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No. 16 Washington St. 48, California 38

By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) Washington State coach Mike Price didn't dare keep Jason Gesser from playing Saturday, even if the quarterback did have a dislocated rib.

After a slow start, Gesser seemed like his old self, passing for 431 yards and four touchdowns as No. 16 Washington State rallied to beat California 48-38 in the Pac-10 opener for both teams.

``The guy is tough as steel,'' Price said. ``He wasn't going to let me make any other decision. He probably would have quit if I tried, or boycotted or revolted.''

Three Washington State receivers topped 100 yards, led by Jerome Riley with seven receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown. The Cougars (4-1), who were the preseason favorites to win the conference, scored 29 points in the third quarter to erase a 21-9 halftime deficit.

Kyle Boller threw for a career-high 371 yards and three touchdowns to lead Cal, which lost its second straight game after starting 3-0. The Golden Bears have lost four in a row to the Cougars and six of seven.

Gesser completed 28 of 44 passes. Mike Bush added five catches for 125 yards and a TD and Devard Darling had six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown.

Gesser started and played the whole game despite the dislocated rib on his right side, which he hurt last week against Montana State. He wore a special hard flak jacket. After struggling in the first half, he directed scoring drives in the Cougars' first two offensive series of the second half on the way to a 10-point lead.

``I never thought I would not play,'' Gesser said. ``I pretty much gave (Price) no choice.''

Gesser had a career day last year against Cal, and he matched it in what Price called his best performance yet.

``Any day with a `W' on the end of it is fine with me,'' Gesser said. ``This ranks right up there with it.''

Darling caught a 6-yard TD pass with 4:35 left to break a 38-all tie. Gesser set up the score by completing a 41-yard pass to Riley in spite of getting drilled by Tully Banta-Cain just as he released the ball.

Drew Dunning added a season-best 48-yard field goal with 2:27 left to seal the win.

Following a fumbled kickoff by the Cougars, the Bears (3-2, 0-1) tied it at 38 on a 20-yard field goal by Mark Jensen with 7:33 left.

There are signs hanging all over the Cougars' locker room that read ``Finish.'' And that's what the Cougars discussed at halftime.

``It's something we talk about all the time. You've got to finish,'' Price said. ``You've got to finish every play, finish every game.''

Jonathan Makonnen had seven catches for 136 yards and a touchdown for the Bears. Joe Igber carried 20 times for 111 yards and a TD, but he got most of his yardage early.

The teams combined for 1,050 yards of offense.

Cal committed three major penalties in the second half that allowed Washington State to rally. The Cougars took advantage of a pass-interference call and scored in their opening series of the second half to pull to 21-16 after John Tippins' 6-yard TD run.

Then, following a dropped pass by Makonnen, a poor punt and a roughing-the-passer penalty, the Cougars were on their way to scoring again. Gesser completed a 10-yard TD pass to Bush, then hit Scott Lunde for the 2-point conversion and a 24-21 lead, their first of the game.

Four minutes later, Washington State's D.D. Acholonu blocked Tyler Frederickson's punt and Erik Coleman picked it up and ran nine yards into the end zone.

Just when Cal showed some life again, Washington State responded. Mark Wilson, a 6-foot-6, 295-pound lineman, scored on a tackle-eligible play to pull the Bears back within three, 31-28.

The Cougars got back to the end zone in two plays. Gesser hit Riley for 31-yard TD just 38 seconds after Cal scored. Riley's catch followed Gesser's 44-yard completion to Bush.

``He's a slippery guy,'' Cal coach Jeff Tedford said of Gesser. ``When we put pressure on him, he would slip outside and make plays.''

Price had said it would be a game-day decision on who would start at quarterback. Backup Matt Kegel also was banged up, with a bruised right knee. The third-stringer is a freshman.

Cal built a 21-9 halftime lead behind Boller's 16 completions for 191 yards, including five to Tom Swoboda for 53 yards and a touchdown. Boller finished with two interceptions.

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