PASADENA ““ The UCLA football team’s hour-long ride back from the Rose Bowl will be less than pleasant after its 45-26 loss to California today.
The Golden Bears, meanwhile, will surely enjoy their eight-hour bus ride back to Berkeley.
UCLA allowed 493 yards of total offense and a season-high 45 points to a Cal team that was coming off of two consecutive losses. The Golden Bears had scored just six points in their last two games combined.
After winning its first three games of the season, UCLA (3-3, 0-3 Pac-10) has lost three straight.
Game time temperatures reached triple digits, and the Golden Bears (4-2, 1-2) were equally hot offensively.
For the third straight week, the Bruins had trouble stopping the run. Cal sophomore tailback Shane Vereen, the more than capable complement to Cal’s All-America candidate Jahvid Best, racked up 153 yards on the ground. Best, meanwhile, burned UCLA for 103 yards on 18 carries ““ the bulk coming on an electrifying 93-yard touchdown scamper midway through the second quarter. The Bruins allowed a total of 288 yards rushing.
Redshirt freshman Johnathan Franklin led UCLA with 99 rushing yards on just 11 carries. He scored two touchdowns, the second coming on a long 74-yard dash on the near sideline.
The Golden Bears struck gold on their first series, driving the ball 80 yards on seven plays for the early lead. Vereen capped the drive with a 42-yard scamper down the far sideline.
Cal extended its lead to 14-0 by capitalizing on redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Prince’s fumble midway through the first quarter. Cal quarterback Kevin Riley connected with Marvin Jones for a 43-yard touchdown pass.
Franklin responded with his first touchdown, a 7-yard score to cut the deficit to 14-7.
Riley hooked up with Best, who raced past redshirt senior linebacker Kyle Bosworth, for a 51-yard touchdown pass to give the Golden Bears a two-possession lead. Then came Franklin’s second touchdown, this one for 74 yards on the first play of the drive.
Best countered with his 93-yard touchdown run before UCLA place kicker Kai Forbath kicked a 24-yard field goal.
Riley, who was 14-of-23 for 205 yards and three touchdowns, went to Jones again on the Golden Bears’ final drive of the first half for yet another score.
Forbath nailed a 39-yard field goal as time expired to cut the score to 35-20.
Forbath sank two more field goals in the second half.
Cal kicker Giorgio Tavecchio converted a 24-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Bears linebacker Mychal Kendricks returned a Kevin Prince interception 69 yards for a touchdown with just over five minutes to play in the game to seal the deal.
“We appreciate you,” UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said as he addressed what was left of a disgruntled crowd following the game. “I’m excited to go to work with these guys. Stay with us, we’re going to make you proud.”
With reports from Ryan Eshoff, Bruin Sports senior staff.