2012 California Golden Bears football team The 2012 California Golden Bears football team represented University of California , Berkeley in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS college football season . The Bears were led by eleventh - year head coach Jeff Tedford and played their home games at Memorial Stadium after having played at home the previous season at AT & T Park due to reconstruction on Memorial Stadium . They were members of the North Division of the Pacific - 12 Conference . Coming off a 7 – 5 previous season , the Bears fell to 3 – 9 ( 2 – 7 in the Pac - 12 ) , the second losing season in three years and the worst of the Tedford era . Despite a decisive win over eventual Pac - 12 South winner UCLA , Cal closed out the season with five consecutive losses . While wide receiver Keenan Allen became the team ' s all time leader in career receptions , no receiver posted a 1 , 000 yard season and no running backs broke the 1 , 000 - yard rushing mark . Tedford was subsequently fired as head coach on November 20 . Game notes . Nevada . The Bears reopened California Memorial Stadium with over 11 , 000 fewer seats on September 1 with a loss to the Nevada Wolf Pack . It was the first home game for the Bears at Memorial Stadium since November 20 , 2010 when they took on the Washington Huskies , and to commemorate the occasion the Cal athletic department had a ribbon - cutting ceremony planned before the game . The last time Cal faced Nevada was on September 17 , 2010 at Mackay Stadium in Reno , where they lost 52 – 32 . The last time the Bears defeated the Wolf Pack was a 33 – 15 game in Berkeley . Cal however , had a large advantage in the all - time series against Nevada with a record of 22 – 3 – 1 with all of the games being played in Berkeley except for the 2010 game and another meeting back in 1915 . Cal quarterback Zach Maynard was benched for the first three series of the game as punishment for missing a tutoring session earlier during the summer and Allan Bridgford started in his stead . Nevada jumped out to an early lead with an 80 yard scoring drive capped off by a 2 - yard run by Stefphon Jefferson . Quarterback Cody Fajardo had a 45 - yard run at the end of the quarter to put the Wolf Pack up 14 – 0 as the quarter wound down . The Bears got on the board in the second quarter with a 37 - yard reception by receiver Bryce Treggs . A 31 - yard field goal attempt in the final seconds of the quarter missed , making it 14 – 7 Nevada at the half . Jefferson had his second touchdown run of the game on a 2 - yard run on the Wolf Pack ' s second possession of the third quarter . The Bears responded on the following drive when receiver Keenan Allen was able to score on a 39 - yard run and Cal was able to convert a Nevada fumble recovered on the kick off with a 40 - yard field goal . However a Maynard fumble in Nevada territory in the beginning of the quarter led to a 39 - yard field goal by the Wolf Pack . Cal tied the game on the ensuing possession with a 13 - yard reception by receiver Chris Harper . However Nevada put the game away with a 2 - yard run by Jefferson in the final minute and recovered a second Cal fumble on the game ' s final drive . Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo threw for 230 yards and ran for 97 , including one of the Wolf Pack ' s four touchdowns . Running back Stefphon Jefferson accounted for the other three with 145 yards on the ground . Zach Maynard passed for 247 yards and two scores , while the Bears put up a total of 110 yards on the ground , half of Nevada ' s . Southern Utah . On September 8 California hosted the Southern Utah Thunderbirds for the first time in program history . The Thunderbirds are members of the Big Sky Conference and are part of the Football Championship Subdivision ( FCS ) . The Bears committed two turnovers in the first quarter but only the second was converted into points in the form of a 40 - yard field goal . Cal tied with an 18 - yard field goal to open the second quarter and added a pair of touchdowns on a 6 - yard run by C . J . Anderson and a 12 - yard run by Isi Sofele . A 27 - yard field