Cal Can't Corral Kaufman -- Three Key Plays Open Door For UW
Napoleon Kaufman ran for 208 yards and two touchdowns, but three big plays that didn't involve him were decisive as No. 1-ranked Washington beat California 35-16 yesterday before 72,504 fans at Husky Stadium.
The third-quarter plays - a diving catch by Joe Kralik of a 36-yard pass from Mark Brunell that led to a touchdown, recovery of a fumbled kickoff by Russell Hairston that resulted in a touchdown, and a 37-yard option run by Brunell that preceded Kaufman's second touchdown - helped the Huskies break a 7-7 tie and soar into a 28-10 lead.
They also allowed the Huskies (5-0) to spoil the homecoming of Cal Coach Keith Gilbertson, the Huskies' offensive coordinator last season.
The play by Kralik, on third-and-10 from the Husky 48, led to a 3-yard touchdown run by fullback Matt Jones that put Washington ahead for good at 14-7 with 6:32 left in the third period.
The Huskies made it 21-7 without using any time when Hairston recovered Travis Hanson's kickoff in the end zone. The ball had been fumbled by Lindsey Chapman, who couldn't recover it before Hairston showed up.
"In the third quarter, we had no field position," said Gilbertson, the Snohomish native who is in his first season as Cal's head coach. "Then we fumbled that kickoff. That was really the difference in the game. That one series."
After the Bears cut their deficit to 21-10 on a 35-yard field goal by Doug Brien, the Huskies answered with a 74-yard, five-play touchdown series. Half the yards were provided on a run by Brunell, who had come on in relief of Billy Joe Hobert at quarterback.
The option play began at the Husky 49, when Brunell appeared to have trouble handing the ball to fullback Darius Turner. Brunell kept it, avoided a tackler while running down the line to his right and turned upfield for a 37-yard gain to the Cal 14.
"It was a designed option play and we got a little caught up on the fake (to Turner)," Brunell said. "That was more my fault than anything, but it turned out to be a good play."
Brunell said he got a key block at the corner from wide receiver Eric Bjornson that allowed him to get upfield.
"It would have been stopped quick if he didn't get the guy out of bounds," Brunell said of Bjornson's effort.
But no effort was greater than Kaufman's, the 180-pound sophomore who made the most of his first start at tailback. Seniors Beno Bryant and Jay Barry did not play because of injuries.
Kaufman's 208 rushing yards (on 30 carries) was the most by a Husky since quarterback Dennis Fitzpatrick ran for 249 against Washington State in 1974. It was the most by a Husky running back since UW began keeping definitive records in 1968. Hugh McElhenny's 296-yard game against Washington State in 1950 is the Husky record.
Kaufman scored Washington's first touchdown on a 36-yard run with 13:22 to play in the second quarter. On a delay, Kaufman scampered into the middle, broke to his right and scored by diving across the corner of the end zone.
He got his second touchdown on a 14-yard dash around right end with 1:19 to play in the third quarter.
"I don't think there's any question that he did a good job," Husky Coach Don James said. "It's just what this offense needed - to be able to establish the run."
Neither Hobert nor Brunell was able to establish the pass. Hobert completed three of 12 attempts for 36 yards; Brunell was four for 11 for 83 yards.
The last time Washington completed just seven passes in a game was against San Jose State in 1990; the last time Huskies completed fewer than seven was in 1988 against Purdue (five of 18).
Kralik's diving catch at the Cal 16 was one of the few bright spots for the passing attack.
"They were in man and I pretty much knew Mark was going to throw to me because there wasn't a free safety deep," Kralik said. "I just made a good release at the line and he put it up there and I made a pretty good catch."
Said Brunell: "I knew we were going to Joe before we snapped the ball."
After Jones scored, Cal's Chapman botched the ensuing kickoff and Hairston took advantage by falling on the ball in the end zone.
"At first I couldn't believe it," said Hairston, a sophomore defensive back from Bellevue. "I was just excited - it was my first touchdown here . . . my first big play since way back. I was happy. I was excited. Everybody was jumping on me."
Chapman said: "I thought I shot the whole team. I had them all lined up like a firing squad and I shot their hopes."
Brunell's 37-yard run highlighted Washington's next series. It was his longest run since he suffered the 1990 spring-practice knee injury that cost him his starting role.
"It felt real good," Brunell said. "But I was so tired I didn't really think about it."
Big plays highlighted Cal's scoring drives. A 34-yard pass from Dave Barr to Sean Dawkins led to the Bears' first touchdown. Damien Semien scored on a 13-yard pass from Barr.
A 42-yard pass from Barr to Dawkins led to Brien's field goal in the third quarter. A 33-yard run by Russell White led to Cal's final points, scored by Dawkins on a 16-yard pass from Barr with eight seconds left in the third quarter.
----------------------------- LOW CAL VS. UW -----------------------------
With Washington's victory yesterday, the Huskies have won 12 straight over the Bears. California hasn't beaten Washington since 1976. The year-by-year results:
YEAR SITE SCORE -------------------------- 1992 Seattle 35-16 . 1991 Berkeley 24-17 . 1990 Seattle 46-7 . 1989 Berkeley 29-16 . 1988 Seattle 28-27 . 1986 Seattle 50-18 . 1985 Berkeley 28-12 . 1984 Seattle 44-14 . 1982 Seattle 50-7 . 1981 Berkeley 27-26 . 1979 Berkeley 28-24 . 1977 Berkeley 50-31 .
---------------------------- WASHINGTON STREAKS ---------------------------- OVERALL VICTORIES 19
Vs. Pac-10 12 Vs. Cal 12 At Husky Stadium 10 Vs. ranked teams 9 Victories this season 5
------------------------------ FAST COMPANY ------------------------------
Since 1968, Napoleon Kaufman's 208 yards are the most by a Huskies running back and No. 2 behind quarterback Dennis Fitzpatrick. The top seven since 1968:
NO. PLAYER POS. YEAR YARDS ------------------------------- 1. Dennis Fitzpatrick QB 1974 249 . 2. Napoleon Kaufman RB 1992 208 . 3. Greg Lewis RB 1990 205 . 4. Jacque Robinson RB 1982 203 . 5. Ron Rowland RB 1976 196 . 6. Joe Steele RB 1978 193 . 7. Sterling Hinds RB 1983 188 .
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. Note: Though Hugh McElhenny gained 296 yards in 1950, definitive lists have been kept only since 1968. .