Daily Republic: Cunningham enjoys hero's role at Cal

By Corey Lewis

BERKELEY - Welcome, La'Reyelle Cunningham, to Cal football. Like most freshman walk-on football players at NCAA Division I schools, Cunningham, a 2003 Vanden High grad, hasn't played much this season. He'd seen game action at the University of California, Berkeley sparingly, but only in three wide receiver sets as the third option the last couple of weeks. Unlike most freshman walk-on players, however, Cunningham's first catch of his college career was a game-breaker. After the team watched a 28-10 halftime lead evaporate into a 38-28 deficit with less than nine minutes left in the game Saturday against Washington State University, Cal quarterback Joe Ayoob hit Cunningham for a quick-strike, 57-yard touchdown to cut Washington State's lead to three and shift momentum squarely into the Bears' corner.  It was Cunningham's first catch and first touchdown of his college career. In fact it was the first time the ball had been thrown his way outside of practice. “It just felt great,” Cunningham said the day after the game. “It's hard to describe. I just set the ball down and ran to the sidelines. I was screaming the whole way, though.”

That wasn't it for the freshman, who redshirted last season. Cunningham finished with five catches for 112 yards, including a 21-yard grab with a little more than two minutes left in the game that set up Ayoob's game-winning, 9-yard strike to Lavelle Hawkins that put the Bears ahead 42-38.

“I've been talking to everybody today - my family, my friends,” Cunningham said, adding that his mom was in the stands at the game. “Everyone's been real supportive, but they've been behind me the whole way.” On a radio post-game show, Hawkins told an interviewer that he was nervous when the play was called before Cal's his game winning catch. When told about that, Cunningham laughed and said his instincts - not nerves - took over when he saw the ball coming his way. “It was all just natural reactions,” he said. “I got my hands up there, grabbed it, held on to it and ran for the end zone. It's just natural for me. “I was excited,” he added. “I wanted to get back in the game and score again.” Though he's not on scholarship, Cunningham said he wasn't concerned with that, saying only, “I hope so,” when asked if he thinks his playing time will pick up. Injuries have helped earn him playing time for now. He said he was happy just picking up his team and his teammates and isn't worried about the future. “Whatever I can do, I'll do it,” he said. “My number was called and I took advantage of it. That's all I can do and that's what I'll keep doing.”

 

Oakland Tribune: Walk-on helped Cal walk off with victory

By Dave Newhouse, STAFF WRITER 

BERKELEY — Sometimes it takes a walk-on, and a slow-footed one at that, to show the scholarship players the way.  That was the case at Cal on Saturday night when LaReylle Cunningham, a redshirt freshman and a non-scholarship wide receiver, ignited the Golden Bears' 42-38 victory over Washington State.  "Out of all our receivers, I'm probably the slowest one," Cunningham said Monday.  He was fast enough on a 57-yard touchdown reception from Joe Ayoob that cut the Cougars' lead to 38-35 with 5:19 remaining. Ayoob's 9-yard strike to Lavelle Hawkins then won it for Cal with 1:50 left.  Cunningham finished with five catches for 112 yards and the one score.  "What makes a good receiver is a smart receiver," Cunningham said. "Know your defensive back. Know when to get him to turn his hips, know when to accelerate, know how to catch the ball."  Until Saturday, Cunningham hadn't caught a pass at Cal.  "Being a walk-on, I knew I was going to wait my turn, and (he had) to show the coaches in practice what I could do," he said. "I was holding tight, waiting for an opportunity like this to come. And it came."  He contends he wasn't even nervous before his big chance.  "I've been playing football all my life. This comes natural to me. I was just out there doing what I do," he said. "My mom (Adrienne Cunningham) always told me just to be patient, that my time would come. My mom's my best friend, so I just listen to her, and things happen."  So why did the 6-2, 190-pound Cunningham walk on at Cal?  Well, he didn't receive one scholarship offer while at Vanden High School in Fairfield. Part of it was his playing in only five games as a senior because of an ankle injury. The other part was his speed.

Cal receivers coach Eric Kiesau said Cunningham runs a 4.8, 4.9 40-yard dash. Most linebackers are faster. Some linemen are just as fast. "The most important thing is separation," Kiesau said. "I told LaReylle a ton of times, 'You don't have to be the fastest guy to be the best receiver.' Even Jerry Rice, the best ever, isn't a burner. Guys who separate from the DB, and have body control, are the best receivers."  Some receivers become faster when someone's chasing them.  "LaReylle finds a way to cover the ground," said Vanden athletic director Kevin Luckey. "Saturday night, I was going 'wow.' He had a chance to show what he could do. Being a walk-on isn't an easy thing.  "What stands out about LaReylle is he's a balanced human being. He's always been personable, respectful, and a good citizen. He always says 'hi' with a smile. He's interested in what I'm doing. He's mature."  Cunningham played football and basketball at Vanden. His football position coach, LeVon Haynes, now is Vanden's head coach. "He's not the fastest kid, but he has great hands, and he's a big-play receiver," Haynes said. "I wasn't surprised Saturday. I've always thought he could do this. He has great character. I'm proud of him."  Cunningham played Saturday because starting wideouts Robert Jordan and DeSean Jackson were sidelined with injuries. So is he now part of Cal's receiving mix?  "Good people do it once, great people do it twice, and excellent people do it all the time," Cunningham said. "Whenever the coaches need me, I'll be there."  "The reason LaReylle did well Saturday was because of the way he prepared himself all last year," Kiesau said. "He was as detailed as the starters. He primed himself perfect."

Marin Independent Journal:Bloggerbacks need to back off Ayoob

Dave Albee 

BERKELEY

JOE AYOOB had an answer for his critics last night: Blog this. Cal's junior quarterback out of Terra Linda High threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to rally the Bears from a 10-point deficit to a wild 42-38 win over Washington State. But that's only part of the story. Consider what he had to overcome. He was the Cinderella Man in blue and gold. Ayoob was missing his two best play-making receivers - Robert Jordan and freshman DeSean Jackson. At one point in the third quarter, the Bears were down to two healthy wide receivers: sophomore Sam DeSa and walk-on LaReylle Cunningham who, coming into this season, had one catch between them at Cal. In addition, the Bears played again without their best offensive lineman, Ryan O'Callaghan. Cal is using backups at both tackle positions on offense, which may explain why the pocket is collapsing too often around Ayoob. And, as if there's already not enough pressure on Ayoob, Cal's pass defense last night was horrendous. It gave up 22 unanswered points in the third quarter, blowing an 18-point Bears halftime lead. Nevertheless, Ayoob delivered Cal's most impressive win of the season. The Bears, with their sixth victory, became bowl eligible and it's a good thing. Their remaining three games are against three of the top four teams in the Pac-10 standings - USC, Oregon and ... Stanford? Ayoob completed 19 of 35 passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns. He was intercepted twice - but both were off the hands of his own players. He left the field through a tunnel toward the Bears locker room with his head held high and a smile on his face. He felt vindicated.

