cardinal to their third Pac-12 championship in four years.

Stanford jumped out to an early 13-0 advantage, but 16 straight USC points gave the Trojans a third-quarter lead. That's when Cardinal quarterback Kevin Hogan found his groove, hitting McCaffrey for a 67-yard gain on third down. When Blake Martinez forced a Cody Kessler sack and fumble shortly thereafter, Stanford was firmly in the driver's seat.

Christian McCaffrey finished with 207 rushing yards, 105 receiving yards, 120 kick return yards and 29 punt return yards in Stanford's win. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

What this win means for Stanford: The 11-2 Cardinal have won three of the past four Pac-12 championships, and they're almost certainly headed to their third Rose Bowl in four seasons. So David Shaw's team is again at the top of the league, and Stanford has never seen a more glorious stretch in its program's history. On the individual front, McCaffrey made a resounding closing argument for the Heisman.

What this loss means for USC: The Trojans showed resilience, especially after falling behind 13-0 and ending up on the wrong end of statistical domination in the first half. They rallied to take a 16-13 lead in the third quarter, but Stanford proved to be the Trojans' physical superior in this one. Clay Helton lost his first game as USC's permanent head coach, and the Trojans are now 8-5 ahead of bowl season following a topsy-turvy three-month journey.

Player of the game: Here's McCaffrey's final damage: 207 rushing yards, 105 receiving yards, 120 kick return yards and 29 punt return yards. That added up to 461 all-purpose yards, breaking his Stanford single-game record again on the same night that he shattered Sanders' NCAA single-season record. So yes, McCaffrey is the player of the game.

Stats of the game: Stanford finished 7-of-13 on third down without turning the ball over. USC allowed an opponent to convert more than 50 percent of its third downs only twice all season, and both of those times came against the Cardinal. Hogan, McCaffrey, and a powerful offensive line ensured that the chains kept moving at critical junctures, and this ensured a Stanford victory.