November 16, 2009

Chris Nguon
BearTerritory.net Senior Writer

When a coach's tenure at one school extends beyond five seasons, there's usually a pretty good reason. That's certainly the case with Cal head coach Jeff Tedford, who has climbed some tremendous and noteworthy plateaus on the way to making Cal football relevant on the national scene once again.

From his initial game as head coach which began with a trick play for the ages, to last season's impressive victory over Miami in the Emerald Bowl, Tedford and his Bears have racked up some impressive and memorable triumphs along the way.

And while the ultimate goal of a Pac-10 title and Rose Bowl appearance has yet to be added to this list, many believe that Cal's moment in the sun will come sooner rather than later.

As Tedford prepares to coach his 100th game as head coach at Cal while at the same time attempting to tie the legendary Pappy Waldorf for third on the all-time school wins list (67) this week when Cal tangles with long-time rival Stanford in the Big Game, we recap some of Tedford's more notable achievements, many of which are already written in the Cal record books.

Here is a look back at Jeff Tedford's greatest wins at Cal:

Cal 70, Baylor 22 (2002):

Talk about starting out with a BANG.

In his first official game as head coach of the Cal football program, Tedford makes a statement right away that the Bears are no longer in the Tom Holmoe era. On the first play from scrimmage, running back Terrell Williams heaves a perfectly thrown pass down the field to then-prized freshman recruit David Gray.

Gray, the big wide receiver from Oakland (Calif.) McClymonds High, sprints past the unprepared Baylor defense and rumbles his way into the end zone for a 71-yard touchdown. 59 minutes later, the Cal offense racked up 460 total yards on offense, eight touchdowns and damn near set a school scoring record with the 70 points scored. (Cal scored 84 points against Pacific in 1991).

"It feels great," Tedford recalled after the game. "They deserve to win. It has nothing to do with me and my first game. It has everything to do with the players and what they've been through."

In what would be a sign to come, quarterback Kyle Boller was stellar that day, completing 18-of-26 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns. In all, eight different Bears scored a touchdown, led by the receiving efforts of Geoff McArthur, who caught a game-high 7 passes for 90 yards and a score.

"Coach Tedford has brought a new era here," said defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha, who is now arguably the top cornerback in the NFL. "He had us hyped before the game, ready to go. We knew coming out of camp we were ready to do it."

Cal 46, Michigan State 22 (2002):

Two weeks later, the Bears really made a statement.

In a game that was supposed to be a simple tune-up for Michigan State, Cal wasn't having any of that "patsy" talk.

The Bears rolled up 381 yards of total offense, 135 yards on the ground, returned a punt for a touchdown and forced five turnovers en route to one of the more shocking wins in program history.

At the time, Michigan State was the No. 15 ranked team in the country and was slated to compete for the Big 10 crown at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Cal was a team coming off a 1-10 season and had beaten two mediocre teams to begin the year.

Those notions changed completely after that contest, as the nation finally took notice of the Bears and what they were about.

"We know we have the athletes to play with anyone in the country," said Cal wide receiver LaShaun Ward after the game. "Our coaching staff has told us that, and we're all believers. We expected to win here."

Ward might have expected it, but not many people did. In the end though, the Bears rolled into East Lansing and laid a whopping on Michigan State. Ward got things going early by returning a punt for a touchdown for the game's first score.

From then on, Cal scored the game's next 17 points to boot, going up 25-0 on the stunned Michigan State team and its crowd of over 100,000. After Michigan State pulled to within 25-14 in the third quarter, the Bears showed that resiliency that the program had lacked for years before Tedford arrived.

Cal responded big time by regaining the momentum, scoring three consecutive touchdowns to ice the contest.

Ward caught three passes for 68 yards and a score while Geoff McArthur and Jonathan Makonnen combined to catch 11 passes for 109 yards. Quarterback Kyle Boller had his third straight outstanding game, completing 19-of-33 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Joe Igber rushed for 108 yards and a score on 21 carries.

Meanwhile on the defensive side of the ball, Cal hassled Michigan State quarterback Jeff Smoker all day long, forcing the veteran into two interceptions, both of which nabbed by the fiery James Bethea.

The victory marked the first time in 28 years that Cal had beaten a top-15 team on the road.

Cal 34, Washington 27 (2002):

Kyle Boller waited his whole life to play such a great game. The way he saw it, Washington just happened to be the team on the other side of the line.

Boller threw for 266 yards and a career-high five touchdowns as Cal defeated then-No. 12 UDub in Seattle, snapping a 19-game losing streak in the series between the two squads.

"I can honestly say this is the best game I've ever played, high school or college," Boller said after the game. "It was the best feeling to look up in the stands afterward. I saw my mom jumping up and down. It was awesome."

While Boller was the leading man in the historic victory, he had plenty of help as well.

Wide receivers Jonathan Makonnen and Lashaun Ward combined to haul in 7 catches for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns, while the diminutive Vinnie Strang added 2 catches for 64 yards and a score.

Running back Joe Igber rushed for 92 yards on 31 carries and the Cal defense stiffened up when it needed, holding the Huskies to 11 second half points after Washington put up 16 points in the first 30 minutes.

"We can say, 'It's history. It's over,'" Boller said. "People will remember 2002 as the year the Golden Bears came in here, played a good game and won."

After the final seconds ticked off, the Bears gathered in front of the Cal band in the southwest corner of Husky Stadium to salute a contingent of fans. The celebration carried into the visitors' dressing room.

"This does worlds for our confidence," said Nnamdi Asomugha. "Everybody saw us start 3-0, then they kind of forgot about us when we lost the next two. We feel we're back."