goal came on Cal ' s final series of the half with Southern Utah adding a touchdown on a 37 - yard pass From Brad Sorensen to receiver Cameron Morgan as time expired to make it 20 – 10 Cal at the half . The only points in the third quarter came on a 5 - yard reception to Southern Utah running back Henna Brown . The fourth quarter saw an explosion in scoring by Cal , leading off with a 19 - yard scoring reception by Keenan Allen . Cornerback Marc Anthony then intercepted Sorensen on the ensuing drive for a 61 - yard score . A 47 - yard field goal was then followed up with a 69 - yard punt return for a touchdown by Allen . The Thunderbirds added an 8 - yard reception for a touchdown by defensive back Brian Wilson and a 7 - yard scoring reception by receiver Fatu Moala , sandwiching a 77 - yard touchdown run by Cal running back Daniel Lasco with the PAT missing . Southern Utah ' s Brad Sorensen passed for 292 yards and four touchdowns with one pick , with four different receivers catching scores while the ground game was held to 79 yards . Zach Maynard threw for 229 yards , a touchdown and an interception . Isi Sofele had his first 100 yard game of the season with 104 as Cal rushed for 289 yards . Ohio State . The Bears ' game on September 15 against the Ohio State Buckeyes was the first meeting between the two schools since 1972 and was California ' s final non - conference game of the season . California and Ohio State have met six times in the past with the Buckeyes winning five of the six with California ' s only win the series coming in the 1921 Rose Bowl during one the Bears ' five claimed national championship seasons . This game was the first of a home and home series with Ohio State scheduled to visit Berkeley in 2013 . Ohio State scored first on a 55 - yard run by quarterback Braxton Miller with the PAT missing . Cal responded with a 19 - yard reception by receiver Chris Harper . The Buckeyes came right back with a 25 - yard scoring reception by receiver Devin Smith . The sole score of the second quarter was a 1 - yard reception by receiver Jake Stoneburner . A 40 - yard field goal attempt by the Bears missed to make it 20 – 7 Ohio State at the half . Cal scored in the third quarter with an 81 - yard run by running back Brendan Bigelow with a 42 - yard field goal attempt missing . Maynard had a 1 - yard run to open the fourth quarter and the Buckeyes added a 3 - yard reception by Stoneburner with Miller successfully rushing for the two - point conversion . Bigelow had his second rushing touchdown of the game with a 59 - yard run . Miller was intercepted on the following drive but Cal failed to capitalize on it when a 42 - yard field goal missed . The go ahead score came with a 72 - yard scoring reception by Smith and Ohio State picked off Maynard on the ensuing drive to hold off the Bears . Ohio State ' s Braxton Miller threw for 249 yards and four scores with an interception and receiver Devin Smith had 145 yards with two touchdown receptions . Zach Maynard passed for 280 yards , a score and a pick , and running back Brandon Bigelow had 160 yards on the ground with two scores . USC . California will travel to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 22 to face the USC Trojans for the two schools ' 100th meeting . The Trojans lead the all - time series 64 – 30 – 5 with the Trojans winning the last meeting 30 – 9 in San Francisco . The last California win in the series came in 2003 after the Bears defeated the third ranked Trojans 34 – 31 in three overtimes . 1st quarter scoring : USC - Silas Redd 33 - yard run ( Andre Heidari kick ) 2nd quarter scoring : CAL - Vincen D ' Amato 24 - yard field goal ; USC - Marqise Lee 11 - yard pass from Matt Barkley ( Heidari kick ) ; USC - Heidari 40 - yard field goal 3rd quarter scoring : CAL - D ' Amato 26 - yard field goal ; CAL - D ' Amato 35 - yard field goal 4th quarter scoring : USC - Heidari 41 - yard field goal ; USC - Lee 3 - yard pass from Barkley ( Heidari kick ) Arizona State . California will meet the Arizona State Sun Devils on September 29 at California Memorial Stadium for the first Pac - 12 home game of the season . The Golden Bears lead the all - time series 17 – 14 with California winning the last meeting 47 – 38 in Tempe . Under head coach Jeff Tedford , California has gone 8 – 1 against the Sun Devils and have won the last four meetings . 