Garbers' late touchdown lifts Cal past Stanford 24-20
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) Chase Garbers scored on a 16-yard scramble with 1:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, lifting California to a 24-20 win over Stanford in the 122nd annual Big Game on Saturday.
Garbers, who was knocked out of last week's loss to USC, passed for 285 yards and a touchdown and ran for 72 yards on 13 carries. His final run came after he overthrew Nikko Remigio in the end zone and helped the Golden Bears (6-5, 3-5 Pac-12) end a nine-game losing streak to their San Francisco bay rivals.
California fans stormed the field after the game, forming a blue-and-gold sea on the floor of Stanford Stadium.
More importantly for Justin Wilcox's team, California is bowl eligible and can improve its standing if it can beat UCLA in the season finale next week.
The Bears forced two turnovers and stopped Cardinal running back Cameron Scarlett on a 4th-and-1 play to seal the win. The play was reviewed and upheld.
Davis Mills completed 26 of 35 passes for 283 yards and one touchdown for Stanford. Mills was intercepted twice.
The loss essentially ends any hope Stanford has of making it to the postseason. The Cardinal have been to a bowl game each of the last 10 seasons.
Stanford took a 20-17 lead on Ryan Sanborn's 44-yard field goal with 2:23 left in the fourth quarter. Sanborn earlier made a career-best 48-yarder.
Garbers had an up-and-down afternoon against a Stanford defense that was credited with three official sacks but danced away from the pressure to keep plays alive.
Remigio repeatedly came up big for the Bears and finished with nine catches for 157 yards and a touchdown.
Scarlett scored a touchdown for Stanford despite his feet never landing in the end zone. Scarlett dove over the goal line from a yard out and landed in the arms of several of his teammates who carried him while celebrating the score.
Cal's Greg Thomas kicked a career-long 49-yard field but had a 38-yarder blocked just before halftime.
THE TAKEAWAY
California: The Bears looked like they were headed for another disappointing loss before Garbers bailed them out. It was a big lift for both Cal and Garbers, who has been in and out of the lineup because of various injuries. They did it despite an uneven day by their normally stout defense.
Stanford: The Cardinal defense played pretty well until the final drive but ultimately it was the offense's failure to get into the end zone and having to settle for a field goal that decided things.
UP NEXT
California: Plays at UCLA on Nov. 30. The Bears have allowed the Bruins to score 30 or more points in six of the last eight games between the two.
Stanford: Hosts No. 15 Notre Dame on Nov. 30. The Cardinal have won three of the last four games between the two teams, although the Irish picked up a 38-17 victory last year.
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