Cardinal Captures 100th Big Game, 21-20

STANFORD, Calif. - Corey Hill returned an interception 41 yards for a score and Chad Hutchinson hit Troy Walters with a 36-yard touchdown pass as Stanford held on for a 21-20 Pac-10 victory over California in the 100th edition of the "Big Game".

Stanford held a 21-10 lead before Justin Vedder connected with Bobby Shaw on a 12-yard touchdown pass with 4:44 remaining. Vedder found Brian Surgener for the two-point conversion, drawing the Bears within 21-18.

With time winding down, Cardinal punter Kevin Miller conceded the safety, accounting for the one-point victory.

Stanford (5-6, 3-5 Pac-10) snapped a five-game losing streak in its final game of the season and has won the last three meetings between the teams. The "Big Game" series dates back to March 10th, 1892, with the Cardinal holding a 50-39-11 all-time advantage.

The Golden Bears (3-8, 1-7) lost eight of their final nine games and finished ninth in the Pac-10, one game better than winless Oregon State.

Hill picked off Vedder's pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown with 2:32 left in the first quarter, giving Stanford a 7-0 lead. Anthony Bookman's 13-yard TD run 5:26 into the second quarter made it 13-0 after a failed extra point.

Tarik Smith scored on a 19-yard run under two minutes later to pull the Bears within 13-7. But Hutchinson connected with Walters on a 36-yard TD pass with 4:02 to play in the first half and Bookman ran in the two-point conversion for a 21-7 Stanford lead.

Ignacio Brache kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, making it 21-10.

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