After Ayoob completed only 13-of-39 passes and had two passes intercepted the fourth quarter in an upset loss to Oregon State at Memorial Stadium last Saturday, Ayoob became the easy target of Cal critics and we're not just talking about the well-chronicled man and woman in their "40s and 50s" who screamed at Ayoob as he left the field. Those were his parents. Just kidding.  Mr. And Mrs. Leatherlungs, who dropped a F-bomb and a choke sign on the 21-year-old Cal quarterback, have never been identified for such a sickening, cowardly act directed at an amateur athlete, which begs this question: Where's Geraldo Rivera when you really need him? The strong criticism of Ayoob didn't stop there, however. Bears faultfinders had a field day on the Internet. Call them Monday Morning Bloggerbacks. "Worst quarterback I have seen play for Cal in 15 years," wrote one guy, who apparently conveniently forgot about Justin Vedder. "Folded like a bad hand of poker," wrote another blogger.

"Stinkbomb," wrote yet another. Then somebody with a computer and no life launched a campaign on the Internet to get Cal coach Jeff Tedford to bench Ayoob. For who? For what? During the week, Tedford launched a campaign of his own - Operation: Reassure Ayoob. The Bears coach handed his junior quarterback dozens of e-mails from Cal fans that offered support for Ayoob. Tedford also designated Ayoob as one of Cal's four game-day captains last night. Aye, aye Ayoob. What needs to be understood and remembered is Ayoob is learning on the fly. Tedford recruited him as a gun-slinging quarterback out of City College of San Francisco, which runs an Urban Meyer Utah-style offense with four and five wide-receiver sets. Ayoob had the freedom to make plays with his arm and legs at CCSF. Now it appears Tedford, for the time being, is trying to turn Ayoob into a modern-day Trent Dilfer. You know: Here's the ball. Don't make any mistakes. Don't blow it. Ayoob is quarterbacking a Cal offense that usually runs out of the I-formation and lately has been running on spare tires. So Tedford tried playing conservatively on offense, calling short, quick, high-percentage, confidence-building pass plays for Ayoob, waiting for the right moment to take a chance with him. That came on a second-and-1 play the WSU 22-yard line late in the first quarter. Ayoob unleashed a perfectly thrown pass to tight end David Gray in the left corner of the south endzone as Cal took the lead for the first time in the game. Officially, Ayoob's only statistical blemish in the first half was a first-quarter interception. The particular slant pass was a tad behind Gray into tight coverage and the ball deflected off Gray's hands. However, following the interception, Ayoob completed his next six passes for 93 yards and a touchdown and eight of his next nine for 126 yards.

 

Contra Costa Times: Cal is riding high after momentum-changing win

By Jay Heater

CONTRA COSTA TIMES

BERKELEY - As the final seconds ticked away in Cal's 42-38 victory over Washington State on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, the emotion poured out of Bears' coach Jeff Tedford as if his team had just won a bowl game. In many ways for Tedford, the comeback victory was even better than a bowl win. "The momentum was on a huge slide going the other way," Tedford said of Washington State's 28 unanswered points that gave the Cougars a 38-28 lead early in the fourth quarter. "It would have been very easy for a team without character to fold it in. You don't get that with these guys." Tedford said all week before the Washington State game that his team, now 6-2 overall and 3-2 in Pac-10 play, had to stick together and support each other to get through some tough times. The Bears had lost two consecutive close games and had suffered an inordinate amount of injuries to key players. They went against the Cougars without their top two wide receivers, who were both injured the Saturday before against Oregon State, without all-conference offensive tackle Ryan O'Callaghan (concussion) and without much hope of challenging for a conference title. Complicating matters were that the Bears' vaunted running game dried up against Oregon State and Cal quarterback Joe Ayoob was being harassed by the team's own fans. Scoring two touchdowns late to beat Washington State was all about character. "That was probably our biggest comeback win since I've been here," Tedford said.

Some very good things happened to Cal on Saturday night:

• Ayoob, after throwing his second interception of the game in the fourth quarter to set up a Washington State touchdown drive, led the Bears on two late scoring drives and went 4-for-4 in the process with two touchdown passes.

• The running game woke up, with Marshawn Lynch rushing for 160 yards and Justin Forsett running for 111. Cal rushed for 274 yards as a team.

• Cal suffered just one injury, a concussion to free safety Harrison Smith. With a bye this weekend, Smith will have plenty of time to heal, and he should return in two weeks along with O'Callaghan and wide receivers Robert Jordan (collarbone) and DeSean Jackson (shoulder).

• The Bears are now bowl eligible with their sixth victory, and each additional win in their final three games will help them climb the bowl ladder.

• When Washington State, which led by 10 points, attempted a fake punt in the fourth quarter, Cal's beleaguered special teams made the stop, turning the ball over to the offense. Cal backup wide receiver LaReylle Cunningham caught a 57-yard touchdown pass two plays later.

Tedford was proud of the way Ayoob (19-of-35 for 274 yards and four touchdowns) bounced back after an ugly effort against Oregon State. "Joe threw the ball with authority," Tedford said. "It was great to see. His throws in the fourth quarter were on a line. They were lasers."

Ayoob also bought himself time in the second quarter before dumping off a 4-yard touchdown pass to fullback Chris Manderino, who appeared to be covered on the play. "I held my breath on that one," Tedford said. "That could have gone either way." Cal could have gone either way in the fourth quarter. "This game gives us reason to believe," Tedford said. "It re-emphasizes the power of staying together and working hard in practice." Cal cornerback Tim Mixon said it was a game of perseverance. "You could tell we wanted to win," he said. "Everyone found a third gear in the fourth quarter."

Oregon Guard: With Clemens' career over, the future is now

By Bob Clark

The Register-Guard

It's going to be the same offense, Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said Sunday, simply a different Duck calling the plays in the huddle and taking the snap from center.  Out of the shotgun, too, just as Kellen Clemens did as the starter for the first eight games of this season. Now, the starter becomes sophomore Dennis Dixon with the official determination Sunday that Clemens does have a broken fibula in his left leg, and damage to ankle ligaments. Clemens will undergo surgery today at Sacred Heart Medical Center, and the rehabilitation process is expected to take a minimum of three months. Clemens suffered the injury in the third quarter of Saturday night's win at Arizona when he was tackled on a passing attempt, and while there was a strong suspicion the injury included a broken bone, that determination wasn't finalized until X-rays were taken Sunday morning after the team returned to Eugene.  "Right now, I'm just kind of enjoying Sunday with my wife, watching a couple of movies," Clemens said Sunday evening.  Clemens said he was told to expect a "full recovery" from the injury, though "from what the doctors say, it's going to be a little bit of a process getting back" to full speed physically. The time needed for rehabilitation is obviously going to delay, if not prohibit, winter workouts for professional scouts.  "I want to play football again," Clemens said. "I'm not able to do it wearing a Duck uniform anymore, but I want to keep that dream alive."  Bellotti compared the Clemens injury to one suffered by Reuben Droughns during his junior season of 1998 at Oregon. Droughns returned to play as a senior and rushed for 1,234 yards and continues to play in the NFL.  "It's just going to take time," Bellotti said of the recovery for Clemens.  Clemens said he would be in the hospital overnight, but by Wednesday he plans to "crutch around to a couple of classes" and start attending practices as soon as he's allowed and can manage being on the field to assist in the transition of roles for his backups, Dixon and fellow sophomore Brady Leaf.

