Ayoob Throws Two Touchdowns in Final Five Minutes to Overcome Cougars
By BARRY KELLY
For the third time in three weeks, the Cal football players could raise their eyes to the scoreboard late in the game and see the unfriendliest of numbers glaring ominously back at them. However, the third time, as they say, is the charm. Trailing Washington State by 10 with less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter, the No. 24 Bears rallied to win, 42-38, at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak in which Cal's attempts to come from behind against Oregon State and UCLA ended with errant throws. Against the Cougars, however, Bears quarterback Joe Ayoob connected with wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins for the game-winning touchdown with 1:50 remaining.
"I think it's the best comeback we've had as long as we've been here," said Cal coach Jeff Tedford, who has yet to lose three games in a row in four years as the Bears' head man. The dramatic win makes Cal (6-2, 3-2 in the Pac-10) eligible for its third consecutive bowl game, thanks in part to Ayoob. He was perfect navigating the Bears to back-to-back fourth-quarter scoring drives, going 4-for-4 for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
"I was real proud of the last two drives he put together-he threw strikes on those balls," Tedford said. "Down the stretch in the fourth quarter, those things were on a line. Those were lasers. And the winning touchdown couldn't have been thrown any better." Ayoob did throw two interceptions, but both were tipped passes. He finished the game 19-for-35 for 274 yards and four touchdowns. Ayoob seemed to reap the benefits of the running attack. After the Beavers snapped Cal's 18-game streak of having a 100-yard rusher, the Bears' ground game returned to form against the Cougars. Starting tailback Marshawn Lynch carried the ball 25 times for 160 yards and a touchdown. Backup Justin Forsett posted a 9.2 yards per carry average, gaining 112 yards on a dozen rushes. Despite Cal's late-game offensive heroics, the biggest plays may have come from Philip Mbakogu, the Bears' defensive end. After WSU moved into Cal territory with 39 seconds left, Mbakogu sacked Cougars quarterback Alex Brink for an eight-yard loss. On fourth-and-11 with 22 seconds, Mbakogu again reached Brink, who was forced to underhand a short lob to Brandon Gibson as he was being dragged to the turf. On the Bears' subsequent possession, Ayoob took a knee to run out the clock.
Mbakogu's game-saving performance came after the Bears' defense struggled against WSU's balanced offensive attack. The Cougars (3-4, 0-4) gained 601 yards of total offense, the bulk of which game from Brink and tailback Jerome Harrison. Brink passed for 423 yards and five touchdowns-three to wide receiver Jason Hill, a junior from San Francisco who caught six passes for 240 yards in front of a hometown crowd. Harrison carried the ball 26 times for 162 yards, but Cal's defense kept him out of the end zone. The Bears also intercepted Brink twice in rapid succession late in the first half. Linebacker Greg Van Hoesen stepped in front of Brink's target on a third-and-10 throw, caught the ball in stride and returned it for a touchdown. On the Cougars' ensuing possession, cornerback Tim Mixon intercepted Brink's pass and returned it 38 yards to the WSU three-yard line. Two plays later, Ayoob rolled to his right and fired a low pass into the hands of fullback Chris Manderino, giving the Bears a 28-10 lead. "Everybody found a third gear," Mixon said. "You could tell we wanted to win this game." However, the Cougars emerged from halftime with renewed vigor, outscoring Cal 22-0 in the third quarter behind three deep touchdown passes to Hill. On WSU's second possession of the fourth quarter, Brink connected with Chris Jordan for a 16-yard touchdown. Though the point-after attempt was blocked, the Cougars led, 38-28, having scored 28 unanswered points. The turning point for the Bears seemed to come midway through the fourth quarter when WSU tried a fake punt on fourth-and-two at Cal's 38-yard line.
In a similar situation two weeks ago, the Bruins used a fake punt to help upset the Bears. Cal had only 10 men on the field, and UCLA's Jarrad Page gained 38 yards. Against the Cougars, however, the Bears stuffed Scott Davis' rush up the middle and took over on downs. "We had 11 guys on the field this time," Tedford joked. From there, Ayoob took over. He completed a five-yard pass to redshirt freshman LaReylle Cunningham on the first play following the fake punt. On the second play, Ayoob again hit Cunningham for a 57-yard touchdown. "He finally got his opportunity today and made the most of it," Tedford said of Cunningham, a walk-on who caught five passes for 112 yards as the Bears' starting receivers, DeSean Jackson and Robert Jordan, missed the game with injuries. "It takes a lot, when it looks like you're down the line to play, to stay mentally focused and prepared on game plans and the system and things like that ... I'm just real real proud of him." The dramatic win gives Cal some momentum heading into its bye week, which will give the Bears a much-needed chance to heal before facing their most difficult stretch of the year-at No. 14 Oregon and versus No. 1 USC. Ayoob said the victory is indicative of the young squad's potential. "I feel like last week against Oregon State, we had a let-down," Ayoob said. "We didn't play 100 percent 100 percent of the time. Tonight we did, and it showed."
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