As WSU heads into the fourth quarter, the Cougars trail California 24-10 but are driving in Golden Bear territory.
The Cougars looked as if they might be left for dead when Cal took the opening drive of the third quarter 71 yards in nine plays -- most of it on the ground -- to claim a 21-3 lead.
But WSU came back with what might have been its best drive of the year, a 10-play, 75-yard masterpiece in which Jeff Tuel -- who relieved an ineffective Connor Halliday in the first quarter -- repeatedly made quick, decisive reads to take advantage of an aggressive defense to march down the field. It was capped with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Brett Bartolone, who ran a mesh combination with Gino Simone to perfection.
Tuel is now 20-for-37 for 208 yards.
The Cougar defense got a stop on the next drive, and momentum seemed to be fully shifting when Leon Brooks ripped off a 40-yard run on the first play after the punt. But the Cougs stalled out from there, as drops continued to plague the WSU wide receivers.
Cal tacked on a 52-yard field goal, and that was the end of the scoring for the half.