Daily Cal: Bears Suffer First Home Loss in Two Seasons

Cal’s Struggles Marked by Injuries, Turnovers as Bears Fail to Establish Running Game

In its first six games of the season, the Cal football team was able to bank on a stout rushing attack to churn out the majority of its offense.  In the Bears' 23-20 loss to Oregon State at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, that running game, along with Cal's 10-game home winning streak, disappeared into thin air.  Playing behind an offensive line battered by injuries, the Bears tailbacks did not feature a 100-yard rusher for the first time in 18 games.  Cal coach Jeff Tedford benched starter Marshawn Lynch-who was limited to 58 yards on 14 carries-just before halftime after Lynch fumbled twice in the first half. Backup Justin Forsett had a rough day as well, picking up 18 yards on nine carries.  Lynch, who still wears a protective cast around the little finger of his left hand, said after the game he was not upset with being held out of the lineup in the second half.  "If you put the ball on the ground twice, that's what happens," Lynch said.  With the running game stalled, the success of the Bears offense seemed to hinge on the right arm of quarterback Joe Ayoob.  But the junior did little to answer the bell.  Ayoob, despite recording a trio of touchdowns (one passing, one rushing and one receiving) was ineffective, completing only 13 of his 39 passing attempts, tossing two interceptions and losing a fumble.  Ayoob was pressured all day by a relentless Beavers pass rush, particularly on Cal's last few series, when he failed to rally the offense after Yvenson Bernard's second rushing touchdown of the game put OSU ahead 23-20 with 6:41 to play.  "We felt the whole week that if we stop Cal's run game and make Ayoob throw it we could win," Beavers linebacker Andy Darkins said.

The Bears, however, could hardly just blame Ayoob for their woes.  "We just did not execute," Tedford said. "Everybody has to look in the mirror. There were plays out there to be made and we did not make them."  Cal's ability to execute was hampered by injuries, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.  Right tackle Ryan O'Callaghan, already plagued by a broken right wrist and bad right shoulder, was sidelined in the first half by a concussion. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson sprained his right shoulder on the Bears' failed two-point conversion attempt after a four-yard scamper by Ayoob gave Cal its last lead at 20-16.

Robert Jordan, the other starting receiver, said he tore ligaments near his collarbone in the second quarter. After returning, both Jackson and Jordan were held in check by a Beavers secondary that came into the contest ranked dead last in the Pac-10 in pass defense.  "Football is a rough game, and we've had our share of injuries," Tedford said. "But that's no excuse, we need to step it up."  For a while, it looked like neither team wanted to win the game.  OSU quarterback Matt Moore led his team inside the red zone four times in the first half, but the Beavers were only able to come away with three Alexis Serna field goals. On the other trip, set up by Lynch's second fumble, Mickey Pimentel picked off Moore's pass and returned it 77 yards to set up an Ayoob-to-Jackson touchdown that made it 14-6, Cal.  Pimentel had two interceptions on the afternoon, as both teams combined for nine turnovers.  After being held to 31 rushing yards in the first half, OSU got its ground game rolling in the third quarter.  The Beavers took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove 80 yards, capped by a 31-yard touchdown run by Bernard, who notched a game-high 194 yards on 42 carries. He had 105 of those yards in the third quarter.  Bernard's productivity may have come as somewhat of a surprise to the Cal defense.  "(In previous games) they had thrown the heck out of the ball," Bears defensive coordinator Bob Gregory said. "We have to go on what we prepare for."  Cal had three opportunities to answer after Bernard's touchdown gave OSU the lead in the fourth quarter, but the offense was shaky, going three-and-out twice.  Ayoob overthrew Jordan on fourth-and-six from the Bears' 26-yard line, and Moore then took a knee to end it.  "They forced me to make throws and I didn't make all the throws," Ayoob said.

Oregon State: 23

Cal: 20