"There are a lot of things I've learned running this offense that I think I can pass on to those guys," Clemens said. "I'll continue to do everything I can to help this team win, in a different role now but with the same mentality."  The senior from Burns concludes his UO career near the top of nearly every UO statistical category for quarterbacks. He is the school record-holder for completion percentage at .609, and his 61 touchdown passes are one shy of the UO record held by Danny O'Neil.  Through the eight games in which he played, Clemens leads the Pac-10 and ranks fifth in the nation in total offense (329.3 yards) and was one of seven finalists announced last week for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, presented annually to the nation's top senior quarterback.  The game at Arizona was the 32nd consecutive start for Clemens, with only four quarterbacks in the nation currently holding longer streaks as the starter of their teams.  Bellotti lamented the loss of "arguably your best player. Kellen has been the glue, the igniter for that offense."  With no game scheduled until Nov. 5, the Ducks do have extra time to work with Dixon and Leaf, and make a decision on a third quarterback. The only other players listed as quarterbacks on the UO roster are a pair of freshman walk-ons, Kyle Bennett from Parkrose High School in Portland and South Eugene graduate Brett McLennan.  McLennan, however, is ineligible to play this season, Bellotti said Sunday. McLennan signed with Sacramento State last winter as a senior at South Eugene.  The emphasis for this short week of practices, with the Ducks working out today through Thursday before a weekend break, will be on getting Dixon and Leaf more time with the No. 1 offense.  "They'll improve a lot," Clemens said. "It works out really well that we have a bye this week. They'll have two weeks to get more reps (with the starting unit) than ever before."

Bellotti said the practice time with the starting unit would be divided with about 70 percent for Dixon and the other 30 percent with Leaf.  Dixon suffered a concussion on his only series after replacing Clemens on Saturday night, but was cleared in testing Sunday to practice today. He didn't attempt a pass against Arizona, and is 15-of-20 for 130 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown in the seven games in which he's played. Dixon ran once for a loss of a yard against Arizona, and has 17 rushes for 66 yards and a touchdown this season.  Leaf was 5-of-10 for 53 yards with an interception against Arizona, making him 8-of-17 this season.  Bellotti said Oregon will continue to use the spread offense, regardless of who is in the game instead of Clemens.  "I don't think we'll be scaled back," the coach said. "It'll change somewhat, to reflect (the quarterback) and what he does."

OREGON UPDATE

One for the book: By blocking a punt in the third quarter against Arizona, UO defensive tackle Haloti Ngata now has seven blocks in his career of punts, field goals or extra points. That's believed to at least be a modern record for the Ducks, with former UO safety Keith Lewis credited with six blocked kicks in his career and research by the UO media services office finding no player with more than that.

Up in the polls: The Ducks moved up to 14th in the nation in both The Associated Press voting by the media and the USA Today voting by coaches. The Bowl Championship Series rankings, to be released today, listed Oregon 13th last week.

Awaiting a decision: A game time for the Nov. 5 game against California should be announced today, if television networks make their selections for games. There is the option for networks to use a "six-day" selection, and wait until next Sunday to select games for telecast on Nov. 5.

Next game: Nov. 5 at Autzen Stadium against California, with the game time to be finalized. TV: Also to be announced.

 

Oregon Daily: Ducks overcome Clemens' injury

The senior’s college career is most likely over after fracturing his ankle in the third quarter

By Luke Andrews

Sports Reporter

With offense struggling, it was a hungry defense and special teams that allowed No. 15 Oregon (7-1 overall, 4-1 conference) to hang on to a 28-21 win over Arizona (1-6, 0-4) Saturday — their fourth straight victory of the season and seventh straight against the Wildcats. But the win came with a price. Senior quarterback Kellen Clemens, a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, injured his ankle after being sacked in the third quarter by Arizona’s Copeland Bryan. With the game tied at 21 early in the fourth quarter, linebacker Brent Haberly recovered a Mike Bell fumble and returned it 34 yards for the go-ahead touchdown to put the Ducks in front for good. “The hole opened up and I was going to come through and put one on (Bell), and then I saw (the ball) bounce up and my eyes lit up and I grabbed it and saw the quarterback out of the corner of my eye and knew I had to make him miss,” Haberly said. Strong safety Anthony Trucks then caused another Bell fumble and linebacker Blair Phillips recovered the ball to halt Arizona’s final scoring threat and allow Oregon to run out the clock.

X-rays Sunday morning confirmed Clemens had a fractured left ankle, and he was scheduled to undergo surgery this morning. Full recovery is expected to take three to six months. He is not expected to be back for a bowl game. The injury comes one week after Clemens set the Autzen Stadium record with 36 completions against Washington. The Burns native set a school record for career completion percentage (60.9 percent) and also sits second all-time on Oregon’s touchdown passes list with 61, one behind Danny O’Neil. “Obviously, Kellen’s loss is tremendous to us because I think he’s playing as good as anyone in the nation,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said. “Certainly, there’s nobody more valuable to their team.” Second-string quarterback Dennis Dixon was also sidelined after suffering a concussion in the third quarter, one possession after Clemens was hurt. According to Bellotti, Dixon most likely will be the starter when the Ducks play California following their bye next week. “Dennis and Brady (Leaf) need to be ready to step up and get this thing done,” Bellotti said. “We have playmakers, we just have to distribute the football the same way we’ve done. I’ve got a lot of confidence in our offense.” The Duck offense racked up 307 total yards against Arizona, but much of the offensive production (164 yards) came in the first quarter — a quarter that saw Oregon jump out to a 21-0 lead. Oregon struck first with a 54-yard catch and run by wideout Cameron Colvin before Justin Phinisee’s 69-yard punt return for a score put the Ducks ahead 14-0. Demetrius Williams’ 57-yard reception from Clemens set up a four-yard touchdown run by freshman Jonathan Stewart, his fifth touchdown of the season, lifting Oregon to a three-touchdown advantage early. But Stewart’s run would be the last offensive touchdown for the Ducks as Arizona made a surge in the second and third quarters behind the debut of highly touted freshman quarterback Willie Tuitama and the play of Bell, a veteran running back. Tuitama took over for sophomore quarterback Richard Kovalcheck after Arizona’s second possession. Kovalcheck, who also made his debut against Oregon last season, has struggled this season and was benched after throwing his 11th interception of the season in the first quarter. Tuitama sparked life in the Arizona offense. The Stockton, Calif., native threw his first touchdown pass, a 12-yard strike to tight end Travis Bell, to cut Oregon’s lead to 21-7. Mike Bell then rushed through the middle of the Oregon defense for a 50-yard touchdown, his longest of the year, making the score 21-14 at the half. Arizona completed the comeback when Tuitama hit fellow freshman Mike Thomas for a 17-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to tie the game at 21. Tuitama finished the game by completing 18-of-34 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns, while Bell ran for a season-high 158 yards on 20 carries. However, both offenses went cold in the fourth quarter. Following Bell’s late fumble, sophomore third-string quarterback Brady Leaf completed a crucial 10-yard pass to Williams and a 17-yard shuffle pass to Terrence Whitehead for key first downs, enabling Oregon to run out the clock. Leaf finished 5 of 10 for 53 yards and was intercepted once. “That was a great example of heart, courage and belief,” Bellotti said. The Ducks now enter a bye week before hosting former Oregon offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford and the California Bears in two weeks

Seattle Times: Aggressive strategy backfires for Doba, Cougars

By Craig Smith

Seattle Times staff reporter

Washington State played to win rather than protect a lead in the fourth quarter Saturday night, and the result was the same — another deflating loss. "I wanted to be aggressive and stay after them," coach Bill Doba said yesterday, one day after the 42-38 defeat at California. 

