Once again, there are reasons to be excited.

Jeff Tuel has his first 300 yard passing game, completing 28 of 41 attempts for 354 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. That's a shiny 68 percent and 8.6 yards per attempt -- easily season highs for any Cougar quarterback. Johnny Forzani was responsible for 116 of those yards, including 68 on another long touchdown catch and run. Jeffrey Solomon had seven catches, and Gino Simone and Jared Karstetter each had six.

And yet, once again, there are reasons to be skeptical.

Coming off a week in which it generated six turnovers, the defense showed what will happen if it only gets one, giving up 49 points -- 35 of them in the first half. Jahvid Best ran all over the place again, gaining 158 yards on the ground. That, sadly, was actually less than half of Cal's rushing total of 322 yards. With the running game going again, Kevin Riley looked like an all-Pac-10 passer -- 11 of 17, 213 yards, three touchdowns (and one pick).

The total damage? Just 557 yards.

Beyond that, special teams had a flashback to week one, giving up a 54-yard return on the opening kickoff and also a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown. There were kickoffs out of bounds, there was a missed field goal. (Reid Forrest, however showed who the best punter in the Pac-10 is -- take that, Brian Anger!)

So, I once again ask you.

Success?