BIG WEST ROUNDUP : Fresno State Edges San Jose State for Berth in Cal Bowl

Mark Barsotti threw two touchdown passes and Marquez Pope stopped a two-point conversion pass with 2:33 left to give No. 25 Fresno State a 31-30 victory over San Jose State Saturday in Fresno and a berth in the California Raisin Bowl.

Fresno State (9-0 overall, 6-0 in the Big West) clinched its second consecutive title and bowl bid. The victory was the 16th in a row for the Bulldogs, the second-longest streak in the nation.

San Jose State, trailing 31-17 midway through the fourth quarter, rallied with two touchdowns behind reserve quarterback Ralph Martini. He threw a seven-yard scoring pass to Kevin Evans and later scored on a nine-yard run.

After Martini’s run, a bad snap on the conversion forced Greg Centilli to throw the ball, but safety Pope slapped away the pass at the goal line.

San Jose (4-4, 3-1), led by Sheldon Canley, took a 17-10 halftime lead. Canley scored on a 97-yard kickoff return and three-yard run in the second quarter.

Fresno’s first touchdown came on a seven-yard pass from Barsotti to Rich Bartlewski in the second quarter. Kelvin Means’ 87-yard kickoff return set up the TD.

Fresno sacked San Jose punter Jim Hughes early in the third quarter on the 11-yard line, setting up an eight-yard pass from Barsotti to Aaron Craver which tied the score, 17-17. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Fresno’s Myron Jones scored on a four-yard run.

Nevada Las Vegas 43, Cal State Long Beach 21--The second half proved to be the undoing of Long Beach in the Silver Bowl in Las Vegas, as the 49ers dropped their fourth consecutive game.

Overcoming a 14-7 halftime deficit, the Runnin’ Rebels scored 36 points in the second half, more than they had scored in one game this season.

Las Vegas (4-4, 3-2) intercepted two passes by quarterback Paul Oates in the third quarter and turned each into eventual touchdowns.

Oates had a poor game, completing only 12 of 36 passes. But Las Vegas quarterback Derek Stott became the first Rebel to pass for more than 300 yards since Randall Cunningham did it five years ago. Stott completed 18 of 23 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns.

The 49ers fell to 3-7 and 1-4.