Berkeley, CA (Sports Network) – Kevin Riley threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns, as the California Golden Bears thumped the Arizona State Sun Devils, 50-17 in Pac-10 action at Memorial Stadium.
Shane Vereen carried 19 times for 106 yards and two scores for the Golden Bears (4-3, 2-2 Pac-10), who improved to 4-0 at home a week after suffering a 34-point loss at USC. Marvin Jones caught four passes for 111 yards and a TD in the victory.
The Sun Devils (3-4, 1-3) had two weeks to prepare for this matchup, but it hardly showed as the offense failed to record a touchdown. Steven Threet threw for 130 yards and two interceptions before sitting out the second half due to injury.
ASU got on the board first, as Thomas Weber capped an eight-play, 75-yard opening drive with a 29-yard field goal.
The Golden Bears started their opening drive from midfield, but they also could muster only three points as Giorio Tavecchio kicked a 40-yarder through the uprights.
Vereen put Cal on top, 10-0 with an eight-yard touchdown run at the 2:05 mark of the first quarter.
Cal made it a 16-3 game when Riley hooked up with Keenan Allen for a four-yard touchdown pass with 11:46 to play in the second quarter. Tavecchio’s extra point was blocked.
Three minutes later, the Golden Bears struck again as Riley found Jones for a 52-yard scoring strike to push the margin to 23-3.
Tavecchio added a 23-yarder on the final play of the first half, as Cal headed to the locker room with a 26-3 halftime lead.
The Golden Bears went right back to work in the third quarter, with Vereen scoring on a five-yard run to cap a six-play, 51-yard opening drive after intermission.
Two minutes later, Cal scored again when Chris Conte blocked a punt, scooped up the ball and returned it six yards for a touchdown to put the Golden Bears comfortably ahead, 40-3.
ASU notched its first touchdown at the 4:40 mark of the third quarter, as Colin Parker blocked a punt and Oliver Aaron recovered it, darting 24 yards to the end zone.
Cal only added to its lead in the fourth quarter. After a 26-yard field goal by Tavecchio with 14:53 to play, the Golden Bears put another score on the board when Jeremy Ross reached pay dirt on a 19-yard run with 13:13 remaining to expand the lead to 50-10.
ASU notched its final touchdown late in the fourth quarter when Clint Floyd recovered a fumble and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.
The Sun Devils converted just 3-of-14 third downs for the game and finished with 233 total yards.