Washington State Cougars vs California Golden Bears Match Player Stats On Oct 13, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Oct 14, 2017

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Eighth-ranked Washington State committed seven turnovers -- including five interceptions thrown and a lost fumble by Luke Falk -- as California stunned the Cougars 37-3 on Friday night at Cal's Memorial Stadium.

The Cougars (6-1, 3-1) became the second top-10 team to lose on Friday night, joining No. 2 Clemson as a victim.

Cal (4-3, 1-3) did not commit a turnover and ended a three-game losing streak in a game played under hazy skies created by the nearby wildfires in northern California.

Falk, who entered the game with an NCAA-best 19 touchdown passes and two interceptions, was 28 of 43 for 286 yards, no touchdowns and the five picks.

He was sacked nine times, and he also lost a fumble that that was returned 26 yards by Cal's Gerran Brown for the Bears' final points.

Washington State had scored at least 30 points in each of its first six games. This was the Cougars' lowest scoring output since they were shut out by Arizona State in 2010.

Cal quarterback Ross Bowers passed for just 80 yards in last week's 38-7 loss to Washington, when the Bears' offense failed to score a point, but he was 21 of 38 for 259 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions Friday.

Cal running back Vic Enwere rushed 22 times for 102 yards, with 94 of them coming in the second half.

The Bears led 17-3 early in the third quarter when Cal linebacker Raymond Davison III intercepted a shovel pass after Washington State had reached the Bears' 14 yard-line.

Jordan Kunaszyk's interception at the Cougars' 38-yard line led to Matt Anderson's 48-yard field goal, which put the Bears ahead 20-3.

Cal took a 27-3 lead when Bowers scored on a 7-yard run that ended with Bowers doing a complete forward flip into the end zone after being hit low at the 2-yard line.

A 41-yard Anderson field goal and the touchdown return of Falk's fumble ended the scoring.

Cal linebacker Devante Downs, the Pac-12's leading tackler, left the game in the third quarter with an unspecified injury.

The game was interrupted late in the second quarter when a woman ran onto the field and sat down near the line of scrimmage. She was dragged off the field by security.

Three Washington State turnovers and a 1-yard Cougars punt helped Cal take a 17-3 lead at halftime.

Washington State's Renard Bell had a 99-yard return of the opening kickoff negated by a holding penalty, and Falk's first pass was intercepted by Camryn Bynum at the Washington State 20-yard line.

Cal turned that turnover into a 3-0 lead when Matt Anderson booted a 26-yard field goal.

A 31-yard punt return by Vic Wharton III set up the Bears' first touchdown, which came on a 6-yard run by Enwere, giving Cal a 10-0 lead.

Washington State's Erik Powell made a 52-yard field goal early in the second quarter to reduce the deficit to 10-3.

Bynum made his second interception in his own end zone, thwarting a Washington State drive that had reached the Cal 13.

A 1-yard punt by the Cougars' Mitchell Cox gave Cal the ball at the Washington State 45 with 52 seconds left in the second quarter. Bowers' 2-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Wells on the final play of the half increased the Bears' lead to 14 points.

Cal finished the first half with minus-14 rushing yards.

NOTES: The game started on time despite air-quality concerns stemming from the nearby northern California wildfires. ... RB Patrick Laird, Cal's leading rusher, did not play because of an unspecified injury. ... Washington State was without two defensive starters because of injuries -- LB Isaac Dotson (unspecified) and CB Darrien Molton (arm) ... Cal hosts Arizona next Saturday, and Washington State plays at home against Colorado the same day. ... Last season, Cal offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin was the head coach at Eastern Washington, an FCS school that beat Washington State 45-42 in Pullman, Wash., in 2016.