Daily Cal: Bears Roll Over Portland State

BY Steven Dunst

Before the game, Portland State coach Tim Walsh joked that he hoped Cal tailback Marshawn Lynch would sit the game out. He almost got his wish. Lynch sat out Thursday's practice because of a sore ankle and did not start the game.  But even though Lynch rested for most of the contest, he played long enough to seal up an easy win for the No. 21 Bears football team.  With Cal already off to a 21-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, Lynch quickly put to rest any whispers of a potential upset.  Lynch took the handoff from quarterback Nate Longshore and was quickly gobbled up by a pile, before bouncing off two would-be tacklers. He cut to the outside and saw daylight, sprinting down the sideline before stepping through a leg tackle and beating another man with a swim move. Lynch jogged into the end zone for a 71-yard, career-long touchdown, stretching the Cal lead to 28-3 with 12:47 left in the second quarter.

The Bears cruised to a 46-12 win over the Division I-AA Vikings in front of 61,082 fans at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, with the second- and third-units playing for most of the second half. "They're probably as good as advertised on offense because I think we're good on defense and they totally dismantled us," Walsh said.   Lynch finished with six carries for 112 yards even though he never stepped onto the field after halftime.  It didn't take long for Cal to get started. After a Longshore interception on the first series led to a short Portland State field goal, the Bears quickly got back on track, fueled by the passing game.  "We had to throw the ball a little bit to loosen them up," Longshore said. "There were wide open spaces. The receivers were doing a great job."

On the second series, DeSean Jackson caught a long pass off a post route and Lynch broke through for a 23-yard gain before Longshore hit tight end Cameron Morrah off a play-action fake for a three-yard touchdown.  Shortly after, another Jackson reception set up tailback Justin Forsett, who leapt over the pile at the goal line for a score.  It was then time for the defense to make a statement.  Playing his first full series after Cal defensive end Nu'u Tafisi knocked quarterback Sawyer Smith out of the game with a big hit. Backup Tygue Howland immediately became acquainted with the speed of the Bears defense.  Howland overthrew a receiver and Cal cornerback Daymeion Hughes came over the top, hauling in the interception and cutting to the outside for a 30-yard touchdown return. Hughes now has three picks on the season.

Things got no better for Howland after the interception. He injured his left knee and was out for the rest of the game after linebacker Mickey Pimentel knocked him down for a loss.   Luckily for the Bears, the only reason Longshore left the game after the half was because of the comfortable lead. Longshore completed 15-for-23 with 225 yards in two scores in his second consecutive solid outing.  "I thought Nate was sharp, he ran the offense efficiently," Tedford said.   The Bears, however, did suffer one injury. Tedford said offensive lineman Scott Smith injured his MCL and will be further evaluated.