Pac-10 roundup: Arizona Wildcats slip past California Bears

Nick Foles threw a 3-yard pass to Juron Criner with 1:11 to play for the game’s only touchdown and No. 14 Arizona escaped with a 10-9 victory over California in their Pac-10 opener on Saturday night at Tucson, Ariz.

The score was set up by Foles’ 51-yard pass to Criner, who had been questionable for the game because of a turf toe injury. Criner fought off California’s Darian Hagan on the big play.

The winning seven-play, 77-yard drive came after California’s Giorgio Tavecchio missed a 40-yard field goal try with 2:37 to play. Arizona is 4-0 for the first time since 1998.

The Wildcats clinched the victory when Kevin Riley’s pass bounced off the hands of Marvin Jones and was intercepted by Joseph Perkins. Perkins fumbled but Robert Golden recovered for Arizona.

It appeared that Tavecchio’s field goals of 25, 40 and 23 yards would be enough for the Bears (2-2, 0-1), who had shut down Arizona’s prolific offense a week after giving up 497 yards and being routed 52-31 at Nevada.

The Wildcats (4-0, 1-0) helped out with 10 penalties for 99 yards. Foles completed 25 of 39 passes for 212 yards but had two critical first-half turnovers.

(5) Oregon 42, Arizona St. 31: Darron Thomas threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and the Ducks (4-0) unleashed their big-play passing offense to pull away from the Sun Devils (2-2) in the Pac-10 opener for both teams at Tempe, Ariz.

Arizona State held the nation’s second-leading rushing team to 145 yards – 235 less than its average – and used its up-tempo offense to build a 10-point lead late in a first half. But the Sun Devils committed seven turnovers.

Oregon rallied behind Thomas’ arm, scoring two touchdowns in the final 2:21 and blowing it open with two more scores in the third quarter.

Thomas, coming off a four-touchdown first half against Portland State, threw for 260 yards and TD passes to Josh Huff and Jeff Maehl. He also scored on a 4-yard run.

Arizona State’s Steven Threet threw for 387 yards and hit Mike Willie on two of his three touchdown passes, but had four interceptions.