BERKELEY -- With two minutes left in the first half and the score tied at 7-7, Cal had to be pretty pleased with how well it had stopped BYU's offense.
But by the time halftime rolled around, the Cougars had scored 21 unanswered points and the Golden Bears were left scratching their heads.
Scoring two touchdowns in the final minute, BYU took a 21-7 lead and never looked back, winning the game, 44-16. The win improves BYU to 3-0 on the season, marking the most wins to start a season since the 1993 squad charted four straight wins. The victory also marks the third straight win over a Pac-10 opponent, dating back to the 1999 season. BYU is now 5-2 in its last seven games against teams from the Pac-10.
Averaging an NCAA-leading 55.3 points per game, Cougar fans are getting accustomed to blowouts and high-scoring games, but BYU head coach Gary Crowton knows not every game can feature big wins for the Cougars.
"We're not going to be able to roll all over everybody because there are some good teams out there," Crowton said. "We have 10 games left and we'll have some adversity. We just have to keep overcoming that adversity. Our guys want to score on every play. I know that's not going to happen every week."
For more than a quarter, it looked like the Cougars were in for a battle, but it all changed in the second quarter. Unlike the first two games of the season, BYU's offense took some time to get a rhythm. BYU needed a trick play to jump-start the offense, and got just that early in the second quarter.
Facing fourth down in their own territory, the Cougars pulled off a fake punt. Ned Stearns took the snap directly from center and carried the ball for a first down. Doman drove the team down the rest of the field and connected with Luke Staley for a 27-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.
"It was a perfect situation for a fake punt," Crowton said. "I thought we could gain the momentum if we got it. I felt like it was a close enough game and that they didn't expect it. I just had to have the guts to call it. It wasn't the toughest call I've had to make, but it was the first unexpected one."
BYU added three more touchdowns in the third quarter and a field goal in the fourth quarter to cap off the scoring.
Brandon Doman continued to impress and get the attention of future opponents. Doman rushed for three touchdowns, passed for three touchdowns and, and to top it off, caught a pass from Reno Mahe for 17 yards. He became the first BYU quarterback to account for six touchdowns since Steve Sarkisian against Texas A&M in 1996.
Not everything went right for the Cougars though. Dustin Rykert was ejected in the third quarter following Doman's third rushing touchdown. BYU also lost freshman C. J. Ah You to a knee injury late in the game. I
California head coach Tom Holmoe left the game disappointed in his team and impressed by BYU's power.
"We're not anywhere near where we need to be, but against a team like BYU, you just cannot give them the ball," Holmoe said. "BYU is very good, they come at you from all directions."
SCORING THREAT
Through three games, BYU is averaging a blistering 55.3 points per game, marking the highest scoring average through the first three games on any previous season.
BRANDON "THE DOMANATOR" DOMAN IMPROVES TO 5-0 AS A STARTER
In only his fifth career start, senior quarterback Brandon Doman improved to 5-0 with a 41-16 victory over Cal. Doman is the first BYU quarterback since Robbie Bosco to win his first five starts, beginning in 1984. Doman also became the third Cougar to rush for three touchdowns in a single game this season, after chalking up three rushing TDs against Cal.(Staley, McDonald-Ashford have each recorded a touchdown-scoring hat-trick on the season.) He also became the first BYU player responsible for six touchdowns since Steve Sarkisian threw for six TDs during the 1996 season. Doman finished the afternoon with 272 yards passing on 16-of-24 attempts, 29 yards rushing and 17 yards receiving.
CROWTON BEGINS BYU CAREER WITH RECORD THIRD STRAIGH WIN
BYU's Gary Crowton became the first head coach in BYU football history to win the first three games of his career. With Saturday's victory, fhe former Louisiana Tech head coach has posted a 24-13 career coaching record.
COUGARS OFF TO 3-0 START
With Saturday's victory over Cal, the Cougars improved to 3-0 on the season, marking the first time since the 1993 season BYU has started the season with three straight wins. (BYU won four straight in 1993 before being stopped by UCLA, 68-14.)
FIRST-QUARTER SHUTOUT
With an offense that has averaged 15.25 points per quarter (entering the Cal game) the Cougars failed to score in the first quarter on Saturday, marking only the second quarter this season BYU has not scored a single point. The Cougars had just 31 total yards in the first quarter. The Cougars responded in the second quarter by scoring 21 points, marking the third highest single quarter point total of the season. Throughout the season the Cougars are outscoring their opponents 77-7 in the second quarter of play.
THE STREAK STAYS ALIVE ... 327 GAMES AND COUNTING
With Luke Staley's 27-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, BYU extended its NCAA record streak to 327 games without being shutout. BYU was last shutout during the 1975 season (Sept. 27, 1975 vs. Arizona State). The Cougars have only one player on its 2001 roster who was alive the last time BYU was shutout. Offensive lineman Aaron McCubbins was just two days old.
