Cal can't say it never had its opportunities.

The Bears were set up for a November to remember, playing arguably the top three teams in the conference. Cal opened the month with a 26-16 home victory over Oregon, but then failed to dash the BCS dreams of USC and Oregon State.

Cal fell at USC 17-3 on Nov. 8 and then lost in Corvallis 34-21 on Saturday. The Beavers maintained their Rose Bowl hopes, needing to win their final two games to get to Pasadena.

Meanwhile, Cal dropped to 6-4 overall, 4-3 in the Pac-10.

"We've got to see what we are as a team," Cal quarterback Kevin Riley said. "We don't want the same thing as last year."

Last year, the Bears lost six of their final seven games after reaching No. 2 in the nation. The drop this season would not be as precipitous, but it could still be disappointing. The offense has sputtered in the past two weeks, including gaining only 232 yards against Oregon State.

Cal got 65 of those yards on a touchdown run from Jahvid Best, who brought the Bears within 27-21 with 6:43 left in the third quarter.

The Bears managed just one first down after that, and they lost all hope when Riley was intercepted in the final minute. Keenan Lewis returned the interception 25 yards for a touchdown to provide the final margin.

SEASON RECAP

Cal 38, Michigan State 31 -- Kevin Riley, in his second career start, threw for 202 yards and two second-half touchdowns, and Shane Vereen helped put the game away with an 81-yard touchdown run with 4:21 left. Michigan State had a chance to tie in the final minute, but threw four consecutive incompletions after reaching midfield.

Cal 62, Washington State 3 -- Jahvid Best ran for 200 yards on 14 carries -- including touchdown runs of 80 and 86 yards -- as the Bears handed Washington State its worst loss in school history. A first-quarter field goal allowed the Cougars to extend their scoring streak to 275 consecutive games.

Maryland 35, Cal 27 -- The Bears rallied for three touchdowns in the final seven minutes, but it wasn't enough to catch Maryland. The Terps, who held Cal running back Jahvid Best to 25 yards on 10 carries, led 21-3 early in the second quarter and held on despite being outgained 461 to 297.

Cal 42, Colorado State 7 -- Cal got three non-offensive touchdowns to cruise past the Rams. Bryant Nnabuife scored on a 30-yard blocked punt return, safety Brett Johnson scored on a 43-yard interception return, and Syd'Quan Thompson broke an early would-be tackle and raced 73 yards on a punt return.

Cal 24, Arizona State 14 -- The Bears' defense asserted itself against the Sun Devils, allowing only 236 yards and picking off Rudy Carpenter twice. Cal QB Nate Longshore managed the game just fine without star RB Jahvid Best (elbow). Longshore completed 17 of 28 passes for 198 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception.

Arizona 42, Cal 27 -- The Bears squandered a 24-14 halftime lead as the Wildcats put up 28 points in the third quarter. Quarterbacks Nate Longshore and Kevin Riley combined for 315 yards, but neither could get the team in the end zone in the second half. They completed a combined 25 of 56 passes for the game.

Cal 41, UCLA 20 -- Cal stopped UCLA on a fake punt, then scored on a 53-yard pass to Nyan Boateng and on a 19-yard interception return from Mike Mohamed -- all within a minute of the fourth quarter -- to pull away. Cal intercepted four passes, returning two for touchdowns, and held the Bruins to 16 rushing yards.

Cal 26, Oregon 16 -- The Bears overcame five turnovers on a rainy and wet day with a dominant defensive effort that limited Oregon to 290 total yards. QB Nate Longshore came off the bench to hold things together for Cal after starter Kevin Riley suffered a concussion in the first quarter.

USC 17, Cal 3 -- The Trojans held Cal to 165 total yards but couldn't put the game away until scoring their final touchdown with three minutes left. The Bears squandered their few good opportunities, including having a TD pass called back because of a penalty for having an ineligible receiver.

Oregon State 34, Cal 21 -- The Bears managed only 232 yards of offense, failing to get any closer after pulling within 27-21 midway through the third quarter. Jahvid Best had a 65-yard touchdown run, but Kevin Riley completed only 11 of 25 passes, frequently under pressure from Oregon State, which kept its Rose Bowl dreams alive.

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