The best quote of the day however came from the other locker room. In a theme that would be repeated for the next two years based on Cal's uprising in the college football world, the realization that the Bears were becoming a legit football program was a shock to many opposing players.

"I would have never dreamed in my wildest dreams that I would lose to Cal," Washington guard Elliott Zajac said. "It was horrendous."

Cal 55, Arizona State 38 (2002):

What was so special about this particular win?

Plenty.

First, it gave Cal six wins on the season, making the program bowl eligible for the first time since Steve Mariucci was head coach back in the mid-90s. (Cal couldn't go to a bowl game that season due to a NCAA sanctioned one-year probation from the previous coaching regime)

Second, it marked the third time that season the Bears beat a top-25 team on the road, which was the first time in program history that has ever happened.

Third, it showed once and for all that Cal's previous wins that season were no fluke. The Bears were clearly a program on the rise.

Quarterback Kyle Boller matched his career high with 5 touchdown passes and running back Joe Igber rushed for 144 yards on 30 carries, as the Bears recorded their second-highest scoring output of the season.

In a contest that featured some tremendous play on the offensive side of the ball, the team that ended up making the most stops at the end was going to win. That team turned out to be Cal, who held Arizona State scoreless in the final quarter while the Bears put up 17 unanswered to pull away with the impressive victory.

Andrew Walter threw for 477 yards and four touchdowns, but it was Cal's two scores at the end that proved to be the difference. Jonathan Makonnen led the Bears with 5 catches for 68 yards while Nnamdi Asomugha returned a pick for an 85-yard touchdown in the third quarter that gave Cal a two score cushion.

"It's fun to keep battling back, that type of thing," Tedford said afterwards. "It's great to see the kids coming off the field, the look in their eyes, to keep encouraging them. When you see the kids laying it on the line out there, that's what makes it worthwhile."

Cal 30, Stanford 7 (2002):

Of all the undeniably satisfying wins of Tedford's initial season at the helm, the sweetest victory of all for Cal fans was without a doubt the final one.

In what was essentially the program's bowl game, the Bears were simply special that day, rolling to a blowout victory over the rival Cardinal to bring The Axe back to Berkeley.

After having to deal with years of heartbreak, frustration and good ol' fashioned butt whoopins, Cal finally put it on Stanford for a change, taking down the visitors from The Farm for the first time in eight years.

As all Cal fans who were in attendance at Memorial Stadium that day could attest to, the Blue & Gold contingent hadn't celebrated like that after a game for quite some time. Students and young alumni rushed the field in joyful glee after the clock hit zero while Old Blues on the West Side stood and soaked it all in.

Fans ripped down the east goal post and a throng of students chanting, "You Know It ? " marched down Bancroft with the goal post overheard in a memorable celebration that lasted well into the next morning.

As Old Blues say: "If nothing else, just beat Stanfurd." The fact that Tedford was able to do just that in his first season is a big reason why he's so beloved around these parts.

"I wish I could come back for four more years with Coach Tedford," said Kyle Boller after the game. "It was great to see the goal posts go down."

The senior Boller capped off a terrific senior season with a terrific finale. The Southern California native completed 16-of-31 passes for 188 yards and two scores, both of which going to fellow senior Lashaun Ward.

The player who had the biggest day though was senior running back Joe Igber, who rushed for a career-high 226 yards and one touchdown on 26 carries.

"People will forget about me in a couple months, but I did what I came here to do," Igber said afterwards. "We got the win. We got The Axe. That's all that matters."

Cal 31, Illinois 24 (2003):

The first collegiate start of Aaron Rodgers' career proved to be a good one.

Rodgers completed 20-of-37 passes for 263 yards and 1 touchdown, Adimchinobe Echemandu rushed for 70 yards and a score and linebacker Wendell Hunter made a game-sealing tackle at the end of regulation to give the Bears yet another notable road win in the last two years during that time.

After starting the 2003 season a little sluggishly by going 1-3 in their first four games, the Bears were undaunted by the task at hand in Champaign. Cal executed its gameplan throughout the battle and was able to hold off a late surge by Illinois late in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory.

The momentum turned in Cal's favor midway in the second quarter when wide receiver Vinnie Strang returned a punt 68 yards for a score to put the Bears up 21-7. Geoff McArthur led all receivers with 10 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown.

After going up 31-14 on a Tyler Fredrickson field goal midway through the fourth quarter, Illinois proceeded to score 10 straight points to make things interesting. Illinois had the ball in Cal territory with under a minute remaining but on fourth and goal from the 4-yard line Illinois quarterback Jon Beutjer was pressured and sacked by Hunter to end the game.

Cal 31, USC 28 3OT (2003):

The most memorable victory in the Tedford era to this date, the Bears were given very, very little chance of pulling off the upset. In fact, ESPN figurehead Lee Corso convincingly said on the popular "College Game Day" show that morning that the Cal offense would have a tough time crossing the 50-yard line.

As they say though, that's why they play the games.

Adimchinobe Echemandu and the Bears' offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage for four quarters plus, while the Cal passing game kept the Trojans' defense off balance just enough to dispatch the visiting USC squad in thrilling fashion.

After taking an early big lead much like the contest in '02, USC came roaring back, eventually tying the score at 21-21 when linebacker Lofa Tatupu picked off Aaron Rodgers and returned the ball 26 yards to the end zone midway through the third quarter. Up to that point, Rodgers was completely on point, completing 18-of-25 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns.