ARE WE THERE YET?
The Cougars' 82-yard drive with :52 remaining in the second quarter and another with 5:03 in the fourth quarter marked BYU's longest scoring drives of the season. The Cougars' 80-yard, 3:50 scoring drive at the 9:16 mark of the second quarter marked the fourth longest scoring drive of the season--in terms of time of possession, while BYU's fourth-quarter scoring drive of 4:43 marked the second longest drive of the season.
FAST TIMES AT BYU
The Cougars' last-second touchdown in the second quarter marked the quickest scoring drive of the season, lasting just :14. BYU has produced six scoring drives on the season under 1:00, including two against Cal. On the Cougars' six scoring drives of the day, two were three plays or less. On the season, BYU has six scoring drives of three or less plays. The Cougars scored two of their touchdowns in the final :52 of the second quarter.
STALEY THE SCORING MACHINE
BYU junior running back Luke Staley's 27-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter marked his 26th career touchdown, including his team-leading sixth touchdown of the season. Staley has five rushing touchdowns and one reception for a TD on the season. The 6-foot-1, 218-pound back has produced at least one touchdown in 15 of 22 career games.
WHAT A PAYNE
After connecting on 21-straight PAT's to start the season, kicker Matt Payne missed his 22nd attempt, a 35-yard attempt (after BYU had been flagged for un-sportsmanlike conduct.) Payne is 22-of-23 on the season.
PAPER OR PLASTIC
The BYU defense recorded a season-high five sacks for a combined loss of 24 yards. Seniors Isaac Kelley and Ryan Denney each had two sacks for the Cougars. On the season BYU has totaled 11 sacks, averaging 3.7 per game. For the second time in three games, the offensive line, led by the Cougars' Rimington Trophy candidate, Jason Scukanec, did not allow a single sack. BYU has given up just one sack on the season.
DID SOMEONE SAY MCDONALD-ASHFORD?
BYU senior running back Brian McDonald-Ashford's 53-yard touchdown reception (to end the second quarter) marked his longest career touchdown at BYU. The catch was also his first career touchdown reception. The 53-yard play tied BYU's season-long touchdown reception and Doman's longest of the season. McDonald-Ashford is tied with Luke Staley for the team lead with six touchdowns on the season.
A WORD ABOUT TURNOVERS
Sophomore linebacker Paul Walkenhorst recorded his second interception of the season (on Cal's first drive of the third quarter.) BYU recorded three turnovers on the day, converting each turnover into a touchdown.
ON THE DEFENSIVE
After allowing a first-quarter touchdown, the BYU defense stiffened and held the Golden Bears out of the endzone through the remaining three quarters, until 2:19 left in the game. BYU has allowed just three touchdowns over the last nine quarters of play, dating back to the season-opener against Tulane.
Box Score (FINAL)
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
----------------- -- -- -- -- -----
Brigham Young....... 0 21 20 3 - 44 Record: (3-0)
California.......... 7 0 3 6 - 16 Record: (0-2)
Scoring Summary:
1st 08:14 CAL - Fields, Marcus 25 yd pass from Boller, Kyle (Jensen, Mark kick),
5-54 1:47, BYU 0 - CAL 7
2nd 09:16 BYU - STALEY, Luke 27 yd pass from DOMAN, Brandon (PAYNE, Matt kick),
8-80 3:50, BYU 7 - CAL 7
00:52 BYU - DOMAN, Brandon 4 yd run (PAYNE, Matt kick),
6-82 1:12, BYU 14 - CAL 7
00:00 BYU - McDONALD, Brian 53 yd pass from DOMAN, Brandon (PAYNE, Matt kick),
2-59 0:14, BYU 21 - CAL 7
3rd 11:26 BYU - DOMAN, Brandon 4 yd run (PAYNE, Matt kick),
3-29 1:06, BYU 28 - CAL 7
08:53 BYU - DOMAN, Brandon 4 yd run (PAYNE, Matt kick failed),
4-53 0:51, BYU 34 - CAL 7
03:47 CAL - Jensen, Mark 30 yd field goal,
12-63 5:06, BYU 34 - CAL 10
00:29 BYU - MAHE, Reno 16 yd pass from DOMAN, Brandon (PAYNE, Matt kick),
8-75 3:18, BYU 41 - CAL 10
4th 05:03 BYU - PAYNE, Matt 23 yd field goal,
10-82 4:43, BYU 44 - CAL 10
02:19 CAL - Stanger, Ryan 19 yd pass from Holtfreter, E. (Holtfreter, E. rush failed),
6-76 2:44, BYU 44 - CAL 16
BYU CAL
FIRST DOWNS................... 26 26
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............ 35-193 36-120
PASSING YDS (NET)............. 295 291
Passes Att-Comp-Int........... 28-19-0 38-23-1
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS..... 63-488 74-411
Fumble Returns-Yards.......... 0-0 0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............ 2--2 3-38
Kickoff Returns-Yards......... 3-47 7-110
Interception Returns-Yards.... 1-0 0-0
Punts (Number-Avg)............ 4-49.5 4-40.2
Fumbles-Lost.................. 2-0 2-2
Penalties-Yards............... 10-98 9-105
Possession Time............... 26:48 33:12
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 5-24 0-0
RUSHING: Brigham Young-McDONALD, Brian 10-62; STALEY, Luke 9-47; STEARNS,
Ned 3-42; DOMAN, Brandon 10-29; PETERSON, Charl 1-13; PETERSON, Paul 1-1; TM
1-minus 1. California-Igber, Joe 16-42; Boller, Kyle 13-42; Williams, T.
