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Saturday, Nov. 13 3:30pm ET
Ducks survive on sixth pick in final minute | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- Brian Johnson provided the surprise ending to California's last-second trick play. Johnson intercepted a pass in the end zone with 33 seconds remaining, denying the go-ahead score as Oregon avoided blowing a 24-point lead and hung on to beat California 24-19 Saturday. The Ducks (7-3, 5-2 Pac-10), winners of four straight, had six interceptions to offset Deltha O'Neal's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown and LaShaun Ward's interception in the late going for Cal (4-6, 3-4). Cal, which six years ago rallied from 30 points down to defeat the Ducks in the third greatest comeback in NCAA history, was poised to complete another before being foiled. "It was gut-wrenching, heart-stopping, all the things you'd think from this group of cardiac kids that we have," said Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, whose team has had close contests all season, including a triple-overtime victory over Southern Cal and three-point decisions over Arizona and Arizona State. "It is amazing, our poise and confidence, although it was sorely tested there at the end. I think our defense was put under unbelievable pressure but they responded," Bellotti said. Following Ward's interception of A.J. Feeley, the Golden Bears drove to the 5 after Ward completed a 24-yard pass to Michael Ainsworth on a flea-flicker play. Joe Igber then ran for 2 yards and Wes Dalton, who came on for injured starter Kyle Boller, had an incompletion. On third down, Cal lined up in a bizarre spread formation, with most of the line shifting to the right side and tight end Brian Surgener remaining on the opposite end to snap the ball. "We were looking for mismatches," Cal coach Tom Holmoe said. "We had a couple out there. Oregon didn't know what was going on." But the Ducks caught on quickly. After Surgener snapped the ball, he began running his pattern but got knocked around by Oregon defenders and was stumbling when Dalton's pass sailed over his head and into Johnson's arms for the game-saving interception. "When he came off the ball, they grabbed him, which they can't do, but obviously they weren't aware of that," Holmoe said. "We gave Wes instructions before the play if it's not there to throw it away. We have fourth down. But he thought he had Surgener. He chucked it in there and they picked it off." Johnson said Cal's wacky formation didn't change his coverage responsibility."I just kind of stayed in the middle, in case they tried to run a quarterback draw," he said. "I guess it was an inside screen to him. I just read it, saw the ball up in the air and jumped up and got it. They were trying to strip it and get the ball away but I just laid there at the bottom of the pile and held onto it. "It was a relief. I was just thinking, 'We have to stop them.' It came down to that one play and we made the play." O'Neal got the Bears within 24-12 when he stepped in front of Marshuan Tucker to intercept Joey Harrington's pass at the goal line, reversed his field and broke into the clear down the left sideline to score untouched. It was O'Neal's fourth interception return for a touchdown this season, setting an NCAA record. The previous high was three, a mark set by many players, the last Miami of Ohio's Jay Baker in 1998. He has eight interceptions this year, a school record. Boller was knocked out of the game early in the third quarter when he was hit hard by Michael Fletcher at the end of a scramble, leaving with a separated left shoulder. Dalton came on to throw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Ainsworth, pulling Cal to 24-19 with 13:16 remaining. Oregon's first three scores followed interceptions of Boller and the Ducks went in front 24-0 on Herman Ho-Ching's 2-yard touchdown run with 40 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Fletcher helped set up Ho-Ching's score with a 37-yard punt return. The Bears got on the board as time expired in the first half when Ronnie Davenport caught Boller's deflected 48-yard pass for a touchdown. The ball bounced off Fletcher and LaShaun Ward before Davenport grabbed the rebound and stepped into the end zone. Steve Smith's interception and 23 yards return to the Cal 45 led to Oregon's first score. Punter Kurtis Doerr's 15-yard gain on a fake punt kept the drive alive and Chad Chance turned a short flat pass from Harrington on a fourth-and-1 into a 19-yard TD. Josh Frankel kicked a 30-yard field goal after Rasuli Webster's interception of Boller and Harrington hit LaCorey Collins for a 20-yard score immediately after Peter Sirmon got the Ducks' third interception of Boller. | ALSO SEE College Football Scoreboard Oregon Clubhouse California Clubhouse | |||||