Experienced backup Reggie Robertson stepped in for the injured Rodgers after that Tatupu pick and the Cal offense didn't miss a beat. Robertson quickly got into rhythm while the inspired Bears' defense held strong, holding the Trojans to three points the rest of the second half before heading into overtime.

As they say, the rest was history. Tyler Fredrickson's second try at a game-winning kick was golden, as he split the uprights in the third overtime from 38 yards out to throw the Memorial Stadium crowd into a frenzy.

Echemandu rushed for 155 yards on 34 carries and wide receiver Jonathan Makonnen caught a team-high 7 balls for 104 yards, which included a crucial touchdown in the second overtime which forced the Trojans to go down and score six themselves.

A side note to that game was the use, or rather non-use of Reggie Bush. The previous recruiting season, Carroll brought in Bush, LenDale White and Hershel Dennis, three highly touted running backs. Up to that point, Bush hadn't established himself as the USC starter yet and Dennis received the bulk of the carries.

Cal 28, Stanford 16 (2003):

The mark of a truly good team is when you can win even on your most average of days.

That was the case in the 106th Big Game, as Cal did almost everything it could in the first half to give The Axe right back to the Cardinal.

The Bears fumbled the ball seven times in the contest and Aaron Rodgers threw an interception as well, but Cal managed to battle through all of the adversity, rallying from a 10-0 halftime deficit to down Stanford for the second straight year.

Geoff McArthur set a Cal record with 16 catches for 245 yards and two touchdowns and ended that season as the nation's second leading receiver behind Pittsburgh's Larry Fitzgerald.

Rodgers passed for a then career-best 359 yards and three touchdowns, as Cal kept The Axe and officially became bowl-eligible for the first time in eight years.

Running back Adimchinobe Echemandu rushed for 87 yards, including a clinching 17-yard score with 1:39 to play. The huge Cal rooting section at Stanford Stadium didn't charge the field, but the fans roared for the Bears' second straight win over their biggest rivals following a seven-game losing streak in the series.

Wide receiver Vinnie Strang caught the go-ahead TD pass for Cal.

Cal racked up 533 yards of total offense and scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to seal the deal.

"I'm so proud of these guys," Tedford said afterwards. "They've sacrificed and put in so much hard work. It couldn't happen to better bunch of guys. Their backs were against the wall. We had to win six of our last nine games and the last two to get to a bowl game. After the first half, when everything kept going against us, we came out in the second half and played like we are capable of. I'm just very proud of these guys."

Cal 52, Virginia Tech 49 INSIGHT BOWL (2003):

After 98 points and 1,081 yards of offense, the wildest night in Insight Bowl history came down to a 35-yard field goal try by a kicker who had missed five in a row.

Tyler Fredrickson brushed off his struggles and made the final kick of his Cal career as time expired to give the Bears a highlight victory over the Hokies in the program's first bowl appearance since the Aloha Bowl in 1996.

"Kickers have to have a short memory. That's a little mantra," Fredrickson said afterward. "You put that aside, and you go out and do your job."

Fredrickson made just 15-of-30 field goal attempts that season, but he did hit the big ones. His 38-yarder beat USC earlier that season.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a career-night himself, as the then-sophomore threw for 394 yards and two touchdowns. Rodgers also ran for two scores and was named the game's MVP.

Wide receiver Chase Lyman, starting in place of injured star Geoff McArthur, caught five passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, running back Adimchinobe Echemandu rushed for 34 yards on 13 carries.

Cal scored six consecutive touchdowns after falling behind 21-7 in the first quarter. Virginia Tech finally tied the score with 3:19 left in the fourth quarter when DeAngelo Hall returned a punt 52 yards for a touchdown in spectacular fashion.

It was Rodgers' night however, as the quarterback drove Cal down the field to set up the winning field goal.

"They didn't respect us before the game, but after we put up 52 points I think they know what we are all about," Rodgers said afterwards. "We knew that if we just hung around we were going to start making big plays."

Cal 56, Air Force 14 (2004):

The new season got off to a tremendous start as the Bears rolled into Colorado and cruised to a blowout victory.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 11-of-16 passes for 208 yards and a score but the contest highlighted Cal's lethal rushing attack which would be with the potent offense for the rest of the season.

Running back J.J. Arrington rushed for a game-high 181 yards and 3 touchdowns while a then-true freshman Marshawn Lynch rushed for 92 yards and a score on just 7 carries.

Cal jumped out to a 21-7 lead midway through the second quarter and tacked on 35 points in the second half to seal the victory. The Bears defense held Air Force to just 271 yards of total offense, including 182 yards on the ground.

The Bears came into that season ranked No. 13 in the country, their first pre-season ranking in years, and played like a top-notch program that day. After allowing the triple-option Air Force offense to gain some significant yards on their first two possessions, Cal made the proper adjustments at halftime and the rest was history.

"They had a formation in the first half that we hadn't seen before and the kids had a hard time getting lined up," said Bob Gregory afterwards. "We just got them settled down in the locker room and put all the sets on the board, and we knew if we could just get aligned right we'd be OK."

Cal 49, Oregon State 7 (2004):

In hindsight, the final outcome of this contest was the first true indication of how special the '04 Cal team really was.

Unless you are playing a historically bad team (i.e. Wazzu '08), a blowout win when you are on the road means your team is capable of really, really special things. That turned out to be exactly the case this particular season.

