Tennessee 31, California 45

1234T
TENN (0-1)1477331
CAL (1-0)14177745

Final

8:00 PM ET, September 1, 2007
Memorial Stadium
BERKELEY, CA

Golden Bears' offense too much for Vols to handle

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Top 25 Overview
It was over when... Nate Longshore connected with Lavelle Hawkins for a 3-yard TD pass in the third quarter to give the Bears a 17-point lead.
Gameball goes to... DeSean Jackson. Cal's electric receiver/returner touched the ball just six times, but made the most of those touches, including a 77-yard punt return.
Stat of the game... 47. What broken pinkie? Erik Ainge still tossed the ball 47 times -- completing 32 of them -- for 270 yards and three TDs.
Team Stat Comparison
 
1st Downs2023
Total Yards382471
Passing271241
Rushing111230
Penalties3-257-52
3rd Down Conversions6-146-13
4th Down Conversions0-10-0
Turnovers11
Possession30:1429:46
Individual Leaders
Tennessee Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Ainge32/4727130
California Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Longshor...19/2824120
Tennessee Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Foster1389042
Hardesty92717
Taylor1101
California Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Forsett26156120
Best446034
Jackson121021
Tennessee Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Brown754227
Taylor6103043
Briscoe639022
Rogers638015
California Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Hawkins790125
Jackson445017
Morrah327023
Jordan214110
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTERTENNCAL
TD13:09WORRELL WILLIAMS 44 YD FUMBLE RETURN (JORDAN KAY KICK)07
TD10:07ARIAN FOSTER 12 YD PASS FROM ERIK AINGE (DANIEL LINCOLN KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 70 yards.
77
TD5:22NATHAN LONGSHORE 2 YD RUN (JORDAN KAY KICK)
Drive info: 9 plays, 54 yards.
714
TD3:03MONTARIO HARDESTY 1 YD RUN (DANIEL LINCOLN KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 24 yards.
1414
SECOND QUARTERTENNCAL
TD12:23DESEAN JACKSON 77 YD PUNT RETURN (JORDAN KAY KICK)1421
TD6:54CHRIS BROWN 2 YD PASS FROM ERIK AINGE (DANIEL LINCOLN KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 61 yards.
2121
TD3:47ROBERT JORDAN 4 YD PASS FROM NATHAN LONGSHORE (JORDAN KAY KICK)
Drive info: 8 plays, 60 yards.
2128
FG0:12JORDAN KAY 27 YD FG
Drive info: 6 plays, 60 yards.
2131
THIRD QUARTERTENNCAL
TD13:36LAVELLE HAWKINS 3 YD PASS FROM NATHAN LONGSHORE (JORDAN KAY KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 63 yards.
2138
TD3:57CHRIS BROWN 5 YD PASS FROM ERIK AINGE (DANIEL LINCOLN KICK)
Drive info: 11 plays, 73 yards.
2838
FOURTH QUARTERTENNCAL
FG14:17DANIEL LINCOLN 41 YD FG
Drive info: 11 plays, 47 yards.
3138
TD9:10JUSTIN FORSETT 13 YD RUN (JORDAN KAY KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 70 yards.
3145
Associated Press

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- California scored one for the West Coast with a redemptive win over Tennessee.

DeSean Jackson scampered 77 yards for his sixth career punt return for a touchdown, and the 12th-ranked Golden Bears avenged last season's humiliating loss to the No. 15 Volunteers with a 45-31 victory Saturday night.

Justin Forsett rushed for 156 yards and a score, and Nate Longshore passed for 241 yards and two TDs as the Bears (1-0) racked up the most points scored against the Volunteers in 12 years to win the opening weekend's only matchup between ranked schools.

Though both teams struggled on defense, Cal's offensive creativity and athleticism were too much for its SEC foe. The win also should quiet some of those Pac-10 detractors who cited Cal's 35-18 blowout loss in Knoxville last year as a prime example of the conference's shortcomings outside top-ranked Southern California.

As the clock wound down in the final minutes, the sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium jubilantly chanted "Pac-10 football!" at the departing Tennessee fans.

Erik Ainge had 271 yards passing and three TD throws despite an injured finger, but Tennessee's first trip to the West Coast since 1997 was hardly encouraging for coach Phillip Fulmer's defense, which hadn't given up this many points since a 62-37 loss to Florida in 1995.

Since then, the Vols even played a six-overtime game and another five-OT game without giving up 45 points.

Arian Foster rushed for 89 yards and Chris Brown caught two TD passes from Ainge, who wore a white wrap on two fingers of his throwing hand after injuring his pinkie during practice this week. The senior was exceptionally sharp while completing 14 of his first 15 throws, but Tennessee's no-huddle offense finally bogged down in the fourth quarter.

The Volunteers also had a scare with 4:10 to play when starting defensive end Xavier Mitchell left the field on a stretcher with his neck immobilized after a hard tackle. Tennessee had no immediate word on the nature of the senior's injury.

The Bears spent the past year chafing at the memory of their season-opening loss, mentioning it constantly in team meetings and repeatedly watching tape of their follies. Tennessee jumped to a 35-0 lead in the third quarter in Knoxville, dealing a humiliating blow to the Bears' quest for national respect.

The 72,516 fans at Memorial Stadium did their best to provide a homefield advantage resembling Neyland Stadium's edge, packing Strawberry Canyon well before kickoff and easily outshouting the 10,000-plus Tennessee fans on the south end.

Coach Jeff Tedford's club scored early and often against Tennessee. Cal linebacker Worrell Williams returned a fumble 44 yards for a score just 1:51 into the game, while Jackson -- the junior receiver with almost unearthly returning skills -- broke free early in the second quarter with a dizzying series of moves on the way to the end zone.

Robert Jordan and Lavelle Hawkins had TD catches from Longshore, with Hawkins catching seven passes for 90 yards.

Cal led 38-21 early in the third quarter, but the Volunteers pulled within seven points on Daniel Lincoln's field goal in the opening minute of the fourth. Forsett's TD run with 9:10 to play pushed Cal back to a comfortable lead, and the defense finished off the Bears' eighth straight home victory since 2005.

College Football Scores

Other Scores:

Thursday, August 30th
Utah 7 Final
Oregon State 24
Friday, August 31st
Washington 42 Final
Syracuse 12
Saturday, September 1st
Houston 27 Final
Oregon 48
Washington State 21 Final
Wisconsin 42
UCLA 45 Final
Stanford 17
Arizona 7 Final
Brigham Young 20
Tennessee 31 Final
California 45
San Jose State 3 Final
Arizona State 45
Idaho 10 Final
USC 38