MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -Try as he might, California’s sensational running back Jahvid Best can’t do everything.
Despite rushing for 114 yards and three touchdowns in the first half against Minnesota on Saturday, he wasn’t of much use to the Golden Bears when they faced a third-and-16 at their own 22 in the fourth quarter of a tie game.
So when Best needed a little help, quarterback Kevin Riley was right on the money. Riley threw a strike between two Gophers defenders for a 35-yard completion to Jeremy Ross, moving the chains and jump-starting the game-clinching drive in a 35-21 victory.
“After that, I think everybody on this team knew we were going to win the game,” said Riley, whose Bears climbed two spots to No. 6 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday.
F Bank Stadium.
After Best scored on runs of 33, 27 and 2 yards in the first half, the Cal offense didn’t get a first down until Riley’s big throw to Ross. And that was only the beginning.
The junior quarterback was 3 for 4 for 77 of his 252 yards on that drive, hooking up with Ross again on a 31-yarder three plays later to set up Best’s 2-yard TD dash that gave Cal a 28-21 lead.
“I thought it was great for Kevin and the Bears that the passing game got a chance to be the catalyst,” offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig said. “We’ve run the ball very well and thrown the ball when we wanted to. But here, there were a couple situations where we felt like we had to throw the ball.”
With all eyes on Best, who averaged 8.1 yards per carry last season, the big question coming into this year was whether or not Riley and his receivers could give the offense the balance it needed.
Riley split time with Nate Longshore last season, going 7-2 as a starter but losing that job twice during the season. He also played as a freshman when the Bears rose as high as No. 2 in the nation before losing five of six games to fall out of contention.
Now the position is his and his alone.
ree quarters, but he also connected with Verran Tucker on a 59-yard completion to set up Cal’s second touchdown of the game.
“He feels good about what he’s doing,” coach Jeff Tedford said. “He’s very poised and very confident. He never panics. I think he’s playing really solid.”
Never moreso than in the fourth quarter. He was 5 of 8 for 105 yards in the period to help the Bears snap a four-game road losing streak.
“Last year, people know we struggled with our passing game sometimes,” Riley said. “In games like these where we would run the ball well and, when we got in passing situations, we wouldn’t be able to make plays with it. I think we’ve gotten a lot better at, and it makes our team that much better.”
The performance should make opposing defenses think twice about crowding the line of scrimmage to stop Best, who set a modern school record with five touchdowns and finished with 131 yards rushing.
“It’s about belief,” Best said. “I feel like this team is really a family. So when times get hard and times get rough, I feel like this team really comes together and fights for each other.”
Add to that a defense that forced four turnovers, had three sacks and held Minnesota to 37 yards rushing, and this Golden Bears team has plenty of momentum heading into a tough stretch that includes games at Oregon, against USC and at UCLA.
m’s leadership,” Tedford said. “I like their work ethic and I like their togetherness. They always work hard every day and so I have a lot of respect and admiration for what our guys do every single day.
“Everything about them, I like who they are. I think it’s a special group that way.”
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