STANFORD-The Cal offense started the game playing a familiar tune.

On their first two offensive series, the Bears went for the big plays and crumbled when they could not execute them.

But something happened on Cal's third drive.

Offensive linemen Matt Summers-Gavin and Mike Tepper were trying to get into the heads of Stanford's defensive linemen.

On second-and-20 from the Cardinal 30, they got their wish when defensive tackle Ekom Udofia had a penalty called on him for a personal foul on Summers-Gavin.

Although the Bears had to settle for a field goal on that drive, it was clear they were suddenly able to move the ball on offense. After another long drive was stalled by an interception, Cal would go four straight ones for touchdowns.

"You want to set the tempo for the rest of the offense and the rest of the team," Summers-Gavin said. "Tepper and I got into it with him, got him mad, and he went after me. That kind of moved the momentum into our favor. That gave us confidence to keep moving the ball."

Whether or not his theory is true, Summer-Gavin was well-aware that somehow, the Bears had seized control of the game during that drive.

All week long, the emphasis had been placed on the Stanford offense and the improbable numbers they produced against USC and Oregon in two consecutive weeks.

Few, however, took note of one key statistic.

Coming into Saturday's game, the Cardinal ranked first in the conference in time of possession, averaging just over 33 minutes per game.

But here was Cal, a team that had relied on big plays all season, methodically moving the ball down the field.

In the end, the Bears would end up controlling the ball for a game total of 39 minutes and six seconds-the highest ever in the Tedford era.

Instead of trying to stop the potent Stanford offense with its defensive play, the Bears just didn't give the Cardinal any opportunities.

"They sustained long drives, and that kept us off the field and didn't allow us to get into a rhythm," Stanford running back Toby Gerhart said. "We'd have a couple of three-and-outs, and they'd get it back and have another long drive."

Those four drives from the second to third quarters read as thus: 85 yards, 92 yards, 72 yards and another 72 yards.

Only twice this season had Cal converted more than 50 percent of its third downs, yet on Saturday, it converted 11 of its 19 chances. On top of that, it had a season-high 31 first downs.

So, in a game that had so much at stake, how did Cal put together such a performance?

"The difference is we started running the ball a lot," offensive tackle Mike Tepper said. "Coach Ludwig did an amazing job play selection ... and he ran the stuff we wanted to run. Our bread and butter."

The blocking by the offensive line consistently opened holes for tailback Shane Vereen and allowed him to set career-highs in yardage and carries.

"They were amazing," Vereen said. "Each play they got off the ball, did their job, gave Kevin (Riley) time, they played their butts off."

And as exhausting as the consistent movement of the ball was for the offensive line, the end result proved more than enough to compensate for it all.

"That was an awesome feeling," Summers-Gavin said. "It got tiring after a while, but it was awesome to see the clock drain down and us put points on the board consistently. That's what its all about as an offensive line, you want the pressure on the backs to run the ball and send the defense a message that we're a strong and physical team, and I think we proved that."

Tags: BIG GAME, CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS, CAL FOOTBALL