Oct. 4, 2008
BERKELEY, Calif. -
By Matt Storey, ASU Media Relations
With three touchdown passes from quarterback Nate Longshore and the defense forcing three turnovers, California defeated Arizona State 24-14 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Sun Devils drop to 2-3, 1-1 in the Pac-10, with the loss.
The Golden Bears scored on three of their first four possessions to jump out to a 17-0 lead in the second quarter, which gave them enough cushion to hold off ASU in the second half.
ASU's defense allowed Cal to get only three first downs and forced four 3-and-outs in the second half, but the Sun Devil offense was unable to score in the fourth quarter and cut into the Bears' 10-point lead.
"I thought our guys, in the second half, particularly defensively, fought and played their rear ends off," head coach Dennis Erickson said. "We came back and made some plays and had a chance. We played a good team on the road and we had a chance at the end if we just could have made a couple of different plays here and there."
Quarterback Rudy Carpenter was 20-of-35 for 165 yards and a touchdown, but he was intercepted twice in the second half. The second came on a deep pass intended for Kyle Williams that had a chance to be a touchdown, but Cal cornerback Sean Cattouse quickly made up ground and picked the pass off.
"I thought I was alone out on an island," Williams said. "That was a real athletic play. If he (Cattouse) hadn't been there, that would have been a touchdown."
Chris McGaha led the ASU receivers with six catches for 52 yards, and Michael Jones added 50 yards on five receptions. Williams had the only touchdown reception of the game, a 30-yard catch and run in the second quarter that gave ASU its first points.
Dimitri Nance had 39 yards on 11 carries while Keegan Herring returned to carry the ball 14 times for 37 yards, including an eight-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
"I thought we ran the ball, at times, successfully," Erickson said. "There were times, as I looked at the running game, where we blocked pretty well but the back didn't go where he should have. We've got to be able to commit to the running game."
Troy Nolan led the ASU defense with eight tackles, while Morris Wooten and Travis Goethel each had seven. Freshman Lawrence Guy made his first career start and finished with six tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a half-sack. Mike Nixon also had an interception in the first quarter, the only turnover the ASU defense forced in the game.
The Golden Bears jumped out to a fast start, going 67 yards on 14 plays and getting a field goal on their opening possession. Then, after Nance fumbled on ASU's first drive, Longshore connected with wide receiver LaReylle Cunningham for a 19-yard touchdown pass to put Cal ahead 10-0.
Nixon intercepted a screen pass by Longshore on Cal's next drive, but the Sun Devil offense was unable to take advantage, going 3-and-out and having to punt. The Bears then moved down the field again, going 80 yards on five plays and capping off the drive when Longshore found tight end Cameron Morrah for a 22-yard touchdown.
ASU's offense got on the board on the ensuing possession with Carpenter connecting with Williams for a 30-yard scoring pass on third down to cut the deficit to 10.
With the score still 17-7 in the third quarter, Bears cornerback Chris Conte intercepted a Carpenter pass to give his team the ball on the ASU 30. Three plays later, Longshore found wide receiver Nyan Boateng for a 19-yard touchdown pass and a 24-7 lead.
Herring's touchdown run late in the third made it 24-14, but that would be the final scoring in the game. Kicker Thomas Weber missed a 44-yard field goal that would have brought the Sun Devils within seven with just over a minute remaining, and Cal was able to run out the clock.
ASU continues its Pac-10 Conference schedule on Saturday, facing the No. 8 USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.