Last week, Cal linebacker Mike Mohamed said he would know better after the game against Arizona State "what (the Bears) are all about." Facing another team in the Pac-10 would reveal which was "the real Cal"-the team that scored six points in two losses or at least 35 in each of its five wins.

So what did Mohamed learn from the No. 23 Bears' gutsy 23-21 win?

"That we're a pretty good team," said Mohamed, who was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week after making 12 tackles at ASU. "That we trust each other, that we know how to fight through the tough times and the good times."

The Bears were nowhere near as efficient with the ball as they had been over the previous three weeks-their conference-leading rushing offense was stuffed for only 57 yards. But Kevin Riley leading Cal's first late fourth-quarter comeback win since 2005 was more ammunition for those who want to argue that the losses to USC and Oregon were-at least a little bit-fluky.

"We believed that we had a better team than what showed up in those two blowout losses, and we've been showing up," Mohamed said. "We're looking ahead now, and we need to start getting ready for next week and hopefully keep that good momentum rolling."

If the Bears want to keep rolling, they'll have to do so on an upward slope. Their three Pac-10 wins have come against teams that are 2-13 in the conference. Their next three opponents-Oregon State and Arizona at home, then Stanford away-have a combined Pac-10 record of 10-5.

Close Call

Giorgio Tavecchio almost didn't get the chance to kick the game-winning field goal Saturday due to Shane Vereen's wobbly pass on second-and-goal. Cal chose to throw out of its Wildcat-type formation for the first time this year, and Vereen's pass over the middle to tight end Anthony Miller was tipped several times before it fell incomplete.

"It was a funky look," tailback Jahvid Best said. "He probably should've just kept it that time."

Vereen is typically lauded as the Bears' best throwing tailback. Riley acknowledged that he might have gotten inside Vereen's head before the play by warning him to "throw (the ball) over the goal post" if Miller wasn't open.

Regardless, the play looked like it might work until the ball came out.

"Initially it was wide open and it looked like it slipped out of his hand or something," Tedford said.

Hill Comes Up Big

Tedford said that one player who stood out on tape was cornerback Josh Hill. Hill made the tackle on ASU tailback Cameron Marshall that forced the Sun Devils to punt with just over three minutes left in the game, setting up the Bears' final drive.

"Josh just made a big play for us," cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson said. "The ball was like an inch from the first-down marker and Josh was able to take out his legs and get him down."

Hill also forced the Sun Devils' second-quarter fumble near Cal's goal line.

Quick Hits

• Thompson's interception late in the second quarter was his first of the season. He had four last year.

• Alex Lagemann, who had only one reception going into Saturday, caught three passes for 38 yards, including a 16-yard catch for a first down on Cal's last offensive series.

Tags: CAL, CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS, CAL FOOTBALL