Washington State’s defense held California scoreless for the final 53 minutes and Jayden de Laura returned from a knee injury to throw three touchdown passes as the visiting Cougars suffocated the Golden Bears 21-6 in Pacific-12 Conference action Saturday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif.
De Laura completed 22 and 5-yard passes to Calvin Jackson for first-quarter scores and 8 yards to De’Zhaun Stribling for the only touchdown of the second half, helping Washington State (2-3, 1-2) end a two-game losing streak.
The win was the Cougars’ first at Cal since a 44-22 shootout in 2013.
Christopher Brooks ran in from 11 yards out on Cal’s first possession for the Golden Bears’ only score of a game in which they were held to 273 yards of total offense.
Led by de Laura, who was injured two weeks ago against Southern Cal and sat out last Saturday’s loss at Utah, Washington State drove 75 yards on each of its first two possessions. Jackson culminated both drives with his touchdown catches.
In between, the Golden Bears (1-4, 0-2) marched 79 yards on just seven plays leading to the Brooks TD run. But Cal failed on its PAT attempt, leaving it in a 7-6 hole.
The Golden Bears totaled just 194 yards on their last 11 possessions, as Washington State cornerback Jaylen Watson ended one drive with an interception and the Cougars stalled others with four sacks.
Stribling’s TD catch came on Washington State’s first possession of the second half, completing the game’s scoring with still 8:47 remaining in the third quarter.
De Laura finished 25-for-41 for 219 yards and three scores. He was intercepted twice by Cal’s Nate Rutchena and Daniel Scott.
Jackson had six catches for 53 yards and two TD’s, while Travell Harris added a game-high seven receptions for 46 yards.
Deon McIntosh, who shared time with Max Borghi, was the game’s leading rusher with 59 yards on 12 carries.
Cal’s Chase Garbers went just 14-for-30 for 152 yards and the one interception.
Kekoa Crawford led all receivers with 67 yards on three catches, while Chris Street was Cal’s top Cal rusher with 51 yards on eight tries.
–Field Level Media
