Reggie Dunn sets school record with pair of 100-yard kickoff returns as Utah beats Cal 49-27
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Reggie Dunn set a school record with two 100-yard kickoff returns, and Utah's defense forced three turnovers a 49-27 victory over California on Saturday night.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Utah (3-5, 1-4 Pac-12) and kept alive hopes of being bowl-eligible for the 10th straight year.
Reggie Topps' 17-yard fumble return for a touchdown gave Utah a 14-3 lead with 2:13 left in the first quarter. The Utes led 28-6 at halftime after a 5-yard TD run by freshman quarterback Travis Wilson.
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In his third start, Wilson completed 16 of 24 passes for 156 yards.
Utah intercepted Zach Maynard once and sacked him four times.
Standout receiver Keenan Allen became Cal's all-time receptions leader with 205 catches but didn't get on track until the game was well in hand.
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It was the worst loss of the year for the Golden Bears (3-6, 2-4).
Dunn's second career 100-yard kickoff return came after a first-quarter Cal field goal and ignited a "blackout" crowd of 45,017. He brought the kick out of the end zone, cut left, then took a step back to the middle before waiting for his blockers, who escorted him unscathed into the other end zone.
His second 100-yard return of the game came on the opening play of the fourth quarter. He took the kickoff up the middle, cut sharply left, then right, evaded a tackle by Steve Williams at the Cal 12-yard line and cut back left again for the score that put Utah up 49-13.
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Cal outgained Utah 441-344, but turnovers and penalties hurt the Bears, who scored a pair of late touchdowns after being kept out of the end zone for seven straight quarters.
Utah's defense, which held Oregon State to 228 yards in a road loss last week, allowed Cal to average 10 yards on its first four plays. Defensive end Joe Kruger then made back-to-back plays, stuffing Utah native Isi Sofele on second-and-3 and recording a quarterback hurry to force Cal to settle for a 49-yard Vincenzo D'Amato field goal.
D'Amato added a 38-yarder, his ninth straight, in the second quarter.
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Otherwise, it was all Utah.
Wilson escaped a sack and ran for 13 yards on third-and-8 to set up Utah's third score.
Utah's fourth score came after Ryan Lacy intercepted a tipped pass with 6:33 left in the second quarter.
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Wilson had the big play on the scoring drive, a third-and-17 pass to Kenneth Scott for 24 yards to the Cal 25. Running back John White also broke a tackle on third-and-5.
White finished with 105 yards on 22 carries, with two touchdowns — doubling his season total.
Cal finished with 153 yards rushing, but a huge chunk came on Brendan Bigelow's 57-yard TD on the final play of the third quarter, when the Bears trailed 42-6.
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Maynard finished 20 of 32 for 288 yards with two TDs and an interception.
Allen, meanwhile, needed just three catches to become Cal's all-time receptions leader, but he didn't catch his first until 10:52 remained in the third quarter. Five plays later, Lacy made a play against Allen to break up what would have been a 29-yard TD reception.
Allen tied the all-time mark of 202 catches with 4:26 left in the third on a 15-yard reception, but Maynard fumbled the ball away on the next play on a hit by Trevor Reilly. He broke the record on an 11-yard catch with 12:43 remaining, and added a 23-yard TD reception with 12:17 left to play.
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A year ago, a 24-point loss to Cal lighted a fire under the Utes, who went on to finish 5-1, including a Sun Bowl victory.
They're hoping a win will do the same, with four games remaining.
Cal has to win out over Washington, Oregon and Oregon State just to be bowl eligible.