The play that best exemplified the aggressive approach fizzled. On fourth-and-two on the Cal 38 with just over six minutes left and WSU leading 38-28, the Cougars tried a fake punt. Upback Scott Davis, a WSU linebacker who was a star running back in high school, moved over center and after waiting the required one second, took the snap. He got stuffed. "Those linebackers came flying in there as soon as he walked up under center," Doba said. "It was a very alert play on their part. ... They came flying in there like gangbusters. We thought there would be two guys and there were four." Two plays later, Cal quarterback Joe Ayoob threw to freshman LeReylle Cunningham and safety Husain Abdullah was caught out of position. The result was a 57-yard touchdown. The Cougars were three-and-out on their next possession and Cal drove 45 yards on five plays to win the game on a 9-yard pass from Ayoob to Lavelle Hawkins with 1:50 left. It was the fourth straight loss for the Cougars (3-4, 0-4), who are 0 for 8 in October the past two seasons. In three of the four losses this month, the Cougars have blown fourth-quarter leads. It will stun the nation if they have a fourth-quarter lead this Saturday because they play at No. 1 USC. The Cougars will be without receiver/punt returner Michael Bumpus, who suffered a high ankle sprain at Cal. Trandon Harvey is likely to replace him as punt returner.  

Starting cornerback Wally Dada (groin) is questionable. If Dada can't play, Abdullah may move to cornerback and DeWayne Patterson would start at free safety. In Berkeley, Doba stomped his foot on a chair in frustration before taking the final steps to talk to reporters after the game Saturday night. He was uncharacteristically snappish in the postgame interview, saying, "I don't have the answers" and, "You keep asking me the same thing every week — what we've got to do in the fourth quarter." Yesterday, he said, "I just felt so bad for our players. These seniors have worked so hard. To walk in that locker room, that's tough. Then to have to walk right out of there and face the media. A couple guys [reporters] were smiling. I didn't feel like smiling. [They ask], 'Well, what do you think about this?' with a big grin on their face." Doba said yesterday he is seeing similarities between this season and 2000, when the Cougars lost three overtime games then rebounded to win 10 games in 2001. "We have to teach our kids how to win," he said. Doba said he told the team yesterday to "stay the course" because there were "some positive things" from the Cal game. "We played better," he said. "We came back. We scored 28 straight points. We had just two penalties." Doba told the Cougars that playing USC was "a great opportunity." He told the media, "I don't think they [the Trojans] are going to be worrying too much about the Cougs."  The Cougars are 30-point underdogs.

 

SF Chronicle: In Pac-10, quarterbacks are the difference-makers

Jake Curtis

As dazzling as Reggie Bush, Maurice Drew and Marshawn Lynch are, quarterback play determines wins and losses in the Pac-10. The four teams still contending for the Pac-10 title have one major thing in common: USC, UCLA, Oregon and Stanford all have a quarterback in his third season as a starter. None of the other six teams does.  That's why the broken ankle that put Oregon quarterback Kellen Clemens out the rest of the season is so detrimental to the Ducks, and so fortuitous for Cal, which plays Oregon in both teams' next game Nov. 5.  The Pac-10's many big-play backs make life easier for their quarterbacks, but ultimately the guy taking the snap is the difference.  Washington State's Jerome Harrison, the nation's No. 2 rusher, has averaged 191 yards on the ground in WSU's four conference games, and the Cougars have lost all four. Twice this season, Cal's Lynch and Justin Forsett have rushed for more than 100 yards apiece in the same game, and the Bears would have lost both if quarterback Joe Ayoob hadn't sprung to life in the closing moments against Washington State. Lynch and Forsett each broke the century mark in the loss to UCLA. Then, on Saturday night, even though Lynch (who finished with 160 yards) and Forsett (111) both gained a good chunk of their yardage after halftime, Washington State turned a 28-10 halftime deficit into 10-point fourth-quarter lead when Ayoob completed only one of his first 11 second-half passes. Ayoob transformed himself from goat to hero by completing his last five passes, including all four on the two scoring drives in the final six minutes that provided Cal with a 42-38 win that made the Bears bowl eligible.

Experienced quarterbacks make fewer mistakes and seldom miss opportunities. The quarterbacks -- Clemens, USC's Matt Leinart, UCLA's Drew Olson and Stanford's Trent Edwards -- for the four teams atop the standings all have a touchdown-to-interception ratio of better than 3-to-1. None of the conference's other quarterbacks comes close to that, and that includes Arizona State and Cal, which were expected to be USC's toughest challengers despite using quarterbacks in their first full season as starters.  Olson's 21 touchdown passes against three picks gives him a TD-interception difference of plus-18, tied for the best in the nation. Still, it's only slightly better than Clemens' 19 and 4. Edwards has thrown two interceptions this season, none during the Cardinal's three-game winning streak. It's no coincidence Stanford's record is 8-5 over the past two seasons when Edwards starts and plays most of the game and 0-4 when he doesn't.  We're hooked on quarterbacks for this week's four R's:

Relief effort: Dennis Dixon, a sophomore from San Leandro High School, has been named Oregon's starting quarterback against Cal. It means half the Pac-10 teams are starting quarterbacks from the Bay Area, and it also means some anxiety for the Ducks. Clemens, who will have surgery today after Sunday's X-rays confirmed his ankle was broken, had made 32 consecutive starts. Dixon has not started a college game, and despite sustaining a mild concussion Saturday, he's expected to make his first start against Cal.

Relief effort II: Georgia quarterback D.J. Shockley (knee) is not expected to play Saturday against Florida, which means the Bulldogs' national title hopes will rest with Joe Terenski III, a junior who got more playing time the past two seasons as a long snapper for punts than he did as a quarterback.

Running man: After trying to rein in quarterback Brad Smith last season, with dreadful results, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel is letting Smith, now a senior, loose again. It paid big dividends on Saturday against Nebraska, which ranked first nationally in rushing defense before Smith became the sixth player in history to rush for more than 200 yards and pass for more than 200 yards in the same game. After rushing for more than 1,000 yards his first two seasons, Smith dipped to 553 yards last season, when Missouri was 5-6. He's the eighth-leading rusher in the nation, at 123.6 yards a game, while completing 64.6 percent of his passes for the Tigers, who are 5-2 and could win the Big 12 North.