5-24; Holtfreter, E. 1-12; Fields, Marcus 1-0.
PASSING: Brigham Young-DOMAN, Brandon 16-24-0-272; PETERSON, Charl 2-3-0-6;
MAHE, Reno 1-1-0-17. California-Boller, Kyle 19-33-1-242; Holtfreter, E.
4-5-0-49.
RECEIVING: Brigham Young-MAHE, Reno 6-64; JOLLEY, Doug 3-48; McDONALD, Brian
2-59; STALEY, Luke 2-46; WILKERSON, Rod 2-16; RIGELL, Mike 1-41; DOMAN,
Brandon 1-17; NEAD, Spencer 1-7; HALLADAY, Soren 1-minus 3.
California-Fields, Marcus 5-79; Igber, Joe 4-36; Currin, Sean 3-43; Prelle,
C. 3-30; Swoboda, Tom 2-42; Dotsy, Terrance 2-15; Swafford, Derek 2-15;
Stanger, Ryan 1-19; Arnold, Charon 1-12.
INTERCEPTIONS: Brigham Young-WALKENHORST, Pa 1-0. California-None.
FUMBLES: Brigham Young-DOMAN, Brandon 1-0; McDONALD, Brian 1-0.
California-Igber, Joe 1-1; Boller, Kyle 1-1.
Stadium: Memorial Stadium Attendance: 33043
Kickoff time: 2:30 pm End of Game: 17:59 Total elapsed time: 3:23
Officials: Referee: McFerrin; Umpire: Meyerhoff; Linesman: Cooley;
Line judge: Anderson; Back judge: Birk; Field judge: O'Cain;
Side judge: Samuels; Scorer: Hall/Gordon;
Temperature: 72F Wind: W 10 Weather: Clear at kickoff
SACKS (UA-A): Brigham Young-KELLEY, Isaac 2-0; DENNEY, Ryan 2-0; COWART,
Jeff 1-0. California-None.
TACKLES (UA-A): Brigham Young-ENA, Justin 8-2; KELLEY, Isaac 7-1; LAFITTE,
Michae 7-0; DENNEY, Ryan 6-1; MADARIETA, Levi 4-1; BOCKWOLDT, Colb 4-1;
STALEY, Dustin 4-0; KEISEL, Brett 3-0; GILFORD, Jernar 3-0; WALKENHORST, Pa
2-0; HEANEY, Brandon 2-0; CARLSON, Brent 1-1; GUNDERSON, Ryan 1-1; BURBIDGE,
Jon 1-0; SUMKO, Mike 1-0; WILSON, Derrus 1-0; AIONO, Aissac 1-0; PILI, Ifo
1-0; COWART, Jeff 1-0; POPPINGA, Brady 1-0. California-Fujita, Scott 5-0;
Klotsche, John 4-1; Asomugha, N. 3-1; Ball, Chris 3-0; Cherry, Jamaal 3-0;
Nixon, Matt 3-0; Callen, Atari 2-1; Hale, Dewey 2-1; Beckham, Josh 1-2;
Alexander, L. 2-0; Watts, Bert 2-0; Powell, Jemeel 2-0; Bethea, James 2-0;
Gustaveson, J. 1-1; Canada, Tom 1-1; Banta-Cain, T. 1-0; Daniels, Marcus
1-0; Smith, James 1-0; Carmel, Ray 1-0; Slater, Sid 1-0; Hosey, Calvin 1-0;
Swoboda, Tom 1-0; Nwangwu, Daniel 1-0; Wiley, Perron 1-0; Ugenti, Paul 0-1;
Drake, Jeremy 0-1.