No. 25 California Beats Wash. State 42-38

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- Joe Ayoob completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Lavelle Hawkins with 1:50 left, and No. 25 California survived a second-half defensive meltdown to beat Washington State 42-38 on Saturday night.<br> <br> After Jason Hill caught three long touchdown passes from Alex Brink on the way to a career-high 240 yards receiving for the Cougars, Ayoob led the Golden Bears on one final drive with his top two receivers watching from the sidelines with injuries.<br> <br> He hit a wide-open Hawkins in the back of the end zone and Cal (6-2, 3-2 Pac-10) avoided its first three-game losing streak in coach Jeff Tedford&#39;s four-year tenure and what certainly would have been an exit from the rankings for the first time in 21 polls since 2003.<br> <br> Brink finished 18-for-39 for 423 yards and five touchdowns, and Jerome Harrison ran for 162 yards for his 10th straight 100-yard game, but the Cougars (3-4, 0-4) lost their fourth straight in frustrating fashion - blowing a double-digit lead in the second half for the third time after starting the season 3-0.<br> <br> &#34;I don&#39;t have an answer,&#34; dejected coach Bill Doba said. &#34;Little mistakes give up big plays.&#34;<br> <br> Hill had his second career three-touchdown game and the teams combined for more than 1,100 yards of total offense. Hill hauled in second-half TD passes of 38, 62 and 38 yards - the last of which was tipped by cornerback Tim Mixon before finding Hill&#39;s hands for a 32-28 lead with 3:05 left in the third.<br> <br> Husain Abdallah intercepted a pass by Ayoob early in the fourth quarter, setting up Chris Jordan&#39;s 16-yard touchdown catch, but the point after attempt was blocked and the Cougars couldn&#39;t hold the lead one week after blowing a 21-point cushion and losing to UCLA 44-41 in overtime at home.<br> <br> LaReylle Cunningham caught a 57-yard TD pass from Ayoob with 5:19 left for his first career touchdown to pull Cal within 38-35. The Bears, playing the Cougars for the first time since 2002, ended a four-game losing streak to Washington State dating to 1998. <br> <br> Hill extended his streak to nine straight games with a touchdown catch, and now has 23 career TD receptions to break the Washington State career record of 22 set by Hugh Campbell from 1960-62. Hill&#39;s yards are the most by a Pac-10 receiver this season.<br> <br> Greg Van Hoesen and Mixon each made key interceptions late in the first half to help the Bears break open the game with 14 points in a 90-second span on the way to a 28-10 halftime lead.<br> <br> Van Hoesen made his first career interception and ran it back 16 yards for a score, then Mixon&#39;s 38-yard interception return on Brink&#39;s very next pass set up Ayoob&#39;s 3-yard TD pass to Chris Manderino.<br> <br> Brink, who three weeks ago set a single-game school record when he passed for 531 yards against Oregon State, completed only four passes in the first half but managed 178 yards on those throws.<br> <br> Ayoob, missing two of his top receiving targets, threw for 274 yards and four TDs and Marshawn Lynch scored on a season-long 39-yard run on the way to a 160-yard game. Justin Forsett added 111 yards for the Bears. Hawkins briefly took a seat with 5:20 left in the third following a hard fall, but still came up big.<br> <br> Brandon Gibson made a 66-yard touchdown catch with 10:32 left in the first quarter - burning Mixon on the sideline route - to give the Cougars a quick lead.<br> <br> With kickoff at 7:15 p.m. local time, this was only the second night game ever at Memorial Stadium, where 52,569 fans turned out for the nationally televised game on a chilly Bay Area night.<br> <br> Cal hadn&#39;t beaten Washington State since a 24-14 home victory in 1998.<br> <br> © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.