1st quarter scoring : ARIZ – Darwin Rogers 1 - yard pass from Taylor Kelly ( Alex Garoutte kick ) . 2nd quarter scoring : CAL – Isi Sofele 24 - yard run ( Vincenzo D ' Amato kick ) ; ARIZ – Garoutte 28 - yard field goal ; ARIZ – Kevin Ozier 9 - yard pass from Kelly ( Garoutte kick ) . 3rd quarter scoring : ARIZ – Garoutte 33 - yard field goal ; CAL – D ' Amato 35 - yard field goal . 4th quarter scoring : CAL – Keenan Allen 10 - pass from Zach Maynard ( D ' Amato Kick ) ; ARIZ – Ozier 22 - yard pass from Kelly ( Garoutte Kick ) UCLA . California will meet the UCLA Bruins on October 6 at California Memorial Stadium for the University of California ' s annual Joe Roth Memorial game and homecoming game . The Bruins lead the all - time series 50 – 31 – 1 with UCLA winning the last meeting 31 – 14 in Pasadena . The Bruins , however , have not won in Berkeley since the 1998 season with the last California victory coming in 2010 at Memorial Stadium . The California athletic department has scheduled the official rededication of the stadium during halftime with a stadium - wide card stunt and a combined halftime show with the University of California Marching Band and the UCLA Bruin Marching Band . This will be the first combined show with the two bands in decades . The stadium , which was originally dedicated as a memorial to the lives of Californian who lost their lives in World War I , will be officially rededicated in memory of all of the Californians who have lost their lives in war . Terry Leyden is the referee for the game . 1st quarter scoring : UCLA – Cassius Marsh 4 - yard pass from Brett Hundley ( Ka ' i Fairbairn kick ) ; CAL – D ' Amato , Vincen 26 - yard field goal . 2nd quarter scoring : CAL – C . J . Anderson 5 - yard pass from Zach Maynard ( D ' Amato kick ) ; CAL – Keenan Allen 8 - yard pass from Maynard ( D ' Amato kick blockd ) 3rd quarter scoring : CAL – Brenda Bigelow 32 - yard pass from Maynard ( D ' Amato kick ) ; UCLA – Joseph Fauria 3 - yard pass from Hundley ( Fairbairn kick ) ; CAL – Allen 34 - yard pass from Maynard ( D ' Amato kick blockd ) 4th quarter scoring : UCLA – Fairbairn 29 - yard field goal ; CAL – Maynard 1 - yard run ( D ' Amato kick ) ; CAL – Anderson 68 - yard run ( D ' Amato kick ) . Washington State . California traveled to Martin Stadium on October 13 to face the Washington State Cougars for the Bears ' first Pac - 12 North divisional opponent . The Golden Bears lead the all - time series 43 – 25 – 5 with California winning the last meeting 30 – 7 in San Francisco . California has won seven straight games against the Cougars with the last WSU win coming in 2002 . Stanford . For the first time since 1892 , the annual Big Game between the California Golden Bears and the Stanford Cardinal was not be played at the end of the season in either November or December . The new Pac - 12 television deal that was signed in 2011 has been faulted for the move because it has created many scheduling issues . Also , both universities have refused to play their rivalry game on the Saturday after Thanksgiving . The reasoning for not wanting the Big Game after Thanksgiving is that many students are out of town for the holiday and that because of the short week , many longstanding events that are performed throughout the week leading up to the game would not be possible . Because it is an even numbered year , Stanford will travel to California Memorial Stadium for the 115th Big Game and the outcome will determine who wins the Stanford Axe . The Cardinal leads the all - time series 57 – 46 – 11 with Stanford winning the last meeting by a slim margin in Palo Alto . Jeff Tedford , however , in his career at California has won seven of the last ten Big Games . Utah . California traveled to the Rice - Eccles Stadium on October 27 to face the Utah Utes for the Bears ' first trip to Salt Lake City with Utah as a conference opponent . The Golden Bears