California quarterback Davis Webb (7) passes against Oregon during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Berkeley, Calif., Friday, Oct. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
BERKELEY, Calif. — Matt Anderson kicked a 28-yard field goal in the second overtime and Jordan Kunaszyk sealed the victory with an interception that gave California a 52-49 victory over Oregon on Friday night.
“It’s crazy,” Kunaszyk said. “I just remember going into OT, I was like, ‘Man, another one of these games.’ Every one of our games is close. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
This was the sixth straight game for Cal that went down to the closing minutes, including an overtime loss at Oregon State two weeks ago and a home win against Utah the previous week when Cal’s defense came up with a late goal-line stand.
This game featured an FBS-record 203 plays from scrimmage, 101 points, 1,086 yards, 28 penalties, a missed 41-yard field goal by Anderson on the final play of regulation and the one turnover at the end that decided it,
“Our defense’s back was against the wall, just like it was against Utah,” coach Sonny Dykes said. “Jordan made a big time break on the ball. You could kind of see it developing. He threw it a tad bit late.”
Davis Webb threw five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth to lead the way for the Golden Bears (4-3, 2-2 Pac-12), who snapped a seven-game losing streak to Oregon.
Freshman Justin Herbert threw six touchdown passes and rallied Oregon back from a 20-point deficit in the third quarter but it wasn’t enough for the Ducks (2-5, 0-4), who lost their fifth straight game for their longest skid since 1996.
“I feel awful that we couldn’t get it done for them, of how they’ve stuck together and weathered through a lot, they’ve had a lot of opportunities to splinter and they haven’t,” coach Mark Helfrich said.
The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime with Herbert throwing a 20-yarder to Jalen Brown for Oregon and Webb answering with a 1-yard run for Cal.
The Ducks held the Bears to a field goal to start the second overtime but couldn’t deliver on offense.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oregon: Just 21 months since playing for a national championship, the Ducks find themselves at the bottom of the Pac-12. The collapse has been complete. The defense got torched once again, leaving receivers unguarded for touchdowns and allowing scores on six straight possessions. The offense punted on its first four drives against a Cal defense that ranks near the bottom in all statistical categories. The Ducks were also undisciplined, committing 14 penalties for 134 yards, including personal fouls on back-to-back plays in the first half.
California: Coach Sonny Dykes had lost all 12 games to Oregon, Stanford, USC and UCLA as Cal coach before this breakthrough win. But the Ducks aren’t the same team they were just a few years ago, taking some of the luster off of it. The Bears were sloppy as well, committing 14 penalties and struggling on defense but pulled out the win behind Webb’s strong play and a stellar running game. Tre Watson ran for 154 yards and Khalfani Muhammad had 148.
UP NEXT
The Ducks host Arizona State next Saturday.
Morning Briefing Newsletter
Get a rundown of the latest local and regional news every Mon-Fri morning.
