COLLEGE FOOTBALL : California Finally Gets First Conference Win : Pacific 10: Pat Barnes scores clinching touchdown before being ejected in the fourth quarter of 13-12 victory over Oregon State.

California Coach Keith Gilbertson finally “got the monkey off our back” with the first Pacific-10 win of the season.

“We just needed a win so desperately and we needed a win on the road,” Gilbertson said after his Golden Bears edged Oregon State, 13-12, Saturday.

Pat Barnes dodged a sack and scrambled into the end zone with 6:40 left in the game to give California, 2-5 overall and 1-3 in the Pac-10, its first conference win of the season and the first win on the road in two years.

But Barnes had no time to celebrate the winning touchdown because he was flagged for his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of the game, forcing an automatic ejection.

“There’s not a lot I can say,” Oregon State strong safety Larry Bumpus said about the final California drive. “We didn’t do anything differently. It was just a mental breakdown.”

Bumpus intercepted Barnes early in the second quarter and returned it 11 yards before dumping a short lateral to free safety Armon Hatcher, who took it another 19 yards to set up an Oregon State drive that ultimately ended with a missed field goal attempt by Ryan Lund.

Barnes competed 11 of 28 passes for 134 yards and the interception before he was ejected.

“We had our opportunities,” Oregon State Coach Jerry Pettibone said after the Beavers fell to 1-6, 0-4. “We just need to keep knocking at the door and hopefully one of these days we will be able to make the plays at the critical point of the game.”