Rating: If voting were held today, Olson might deserve to be the All-Pac-10 quarterback instead of Leinart, even though Leinart remains a prime Heisman contender. Olson is ranked fifth nationally in passing efficiency, two spots ahead of Leinart, whose 16-to-5 TD-to-interception ratio is not as good as Olson's 21-to-3. Both head up unbeaten teams, and Olson has led the Bruins to three fourth-quarter comeback victories with less offensive help than Leinart has.

Daily Cal:

When Bears Show Resolve, So Should Fans

By BRIAN BAINUM

I saw them splashed throughout Memorial Stadium in the middle of the fourth quarter. They were fans, shifting uncomfortably in their seats for a second, before backing up the steps and hitting the exits. And at that point, I didn't really blame the Cal faithful for wanting to bail. The Bears' offense, along with the frigid autumn night, had grown colder and colder as the evening wore on. Wazzu's Jason Hill had spent the third quarter-which seemed like it lasted two and a half hours-making posters out of Tim Mixon and Daymeion Hughes. The budding reputation of the Cal program seemed to be hanging in the balance. Three straight losses? Never happened in Jeff Tedford's four-year stint at the helm. Yet as David Lonie and the rest of the punting unit trotted onto the field with 8:03 to play and the Bears trailing the Cougars by 10, the writing seemed to be on the wall. Boos and murmurs of malcontent were heard, and I prepared to use this space to criticize Tedford's decision to punt the ball on fourth-and-one.  After all, Cal's offense had not shown the ability to come from behind. In the past two weeks, would-be game-winning drives were halted before they even started. Joe Ayoob threw an interception on the second-play of the last drive against UCLA, and he overthrew Lavelle Hawkins on fourth down against Oregon State. In both cases, the Bears did not even move the ball into their opponents territory.  There was little reason to believe Saturday night would yield a more successful outcome for Cal.  But the Bears showed resolve, intensity, patience and most importantly, an ability to finish strong in a tight contest.  For example, after thwarting a fake-punt attempt, Ayoob and the rest of the offense took the field with only 6:08 left. The first play of that drive was a meager five-yard gain on a pass play from Ayoob to LaReylle Cunningham. After the completion, the Bears deliberately huddled up, as the clock continued to tick.  It turns out, it was good not to rush things. Ayoob blocked out the pass rush, focused his eyes down field, and found a streaking Cunningham for a 57-yard touchdown on the next play.  From there, the defense picked up the slack.  "You could see it in everyone's eyes," Mixon said. "We were not going to let this one get away."  Just how important the victory is, however, will be discovered in the next month. Cal has two tough games at No. 14 Oregon and home against No. 1 USC.

But the Bears now have won a game where they did not dominate the statistics.  They were out-gained by 53 yards, Cougars quarterback Alex Brink tossed five touchdowns, three to Hill, whose performance gave him the most touchdowns of any player in school history. WSU running back Jerome Harrison notched more yards on the ground than Cal's Marshawn Lynch.  But in the end, stats do not matter. Wins do.  Remember how the Bears gained more yards than UCLA this year and USC last year? Those games, like all losses, are known for the plays that were not made rather than the plays that were.  Nobody brings up Lynch's touchdown toss to Ayoob against the Beavers because of his two costly fumbles.

The stat sheet may be in the opposing team's favor in two weeks in Eugene, Ore., or in three weeks when the Trojans invade Strawberry Canyon.

But if the Bears bring the same refuse-to-lose attitude, fans may have reason to stick around in the fourth quarter.

Daily Cal: This Time, Cal Completes Fourth-Quarter Rally

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."

Daily Cal: Walk-On Shines in Place of Injured Receivers

The last time the Cal football team had to deal with a rash of injuries at the wide receiver position, the offense sputtered and the points failed to pile up in the second half of the 2004 season.  Saturday night, however, was a different story. With starting wideouts DeSean Jackson and Robert Jordan sidelined and slot receiver Lavelle Hawkins hobbling throughout the contest, the Bears still found enough ammunition in the vertical passing game to squeak out a 42-38 win over Washington State. Combined, Jackson and Jordan have caught 53 passes this season for 772 yards and eight touchdowns. With those two out Saturday, Cal coach Jeff Tedford looked to other players on the depth chart to keep the pace Jackson and Jordan had established. LaReylle Cunningham, a walk-on from Vanden High School in Travis Air Force Base, made the most of this opportunity.

Putting his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame to use, Cunningham showed off the breakaway speed and precise route-running that turned heads during spring ball. The redshirt freshman was very impressive Saturday, hauling in five catches for 112 yards and a touchdown. Cunningham’s biggest contribution came with 5:19 left in the fourth quarter when he beat the Cougars secondary on a 57-yard catch-and-run touchdown that sparked the Bears’ late comeback. “I ran my route, got inside the corner, saw the ball, caught it, and made sure I wasn’t going to get stopped,” Cunningham said of his score. “It feels so good to get out there. It’s just a relief because I’ve been waiting for this moment.” Although Cunningham’s performance Saturday seemingly came out of nowhere—he had played less than 10 snaps in his career before Saturday—it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. Since Tedford has been at the helm of the Cal program, fans have seen numerous walk-on players contribute to the team. At wide receivers specifically, past alumni such as Vincent Strang and Burl Toler made significant impacts during their careers. Now, Cunningham can add his name to that list.

 

Oakland Tribune: Ayoob shows Cal fans why Tedford likes him

QB at his best in leading Bears to rare rally to beat Washington St.

By Dave Newhouse, STAFF WRITER 

BERKELEY — Jeff Tedford has done an amazing resurrection at Cal, inheriting a 1-10 team and elevating it to No.4 in the nation in 21/2 years.

But it took 46 games under Tedford's coaching for Cal to pull out a last-gasp win, Saturday night's 42-38 thriller over Washington State.  "We needed a win like that," said Tedford as he left Memorial Stadium after his team's emotional comeback gut check. Cal needed a win like that for several reasons. For starters, Cal usually is the victim of such late rallies, having lost four times that way, including once in overtime, in 2002, and then against UCLA two weeks ago. But Saturday's win showed the Bears that in spite of growing injuries and a highly suspect pass defense, and with a reputable bowl bid still a possibility, they finally demonstrated a never-say-die attitude. Cal tied the perfect ribbon around the whole evening when the embattled Joe Ayoob threw two touchdown passes in the last five minutes, including the 9-yard game-winner to Lavelle Hawkins with 1:50 left.

"Joe played very well," said Tedford. "The two interceptions that we had were tipped balls. But for him to hang in there and keep throwing strikes down the stretch, I'm real proud of the last few drives he put together." Tedford had encouraged Ayoob, the target of Old Blues' discontent, to be himself. That meant to play loose, don't be discouraged, and let the ball rip. Ayoob re-emerged as that quarterback Saturday. "He threw strikes on all those balls," Tedford said of Ayoob's fourth-quarter theatrics. "He is an unbelievable competitor, so mentally tough and physically tough." Ayoob's numbers: 19 of 35 for 274 yards and four touchdowns. Those numbers could have been better, but he had several passes dropped.

