November 7, 1998
TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State took a step toward the bowl season and a step backward for the program in the same game.
The Sun Devils' 55-22 victory over California on Saturday night moved them within one of the six victories required for postseason play.
But quarterback Ryan Kealy, who had reconstructive surgery on his right knee in the offseason, sprained the knee in the first half and did not return.
He was in action until Arizona State's last offensive play of the second quarter, throwing an 11-yard scoring pass to Todd Heap with 52 seconds left and handing off to Jeff Paulk for a 1-yard touchdown 47 seconds later. The quick scores sent the Sun Devils (5-4, 4-2 Pac-10) to a 31-10 halftime lead.
Kealy also threw a career-long 79-yard TD pass to Kenny Mitchell. Steve Campbell, a senior playing his final home game, took advantage of the chance to play by throwing TD passes of 9 yards to Lenzie Jackson, 19 yards to Mitchell and 4 yards to Davaren Hightower.
Hightower ran two yards for the first TD and Stephen Baker kicked field goals of 33 and 38 yards as Arizona State won for the sixth time in its last seven games with the Golden Bears (5-4, 3-3).
Cal's Marcus Fields scored on a 72-yard run and caught a 43-yard TD pass from Justin Vedder. Vedder also had a 1-yard scoring pass to Brian Surgener, but threw five interceptions, and the Sun Devils scored 24 points as a result.
Courtney Jackson had two interceptions, returning the first 54 yards to the Cal 1 to set up Paulk's TD with five seconds left in the first half. Early in the third period, Jackson intercepted another pass and returned it 23 yards to the Cal 37, setting up a for a short drive capped by Lenzie Jackson's scoring catch that made it 38-16.
The Golden Bears' best moments came from a player who didn't produce a point.
Douglas caught 10 passes, giving him a school-record 81. Bobby Shaw set the previous record of 75 last year. Shaw also had a record 180 passes in his career, and Douglas finished this game with 176.
It took the Sun Devils 10 minutes to make a first down against a Cal defense which came in as the second-ranked unit in the Pac-10. That changed in the second quarter.
On the first play of the period, Kealy found Mitchell with a 56-yard bomb to the Cal 4 and Hightower scored in two carries.
Ignacio Brache broke a 7-7 tie with a 27-yard field goal for Cal 3:59 into the second quarter, but Arizona State went ahead for good 14-10 on its first snap when Kealy found Mitchell on the sideline, and he outran cornerback Derrick Gardner to the end zone.
By MEL REISNER
AP Sports Writer