The Bears jumped out to a 28-7 lead over OSU before halftime and never let up in a 49-7 rout on Saturday. Chase Lyman had five catches for a career-high 176 yards and three touchdowns, and Aaron Rodgers completed 12-of-16 passes for 140 yards and three scores. Cal had not played for 20 days. A game against Southern Mississippi, originally scheduled for Sept. 16, was postponed by Hurricane Ivan.

In hindsight, if that Southern Miss game was played as scheduled, Cal might've been able to squeak into the Rose Bowl like it was supposed to after all. Instead, the national perception of the Pac-10 as a weak conference ultimately doomed the Bears when they had to play Southern Miss at the end of the season.

The Cal offense was on fire to start the game. Considering how badly Rodgers played against the Beavers the year before, it was the exact opposite. Rodgers sat back there and was able to pick apart the OSU secondary, finding one streaking wide out after another. The speed and playmaking ability of Lyman was exemplified by Rodgers' ability to accurately hit a receiver in stride.

J.J. Arrington, who shattered the Cal single-season rushing record in 2004, rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries against the Beavers. The game started out great right away for Cal, as then-freshman Marshawn Lynch notched an outstanding kick return to put the Bears in scoring territory right away.

Definitely, the Bears didn't miss not having to deal with Steven Jackson anymore. With Jackson in the NFL, Cal controlled the OSU running attack, as Dwight Wright rushed for just 72 yards.

Cal 28, Oregon 27 (2004):

A victory that Old and Young Blues alike believed solidified Cal as BCS participant at the time, the contest could've and probably should've ended in a loss for the Bears.

With Cal holding a 28-27 lead in the last seconds of the game, Oregon quarterback Kellen Clemens on fourth down found a wide open Keith Allen at the 25-yard line that would've set up a fairly decent field goal attempt.

Instead, Allen had the ball hit him in both hands and drop to the turf, giving the Bears the win and because of that, having Cal fans across the country believing that fate was indeed finally on its side. As it turned out, none of that mattered because a month later Texas jumped Cal in the last week of the BCS rankings (despite being behind Cal the entire season) and went to the Rose Bowl instead.

Regardless of what happened after that game though, the last second drop by Allen defined one outstanding game between two very competitive teams. The Bears were still steaming from the previous year, where they felt they let one slip away in Eugene while the Ducks came into the contest still right in the thick of the Pac-10 race.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 21-of-32 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns while J.J. Arrington rushed for 188 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Wide receiver Geoff McArthur once again led the charge for the Bears down the field, hauling in 8 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bears found themselves down 27-14 after Clemens (19-of-33, 218 yards, 4 TDs) tallied his fourth touchdown pass of the day with 4:35 left in the second quarter but Cal came back out at halftime and was able to rally.

Two key mistakes made the difference: Jared Siegel missed an extra point in the first quarter, and Oregon's final drive ended when Allen dropped the easy fourth-down pass that would have put the Ducks well within field goal range.

Cal snapped a seven-game losing streak against Oregon with Tedford's first victory over the school where he served as Mike Bellotti's offensive coordinator for four years.

"I'm extremely proud of our kids and the character they showed in the second half," Tedford said after the game. "In the first half, we had a little bit of trouble slowing them down. But there was never any doubt. We came out and moved the ball very well in the second half."

Cal 41, Stanford 6 (2004):

Although it was clear heading into this game that Cal was going to win and probably win big, any victory over Stanford is a notable victory and this one had its fair share of highlights for the Cal faithful.

J.J. Arrington rushed for 169 yards and a score, Marshawn Lynch added 122 yards and a score of his own and Aaron Rodgers completed 11-of-14 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown in a resounding Cal victory.

A game that will be best remembered for Lynch's criss-crossing 55-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, the contest capped off a tremendous home season for the Bears and set the table for one final audition in the Dirty South a week later.

Cal held the awful Cardinal squad to just 180 yards of total offense and forced two turnovers marking the program's third consecutive win in the Big Game.

But the focus after the game was on one issue: the Rose Bowl.

"This game will mean a lot for us, there's no question," said Tedford. "Just to have the opportunity to talk about the BCS is tremendous."

"Whatever bowl we go we'll play hard," added linebacker Joe Maningo. "But, the real Big Game is next week."

Cal 26, Southern Miss 16 (2004):

What if this game had been played early in the season like scheduled?

Would Cal have been in the Rose Bowl?

Would the SAHPC already be built?

Would Cal, and not USC, become the dominant power in the Pac-10?

Would Tedford still be the head coach here?

For all the things that did go right during that 2004 season, the season-finale would be defined in school history as the "thing" that didn't go as planned.

The Bears hopped on the plane and took the 5-hour flight to Hattiesburg in hopes of securing a Rose Bowl bid. Cal, ranked No. 4 in the country at the time, had sat at that desired spot in the rankings for the majority of the second half of the season.

Conventional thinking said that unless a team loses, they shouldn't drop from their previous ranking. So, if Cal did what it had to do and beat Southern Miss, the Bears would finally enjoy that long-awaited trip to Pasadena, right?

As it turned out, being a Cal fan just ain't fair sometimes.

The Bears did win, but in the eyes of the national voters with Texas head coach Mack Brown screaming down their throats, Cal didn't win pretty enough. Cal relied on the legs of J.J. Arrington to tally 13 second-half points en route to a rather ho-hum victory over Southern Miss.

Arrington's record-breaking season was capped off by a tremendous 261-yard rushing performance that under normal circumstances would easily propel any athlete to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, especially given the fact that Arrington was the nation's leading rusher and the only player to rush over 2,000 yards that season.

As it turned out, Arrington didn't even receive an invite to New York and Cal didn't receive its invite to play in the Rose Bowl.

