Solomon Thomas wasn’t about to let Stanford’s lead slip away in the Pac-12 championship game. And with a little help from his friends, the Stanford defensive end ensured that it wouldn’t.

With the Cardinal clinging to a 20-16 in the waning moments of the third quarter, and with USC on the move, linebacker Blake Martinez (who was doubtful to play in the game due to a sprained ankle suffered in practice this week) sacked USC Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler and jarred the ball loose. The hit allowed Thomas to scoop and score from 34 yards out.The heady play by both defensive stalwarts sparked a huge momentum shift as Stanford extended it’s lead to 27-16 heading into the fourth quarter.

Thomas added a sack later in the fourth quarter to snuff out any hopes of a comeback by USC as the No.7 Cardinal prevailed over the No. 24 Trojans, 41-22, in Santa Clara to claim the program’s third conference championship in four years.