California cashes in

LAS VEGAS – Marshawn Lynch rushed for career highs of 194 yards and three touchdowns, and DeSean Jackson caught two scoring passes before California’s defense held off Brigham Young for a 35-28 victory in the Las Vegas Bowl on Thursday night.

Steve Levy passed for 228 yards in his second career start for the Golden Bears (8-4), who showed off a wealth of talent that will return in 2006. They needed every bit of it to hold off BYU’s fourth-quarter comeback in a game featuring 915 total yards.

Cal took a 21-point lead into the final quarter after Lynch’s 35-yard scoring run and Jackson’s 22-yard diving TD catch in the third. But BYU quarterback John Beck responded with scoring passes to Jonny Harline and Todd Watkins, whose 9-yard grab with 5:35 left cut Cal’s lead to seven points.

The Bears tried a 50-yard field goal with 2:20 to play, and Tom Schneider’s kick was well short. But the Cougars moved just 7 yards before Beck’s arm was hit by Cal lineman Phillip Mbakogu, and Daymeion Hughes intercepted the wobbling pass to seal the Bears’ second bowl victory in three postseason trips under coach Jeff Tedford.

Beck set Las Vegas Bowl records in BYU’s spread offense, going 35 for 53 for 352 yards and three TDs. In their first bowl game in four years, the Cougars (6-6) mounted three scoring drives longer than 90 yards and moved the ball consistently.

But the Bears’ stars were the difference. Jackson capped his impressive freshman season with six catches for 130 yards, including a 42-yard romp through the BYU secondary 3 seconds before halftime. Lynch had scoring runs of 3, 23 and 35 yards along with a handful of second-effort rushes.

Nathan Meikle caught 12 passes for 93 yards for BYU, which hasn’t won a bowl game since 1996.