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Stanford senior running back Stepfan Taylor was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week on Sunday, the same day the Cardinal was ranked ninth in the latest AP football poll.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation named Taylor after he led Stanford to a 21-14 victory Saturday night over then-No. 2 USC.

Taylor recorded 213 all-purpose yards (153 rushing, 60 receiving) and two touchdowns in one of the most memorable performances in his career and school history.

Twice the Cardinal trailed USC in the game, and each time Taylor answered with a game-changing play. His 59-yard touchdown run, making two defenders miss and then running away from the Trojans defense, put Stanford on the board in the first quarter.

Taylor's 23-yard catch-and-run in the final seconds of the third quarter changed the momentum of the game, taking a screen pass and slipping through four tackles into the end zone.

Of his 27 carries Saturday night, Taylor had no rushes for a loss. His 153 rushing yards tied his second-highest career game (at Arizona - Sept. 11, 2011) and trailed only his 177 yards in the 2012 Fiesta Bowl.

The last Stanford player to earn Walter Camp National Player of the Week honors was running back Toby Gerhart on Nov. 9, 2009. Last year, quarterback Andrew Luck was named the Walter Camp Player of the Year, and he joined offensive linemen David DeCastro and Jonathan Martin as Walter Camp All-Americans.

— Palo Alto Online Sports

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