California called on its heralded freshman class in the fourth quarter and it delivered in an exciting 24-23 come-from-behind victory over Arizona State in both teams' Pac-10 opener.

Freshman quarterback Kyle Boller, who was making his starting debut, led Cal on two fourth quarter scoring drives as the Golden Bears rallied from a 23-14 deficit. Freshman tailback Joe Igber keyed the first fourth period scoring drive with a 34-yard run and first-year placekicker Jeremy Hershey nailed the game-winning field goal from 25 yards out with 7:11 left in the game to provide the final margin of victory.

The Bears got off to a promising start when Deltha O'Neal returned the opening kickoff 53 yards to Arizona State's 43-yard-line, followed by a solid drive, including 18 yards rushing from Marcus Fields. But after getting to the 20-yard-line, the Bears were pushed back, and Hershey's field-goal attempt hit the right upright (the fourth time this year Cal missed a field goal off an upright).

Arizona State scored on its first possession of the game, taking the ball 75 yards in five plays, including a pair of big passing plays. The first was a 21-yard pass from quarterback Ryan Kealy to Tariq McDonald, and then Kealy found a wide-open Richard Williams, who took the ball 48 yards for the score.

Cal caught a break early in the second quarter when ASU kicker Stephen Baker punted the ball straight up for a 5-yard net, and the Bears got the ball at the Sun Devil 14. Fields carried the ball 10 yards on two plays, and Joshua White did the final damage with a 4-yard TD run to make tie the score 7-7.

In Arizona State's next possession, it took the ball 80 yards on 11 plays. A 34-yard pass to tight end Todd Heap and a 19-yard J.R. Redmond run set up a 6-yard slant pattern to Richard Williams for a TD.

The Bears tied the score with just over a minute remaining in the half after what started out as an ugly drive. Boller hit Marcus Fields for a 16-yard TD, and the score was tied with 1:08 left.

The Sun Devils managed to get the ball into Cal territory, but a 44-yard field-goal attempt by Stephen Baker was wide right.

ASU began to take control of the game in the third quarter. A methodical 11-play drive had the Sun Devils in business at the Cal three-yard-line. However, an option play to Redmond was fumbled, and LaShaun Ward recovered the ball at the 17-yard-line.

On the next ASU possession. Kealy completed a 31-yard pass to Terrelle Smith and took the Sun Devils to the Cal 35, but the Cal defense stiffened, and a 53-yard field goal was unsuccessful.

ASU had another long drive late in the third quarter, getting to the Cal 10-yard-line. However, the Devils could move no further, and Baker came on to nail a 27-yard field goal three plays into the fourth quarter to give them a 17-14 lead.

Things looked dismal for the Bears when ASU extended its lead on the next drive following a Cal interception. Delvon Flowers broke loose for a 27-yard TD run, and the Sun Devils appeared in command. However, Cal freshman Tully Banta-Cain blocked the extra point, which proved a pivotal play.

After that scoring drive, the Sun Devils were also hurt by loss of starting quarterback Kealy to bruised ribs. His replacement, sophomore John Leonard, struggled down the stretch, completing only one of his last seven passes, including the game-clinching interception. Also, Redmond was hampered by a sprained ankle in the second half.

After the ASU score, Cal immediately marched 75 yards on eight plays with the key play being the 34-yard scamper by Joe Igber on what was a swing pass that was ruled a lateral. Facing the same pressure that ASU had exhibited all game, Boller threw a fade pattern for a 12-yard TD with 10:05 left in the game.

The Bears defense then finally came alive to stuff the Sun Devils on three plays, and a 21-yard punt return by Deltha O'Neal set the Bears up at the ASU 27-yard-line. Hershey eventually came on to hit Cal's first successful field goal of the season to give the Bears a 24-23 lead with 7:11 remaining.

Cal appeared to have the game won after stopping ASU's next drive and beginning to run out the clock. However, the excitement was not completely over. On second-and-10 with just 1:27 left on the clock at the ASU 39-yard-line, Igber coughed up the ball, and Eric Fields returned it 13 yards to the Cal 48. Boller came up with another big play, however, making the game-saving tackle on Fields.

A holding penalty was followed three plays later by an interception by Cal freshman Atari Callen, and Cal kneeled on the ball to clinch its hard-fought victory.

Linescore
		1	2	3	4	F
ASU		7	7	0	9	23
California 	0	14	0	10	24

Game Statistics
	Qtr	Time	Play							Score
AS	1	8:38	Williams, 48 yard pass from Kealy  (Baker kick)		0-7
			Scoring Drive: 75 yards, 5 plays, 2:13
C	2	13:44	White 4-yard run (Hershey kick)				7-7
			Scoring Drive: 14 yards, 3 plays, 1:07
AS	2	9:54	Williams, 6 yard pass from Kealy (Baker kick)		7-14
			Scoring Drive: 80 yards, 11 plays, 3:50
C	2	1:08	Fields 16 yard pass from Boller (Hershey kick)		14-14
			Scoring Drive: 56 yards, 11 plays, 4:11
AS	4	14:48	Baker 27 yard field goal					14-17
			Scoring Drive: 64 yards, 8 plays, 1:55
AS	4	12:22	Flowers, 27 yard run					14-23
			Scoring Drive: 44 yards, 5 plays, 1:27
C	4	10:05	12 yard pass from Boller		        	17-23
			Scoring Drive: 75 yards, 8 plays, 2:17
C	4	7:11	Hershey 25 yard field goal					24-23
			Scoring Drive: 19 yards, 6 plays, 1:51

Team Statistics
					CAL				ASU
First Downs (Rush-Pass-Penalties)			4-11-4				14-9-1
Rushing (Att-Net Yards)				33-50				50-196
Passing (PC-PA-Int)				17-32-1				17-33-1
Passing Yards					263				475
Total Offensive Plays				65				83
Punts-Average					6-45.8				5-34.4
Penalties-Yards					10-59				9-79
Fumbles-Lost					2-1				5-2
Time of Possession				28:13				31:02

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS

RUSHING
CAL:
Igber	8-44
Fields	15-38

ASU
Redmond	19-74
Hightower	9-72
Flowers		8-51

PASSING
CAL:
Boller	17-32-213	2TDs/1 Int.

ASU
Kealy	15-25-266	2 TDs/0 Int.
Leonard	2-8-13		0 TDs/1 Int.

RECEIVING
CAL:
Fields		3-42
Surgerner	2-25

ASU
Williams	4-103
Heap		3-51
T. McDonald	2-27