Oregon St. Comes Back to Beat Cal

Roddy Tompkins caught a 41-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, and Oregon State returned a fumble for another score Saturday night to seal the Beavers’ first winning season in 29 years with a 17-7 victory over California.

The comeback win helped the Beavers, 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the Pacific 10, break their NCAA Division I-record streak that began with the 1971 season and endured through the generations, making Oregon State synonymous with college football mediocrity.

The Beavers gained only 147 first-half yards against Cal’s hard-hitting defense, and trailed, 7-3. But late in the third quarter Darnell Robinson intercepted a pass that deflected off two players at the Cal 41.

On the next play, Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith passed to a wide-open Tompkins, who beat cornerback LaShaun Ward and tiptoed into the end zone to put the Beavers ahead, 10-7, with 14:53 to play in the game.

Two possessions later, Cal quarterback Kyle Boller fumbled the snap, and blitzing linebacker Tevita Moala picked up the ball and ran 24 yards for the clinching touchdown with 9:41 left.

Cal (4-5, 3-3), ranked 106th in the nation in total offense, didn’t get much going after an 83-yard touchdown pass from Boller to Drae Harris late in the first quarter.