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Cal stays in Pac-10 hunt with win over Oregon

Nov 2, 2008 - 1:59 AM BERKELEY, California (Ticker) -- Kevin Riley and Nate Longshore each threw a touchdown pass and California handled the rain a little better than 24th-ranked Oregon as the Golden Bears posted a 26-16 victory on Saturday.

Riley threw a 22-yard TD pass to Jeremy Ross in the first quarter and Longshore hit Nyan Boateng from 2 yards to help California (6-2, 4-1 Pac-10) build a 16-6 lead at the half.

It was a big win for Cal, which entered Saturday a half-game behind Southern California and Oregon State in the conference. The Golden Bears still have to play each down the stretch.

Oregon (6-3, 4-2) committed three turnovers and got almost nothing out of the quarterback spot while effectively seeing its chances at a conference title come to an end.

Jeremiah Masoli completed 7-of-21 passes for 43 yards and was intercepted twice while Justin Roper was 4-of-11 for 40 yards for the Ducks.

Jeremiah Johnson scored on a 17-yard run to cut Cal's lead to 19-16 with 3:55 left in the third quarter. Johnson finished with 117 yards on 20 carries.

"The weather wasn't that big of a deal. We are Ducks, we are used to that kind of weather. It really didn't matter," Johnson said. "The defense gave us the ball in the first half and we couldn't do anything with it. We just couldn't put it together on offense. In the second half we came up kind of strong, but the dropped punt hurt us. That's how the game goes I guess."

The game was played in windy and rainy conditions that only got worse as the game progressed, and it was Oregon that made the crucial mistakes.

Masoli rushed for 97 yards but threw one of his interceptions late in the first half to set up Longshore's TD pass that gave Cal a 16-6 lead 26 seconds before intermission. Linebacker Worrell Williams picked Masoli's pass and returned it 50 yards, and three plays later, Longshore connected with Boateng.

"I'm really proud of the team," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "There's no question that was tough out there as far as the conditions were concerned. We turned the football over; we had the fumbles, the one interception. But the defense kept playing hard."

Jairus Byrd gave the Bears another break, fumbling a punt deep in Oregon territory. Marcus Ezeff recovered at the 6, and Cal capitalized on Shane Vereen's 2-yard TD plunge with 8:57 to go.

"It's unfortunate when you make mistakes that give another team the game, especially a good football team," Oregon coach Mike Belotti said. We gave them the ball twice inside the 10-yard line and gave them a safety, missed an extra point and missed a field goal. That's on us. That's our responsibility. Having said that, I think we are a really good football team that beat itself today."

Riley left the game late in the first quarter with a concussion. He took a vicious shot when he tried to run for a first down instead of sliding. Longshore came on and played well considering the conditions, completing 13-of-27 passes for 137 yards.

"He got in there and had great focus. He always prepares," Tedford said of Longshore. They both prepare very well, so it's not like he wasn't prepared mentally or with the game plan.

"This is a perfect example (of why you have two quarterbacks). You have two quality quarterbacks and you just can't say enough for these guys, who are always out there competing and they're always supporting each other. When their number is called, they go on and they do their best. I'm just really, really proud. You need two quarterbacks from time to time through a season. Today we needed both of them."