"Washington State had a good second half, but we made the big play at the end," said Ayoob. "This is my first time for an exciting win like this (at Cal). LaReylle (Cunningham) really stepped up for the receivers today." Cunningham is a walk-on redshirt freshman from Fairfield. He hadn't caught a pass at Cal until facing Wazzu. With starting wideouts Robert Jordan and DeSean Jackson idled because of injuries, Cunningham had five receptions for 112 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown catch that preceded the game-winner to Hawkins. "I am just happy I could make the big play," said Cunningham. "I've been waiting my whole life for something like this." Hawkins, who complained last week that he had lost his "swagger," led Cal with eight receptions, for 71 yards. His 9-yard post-pattern touchdown catch of an Ayoob strike near the end was reminiscent of their time together at City College of San Francisco. And, oh, yes, Cal's erratic special teams had their best game in terms of coverage. Flashy Michael Bumpus had one return for 4 yards. A bye week comes at the perfect time for Cal (6-2, 3-2 Pac-10), giving the Bears a chance to heal before the Nov.8 game at Oregon (7-1, 4-1), and to work on their badly thrashed pass coverage. Washington State's Alex Brink threw for 423 yards and five touchdowns — three to Jason Hill, who had six catches for 240 yards (40.0 per catch), and toyed with Cal corners Tim Mixon and Daymeion Hughes.

 

San Francisco Chronicle: Cal rallies, trips WSU

Bears score 2 TDs in 4th quarter

Bruce Adams, Chronicle Staff Writer

The Golden Bears might be gimpy, but they still have some game left.  A battered and bruised Cal team, which squandered an 18-point halftime lead and had to stage a fourth-quarter comeback, beat Washington State 42-38 Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.  Cal scored the winning touchdown on a 9-yard pass from quarterback Joe Ayoob to his old City College of San Francisco teammate, Lavelle Hawkins, with 1:50 remaining.  The Bears were up by 18 when the Cougars came out strong in the second half -- appearing to put away the game on a 16-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Alex Brink to Chris Jordan -- giving WSU a 10-point lead with less than 10 minutes to go in the game. Brink threw five TD passes.

Ayoob then threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to rarely used wide receiver LaReylle Cunningham with some five minutes remaining in the game, to cut the Bears' deficit to 38-35. Ayoob was 19-for-35 for 274 yards and four touchdowns.  The Bears' defense held, forcing Washington State to punt on the next possession -- with Ayoob and Hawkins doing the rest.  Washington State's final possession ended when on a 4th-and-11, Phillip Mbakogu pressured Brink into lobbing a desperation pass that Brandon Gibson caught for a mere yard.  The Bears, playing without four key starters -- the latest in a season-long string of injuries -- head into a much-needed bye week.  Washington State went ahead 32-28 late in the third quarter, Brink connecting with his favorite target, Jason Hill, on a 38-yard scoring pass. The ball was tipped by cornerback Tim Mixon, but Hill still managed to make the catch.  The Cougars began closing in on a Cal lead early in the second half. They scored on a 38-yard pass from Brink to Hill, pulling to within 11 points of the Bears. Then, not quite two minutes later, they scored on a 63-yard pass from Brink to Hill, pulling to within three points on a two-point conversion. The Bears missed their best chance in the third quarter when they were driving and fullback Chris Manderino had the ball stripped and fumbled at the Cougars' 11.  Cal led 28-10 at the half, showing strong signs that the offense was back on track.

Marshawn Lynch had run for 97 yards. In the previous week's loss to Oregon State, the Bears ran for just 75 yards -- the first time in 19 games the team hadn't had a 100-yard rusher. For the game, the Bears had two 100-yard rushers, Lynch and Justin Forsett.  And Ayoob was 13-for-19 at the break, throwing for 167 yards and two touchdowns. His performance was a marked improvement over his last game when he was 13-for-39, going 2-for-11 and 15 yards in the Bears' final three possessions.  The Cougars took an early 7-0 lead, Brink connecting with Gibson on a 66-yard touchdown pass.  Cal answered with a 39-yard touchdown run by Lynch, on a drive kept alive when Ayoob got on a first down on a 2-yard keeper on fourth and inches.  Washington State then went up 10-7 on a 22-yard field goal by Loren Langley -- a score set up when Ayoob had a tipped pass intercepted by Husain Abdullah.  The Bears then took the lead, 14-10, on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Ayoob to tight end David Gray.  Cal's defense gave the offense a big boost late in the first half.  Linebacker Greg Van Hoesen intercepted Brink, returning the ball 16 yards for a touchdown, giving the Bears an 11-point lead with about 21/2 minutes remaining.  Then, Mixon intercepted Brink on the Cougars' next possession, returning the ball 38 yards, inside the 5.  Ayoob connected with Manderino on a 4-yard scoring pass -- stretching the lead to 18.  The late-night affair -- the last game in the country with kickoff after 7:20 p.m. -- drew less than a full-house, with attendance announced at 52,569.  After the bye week, the Bears play at Oregon, then host No. 1 USC the next week.  The Bears were without their best offensive lineman, Ryan O'Callaghan, who is recovering from a concussion. Their best defensive lineman, Brandon Mebane, did not start because of an ankle injury.  Plus, the team's two top wide receivers were out: DeSean Jackson with a shoulder injury and Robert Jordan with a collarbone.  They are among the 15 regulars who have missed time this year because of injury.  Cal lost to Oregon State 23-20 and to UCLA 47-40 the week before -- squandering fourth-quarter leads in both games. Washington State had lost its three previous -- also losing leads late in the games.

Seattle Post Intelligencer: Cal rallies to beat Washington State

 

Berkeley, CA (Sports Network) - Joe Ayoob's nine-yard touchdown pass to Lavelle Hawkins with 1:50 remaining in the game saved No. 25 California from an upset and lifted the Golden Bears to a 42-38 victory over Washington State in a Pac-10 shootout at Memorial Stadium. Ayoob finished 19-of-35 passing for 274 yards and four touchdowns for the Golden Bears (6-2, 3-2 Pac-10), who snapped a two-game losing streak after the team started the season 5-0.  Marshawn Lynch rushed for 160 yards and a score, while Hawkins made eight catches for 71 yards in the win. LaReylle Cunningham also hauled in five passes for 112 yards and a touchdown.  Alex Brink threw for 423 yards on 18-of-39 passing with five touchdowns for the Cougars (3-4, 0-4 Pac-10), who have now lost four games in a row. Jerome Harrison rushed for 162 yards on 26 attempts in the loss.  Jason Hill had a record setting night for Washington State, as he hauled in six passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. His third touchdown reception gave him 23 for his career, setting a new school record for most receiving touchdowns in a career. Hill also now has 1,833 career receiving yards, moving him into eighth on the Cougar all-time list.  California blew a 28-10 halftime lead and found itself down 38-28 with 9:52 left in the game.  However, California would get back in the game with 5:19 left in the fourth quarter. Facing 4th-and-2 on the Golden Bear 38, Washington State attempted a fake punt that was stopped short. Ayoob then hit Cunningham across the middle on the second play of the ensuing drive for a 57-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass, making it a 38-35 game.

