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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, November 15, 2009 PAC-10 ROUNDUP: Quirky Cal upsets Arizona; Oregon rolls over Arizona State Associated Press BERKELEY, Calif. — It took a career day by a backup running back, a fluke tackle by a kicker and an odd penalty that thwarted a potential go-ahead drive for California to pull out a victory without star tailback Jahvid Best. Shane Vereen scored on a 61-yard run immediately after an illegal forward pass knocked Arizona out of position for a potential game-winning field goal, and the Golden Bears went on to a 24-16 victory over the 18th-ranked Wildcats on Saturday. “Everyone had No. 4 in their heads all game,” Vereen said of Best. “He was riding with us and we needed to pick him up.” Best gave the Bears an emotional boost with his presence on the sideline and participation in the coin toss as an honorary captain just a week after being carried off this same field on a stretcher following a scary concussion. But it took much more than that to beat the Wildcats. Giorgio Tavecchio kicked four field goals, giving Cal an 18-16 lead with a 22-yarder with 4:46 remaining. That’s when things really got interesting. Travis Cobb took the ensuing kickoff and looked like he was going to take it back a long way before Tavecchio somehow managed to trip him up at the 38. Coach Jeff Tedford said Tavecchio might be the team’s worst tackler, making the play even more improbable. “I just remember him cutting inside and I don’t why, I kind of stuck my foot out,” said Tavecchio, who needed stitches in his right leg after the tackle. “It must have been a reflex from my soccer days. I felt contact and looked behind me and the guy was on the ground. I got up and was like, ‘Was that me?’ It’s a dream. I’ve never tackled anyone before. It was a quirky play that resulted in something decent.” Cal needed another quirky play soon after. Arizona drove the ball down to the Cal 25 and was in position to kick a go-ahead field goal with less than 2 minutes left. Then on third-and-3, Nick Foles’ pass was batted by defensive lineman Tyson Alualu. The ball went right back to Foles, who instead of letting it drop, caught it at the 34 and tried to throw again. “It was just a bad mistake by me,” Foles said. “Everything happened so fast.” So instead of fourth down at the 25, Arizona was backed all the way up to the 39 with the 5-yard penalty from the spot of the foul and the loss of down. With no chance at a field goal, Foles threw an incomplete pass on fourth down, giving Cal the ball. The Wildcats can still clinch a Rose Bowl berth by winning their final three games against Oregon, Arizona State and USC, but they now have no margin for error. Oregon 44, Arizona State 21 EUGENE, Ore. — LaMichael James ran 22 times for 149 yards and three TDS as the Ducks beat the Sun Devils. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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