Cal 27, Stanford 3 (2005):

By the time the Big Game rolled around in 2005, the Bears badly needed a change under center.

Joe Ayoob simply wasn't having a very good season so Tedford inserted Steve Levy into the starting lineup.

Not the most physically gifted athlete on the planet, Levy made up for what he lacked with a lot of grit, determination and heart. Levy's competitive nature and willingness to do the dirty work proved inspirational enough for his team, as the Bears shook off a two-game losing streak and got back on the winning track by claiming their fourth consecutive victory over Stanford.

Levy wasn't spectacular, but was able to get the job done nonetheless. Levy completed 10-of-18 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown and running back Marshawn Lynch rushed for 123 yards and a score as Cal gave its big rooting section on the Farm something to cheer about from the opening kick-off.

Stanford's only score came on a field goal early in the second quarter. Cal got on board first when Levy connected with then-freshman DeSean Jackson on a 56-yard bomb down the right sideline for a touchdown. In the second half, Lynch, Justin Forsett and Craig Stevens all scored touchdowns to seal the deal.

Forsett finished the contest with 50 yards on 9 carries. That was significant in hindsight because Forsett ended his sophomore season 1 yard short of 1,000 yards.

The Cal defense was spectacular on this night. The Bears held the Cardinal to just 55 yards rushing and sacked the Stanford quarterbacks a combined nine times, three of which coming from outside linebacker Mickey Pimentel.

Cal 35, BYU 28 LAS VEGAS BOWL (2005):

For a program that hadn't been to a bowl game in almost a decade before Tedford step foot in Berkeley, the Bears were making a postseason excursion quite a habit.

Cal played in its third consecutive bowl game and unlike the year before, when they were blitzed by Texas Tech, the Bears had their full focus on the task at hand.

Marshawn Lynch had no time for a loose shoelace. He was too busy carrying Cal to a victory - and during his second touchdown run, his untied shoe stayed on him better than any BYU tackler.

"I almost, almost slipped," Lynch claimed of his 23-yard sprint in the second quarter.

Anybody who watched his performance in the Bears' win probably wouldn't believe him - but everybody got a look at the wealth of offensive talent coming back to Cal in 2006.

Lynch rushed for career highs of 194 yards and three touchdowns to win the MVP award, and DeSean Jackson caught two scoring passes before Cal's defense held off BYU.

Steve Levy passed for 228 yards in his second career start for the Bears, who hung on against BYU's fourth-quarter comeback in a high-octane game featuring 915 total yards.

"We didn't want to go into this off-season with a negative, because we grew up so much this year," said Jackson, who capped his impressive freshman season with six catches for 130 yards. "They're an up-and-coming team, but so are we."

Cal took a 21-point lead into the final quarter after Lynch's 35-yard scoring run and Jackson's exceptional 22-yard diving TD catch in the third. But BYU quarterback John Beck responded with scoring passes to Jonny Harline and Todd Watkins, whose 9-yard grab with 5:35 left cut Cal's lead to seven points.

The Bears improbably tried a 50-yard field goal with 2:20 to play, and Tom Schneider's kick was well short. But the Cougars moved just 7 yards before Beck's arm was hit by Cal lineman Phillip Mbakogu

Daymeion Hughes intercepted the wobbling pass to seal the Bears' second bowl victory in three postseason trips under Tedford.

"It was great to see a reflection of how much we've improved with this young team," Tedford said. "This effort was typical of our team. It doesn't surprise me."

Cal 45, Oregon 24 (2006):

"I went to the right and there were a lot of Ducks," said DeSean Jackson.

"I was just trying to get away," Jackson concluded.

Jackson sure did "get away" and some, as Cal rolled Oregon in arguably the most electric atmosphere ever at Memorial Stadium in the Tedford era.

In a game that pitted two teams ranked in the top-25, this contest ultimately decided the number one contender for USC's conference title later in the season. And unlike the game the previous year in Eugene, this one was decided right away.

The Bears notched one highlight after another, but none was bigger than Jackson's 65-yard punt return for a touchdown that put an exclamation point on one of the greatest wins Tedford has ever had as a head coach.

Cal racked up 424 yards of net offense, while holding Oregon well below its previous offensive production that year. On the first play of the game, Ducks' quarterback Dennis Dixon was rushed out the pocket and eventually picked off by Brandon Hampton, signaling the events that would come in the following minutes.

Justin Forsett rushed for a game-high 163 yards and 1 touchdown, while Marshawn Lynch added 50 yards on the ground before he had to leave the game on a bum ankle after his massive stiff arm on that posterized Oregon safety Patrick Chung.

At half, the Bears led 28-10 and they cruised the rest of the way. Nate Longshore completed 14-of-26 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns while the receiving was spread around to several different players. Statistically speaking, the most impressive stat Cal notched was its run defense against Jonathan Stewart, who rushed for only 25 yards on 18 carries.

Cal also forced four turnovers, as linebacker Zack Follett and company were all over the field.

All week leading up to the game, Tedford desperately encouraged fans attending the game to make noise. When game day rolled around, fans were handed small sheets of paper with Tedford's image and a quote box saying, "Make Noise." The game also marked the first time in the Tedford era that the student section mike men were allowed to use the stadium-wide speaker.

Suffice to say, the fans responded big time.

Right as the clock hit 0:00, Tedford ran over to the student section, hopped on a bench and clapped his hands in admiration in front of the student crowd. To date, that was the first and only time Tedford has done such a thing as head coach at Cal.

Cal 31, Washington 24 OT (2006):

This was Marshawn's day.

