Berkeley, CA (Sports Network) - Joe Ayoob's nine-yard touchdown pass to Lavelle Hawkins with 1:50 remaining in the game saved No. 25 California from an upset and lifted the Golden Bears to a 42-38 victory over Washington State in a Pac-10 shootout at Memorial Stadium. Ayoob finished 19-of-35 passing for 274 yards and four touchdowns for the Golden Bears (6-2, 3-2 Pac-10), who snapped a two-game losing streak after the team started the season 5-0. Marshawn Lynch rushed for 160 yards and a score, while Hawkins made eight catches for 71 yards in the win. LaReylle Cunningham also hauled in five passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. Alex Brink threw for 423 yards on 18-of-39 passing with five touchdowns for the Cougars (3-4, 0-4 Pac-10), who have now lost four games in a row. Jerome Harrison rushed for 162 yards on 26 attempts in the loss. Jason Hill had a record setting night for Washington State, as he hauled in six passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. His third touchdown reception gave him 23 for his career, setting a new school record for most receiving touchdowns in a career. Hill also now has 1,833 career receiving yards, moving him into eighth on the Cougar all-time list. California blew a 28-10 halftime lead and found itself down 38-28 with 9:52 left in the game. However, California would get back in the game with 5:19 left in the fourth quarter. Facing 4th-and-2 on the Golden Bear 38, Washington State attempted a fake punt that was stopped short. Ayoob then hit Cunningham across the middle on the second play of the ensuing drive for a 57-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass, making it a 38-35 game.
The Cougars then went three-and-out on their next possession and were forced to give the Golden Bears the ball back just across midfield after a 41-yard punt by Kyle Basler with 4:13 left in the game. After a four-yard run by Lynch, Ayoob completed a 21-yard pass to Cunningham, moving California to the Washington State 20. Lynch then rushed for seven and four yards respectively before Ayoob hit Hawkins on the nine-yard TD strike that gave California the lead back. Brink would drive Washington State down to the California 41, but the Cougar quarterback was unable to convert on 4th-and-11, sealing the win for the Golden Bears. The two teams combined for 1,149 yards of net offense, with Washington State accounting for 601 yards and California recording 548 yards. Down after halftime, Washington State scored 28 straight points to take a lead. The Cougars would score on the opening possession of the second half, cutting the Golden Bears' lead to 28-17. The eight-play, 86-yard sequence ended with a 38-yard TD pass from Brink to Hill. The Golden Bears then went three-and-out on their following possession and Brink found Hill on a 62-yard catch-and-run TD pass down the right sideline less then five minutes into the third quarter. Troy Bienemann caught the two- point conversion try, making it a 28-25 game. Cal then drove to the Cougar 12-yard line and looked poised to extend its lead. However, Chris Manderino took the handoff on 2nd-and-3 but was stripped by Omowale Dada, ending the Golden Bear threat. The turnover wasn't costly though, as the Cal defense forced Washington State to go three-and-out. Still, the Cougars would not quit and Hill's record setting touchdown catch, a 38-yard reception from Brink, put Washington State up 32-28 with 3:05 left in the third quarter. The TD play came directly following a 42-yard rush by Harrison that moved the Cougars across midfield. The previous school record for career receiving touchdowns was set by Hugh Campbell during the 1960-62 seasons. The momentum continued to swing in the Cougars direction when Ayoob's pass went in and out of his receiver's hands and was ultimately intercepted by Husain Abdullah. The turnover led to 10-play, 55-yard drive that was finished off after a 16- yard touchdown pass by Brink to Chris Jordan, giving the Cougars a 38-28 lead with 9:52 left in the game after Loren Langley's point-after kick was blocked. Abdullah ended the game with two interceptions. Washington State would score first in the game when Brink connected with Brandon Gibson on a long 66-yard touchdown strike 4:28 into the game. California responded on its next drive as Lynch capped off a nine-play, 65- yard march with a 39-yard TD run with 6:19 left in the first quarter. The drive was kept alive after Ayoob converted a 4th-and-1 with a two-yard run at the Cougar 41. After Ayoob was intercepted by Abdullah at the Cougar 14, Langley finished off the five-play, 81-yard ensuing sequence with a 22-yard field goal, giving the Cougars a 10-7 lead. The big play on the drive came when Brink completed an 80-yard pass to Hill on the first play after the turnover. Again, the Golden Bears answered. On 2nd-and-2 at the California 35, Justin Forsett broke off a 34-yard run to move California into Washington State territory. Ayoob then found David Gray two plays later for a 22-yard TD pass, putting the Golden Bears back on top, 14-10.
California would extend its lead before halftime after Brink was picked off by Greg Van Hoesen, who returned it 16 yards for the score with 2:34 remaining in the quarter. Brink was then intercepted again on the Cougars' following possession, this time by Tim Mixon, who returned the pick 38 yards to the Washington State three-yard line. Then, after Lynch rushed for a no gain, Ayoob found Manderino on the second play of the short drive for the score, staking the Golden Bears to a 28-10 lead.
Game Notes
California leads the all-time series against Washington State, 37-25-5. The teams last met in 2002, a 48-38 Cougar victory...Washington State had won four straight and six-of-seven over California...The Golden Bears won't play again until they visit Oregon on November 5...The Cougars play at No. 1 USC next week...Hill passed Brian Kelly on the all-time receiving yards list. Kelly had 1,792 career receiving yards.
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