This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Berkeley, Calif. • There have been wins over more highly ranked teams, come-from-behind gems when all was seemingly lost, and that first victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium eight years ago.
But BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said what transpired the last Saturday of November in 2014 might just beat them all.
Mendenhall's Cougars, left for dead after four-straight October losses, rallied to beat the bowl-seeking Cal Bears 42-35 in front of an announced crowd of 47,856 at California Memorial Stadium to finish the regular season with an 8-4 record.
"That's eight wins, hard-fought wins and deserving wins, authentic and honest wins, and it is as gratifying as any win that I have ever been a part of as a player or a coach."
In a regular-season finale full of twists and turns, lead changes, boneheaded mistakes and the expected explosions of high-powered offenses riddling suspect defenses, it came down to the last minute, fittingly, with Cal having driven to BYU's 9-yard line.
After a false start backed the Bears to the 14, BYU's much-maligned secondary, playing without senior safety Craig Bills, forced rising star Jared Goff into throwing four straight incompletions.
Ball game.
"Holy smokes, I was dying [on the sidelines]," said BYU's hero, quarterback Christian Stewart. "I was just sitting there praying, 'please, please, please.' We have worked too hard, we have come too far, to lose this game. And our defense just came up huge."
Had BYU lost, a crucial mistake Stewart made with about eight minutes remaining in the third quarter would have been remembered, and offensive coordinator Robert Anae's play-calling questioned and criticized for the next month, or until BYU plays in the Miami Beach Bowl on Dec. 22.
After Skye PoVey's interception and 27-yard return gave the Cougars the ball at the Cal 33, they quickly moved to the 1 and had a first-and-goal from there. But Anae called a zone-read option play, and Stewart kept the ball, then tried to throw it to Paul Lasike. He dropped the backwards pass, then didn't immediately go after the live ball. Cal returned it to the 33 and eventually scored to take a 28-21 lead.
Stewart said it was his fault, that he should have handed the ball off but the snap was low.
"Holy smokes, I was kicking myself," he said.
But the Cougars answered with a sensational 10-play, 82-yard touchdown drive, culminated with Mitchell Juergens' second touchdown reception, to tie it at 28-28.
Pinned at their 1 on their next possession, Stewart and Jordan Leslie teamed up on an 83-yard bomb for a score. Cal tied it up again with 9:17 remaining, 35-35, but after an exchange of punts Stewart would find Leslie open again, this time from 43 yards out for the game-winner with 2:39 remaining.
"Inside of me, I was screaming, 'Stew, throw me the ball,'" said Leslie. "He saw me and he is a great quarterback, has that vision, and was able to get it to me."
Stewart finished 23 of 38 for 433 yards and five touchdowns, with one interception. He got lucky in the first half when an apparent pick-six by Cal's Devante Davis was wiped off the board because replay officials ruled that Stewart's knee was down before he threw the ball near midfield.
The win over 5-7 California, which failed to become bowl eligible, "means a lot, obviously, because we are an independent team which people say can't compete with some of these better conferences," Stewart said.
Goff finished 38 of 60 for 393 yards and four touchdowns, the first three to receiver Kenny Lawler, who had 12 catches for 138 yards but was kept out of the end zone in the second half after the Bears led 21-14 at the break.
Leslie had five catches for 155 yards, Juergens had seven catches for 107 and Devon Blackmon filled in for Mitch Mathews (concussion) with six big catches for 60 yards.
"Man, great college football game today," Mendenhall said. "Those that had a chance to witness that, as a last game in November, that is what it is supposed to look like, two teams trying as hard as they can try, and fighting as hard as they can fight. We made one more play."
And came up with one more stop.
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU 42, California 35
• BYU stops California's final drive 14 yards from the goal line in the final minute to escape Berkeley with a win.
• BYU drops eight defenders and rushes just three as Cal quarterback Jared Goff throws four straight incompletions from the 14-yard line.
• BYU's Christian Stewart throws five TD passes — one more than Goff throws.