By Jonathan Okanes, Cal Athletic Communications

LOS ANGELES – It may have been a loss that prevented the Cal football from becoming bowl-eligible for the first time since 2011, but what the Bears accomplished Thursday was arguably just as gratifying as any of their five wins this season.

But don't tell that to the Bears themselves.

Cal dug itself a tremendous hole then competed hard to put itself in position to tie the game, only to fall 38-30 to USC at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

The Bears (5-5, 3-5 Pac-12) trailed 31-2 with 1:39 left in the second quarter, a scenario that in all likelihood would have led to a forgettable, lopsided loss last season. But as Cal fans have learned over and over in 2014, this is a different season.

Not only did the Bears make the tactical adjustments needed to make a comeback bid, perhaps more important they displayed the mental toughness and competitiveness necessary to give themselves a chance on the road. And after quarterback Jared Goff connected with wide receiver Stephen Anderson on a 29-yard touchdown pass with 1:36 remaining, Cal was within a touchdown and a two-point conversion of evening the game.

But with only one timeout remaining, the Bears were forced to attempt an onside kick. The Trojans recovered and were able to run out the clock.

“Credit to our guys. They played really hard and never gave up,” Cal coach Sonny Dykes said. “They did exactly what we ask them to do every Saturday, which is play hard and don't look at the scoreboard. I thought we played hard for 60 minutes, but we did not play well enough to beat a good football team.”

The Bears have moved on from a difficult 2013 that saw a series of lopsided losses. As the first half wound down Thursday, it had all the makings of a difficult reminder of a year ago. But a 9-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Chris Harper with nine seconds remaining in the second quarter not only gave the Bears hope, but a spark they could take them to the locker room at halftime.

“When we came in at halftime, we all got together and said we have to put the first half behind us,” said Cal linebacker Hardy Nickerson, who recorded nine tackles and his first career interception. “The game wasn't over yet.”

That may be easier said than done when you are down by 22 points, but it was clear the Bears truly believed it. After USC racked up 20 first downs and 325 yards of offense in the first half, Cal's defense forced a punt on the Trojan's first possession of the third quarter. The Bears then put together an 11-play, 79-yard drive that culminated in a 5-yard touchdown run by Daniel Lasco, marking the ninth straight game he has reached the end zone. The score was 31-16 at the end of the third quarter.

USC extended its lead to 38-16 early in the fourth quarter, but the Bears forged another long drive, marching 72 yards on 12 plays and scoring on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Goff to wide receiver Bryce Treggs. Cal's defense then held again, and the Bears took over at their own 20 and 3:38 left in the game. The Bears converted two third downs on the possession before Anderson's score trimmed the deficit to a single score.

“It's discouraging because we lost,” said Goff, who now is second on Cal's single-season list for touchdown passes with 30. “We played very well at times but worse more times. It was so close at the end and knowing we had so many mistakes and still had a chance at the end is frustrating. If you are going to beat a team like USC, you can't shoot yourself in the foot. It put us too far behind.”

Cal got on the board when defensive tackle Mustafa Jalil tackled USC running back Justin Davis in the second quarter for a safety that made the score 14-2.