BERKELEY, Calif., — Late in the fourth quarter, with Oregon leading by 11, No. 24 California had an opportunity to make the game interesting. Oregon senior safety Ugochukwu Amadi had other plans.
He intercepted Cal quarterback Brandon McIlwain and returned it for a touchdown. On his way back to the sideline, he yelled “ballgame.”
“Had to,” Amadi said.
Cal’s comeback hopes were gone, and Amadi extended No. 19 Oregon’s lead to 42-24 as the Ducks (4-1, 1-1) held on for the road win. Amadi’s interception was all part of a game in which Oregon’s defense bent but didn’t break. They forced turnovers when it mattered most, which kept Cal from closing the gap on an early lead.
Of Cal’s four turnovers, the most important came late in the second quarter. The Golden Bears were driving with 31 seconds left in the first half, down 21-10. When McIlwain dropped back, Oregon defensive lineman Drayton Carlberg was on him. Carlberg hit him, jarring the ball loose. Linebacker La’Mar Winston Jr. grabbed the ball and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown.
“I’m going to have to take Drayton to dinner all next week,” Winston Jr. said.
Carlberg, who made the play of the game, was filling in for the injured Austin Faoliu.
“It’s just pride in yourself and working on your technique every week and trying to improve every week,” Carlberg said. “When your opportunity comes, try and make the best of it.”
It was one week ago that Stanford had a scoop-and-score that shifted the momentum on its way in the comeback victory. This time, Oregon used it to pull away and kill Cal’s momentum.
“You could feel the breath go out of the team,” Winston Jr. said. “That’s what really changed momentum. It felt amazing, actually.”
Oregon’s defense wasn’t perfect. They allowed Cal to drive, and at times Cal’s offensive line — coached by long-time Duck O-line coach Steve Greatwood — pushed Oregon around. The Golden Bears rushed for 241 yards, the most the Ducks have allowed all season, and McIlwain went for 123 yards.
“We hold ourselves to a very high expectation,” Winston Jr. said. “We want to be one of the best defenses in the country, and that just doesn’t happen for the best defenses in the country.”
Again, Oregon stopped the run when it counted. The Golden Bears were down 35-17 with three minutes, 18 seconds left in the third quarter. They drove to the Oregon 1-yard line and went for the end zone on fourth down. Senior linebacker Troy Dye stuffed McIlwain’s run attempt short.
The Ducks were able to go on the road and beat a ranked opponent a year after they failed to beat a single Pac-12 opponent on the road.
“It feels good,” Amadi said. “We finally get the girl of our dreams. We get the win, get to smile now. … For the years I’ve been here, this is probably one of the most fulfilling wins we’ve had on the road.”
Follow Jack Butler on Twitter @Butler917