Lynch ran for 150 yards and a 22-yard touchdown in overtime, and Cal recovered from Washington's improbable tying score on a deflected pass as time expired for a much-needed victory over the Huskies. For all the heartbreak that eventually came the next two weeks (Arizona, USC), that heartbreak wouldn't have happened if the Bears were upset on this day.

Linebacker Desmond Bishop made 16 tackles and atoned for his disastrous misplay on Marlon Wood's unbelievable TD catch with a game-ending interception for the Bears, who celebrated wildly after surviving for their seventh straight victory.

Lynch made a 17-yard TD run with 1:52 to play, and Cal appeared to be safe after trailing much of the day against the Huskies and new quarterback Carl Bonnell, who threw five interceptions in his first start in two years.

But Bonnell drove the Huskies 48 yards to the Cal 40, where he uncorked a long throw to the end zone with 6 seconds left.

Bishop or Robert Peele could have knocked it down, but instead deflected the ball straight to Wood, who caught it and lunged over the goal line with just his second catch of the season - and the first TD of his career.

Washington stretched USC down to the final possession of a 26-20 loss two weeks ago, and coach Tyrone Willingham's club again showed a flair for dramatics - but again couldn't finish it off.

Although Memorial Stadium was deathly quiet when Cal lost the overtime coin flip, Lynch rolled to a 22-yard score on the Bears' second play. Washington then got to the Cal 6, but Bishop intercepted a short pass and returned it about 80 yards with the entire Cal roster chasing him down the field.

Lynch added to the festivities when he commandeered the cart used to carry injured players. The junior tailback drove it onto the field, jubilantly leaving turn tracks on Cal's artificial turf while the student section went crazy.

Nate Longshore passed for 291 yards but no touchdowns as Washington shut down Cal's big-play offensive stars - except Lynch, who rushed for 102 yards after halftime.

"It was such a gutsy performance by Marshawn today," Tedford said afterward. "He put the offense on his back and to make so many plays like he did today is just a phenomenal performance."

Cal 45, Texas A&M 10 HOLIDAY BOWL (2006):

What a difference it made when Cal actually wanted to be in the Holiday Bowl.

Two years after a BCS snub led to an uninspired trip to San Diego, the Bears dominated the Texas A&M Aggies behind Marshawn Lynch, who ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

Nate Longshore threw for a touchdown and ran for another, and Lynch's backup, Justin Forsett, ran for 124 yards and one score.

Plus, the Bears' defense showed a Big 12 team that the Pac-10 can be tough, too.

Cal put an emphatic final touch to its second 10-win season in three years. The Golden Bears had lost to Arizona and USC in disheartening fashion before beating rival Stanford.

In 2004, Cal was in position to end its long Rose Bowl drought but was leapfrogged in the final Bowl Championship Series standings by Texas. Although the fourth-ranked Golden Bears claimed not to be bothered by the snub, they couldn't even hang with No. 23 Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl and were humiliated 45-31.

"There were a lot of things surrounding the Holiday Bowl last time," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "Obviously this was a different experience. Last time we were here we felt slighted by a computer ranking. This year we were where we deserved to play."

The Golden Bears heard a lot of talk about how physical Big 12 teams are.

"We wanted to prove our brand of football and I think we showed ourselves well," Tedford said. "I think we played pretty physical football in the Pac-10."

Aggies coach Dennis Franchione agreed.

"Cal played a great game," Franchione said. "We were not up to the task. They controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball."

Lynch, the Pac-10 offensive player of the year, scored on a 2-yard run in the second quarter to give Cal a 14-7 lead. While Longshore lined up at wide receiver, Lynch was in the shotgun formation, took the snap and bulled into the end zone.

Lynch scored on a 1-yard run in the third, leaping over the line and fumbling as he came down in the end zone. The Aggies recovered and referee John O'Neill signaled first down for Texas A&M, then said the play was being reviewed. Replay official Jim Augustyn ruled that Lynch had possession when he broke the plane of the end zone, making it 21-10 Cal.

While the Golden Bears moved up and down the field, their defense came up big, too.

Jorvorskie Lane, Texas A&M's 274-pound tailback, wasn't much of a factor after tying a 79-year-old school record with 19 rushing touchdowns this year. He was held to 36 yards and no touchdowns on seven carries.

Longshore scored on a 1-yard keeper to tie the game at 7 in the first quarter, eight plays after Texas A&M's Stephen McGee threw a 19-yard TD pass to Chad Schroeder.

Longshore also threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Lavelle Hawkins late in the third quarter. He finished 19-of-24 for 235 yards.

Texas A&M gambled a few times too many. After Bryce Reed gained 7 yards on a fake punt in the first quarter, the drive bogged down and the Aggies went for it on fourth-and-8 from the Cal 32. McGee was sacked by Nu'u Tafisi.

Lynch scored his first TD five plays later.

His second touchdown was set up when Texas A&M's Justin Brantly shanked a punt out of bounds for no gain at the Aggies' 41. Lynch scored four plays later.

Cal's Eddie Young intercepted Aggies backup quarterback Ty Branyon with 2:25 left, setting up a 3-yard score by freshman tailback Bryan Schutte.

Tedford said he would have preferred that the Golden Bears take a knee to end the game, but that the players wanted Schutte, one of the quietest players on the team, to get a touchdown.

Cal 45, Tennessee 31 (2007):

Cal scored one for the West Coast with a redemptive win over Tennessee.

DeSean Jackson scampered 77 yards for his sixth career punt return for a touchdown, and the 12th-ranked Golden Bears avenged the previous season's humiliating loss to the Volunteers.

