Bowers throws 2 TDs, Cal holds off Oregon St.
BERKELEY — Ross Bowers passed for 259 yards and two touchdowns, including a 25yarder to Jordan Veasy that gave California some breathing room in the second half, and the Golden Bears held off Oregon State 37-23 on Saturday.
Patrick Laird rushed for a career-high 214 yards and a touchdown while Matt Anderson kicked three field goals to become California’s career-scoring leader while helping the Bears (5-5, 2-5 Pac-12) snap a two-game losing streak.
“The O-line made it easy on us,” Bowers said. “It was giving us the freedom to do whatever we wanted to do. They were working today and I had the best seat in the house.”
Cal’s second win in seven games also moved coach Justin Wilcox’s team closer to the postseason. The Bears need to beat either Stanford or UCLA to become bowl eligible for the second time since 2011.
They’ll have to be better than they were against the pesky Beavers.
Oregon State trailed 17-7 early in the first half but closed within 23-20 on Thomas Tyner’s 4-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.
After an unsportsmanlike penalty by the Beavers on the ensuing kickoff put the ball at Cal’s 41, Bowers completed two passes and Laird had an 18-yard run before Bowers found Veasy in the right corner of the end zone for the score.
Bowers finished 24 of 30 on a day when the Bears did not punt once for the sixth time in school history and the first since doing it against USC in 2004.
Falk leads Washington St. over No. 18 Stanford
PULLMAN, Wash. — Luke Falk led No. 25 Washington State on a 94-yard drive in the fourth quarter that produced the winning points in a 24-21 victory over No. 18 Stanford on Saturday.
Washington State finished 70 at home this season, and stayed in the race for the Pac12 North title.
“It’s been a great ride and we’ve just got to finish the ride,” Falk said.
He completed 34 of 48 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception, and also became the career passing yards leader in the Pac-12.
“It was the same old Luke we have seen the last couple of years,” running back Jamal Morrow said. “Calm, steady.”
Washington State likely needs to win at Utah next weekend and at No. 12 Washington later this month to win the Pac-12 North title.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Falk said.
Snow started to fall heavily at the end of the first quarter, hampering both offenses. Stanford hadn’t played in snow since a 1936 game against Columbia in New York.
Morrow rushed for 66 yards for Washington State (8-2, 5-2 Pac-12, No. 25 CFP), chewing up time at the end of the game.
Bryce Love, slowed by an ankle injury, was held to 69 yards, his worst outing of the season for Stanford (6-3, 5-2, No. 21 CFP). He came in as the nation’s leading rusher, averaging 198 yards a game.
“I thought we really played hard the entire game,” Washington State coach Mike Leach said. “It was a great team win.”
Stanford coach David Shaw blamed himself for the loss.
“I feel like I let my team down,” Shaw said. “I didn’t give our guys a chance to be successful today.”
“Offensively we didn’t get enough production from the passing game,” Shaw said after the Cardinal were limited to 105 passing yards.
Stanford was outgained 430 yards to 198 in the game.