Cal slips past Washington State 42-38

By J.E.  |   Sunday, October 23, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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The California Golden Bears scored two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter and held on for a 42-38 win over the Washington State Cougars. The victory put an end to Cal's two-game losing streak and improved their record to 3-2 in the Pac-10 and 6-2 overall. Washington State remains winless in the Pac-10 at 0-4, and drops to 3-4 overall.

The Golden Bears came out strong in the early part of this game. Quarterback Joe Ayoob threw for 2 TD passes in the first two quarters and running back Marshawn Lynch scored on a 40-yard run to help the Bears to a 28-10 lead at the half.

But when the third quarter started, it was all Washington State. The Cougars reeled off 28 straight points to go up 38-28 midway through the fourth quarter. QB Alex Brink threw for 423 yards and 5 TDs, but couldn't get the job done on the final drive of the game. After Cal scored to make it 42-38, the Cougars got the ball back with just under two minutes left to play. They managed to make it into Cal territory, but on 4th-and-11, all Brink could do was find Brandon Gibson for a 1-yard play that turned the ball over on downs and sealed the Cal victory.

Washington State's Jerome Harrison, who is the leading rusher in the Pac-10, gained 139 yards on 23 carries, including a long of 42. Wide receiver Jason Hill was also a big factor on offense for Washington State. He had a monster game, hauling in 6 catches for an incredible 240 yards and 3 TDs. Brink and Hill connected twice for 38-yard scores, and added a 62-yard bomb in the third quarter. They also hooked up for an 80-yard play in the first quarter that resulted in a Loren Langley field goal.

Meanwhile, Cal's defense kept things close while the offense sputtered through the middle part of the game. Starting with an interception returned for a touchdown in the first quarter by Greg Van Hoesen, the Bears had some key stops, including a sack on Washington State's last drive to put the Cougars in a third-and-long situation and kill their momentum.

Running backs Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett looked like their old selves today after having a couple of sub-par performances in the California Golden Bears' last two losses. Lynch gained 161 yards on 25 carries, and scored a touchdown. Forsett also broke the century mark, rushing for 111 yards on 12 carries, including a long of 34. LaReylle Cunningham led all Cal receivers with 5 catches for 111 yards and one TD.
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