Barnes’ Winning Play Is a Keeper, Cal’s Win Isn’t

Quarterback Pat Barnes scored on a three-yard keeper in the third round of overtime Saturday, and California came back from blowing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead to defeat winless Oregon State, 48-42, at Berkeley.

Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime possession and missed field goals in the second before Barnes went in for the decisive score to keep the Golden Bears (4-0, 1-0 in the Pacific 10) unbeaten and extend Oregon State’s losing streak to 14, the longest current streak in NCAA Division I.

“I was just trying to center the ball for a field goal, and there was an avenue to the end zone,” Barnes said. “It’s a great feeling and it’s one I’ll never forget.”

Barnes will probably forget his two fumbles and four interceptions that typified the Bears’ sloppy play against the lowly Beavers, whose third possession in overtime ended in a missed 49-yard field goal by Randy Lund.

In the second, Ryan Longwell of California missed a 42-yard field goal try but Oregon State (0-4, 0-2), after driving to the Bears’ 9, saw Lund’s 26-yard field goal try blocked following a bad snap. That forced the third overtime sequence in college football’s newly instituted shootout format. Teams get the ball at the opponent’s 25 and are given the opportunity to outscore the other rather than sudden death.

Barnes completed 20 of 37 passes for 323 yards and threw for four touchdowns, one in overtime to Dameane Douglas and three to Bobby Shaw, and was intercepted four times.

California led, 35-21, after Matt Beck intercepted a pass by freshman David Moran and returned it 31 yards for a score and Longwell kicked his second field goal, but Oregon State scored twice in the final 7:12 to force overtime.

Washington State 52, San Jose State 16--Ryan Leaf threw four touchdown passes for the second consecutive week and Michael Black rushed for two scores to lead the Cougars at Pullman, Wash.

Leaf, who had 303 yards and three touchdowns by halftime, finished 16 of 25 for 355 yards. Backup Steve Birnbaum took over midway through the third quarter, with the Cougars leading, 38-3.

Washington State (3-1) intercepted two passes off quarterback Carl Dean and held San Jose State (1-4) to 100 yards in 30 rushes.

Leaf, who threw for four touchdowns in a 55-44 victory over Oregon last week, had scoring throws of 22 and 41 yards to Chad Carpenter, 68 to Kevin McKenzie and five to Chris Jackson.

Black carried 15 times for 109 yards, scoring on runs of 58 and five yards. The Cougars rolled up 564 yards, including 408 passing.

Dean completed 11 of 30 passes for 103 yards and two interceptions.