Justin Forsett rushed for 156 yards and a score, and Nate Longshore passed for 241 yards and two TDs as the Bears racked up the most points scored against the Volunteers in 12 years to win the opening weekend's only matchup between ranked schools.

Though both teams struggled on defense, Cal's offensive creativity and athleticism were too much for its SEC foes. The win also should quiet some of those Pac-10 detractors who cited Cal's 35-18 blowout loss in Knoxville last year as a prime example of the conference's shortcomings outside top-ranked USC.

As the clock wound down in the final minutes, the sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium jubilantly chanted "Pac-10 football!" at the departing Tennessee fans.

Erik Ainge had 271 yards passing and three TD throws despite an injured finger, but Tennessee's first trip to the West Coast since 1997 was hardly encouraging for coach Phillip Fulmer's defense, which hadn't given up this many points since a 62-37 loss to Florida in 1995.

Since then, the Vols even played a six-overtime game and another five-OT game without giving up 45 points.

Arian Foster rushed for 89 yards and Chris Brown caught two TD passes from Ainge, who wore a white wrap on two fingers of his throwing hand after injuring his pinkie during practice this week. The senior was exceptionally sharp while completing 14 of his first 15 throws, but Tennessee's no-huddle offense finally bogged down in the fourth quarter.

The Volunteers also had a scare with 4:10 to play when starting defensive end Xavier Mitchell left the field on a stretcher with his neck immobilized after a hard tackle. Tennessee had no immediate word on the nature of the senior's injury.

The Bears spent the past year chafing at the memory of their season-opening loss, mentioning it constantly in team meetings and repeatedly watching tape of their follies. Tennessee jumped to a 35-0 lead in the third quarter in Knoxville, dealing a humiliating blow to the Bears' quest for national respect.

The 72,516 fans at Memorial Stadium did their best to provide a homefield advantage resembling Neyland Stadium's edge, packing Strawberry Canyon well before kickoff and easily outshouting the 10,000-plus Tennessee fans on the south end.

Tedford's club scored early and often against Tennessee. Cal linebacker Worrell Williams returned a fumble 44 yards for a score just 1:51 into the game after Zack Follett caused a jarring fumble, while Jackson -- the junior receiver with almost unearthly returning skills -- broke free early in the second quarter with a dizzying series of moves on the way to the end zone.

Robert Jordan and Lavelle Hawkins had TD catches from Longshore, with Hawkins catching seven passes for 90 yards.

Cal led 38-21 early in the third quarter, but the Volunteers pulled within seven points on Daniel Lincoln's field goal in the opening minute of the fourth. Forsett's TD run with 9:10 to play pushed Cal back to a comfortable lead, and the defense finished off the Bears' eighth straight home victory since 2005.

"It was a big win, no question about it," Tedford said afterward. "We've been carrying this with us for a year. Our guys played very, very well. They were ready emotionally and physically. I'm just real proud of them."

Cal 31, Oregon 24 (2007):

Who could forget how this game ended?

With 22 seconds to go, Oregon's Dennis Dixon hit receiver Cameron Colvin, who fumbled trying to reach the ball into the end zone when he was hit by Marcus Ezeff. The loose ball went through the end zone and was ruled a touchback and possession for Cal. The play was reviewed, the call stood and time ran out for Oregon.

"That had huge significance right there, so they had to get it right," Tedford said. "We knew when we saw it on the big board that there was no way it would be overturned."

In yet another close, back-and-forth, thrilling battle between these two programs, the contest could've went either way up to the final seconds.

From Cal's perspective, the offense finally got in gear when the third quarter rolled around, as Justin Forsett and the offensive line began to assert itself against the Oregon front-4. Forsett and Cal were held to just 3 points in the first half, but exploded for 28 points in the second frame.

The star offensively though was once again DeSean Jackson. As fans know, Jackson always played well in front of the national audience and with ESPN College GameDay in attendance, Jackson put on arguably the best single-game performance in his Cal career.

Jackson caught 11 passes for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a tip-toe 31-yard touchdown scant down the right sideline early in the fourth quarter to put Cal up 24-17.

Forsett rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns while Nate Longshore completed 28-of-43 passes for 285 yards and two scores. Unlike the game the previous year where the Cal defense held the Oregon offense in check, Dixon and running back Jonathan Stewart earned their fair share of yards, as both athletes had tremendous games.

Robert Jordan added 5 catches for 33 yards and Jahvid Best had an outstanding outing as a special teams defender, including a fumble recovery, as the game saw both teams show off their respective shill-sets to the highest degree on every possession.

However, the game will forever be remembered by the last play of the contest.

Cal 42, Air Force 36 ARMED FORCES BOWL (2007):

In many ways, this game turned out to be a passing of the torch.

Kevin Riley came in for Nate Longshore in the second quarter and rallied the Bears back from a three-touchdown deficit to earn bowl MVP honors and re-emerge as a future leader of the Cal offense.

Riley, who hadn't played all season to that point after his blunder earlier in the year against Oregon State, redeemed himself to the 10th degree, as he was almost perfect, throwing for 269 yards and three TDs while completing 16-of-19 passes. Riley also ran for a score. Longshore had been hampered by a sprained right ankle and Tedford wanted to get Riley some action.

Riley came in on the same series as DeSean Jackson and Robert Jordan, who were both suspended for a quarter for violating team rules. That drive, Riley led Cal on a four-play TD drive, and played the rest of the game.

"He kind of had the hot hand," Tedford said. "We felt like he had a pretty good feel for it, so we just left him in."

