DJ Uiagalelei throws 5 TD passes as No. 15 Oregon St. tops Cal

DJ Uiagalelei completed 19 of 25 passes for 275 yards and five touchdowns to lead No. 15 Oregon State to a 52-40 win against Cal in a Pac-12 game on Saturday night in Berkeley, Calif.

Oregon State running back Damien Martinez rushed for 89 yards and a touchdown, and Jack Velling caught three short touchdown passes for Oregon State (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12).

Cal freshman quarterback Fernando Mendoza made his first start and went 21 of 32 passing for 207 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.

Isaiah Ifanse had two touchdowns rushing and another receiving for Cal (3-3, 1-2)

The Golden Bears pulled within three points with 2:45 left in the third quarter when Mendoza threw a 30-yard touchdown strike to Jack Endries, and the two-point conversion made it 35-32.

Oregon State faced a fourth-and-goal on the ensuing drive and Martinez scored on a 1-yard run to extend the cushion to 42-32 with 14:25 left in the game.

After a fumble recovery, Uiagalelei hit 270-pound lineman Isaac Hodgins with a 2-yard touchdown pass for a 49-32 lead with 12:32 remaining.

Atticus Sappington tacked on a 32-yard field goal with 2:25 left to make it 52-32.

A 9-yard touchdown run by Jaivian Thomas with 1:04 left and another two-point conversion trimmed it to 52-40.

Uiagalelei and Velling connected for a 2-yard touchdown on Oregon State's opening drive of the game.

Mateen Bhaghani connected on a 20-yard field on the first play of the second quarter to trim the lead to 7-3.

A 59-yard kickoff return by Silas Bolden and an unnecessary roughness penalty gave Oregon State excellent field position, and Bolden capped the drive with a 11-yard touchdown catch to stretch the lead to 14-3 with 12:24 left in the first half.

Oregon State attempted an onside kick, but Cal linebacker Ryan McCulloch returned it 26 yards to the Oregon State 19, setting up a 9-yard touchdown reception by Ifanse that cut the lead to 14-10.

Bolden lost a fumble at the end of an 18-yard reception and Cal recovered at the Oregon State 40, leading to a 1-yard touchdown run by Ifanse that gave Cal a 17-14 lead.

The Beavers went for it on fourth-and-goal and Uiagalelei found Velling for a 3-yard touchdown pass, moving them back in front 21-17 with 2:00 left in the half.

After a 50-yard return by Bolden on the second-half kickoff, Jesiah Irish caught a 38-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-17.

Ifanse scored his third touchdown on a 5-yard run to cut the lead to 28-24, but Uiagalelei found Velling in the end zone for a third time on a 7-yard connection to extend the lead to 35-24 with 5:40 left in the third.

—Field Level Media