Cal's End Is Far From Rosy

By Chris Foster

Dec. 31, 2004 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO — As the chants of “over-rated, over-rated” washed down from the Texas Tech fans and another Sonny Cumbie pass rained down from above, California’s football team, ranked fourth in the nation, was left with this message.

Don’t mess with Texas.

Whether it was the Texas Longhorns -- who left the Bears out of the Rose Bowl -- or Texas Tech -- which had Cal’s heads spinning in the Holiday Bowl on Thursday -- Lone Star State football has been tough on the Bear psyche.

This was to be a “statement” game from the Bears, who felt cheated out of a Rose Bowl berth by bowl championship series bylaws and the politicking by Longhorn Coach Mack Brown. But the statement made in the 45-31 thrashing by Texas Tech was the Red Raiders’ touch-football-style offense was more than the Bears could handle.

Quarterback Cumbie wowed the sellout crowd of 63,711 at Qualcomm Stadium and humbled the Bears. He completed 39 of 60 passes for 520 yards and three touchdowns.

Those are the type of shootout numbers the 23rd-ranked Red Raiders have come to expect from the senior quarterback, although there were those who viewed this as a junk bond offense, inflated in games against lesser teams. Cumbie, though, was adamant that the opponent hardly mattered, even if it was a Bear team having one of the best seasons in school history.

“When doing what we did out there, playing at a high tempo, it doesn’t matter what the other team does,” said Cumbie, whose 60 attempts were a Holiday Bowl record.

The Red Raiders (8-4) rolled out their A-game early on, scoring 24 consecutive points to turn a 14-7 second-quarter deficit into a 31-14 third-quarter lead.

Cumbie’s most devastating pass came two minutes into the second half, when he hit Joel Filani on the fly, resulting in a 60-yard touchdown and a 17-point lead.

“You know, I knew we’d get at least 60 plays, so I thought there was a chance we’d throw 60 times,” Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach said. “That’s what we do.

“This is going to leave us with a lot of good memories the rest of our lives.”

The Bears, meanwhile, tried to put on a brave face, but this defeat, coming to a team that was beaten by Texas, took away a bit of the righteous indignation Cal fans had expressed since Texas took what they thought was their Rose Bowl spot.

The Bears (10-2) were sent farther south, to San Diego, and found themselves stumbling down the path Texas followed last season. After losing out on a BCS game on a technicality, the Longhorns came to the Holiday Bowl, where they were upset by Washington State.

The Red Raiders rolled up 597 total yards against a Bear team that came within nine yards of upsetting top-ranked USC.

“We did not lose this game because we didn’t go to the Rose Bowl,” Bear Coach Jeff Tedford said. “That had nothing to do with our preparation. Once and for all, it had nothing to do with this game.”

But pressed about the BCS, Tedford curtly replied, “What do you want me to say, that the BCS was right? OK, they were right. It is a system that we have to work on because it has some glitches in it.”

The Red Raiders, meanwhile, were all but ignored this week, as the media focused on the Bears’ unhappiness with being denied their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1959.

“We didn’t focus on the Rose Bowl or what the BCS did, we focused on the Holiday Bowl and what the Red Raiders do,” said running back Johnnie Mack, whose 11-yard touchdown run gave the Red Raiders a 38-17 lead with six minutes left.

What the Red Raiders do is use a variety of spread formations and a bag of capable receivers. Filani caught five passes for 144 yards, Trey Haverty eight for 147 and Jarrett Hicks nine for 69 yards and two touchdowns.

Bear quarterback Aaron Rodgers had the skills to match Cumbie, but missing three of his top four receivers limited his effectiveness. He completed 24 of 42 passes for 246 yards, but could not depend on his receivers, who dropped several passes.

The Bear offense was shifted onto the shoulders of J.J. Arrington, who had 173 yards in 25 carries, the 12th consecutive game he has gone over 100.

Arrington, who scored the Bears’ first touchdown on a two-yard run, finished the season with 2,018 yards.

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Holiday Bowl Winners

* Dec. 30, 2004 Texas Tech 45, California 31

* Dec. 30, 2003 Washington State 28, Texas 20

* Dec. 27, 2002 Kansas State 34, Arizona State 27

* Dec. 28, 2001 Texas 47, Washington 43

* Dec. 29, 2000 Oregon 35, Texas 30

* Dec. 29, 1999 Kansas State 24, Washington 20

* Dec. 30, 1998 Arizona 23, Nebraska 20

* Dec. 29, 1997 Colorado State 35, Missouri 24