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Weekend Wrap: Cal QB Jared Goff Sets Career High In Wild Win Vs. Arizona State

Cal was determined not to end the season with a loss, and they had to work to make that happen Saturday night at home against Arizona State. The Sun Devils built a 27-10 halftime lead but Cal put together a furious rally in the second half as they went on to clinch a winning season for the first time since 2011. Junior quarterback Jared Goff was on fire in the second half of the game as he finished his night, possibly his last on Cal's home field, with 542 passing yards and five touchdowns thrown in a frantic 48-46 victory. Goff's magical play set up a game-winning field goal as time expired off the leg of Matt Anderson from 26 yards out.

Bryce Treggs was Goff's favorite receiver on the night. Treggs caught five passes for 147 yards and a touchdown. Four other Cal players caught a touchdown pass as Goff spread the ball around. Running back Tre Watson also rushed for 92 yards and a score. Cal's offense had to have a big night, the Arizona State offense was firing as well. Mike Bercovici passed for 395 yards and four touchdowns. Sun Devils running back Demario Richard ripped through the Cal defense for 131 yards and receiver Devin Lucien caught eight passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns.

Cal and Arizona State combined for 1,266 yards of offense, with Cal recording 680 of them. Each recorded 28 first downs. There was just one turnover in the game, a Cal fumble. Cal's explosive offense did its work holding the football for just 22 minutes and 22 seconds.

Game Ball: QB Jared Goff, California

Cal's prolific passer set a new career high for passing yards in a single game with 542 yards. His five-touchdown performance was needed as Cal needed every point along the way. It was a performance Aaron Rodgers would smile about, for sure.

Around the Pac-12 North

Stanford was the big winner of the weekend around the Pac-12 North. Already with the division locked up the previous week, Stanford looked for one final non-conference opportunity for a late playoff push against Notre Dame. Kevin Hogan tossed four touchdowns and Conrad Ukropina kicked a game-winning 45-yard field goal as time expired to give the Cardinal a 38-36 victory against the Irish. With the win, Stanford's playoff chances remain on the radar with one week to go before the final playoff rankings are released. First though, Stanford must beat USC in next week's Pac-12 Championship Game. USC won the Pac-12 South Division and a spot in the conference championship with its big win over UCLA.

In rivalry games up north, Oregon finished off its regular season with a 9-3 record after outlasting Oregon State, 52-42, to drop the Beavers to 2-10. The Apple Cup was a blowout in favor of Washington. The Huskies blasted Washington State, playing without Luke Falk at quarterback, 45-10. With the win, the Huskies clinched bowl eligibility with a 6-6 record.

What's Next?

Now it is on to the bowl season for California. This will mark the first time Cal is going bowling since 2011, and this will be the first time in a bowl game under head coach Sonny Dykes. Cal's bowl destination will be learned soon enough, but Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com most recently slated the Golden Bears against Texas Tech in the Cactus Bowl, which would be quite the offensive showdown. Cal will be looking to score its first win in the postseason since 2008 against Miami in the Emerald Bowl.

Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sports writer covering the Philadelphia Eagles and college football. McGuire is a member of the FWAA and National Football Foundation. Follow McGuire on Twitter @KevinOnCFB. His work can be found on Examiner.com.

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