Fake injury has real consequences for Cal assistant coach

There have been suspicions that opponents trying to slow Oregon’s quick-moving, high-octane offense have resorted to faking injuries so game officials are forced to halt play.

Now, in one instance, there is confirmation.

California suspended defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi for Saturday’s game against Washington after the assistant admitted he instructed nose tackle Aaron Tipoti to fake an injury against Oregon on Nov. 13.

Replays showed Tipoti getting up after a play and looking over to the Cal sideline, then falling to the ground moments later and grabbing one of his legs.

Cal Coach Jeff Tedford said Lupoi would keep his job. “In the heat of the battle and trying to get a substitution in, he used poor judgment,” said Tedford, whose team lost to the Huskies on Saturday, 16-13. “That’s no reflection on his character whatsoever or his love for Cal and the program. . . . He’s a great football coach. A mistake was made.”

Sweet revenge

Stanford’s 38-0 win over Oregon State marked the fourth 2009 loss the Cardinal has avenged this season. Stanford defeated Wake Forest, Arizona, Cal and Oregon State — all losses last season — by a combined 156-45.

Remember this too

Kyle Brotzman will forever be the player who missed a couple of chip-shot field-goal tries that might have cost Boise State a chance to reach the Bowl Championship Series title game.

But he’s also the same player who, with 425 points, is the Western Athletic Conference’s career scoring leader and was the hero of the Broncos’ win over Texas Christian in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl — the victory that put Boise State in position to climb high in the polls and be in the championship hunt this season.

Brotzman, a senior who also handles punting duties, converted on the key play of the Broncos’ 17-10 win over TCU when, with the score tied, 10-10, he connected with Kyle Efaw for a 30-yard gain when Boise State faked a punt and passed on fourth and nine from its own 33.

The play set up the game-winning touchdown, a two-yard run by Doug Martin, with 7 minutes 21 seconds left in the game.

Senior moment

Describing certain results, such as Minnesota’s 27-24 win over No. 24 Iowa, as “upsets” just doesn’t seem to do them justice.

The Golden Gophers hadn’t even scored against Iowa since 2007, losing 55-0 to the Hawkeyes in 2008 and 12-0 in 2009.

For the seniors, Saturday’s result was a sweet parting gift. Minnesota has rivalry games with Iowa and Wisconsin and also plays for perpetual trophies against Michigan and Penn State — and Gophers seniors didn’t have a win against any of those teams.

Bits and pieces

The Arkansas-Louisiana State game was close — the Razorbacks won, 31-23 — but not nearly as close as usual. None of the previous five games between the Southeastern Conference powers had been decided by more than five points. The cumulative score in those games: 111-111. . . . By defeating rival Virginia, 37-7, Virginia Tech extended its winning streak in the series to seven and its streak of 10-win seasons to seven, the longest such streak among Football Bowl Subdivision teams. . . . Indiana avoided its first winless Big Ten season since 1995 with a 34-31 overtime win over Purdue, a victory that ended a 12-game conference losing streak. . . . Florida State’s 31-7 win over Florida ended a six-game losing streak in the series, marked the Seminoles’ largest margin of victory in the series since a 52-17 win in 1988, and was Urban Meyer’s first loss to Florida State since he became coach of the Gators in 2005.

mike.hiserman@latimes.com