Berkeley, CA (Sports Network) - Joe Ayoob threw two touchdown passes and also ran for a score as 12th-ranked California shut out Arizona, 28-0, at Memorial Stadium. Ayoob was 14-of-20 for 137 yards with an interception for the Golden Bears (5-0, 2-0 Pac-10), who began a season with five straight wins for the first time since 1996 and extended their regular-season winning streak to 12 games. The school's last regular-season setback came on October 9, 2004 at Southern California. Marshawn Lynch contributed 107 rushing yards and a touchdown in the win. The victory also increased California's home winning streak to 10 consecutive games. In addition, the Bears extended their school-best conference winning streak to eight. Richard Kovalcheck ended 19-of-36 for 169 yards with three interceptions for the Wildcats (1-3, 0-1), who have been shut out in consecutive years against California. The Golden Bears took a 7-0 lead with 47 seconds left in the first quarter as Lynch capped an eight-play, 45-yard drive with a one-yard TD scamper. The march was set up by Tim Mixon's 27-yard punt return. "I think we came out and did incredibly well," said Mixon. California increased its advantage to 14 points as they drove 79 yards early in the second period. Justin Forsett rushed for 40 yards on the series, including a 23-yard burst, before Ayoob capped the 12-play series with a one- yard quarterback sneak on 4th-and-goal with 5:42 left in the half. In the third quarter, the Golden Bears expanded the edge to 21-0 as Ayoob culminated a six-play drive by finding a wide open Robert Jordan for a 39-yard touchdown pass. On the play, Ayoob was pressured in the backfield and was able to elude several would-be tacklers before heaving up a pass to Jordan. Arizona had a chance to get on the board in the waning minutes of the third period, but Kovalchek's fourth-down pass from the Bears four-yard line fell incomplete.
California capped the scoring with 1:51 left in the game as Ayoob hit Chris Manderino for a 10-yard score.
Game Notes
Cal's 12-game regular-season winning streak is the school's longest since winning 33 straight from November 1, 1947 to November 25, 1950...The Golden Bears' 10-game homefield winning streak is also the longest since the school won 21 straight home contests from 1948 to 1950...California is 2-0 in the Pac-10 for the first time since 1998...The 1996 team began 5-0 under head coach Steve Mariucci before ending 6-6...California's consecutive shutouts over the Wildcats marks the first time the school has blanked an opponent in two straight seasons since 1969-70 when the Bears did it against Washington State. Cal won last year's meeting with the Wildcats, 38-0...Arizona has lost three straight to the Golden Bears and trails the all-time series 12-11-2...Prior to the last two meetings, neither team had ever posted a shutout in the all-time series.
No comments:
Post a Comment