CAL SUCCESSFULLY PRESSURES QUARTERBACKS
By Jon Wilner
On the fifth play of Cal's second possession of the game, quarterback Steve Levy connected with receiver DeSean Jackson on a 56-yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked, but it mattered not at all. Cal's defense had all the points it needed. As well as Levy played, as relentless as tailback Marshawn Lynch was, the story of Cal's 27-3 victory Saturday at Stanford Stadium was the Bears' defense. It allowed one play longer than 25 yards, recorded a season-high nine sacks and yielded just 16 rushing yards -- a season-low for Stanford. Add it up, and you get one paltry Cardinal field goal. ``It all starts up front,'' said Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards, who completed 9 of 14 passes before getting knocked out of the game. ``When you continually get beat on the line, you don't put yourself in position to win.'' Using a game plan designed by coordinator Bob Gregory, Cal attained the dream double of pressuring Stanford's quarterbacks without allowing big plays. The Bears were too fast and too physical for Stanford's offensive line. Reserve linebacker Mickey Pimentel, playing in his first Big Game, had 2 1/2 sacks. End Phillip Mbakogu and tackle Brandon Mebane each had 1.5.
They were in Stanford's backfield as often as the Cardinal tailbacks. ``They were confused, and sometimes they would mess up and leave someone free,'' Pimentel said. The defensive dominance allowed Bears Coach Jeff Tedford to stay with a conservative game plan and keep Levy out of difficult situations. ``We didn't have to get out of our run game,'' Tedford said. The Bears had 43 rushing attempts -- their fourth-highest total of the season -- while Levy threw just 18 passes.
• Lynch rushed for 123 yards Saturday, putting him over the 1,000-yard mark this season. He has 1,052.
• Cal (7-4, 4-4) has finished .500 or better in conference play the past four seasons, something it hadn't accomplished since 1954.
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