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Third-quarter surge powers Arizona past Cal

Oct 19, 2008 - 7:33 AM TUCSON, Arizona (Ticker) -- Arizona scored four touchdowns in the third quarter en route to a 42-27 victory over 22nd-ranked California in a Pac-10 game on Saturday.

"I told the kids at halftime that we're only down 10 this time," coach Mike Stoops said. "We were down 14 two years ago against a really good team (eighth-ranked Cal in 2006)."

Willie Tuitama started the comeback with a 56-yard scoring pass to Mike Thomas that made it 24-21.

After a Cal field goal, Keola Antolin score his third rushing touchdown, this one from one yard out, to put Arizona ahead, 28-27.

Seventeen seconds later, Devin Ross picked off Nate Longshore's pass and returned it 21 yards to make it 35-27.

Tuitama then found Rob Gronkowski with a 35-yard touchdown pass to make it 42-27.

"We had to turn that game around twice against an excellent football team,'' Stoops said. "I just think we have more toughness to us. ... In years past, we wouldn't have been able to do that because we wouldn't have been good enough.''

Tuitama went 16-of-27 for 225 yards with a pair of touchdowns and an interception.

Antolin had 21 carries for 149 yards with three touchdowns.

"They called my number, and I did my thing," Antolin said.

The 22nd-ranked Golden Bears (4-2, 2-1) were led by Jahvid Best, who had 16 carries for 107 yards and a score.

Longshore was 18-of-37 for 218 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He was replaced by Kevin Riley, who went 7-of-19 for 97 yards and an interception.

"They did a good job of mixing up their defensive looks,'' Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "They made some big stops against us.''

The victory sets up a big Pac-10 battle between USC and Arizona (5-2, 3-1) next Saturday. Every school in the Pac-10 now has at least one loss with Arizona, USC, Oregon and Oregon State tied for first.

"I can't put into words to describe what we came through to get here," Stoops said. "There was much written and much said, and a lot of times we were written off, but we kept coming back.

"We're playing for first place next week, and that's a position we haven't been in a long time."

The Golden Bears closed the first half with a rush to lead 24-14 at halftime.

After Antolin rushed for two touchdowns in the first three minutes of the second quarter, Cal erupted for 17 unanswered points.

Best scored on a 67-yard run to tie the game at 14-14.

Longshore then found Cameron Morrah with an 18-yard pass to make it 21-14. Gior Tavecchio kicked a 42-yard field goal in the waning seconds of the half to make it 24-14.