The Cougars then went three-and-out on their next possession and were forced to give the Golden Bears the ball back just across midfield after a 41-yard punt by Kyle Basler with 4:13 left in the game.  After a four-yard run by Lynch, Ayoob completed a 21-yard pass to Cunningham, moving California to the Washington State 20. Lynch then rushed for seven and four yards respectively before Ayoob hit Hawkins on the nine-yard TD strike that gave California the lead back.  Brink would drive Washington State down to the California 41, but the Cougar quarterback was unable to convert on 4th-and-11, sealing the win for the Golden Bears.  The two teams combined for 1,149 yards of net offense, with Washington State accounting for 601 yards and California recording 548 yards.  Down after halftime, Washington State scored 28 straight points to take a lead.  The Cougars would score on the opening possession of the second half, cutting the Golden Bears' lead to 28-17. The eight-play, 86-yard sequence ended with a 38-yard TD pass from Brink to Hill.  The Golden Bears then went three-and-out on their following possession and Brink found Hill on a 62-yard catch-and-run TD pass down the right sideline less then five minutes into the third quarter. Troy Bienemann caught the two- point conversion try, making it a 28-25 game.  Cal then drove to the Cougar 12-yard line and looked poised to extend its lead. However, Chris Manderino took the handoff on 2nd-and-3 but was stripped by Omowale Dada, ending the Golden Bear threat. The turnover wasn't costly though, as the Cal defense forced Washington State to go three-and-out.  Still, the Cougars would not quit and Hill's record setting touchdown catch, a 38-yard reception from Brink, put Washington State up 32-28 with 3:05 left in the third quarter. The TD play came directly following a 42-yard rush by Harrison that moved the Cougars across midfield. The previous school record for career receiving touchdowns was set by Hugh Campbell during the 1960-62 seasons.  The momentum continued to swing in the Cougars direction when Ayoob's pass went in and out of his receiver's hands and was ultimately intercepted by Husain Abdullah.  The turnover led to 10-play, 55-yard drive that was finished off after a 16- yard touchdown pass by Brink to Chris Jordan, giving the Cougars a 38-28 lead with 9:52 left in the game after Loren Langley's point-after kick was blocked.  Abdullah ended the game with two interceptions.  Washington State would score first in the game when Brink connected with Brandon Gibson on a long 66-yard touchdown strike 4:28 into the game.  California responded on its next drive as Lynch capped off a nine-play, 65- yard march with a 39-yard TD run with 6:19 left in the first quarter. The drive was kept alive after Ayoob converted a 4th-and-1 with a two-yard run at the Cougar 41.  After Ayoob was intercepted by Abdullah at the Cougar 14, Langley finished off the five-play, 81-yard ensuing sequence with a 22-yard field goal, giving the Cougars a 10-7 lead. The big play on the drive came when Brink completed an 80-yard pass to Hill on the first play after the turnover.  Again, the Golden Bears answered. On 2nd-and-2 at the California 35, Justin Forsett broke off a 34-yard run to move California into Washington State territory. Ayoob then found David Gray two plays later for a 22-yard TD pass, putting the Golden Bears back on top, 14-10.

California would extend its lead before halftime after Brink was picked off by Greg Van Hoesen, who returned it 16 yards for the score with 2:34 remaining in the quarter.  Brink was then intercepted again on the Cougars' following possession, this time by Tim Mixon, who returned the pick 38 yards to the Washington State three-yard line. Then, after Lynch rushed for a no gain, Ayoob found Manderino on the second play of the short drive for the score, staking the Golden Bears to a 28-10 lead.  

Game Notes

California leads the all-time series against Washington State, 37-25-5. The teams last met in 2002, a 48-38 Cougar victory...Washington State had won four straight and six-of-seven over California...The Golden Bears won't play again until they visit Oregon on November 5...The Cougars play at No. 1 USC next week...Hill passed Brian Kelly on the all-time receiving yards list. Kelly had 1,792 career receiving yards.

ESPN: Ayoob's TD pass with 1:50 left completes comeback

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- California's once-promising season hung on the brink, and Joe Ayoob seemed headed for another week of criticism on campus. One incredible comeback with two clutch touchdown passes in the final minutes changed all that. Ayoob completed a 9-yard scoring pass to Lavelle Hawkins with 1:50 left, and the 25th-ranked Golden Bears survived a second-half defensive meltdown to beat Washington State 42-38 on Saturday night. "It's huge," said Ayoob, ripped by the Cal faithful following last week's demoralizing loss to Oregon State. "It makes things a lot easier. I don't doubt myself when it comes to the end of the game. To overcome that and make the plays that we needed to make at the end of the game, makes you feel good." After Jason Hill caught three long touchdown passes from Alex Brink on the way to a career-high 240 yards receiving for the Cougars, Ayoob led the Golden Bears on one final drive with his top two receivers watching from the sidelines with injuries. He hit a wide-open Hawkins in the back of the end zone and Cal (6-2, 3-2 Pac-10) avoided its first three-game losing streak in coach Jeff Tedford's four-year tenure and what certainly would have been an exit from the rankings for the first time in 21 polls since 2003. "It would have been very easy for a team without character to just fold and wait until next week, but you don't get that with these guys," Tedford said. "This was the best comeback we've had as long as we've been here. It gives you a reason to believe that if you hang together, good things will happen."

Brink finished 18-for-39 for 423 yards and five touchdowns, and Jerome Harrison ran for 162 yards for his 10th straight 100-yard game, but the Cougars (3-4, 0-4) lost their fourth straight in frustrating fashion -- blowing a double-digit lead in the second half for the third time after starting the season 3-0. "I don't have an answer," dejected coach Bill Doba said. "Little mistakes give up big plays. You have to finish. You have to have more points on the scoreboard than the other team." Hill had his second career three-touchdown game and the teams combined for more than 1,100 yards of total offense. Hill hauled in second-half TD passes of 38, 62 and 38 yards -- the last of which was tipped by cornerback Tim Mixon before finding Hill's hands for a 32-28 lead with 3:05 left in the third. Husain Abdallah intercepted a pass by Ayoob early in the fourth quarter, setting up Chris Jordan's 16-yard touchdown catch, but the point after attempt was blocked and the Cougars couldn't hold the lead one week after blowing a 21-point cushion and losing to UCLA 44-41 in overtime at home.

