Notebook: Hill has mountain of a night

BERKELEY, Calif. — Washington State receiver Jason Hill wasn't supposed to play a week ago against UCLA because of a thigh bruise. He not only played, he caught eight passes for 65 yards.

That was just an appetizer for what Hill, a junior, did last night when he caught six passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns.

The San Francisco native's yardage ranks fourth on the Cougars' all-time list for a game, and the most by a Pac-10 player this season.

Hill has 23 career touchdown catches, breaking Hugh Campbell's WSU mark of 22, set from 1960 to 62. Hill has caught touchdown passes in his past nine games.

Back-to-back picks

WSU quarterback Alex Brink threw back-to-back interceptions in the second quarter last night for the second time this season.

The redshirt sophomore also threw back-to-back picks in the fourth quarter of the Cougars' 44-33 loss at Oregon State on Oct. 1 during a four-interception outing.

The first of Brink's back-to-back picks at OSU led to a Beavers punt, but the second resulted in the final touchdown, a drive on which middle linebacker Will Derting suffered the knee injury that has him sidelined.

Brink's interceptions last night helped California to a 28-10 halftime lead. Greg Van Hoesen returned the first interception 16 yards for a touchdown, and safety Tim Mixon's interception set up a 3-yard touchdown pass to Chris Manderino with 1:04 left before the break.

Brink redeemed himself early in the third quarter with a pair of touchdown passes, going 38 and 62 yards to Jason Hill within a span of two minutes to cut the Cal lead to 28-25.

Devoted fans

When WSU running back Jerome Harrison goes home to Kalamazoo, Mich., he visits the nursing home where his mother works as activity coordinator.

"You can't believe how much those elderly people really pay attention to me and always enjoy it when I come in," he said a few weeks ago. "I really take a lot of pride in that. I spend time with those folks."

The residents are Harrison fans, and so are three nuns at the facility.

"They tell me every time, 'I never paid attention to football before but I sure pay attention now.' They always tell me they are praying for me."

Notes

• Michael Bumpus left the game with an apparent ankle injury in the third quarter and didn't return. Don Turner took over punt-return duties but muffed a punt, and Cal almost recovered it but it skidded out of bounds off a Cal player. Turner was replaced as punt returner by Trandon Harvey.

• Cal played without two key starters — right tackle Ryan O'Callaghan (concussion) and freshman wide receiver DeSean Jackson (shoulder).

• Cal qualified for a bowl game with the win.

• Last night's game was only the second night game in the history of Memorial Stadium, which was built in 1923. The first night game was last year, when Cal beat Arizona State 27-0.

The Cougars aren't through playing night games. Oregon's visit to Martin Stadium Nov. 12 will be a night game. Arizona State's visit to Pullman on Nov. 5 is scheduled as an afternoon game but possibly could move to night. Last night marked the third night kickoff of the season for the Cougars, who opened with late games against Idaho and Nevada.

• The Cougars continued two significant scoring streaks. They have scored in 232 consecutive Pac-10 games, the longest active streak in the league. The last time WSU was shut out in league play was at Oregon State in 1975. WSU has scored in 245 consecutive games since a 44-0 shutout at Ohio State in 1984.

The streak is the second longest among Division I schools. Entering this weekend, schools with streaks longer than 200 were Michigan (256), WSU (244), Oregon (237), Florida State (214) and Florida (209).

• California, which has O'Dea grad Anthony Felder starting at outside linebacker as a true freshman, is getting another O'Dea recruit in the fall. Brandon Jones, considered among the state's best cornerback prospects, has committed to the Bears.

• WSU tight end Troy Bienemann will find out this week whether he is one of 15 finalists for the Draddy Trophy, an award that honors football ability, academic success and leadership. There are 184 semifinalists in the country; Bienemann is one of four in Washington, joining Eastern's Joseph Cwik, Puget Sound's Andy Carlson and Whitworth's Cameron Collins.