 California received the ball at its 41-yard line and used the good field position to its advantage. After two short-gain plays, Rodgers completed a 16-yard pass and a 24-yard toss to drive the Bears inside the Virginia Tech 20-yard line. Echemandu rushed the ball twice for seven total yards, then Rodgers ran it himself the remaining nine yards for another California touchdown. The touchdown and extra point gave California a 42 – 28 lead, its largest in the game. Virginia Tech received the ball with 41 seconds remaining in the quarter, and ran four quick plays. After Bryan Randall threw two incompletions, he connected with Ernest Wilford on a long 23-yard pass, and Kevin Jones rushed up the middle of the field for another 12 yards. As time expired in the quarter, Tech was inside California territory for the first time since the beginning of the quarter and had a first down. At the end of the third quarter, California held a 42 – 28 lead.
