By RACHEL COHEN
SAN DIEGO – Texas A&M's porous pass defense, its downfall last year, resurfaced to haunt the Aggies Thursday night in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. The Aggies' inconsistent passing offense, which they overcame much of this season, finally cost them against No. 20 Cal. No. 21 A&M suffered its first blowout loss of 2006, ending an encouraging year with a disappointing 45-10 defeat in front of a pro-Golden Bears crowd of 62,395 at Qualcomm Stadium. "Cal played a great game, and we were not up to the task," A&M coach Dennis Franchione said. After ranking last in the nation in pass defense last season, A&M had improved to 42nd this year. The Golden Bears were 108th in the country in pass defense, but the Aggies were unable to take advantage. "It comes down to making plays when it matters, and it always seemed like we were a foot short or a penalty away," McGee said. A&M has lost its two bowls under Franchione by a combined score of 83-17.
Cal's DeSean Jackson, the nation's top punt returner, didn't have a single return yet still may have made a major impact on the game. A&M was trailing 14-10 early in the second half when it lined up to punt from its 41. Perhaps sophomore Justin Brantly, who had been very consistent this season, was distracted by the threat posed by Jackson, because he shanked it. The ball traveled zero yards, and the Golden Bears needed just four plays to score a touchdown to go up 21-10.
The score wasn't without controversy, though. On first-and-goal from the 1, Cal star running back Marshawn Lynch dived into the end zone. Officials ruled that he fumbled and A&M recovered. But replays showed Lynch crossed the goal line before losing the ball, and the call was reversed. "We've been in that situation before," Franchione said of how A&M has handled adversity well all season. "We just didn't respond tonight." On the Golden Bears' next possession, they faced fourth and more than a yard to go from the A&M 4. Cal decided to go for it, and Longshore rolled to his right and found Lavelle Hawkins for a touchdown. That gave the Golden Bears a 28-10 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter. Cal had 476 yards of total offense, 166 more than the Aggies' much-improved defense had been allowing. Lynch, the co-offensive MVP, had 20 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Backup Justin Forsett of Arlington Grace Prep had eight carries for 124 yards and a touchdown. The Aggies' win at No. 11 Texas in the regular-season finale looked like a turning point for the program, but A&M followed it by taking a step back. The physical dominance that marked that victory was absent Thursday. Franchione acknowledged that Cal "controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball to a certain extent."
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