Walkon receiver LaReylle Cunningham caught a 57-yard TD pass from Ayoob with 5:19 left for his first career touchdown to pull Cal within 38-35. The Bears, playing the Cougars for the first time since 2002, ended a four-game losing streak to Washington State dating to 1998. "I am just so happy I could make that big play," Cunningham said. Hill extended his streak to nine straight games with a touchdown catch, and now has 23 career TD receptions to break the Washington State career record of 22 set by Hugh Campbell from 1960-62. Hill's yards are the most by a Pac-10 receiver this season. Without two starting offensive tackles, top receiver DeSean Jackson sidelined with a shoulder injury and second-leading wideout Robert Jordan nursing a hurt collarbone, Cal relied on its defense early. The unit allowed five touchdowns in the air after giving up four in its first seven games -- none previously at home. Greg Van Hoesen and Mixon each made key interceptions late in the first half to help the Bears break open the game with 14 points in a 90-second span on the way to a 28-10 halftime lead. Van Hoesen made his first career interception and ran it back 16 yards for a score, then Mixon's 38-yard interception return on Brink's very next pass set up Ayoob's 3-yard TD pass to Chris Manderino. Brink, who three weeks ago set a single-game school record when he passed for 531 yards against Oregon State, completed only four passes in the first half but managed 178 yards on those throws. "We showed some good determination and made it a game," Brink said. "Four weeks in a row, we need to find a way to win. Leads don't mean a lot. I know we're good enough to win." Ayoob threw for 274 yards and four TDs and Marshawn Lynch scored on a season-long 39-yard run on the way to a 160-yard game. Justin Forsett added 111 yards for the Bears. Hawkins briefly took a seat with 5:20 left in the third following a hard fall, but still came up big. Brandon Gibson made a 66-yard touchdown catch with 10:32 left in the first quarter -- burning Mixon on the sideline route -- to give the Cougars a quick lead. With kickoff at 7:15 p.m. local time, this was only the second night game ever at Memorial Stadium, where 52,569 fans turned out for the nationally televised game on a chilly Bay Area night.  Cal hadn't beaten Washington State since a 24-14 home victory in 1998.

 

Contra Costa Times: Cal roars back to beat Washington State

By Jay Heater

BERKELEY -- Cal coach Jeff Tedford and Washington State coach Bill Doba went into Saturday's key Pac-10 showdown at Memorial Stadium looking for big second-half plays. But Tedford probably didn't expect that the guy who was going to step up the most was his freshman walk-on wide receiver LaReylle Cunningham. Pressed into service because Cal's wide receivers corps had been wiped out by injury, Cunningham made two huge catches in the Bears' 42-38 victory over Washington State, which continued to wilt late in game. It appeared that Cal (6-2 overall, 3-2 Pac-10) was going to be the team that would wilt in the second half. The Cougars (3-4, 0-4) wiped out Cal's 28-10 halftime lead to secure a 38-28 lead going into the fourth quarter. That's when Cunningham, a 6-foot-2, 190-pounder from Fairfield, caught a 57-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Joe Ayoob to cut the lead to 38-35. Cal stopped Washington State's defense on three plays on the next series and forced a punt, taking over at the Cougars' 45-yard line. On the second play of the drive, Cunningham caught a 22-yard pass that set the Bears up at WSU's 20. Three plays later, Ayoob threw a strike to wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins, who had worked his way free in the back of the end zone. With 1:50 remaining, Cal led 42-38. The crowd of 52,569 erupted, riding the high side of a roller coaster ride full of tremendous individual performances. It had been only moments before that it seemed Cal's season was toast. Washington State wide receiver Jason Hill had done the burning, catching five passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns. He took control of a game that Cal had firmly in its grasp at halftime.

Hill caught three long touchdown passes in the third quarter, wiping out the Bears' 28-10 lead in shocking fashion. Hill simply ran past whomever Cal assigned to guard him, scoring on 38-, 62- and 38-yard receptions from quarterback Alex Brink. His third touchdown catch of the third quarter came after Bears' cornerback Tim Mixon tipped the ball, which floated right to Hill. Hill tipped the ball up a bit himself, then secured it and jogged into the end zone. His third touchdown catch gave the Cougars a 32-28 lead and the crowd fell silent. It appeared turnovers would once again haunt Cal, which lost the ball twice deep in Cougars' territory on an interception by Ayoob and a fumble by fullback Chris Manderino. Ayoob's second interception of the game, this one in the fourth quarter, fueled another Cougars' scoring drive that culminated with wide receiver Chris Jordan's diving touchdown catch in the back of the end zone. Washington State couldn't convert the extra point but still led 38-28 with 9:52 remaining. That's when Cunningham took over.

The heroics of Cunningham and Hill made people forget about the first half, when it appeared the Bears did enough to win the game. The biggest play in the second quarter came with the Cougars buried deep in their own territory and Brink back to pass. It was only natural that he was looking for his favorite wide receiver, Hill. However, on this particular play, Bears linebacker Greg Van Hoesen was ready. Once Brink let go of his ill-fated pass, all 52,569 in attendance could see what was about to happen. Van Hoesen, his eyes locked on Brink as he threw, cut in front of Hill, intercepted the ball and ran 16 yards for the touchdown. Even though it was just one scoring play in the Bears' 42-38 victory over Washington State, it appeared to be the dagger in the heart that Cal needed. Obviously shaken, Brink threw another interception on the next series, this one being returned 38 yards to the Cougars' 3-yard line by cornerback Tim Mixon. Two plays later, Manderino caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ayoob and Cal had complete control with a 28-10 lead. Brink had a terrible first half, finishing 4-of-17 for 178 yards and the two interceptions. Cal had a golden opportunity to retake control of the game late in the third quarter when WSU's Don Turner muffed a punt about his 15-yard line. However, Cal linebacker Justin Moye landed right on the ball, and it squirted away from him and out-of-bounds before the Bears could regain control.

Both teams ripped off huge chunks of yardage in the first quarter to set up scoring drives. Washington State scored first on a 66-yard touchdown reception by Brandon Gibson, who beat Mixon on a sideline-and-up play down the right sideline. Brink hit Gibson in stride at the 30-yard line and he then pulled away from Mixon as he raced to the end zone. Cal countered on the ensuing series with a 39-yard touchdown draw play by Marshawn Lynch, who ran through a gaping hole over right tackle, cut to the outside and ran untouched down the right sideline to the end zone. The score was tied 7-7 at the 6:19 mark of the opening quarter. It looked as if Cal, which was driving again, would increase its lead when WSU free safety Husain Abdullah intercepted an Ayoob pass that had been tipped by strong safety Eric Frampton. The Cougars took over at their 14-yard line but got out of the hole immediately when Brink connected with Hill on a 80-yard pass reception to Cal's 6. Hill beat Daymeion Hughes from the line of scrimmage, took the pass from Brink in stride about 20 yards downfield and then ran untouched until the Bears ran him down at the 6. Cal's defense stiffened, though, stopping Harrison for a yard gain on first down before forcing consecutive incompletions. WSU place-kicker Loren Langley hit a 22-yard field goal to give the Cougars a 10-7 lead. The Golden Bears answered on the ensuing series to take a 14-10 lead. Bears tailback Justin Forsett ran 34 yards to the Cougars' 31-yard line to set up Ayoob's 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Gray. Cal could have extended its lead early in the second quarter, but place-kicker Tom Schneider pushed a 35-yard field goal attempt wide right. Then Brink imploded in the second quarter to set up Cal with the cozy lead going into halftime.

Notes: Bears junior defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, who sprained his ankle against Oregon State last Saturday, didn't start, but he quickly was inserted into the game in the opening quarter. He saw considerable action. ... Cal offensive tackle Ryan O'Callaghan (concussion) and wide receivers Robert Jordan (collar bone) and DeSean Jackson (shoulder) didn't play.