Oct. 16, 2004
Final Stats |
Quotes |
Notes |
Photo Gallery
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
BERKELEY, Calif. - Geoff McArthur caught two of Aaron Rodgers'
career-high four touchdown passes, and eighth-ranked California racked up 550
total yards in a 45-28 victory over UCLA on Saturday.
J.J. Arrington ran for a career-best 205 yards and two scores for the Golden
Bears (4-1, 2-1 Pac-10), who rebounded from last week's heartbreaking loss to
top-ranked Southern California with another near-flawless exhibition of
balanced offense.
In Cal's first home game in five weeks, Rodgers was 19-of-29 for 260 yards -
and McArthur, the nation's second-leading receiver last year behind Pitt's
Larry Fitzgerald, had his biggest game of the season.
McArthur finished with nine receptions for 163 yards, including an early
20-yard TD catch and an 80-yard scoring romp down the UCLA sideline in the
fourth quarter.
Drew Olson also threw four touchdown passes, but the Bruins (4-2, 2-1)
couldn't catch up after Cal took a 35-14 lead on McArthur's long scoring run.
Olson finished 20-of-36 for a career-best 299 yards for UCLA, which had its
four-game winning streak snapped.
The Bears lost top receiver Chase Lyman for the season last week with a knee
injury, but replaced him with a bit of everything. Tight end Garrett Cross and
freshman running back Marshawn Lynch both made scoring catches, and McArthur
resumed his role as Rodgers' favorite target in a tough spot.
Cal also ran the ball superbly again, getting 290 yards on the ground - 271
from Arrington, Lynch and Terrell Williams, their three talented tailbacks. The
Bears entered the game second in the nation in total offense, and they exceeded
their average (510.3) while making three scoring drives in the fourth quarter.
Arrington, who broke several long runs in the final minutes as the Bears
held on to their lead, became the first running back in Cal history with five
straight 100-yard games, breaking Chuck Muncie's record.
Maurice Drew turned two short passes into long touchdowns, but UCLA's star
tailback rushed for just 42 yards. The Bruins kept things interesting with
Drew's 43-yard TD catch and Joe Cowan's 46-yard scoring catch in the final
seven minutes.
The Bears led 14-0 before UCLA scored two touchdowns in 56 seconds midway
through the second quarter.
After Marcedes Lewis caught a 15-yard TD pass from Olson, Williams fumbled
the kickoff return. UCLA scored again two plays later, with Drew taking a
screen pass through a crowd of defenders for a 27-yard score.
But Rodgers mounted an 80-yard scoring drive shortly before halftime, with
Cal converting a fourth-and-6 before Cross caught a 26-yard TD pass across the
middle 17 seconds before halftime.
After Lynch scored on a 27-yard screen in the third quarter, McArthur put it
away with the longest TD catch of his career. His 80-yard sprint was aided by
receiver Burl Toler, who threw two key blocks along the way.
The game began under cloudy conditions and finished in near-darkness at
Memorial Stadium, where temporary lighting was installed for the late start.
The stadium was packed with 69,898 fans - the largest Cal crowd for any game
not featuring Stanford since 1991.
Cal hadn't played at home since beating New Mexico State on Sept. 11, but
three of the Bears' next five games are in Berkeley.
