Holt Helps Aztecs End Pac-10 Futility : Nonconference: Last-second field goal gives San Diego State a 22-20 victory over California.
Peter Holt kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired Saturday night, lifting San Diego State to a 22-20 victory over California that ended the Aztecs’ 17-game winless streak against Pacific 10 Conference schools.
San Diego State (2-0) of the Western Athletic Conference had been 0-16-1 against Pac-10 teams since beating Stanford in 1985.
This was the season opener for Cal, which beat San Diego State at Berkeley last season, 45-25.
California had gone ahead, 20-19, when Dave Barr, whose pass was intercepted on the previous drive at the Golden Bear eight, completed a 10-yard scoring pass to tight end Marc Vera with 5:04 to play. The conversion pass to Tyrone Edwards was incomplete.
The Bears could have padded the lead, but a 34-yard field-goal attempt by Ryan Longwell was wide left with 3:22 to play. The Aztecs started their winning drive from the 20.
The biggest play of the drive, a 27-yard pass from Tim Gutierrez to Marc Ziegler, moved the Aztecs to the Cal 18. After two running plays gained four yards, Holt connected.
Gutierrez completed 25 of 43 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. Barr completed 21 of 34 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception.
The Aztecs, outgained in the first quarter, 84 yards to two, dominated in the third quarter as the defense held Cal on three consecutive drives.
Holt kicked field goals of 22 and 21 yards, and Gutierrez connected with Will Blackwell on a 65-yard touchdown pass play with 2:26 to play in the quarter for a 19-14 lead.
The long touchdown pass capped an 82-yard, four-play drive that took only 46 seconds. On second and 10 from the San Diego State 35, Blackwell outjumped cornerback Artis Houston for Gutierrez’s pass at the Cal 40 and raced into the end zone.
A conversion pass from Gutierrez to Curtis Shearer failed.
Cal led at halftime, 14-7.
Cal’s Ryan Longwell kicked a 42-yard field goal for the only scoring in the first quarter.
San Diego State got a quick change of luck to take the lead early in the second quarter.
With Gutierrez in the shotgun formation on third and 13 from the Cal 44, the ball was snapped over his head for a 23-yard loss. Cal’s Matt Clizbe fumbled the ensuing punt, with San Diego State’s Eric Sutton recovering at the Cal 19.
Five plays later, Gutierrez connected with sophomore running back Ken Overby on a two-yard touchdown pass for a 7-3 lead.
Cal then scored on consecutive possessions.
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