Stuck on the sideline for disciplinary reasons, Jackson and Jordan could do nothing to help as California quickly fell behind by three touchdowns.

"They were chomping at the bit to get in," coach Tedford said. "They were prancing around on the sideline. And so when they finally got let loose, they were ready to roll."

And they made an immediate impact.

Jackson made an acrobatic 40-yard grab for Cal's first touchdown right after entering the game and Jordan had six catches for 148 yards and a score.

Ranked No. 2 in the nation in October before losing six of seven games, the comeback gave California (7-6) its sixth straight winning season.

Jackson, Jordan and leading tackler Thomas DeCoud were held out of the starting lineup and didn't play the first quarter because of unspecified violations of team rules that occurred before the team got to Fort Worth for the bowl.

While the starting receivers watched helplessly, Air Force built a 21-0 lead after scoring twice in a 2-minute span early in the second quarter with help of a botched kickoff.

"The hard part about it was the score," said Jordan, who was about to finally get into the game with Jackson when the Falcons recovered the fumbled kickoff. "That just made me play harder. I haven't felt all year the way I did today about trying to prove a point and help the team."

Jackson caught three passes on his first possession, including the TD on which he turned and backpedaled a few steps in the end zone before twisting and diving to make the catch. He finished with five catches for 81 yards.

"It gave them a spark," Air Force linebacker Drew Fowler said. "As soon as they got in, it was a different story."

Jordan had an 18-TD in the third quarter, then a 52-yard catch to set up the go-ahead 1-yard run by Justin Forsett with 1:33 left in the third quarter. That made it 28-27 and the Bears led the rest of the way.

Forsett, playing his final collegiate game only about half-hour from his home with about 300 family and friends watching, ran for 140 yards and two TDs on 23 carries. He added a 21-yard TD run on Cal's next drive.

Forsett's first TD came after Air Force lost four-year starting quarterback Shaun Carney because of a right knee injury when his leg buckled awkwardly while being tackled near the Cal goal line.

Cal 38, Michigan State 31 (2008):

After a hellish end to the 2007 season, the Bears needed to show their fan base, and themselves, that this was a new year with a completely new attitude to boot.

Cal did just that, setting the tone for a successful season with a solid season-opening victory over the visiting Spartans.

Kevin Riley passed for 202 yards and two second-half touchdowns, and Shane Vereen broke an 81-yard scoring run with 4:21 left to seal the deal.

Jahvid Best rushed for 111 yards and a score, while tight end Cameron Morrah and fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou caught Riley's TD passes in a solid debut for the Bears' brand-new collection of starting offensive skill players.

Brian Hoyer passed for 321 yards, hooking up with Mark Dell for nine catches and 202 yards, the fifth-biggest yardage total for a receiver in Michigan State history. Javon Ringer rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns for the Spartans, but they couldn't catch up in a back-and-forth second half featuring 45 total points and 503 yards of total offense.

Bryant Nnabuife returned a blocked punt for the first score as Cal won for the fifth time in seven openers under coach Jeff Tedford. Cal rebuilt its entire offense, and Riley looked sharp in his second career start along with Best and Vereen, who ran for 101 yards in his Cal debut.

"Jahvid is a special player," Tedford said afterward. "The touchdown run that he ran around the edge - it looked like it was going nowhere and he just beat everyone with speed. He's a tough guy. He ran hard tonight. Not only is he fast, but I thought he ran inside pretty well, too."

Cal 24, Miami 17 EMERALD BOWL (2008):

Sure they weren't "The U" of their glory years, but lining up against Miami always has a special element to it.

The Bears played like they were up for the game, making plays all over the field in arguably their most efficient and most well-executed contest of that season.

Zack Follett forced a fumble by Jacory Harris deep in Miami territory with 3:28 left, and Anthony Miller scored the go-ahead touchdown on his first career catch moments later.

Jahvid Best rushed for a bowl-record 186 yards and two touchdowns, yet the Bears still needed a big defensive play and an unlikely hero to hold off the Hurricanes in front of a Bay Area crowd teeming with screaming Cal fans.

Bay Area fans clad in blue and gold filled all but a few thousand spots in the sold-out stadium, turning the San Francisco Giants' waterfront ballpark into a cross-Bay rendition of Strawberry Canyon with a bowl-record crowd of 42,268. The Bears' campus is roughly 12 miles from San Francisco, yet the team stayed in a hotel in the city during its week of preparation, crossing the Bay Bridge for daily practice in Berkeley.

Best finished the season with 1,580 yards rushing, which means Oregon State freshman Jacquizz Rodgers would need 328 yards in the Sun Bowl against Pittsburgh on Wednesday to overtake Best for the Pac-10 rushing title. Best, who finished with the second-highest rushing total in Cal history, all but locked up his first conference rushing crown with 311 yards in the Bears' regular season finale against Washington.

Longshore, who finished his career No. 2 in victories by a Cal starting quarterback, earned the starting spot after having two strong weeks of practice leading up to the game.

Verran Tucker, the junior receiver who surprisingly claimed a starting spot for Cal this season, took a short slant pass 74 yards to the Miami 2 midway through the first quarter, setting up Best's 1-yard TD run. The pass was the longest ever allowed by Miami in its lengthy bowl history.

A few minutes later, Best doubled back on an interior run and sprinted past the Hurricanes' fleet-footed defense for a 42-yard score. But Harris replied with a scoring drive culminating in Byrd's TD catch.

"We couldn't let them come across the country and beat us in our backyard," Follett said afterward.