lead the all - time series 5 – 3 with California winning the last meeting 34 – 10 in San Francisco . The last time California travelled to Salt Lake City to face the Utes , the all - time attendance record at Rice - Eccles Stadium ( 46 , 768 ) was set . Utah senior running back Reggie Dunn set an NCAA record with two 100 - yard kickoff returns for touchdowns . Washington . California met the Washington Huskies on November 2 at California Memorial Stadium for a Friday night , primetime matchup on ESPN2 . The Huskies lead the all - time series 49 – 38 – 4 with Washington winning the last meeting 31 – 23 in Seattle . The last California win came during the 2008 season and prior to that , the Bears won five straight against the Huskies from 2002 to 2006 . Oregon . California met the Oregon Ducks on November 10 at California Memorial Stadium for a meeting with the preseason , north division favorites . The Golden Bears lead the all - time series 39 – 33 – 2 with Oregon winning the last meeting 43 – 15 in Eugene . Under head coach Jeff Tedford , the Bears have only lost once to the Ducks in Berkeley . The only home defeat came in 2010 after an incredibly close 15 – 13 loss to the then - # 1 ranked Ducks . 1st quarter scoring : ORE - Colt Lyerla 10 Yd Pass From Marcus Mariota ( Alejandro Maldonado Kick ) ; CAL - Darius Powe 10 Yd Pass From Allan Bridgford ( Vincenzo D ' Amato Kick ) ; ORE - Byron Marshall 3 Yd Run ( Maldonado Kick ) 2nd quarter scoring : CAL - D ' Amato 27 Yd Field Goal ; ORE - Maldonado 26 Yd Field Goal ; ORE - Josh Huff 10 Yd Pass From Marcus Mariota ( Maldonado Kick ) 3rd quarter scoring : CAL - Isi Sofele 4 Yd Run ( D ' Amato Kick ) ; ORE - Josh Huff 35 Yd Pass From Marcus Mariota ( Maldonado Kick ) ; ORE - Josh Huff 39 Yd Pass From Marcus Mariota ( Maldonado Kick ) 4th quarter scoring : ORE - Colt Lyerla 14 Yd Pass From Marcus Mariota ( Maldonado Kick ) ; ORE - Will Murphy 7 Yd Pass From Marcus Mariota ( Maldonado Kick ) ; ORE - B . J . Kelley 18 Yd Pass From Bryan Bennett ( Maldonado Kick ) Oregon State . California traveled to the Reser Stadium to face the Oregon State Beavers for the Bears ' final game of the regular season . The Golden Bears led the all - time series 34 - 30 - 0 with California winning the last meeting 23 – 6 in San Francisco . The two schools have split their last two meetings and in the last ten years , Oregon State has compiled a 7 – 3 record against California . 1st quarter scoring : ORST - Markus Wheaton 11 Yd Pass From Sean Mannion ( Trevor Romaine Kick ) ; CAL - Isi Sofele 9 Yd Run ( Vincenzo D ' Amato Kick ) ; ORST - Tyler Anderson 1 Yd Run ( Trevor Romaine Kick ) 2nd quarter scoring : ORST - Brandin Cooks 48 Yd Pass From Sean Mannion ( Trevor Romaine Kick ) ; ORST - Connor Hamlett 14 Yd Pass From Sean Mannion ( Trevor Romaine Kick ) ; ORST - Micah Hatfield 6 Yd Pass From Sean Mannion ( Trevor Romaine Kick ) 3rd quarter scoring : ORST - Storm Woods 1 Yd Run ( Trevor Romaine Kick ) ; ORST - Terron Ward 47 Yd Run ( Trevor Romaine Kick ) ; CAL - Allan Bridgford 1 Yd Run ( Vincenzo D ' Amato Kick ) 4th quarter scoring : ORST - Terron Ward 17 Yd Run ( Pat Failed ) ; ORST - Malcolm Agnew 8 Yd Pass From Richie Harrington ( Trevor Romaine Kick ) Postseason . Three days after the close of the season Tedford was let go on November 20 . On December 5 , Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Dykes was announced as his successor . On the same day , wide receiver Keenan Allen , who had become Cal ' s all - time leader in receptions during the season , announced that he would forego his senior season and enter the 2013 NFL Draft . Several members of Dykes ' coaching staff at Louisiana Tech joined him at Cal for the same positions they had coached with the Bulldogs : offensive coordinator Tony Franklin , assistant head coach / wide receivers coach Rob Likens , running backs coach Pierre Ingram , and special teams coordinator / inside receivers coach Mark Tommerdahl . Longtime running backs coach Ron Gould , who had been with the program since 1997 and served under Tedford ' s predecessor , Tom Holmoe , left to become the head coach at UC Davis .