Photo courtesy of Texas Athletics
NCAA FOOTBALL BOWLS PAGE
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Sports Network) - David Ash passed for a touchdown and caught another, as Texas played mistake-free football while forcing five turnovers to earn a 21-10 victory over California in the Holiday Bowl.
Ash completed 14-of-22 passes for 144 yards, 47 coming on a go-ahead touchdown pass to Marquise Goodwin in the third quarter.
The Longhorns (8-5), back in the postseason after last season's disappointing 5-7 campaign, held the Golden Bears (7-6) to a single yard rushing in the defensive slugfest.
California's Zach Maynard tossed for 192 yards but threw an interception and lost two fumbles to end his junior season on a sour note.
Maynard guided an 11-play, 69-yard drive to start the second half, and Isi Sofele's six-yard touchdown on a toss to the right gave the Bears a 10-7 lead.
But Goodwin scored shortly thereafter, getting behind the secondary and hauling in Ash's bomb with 8:06 remaining in the third.
Sofele fumbled on the ensuing drive, and Adrian Phillips caused Maynard to cough it up in the final minute of the quarter.
Texas recovered Maynard's fumble at the California 44-yard line, and Goodwin's 37-yard gallop up the right sideline set up Cody Johnson's four-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The Bears, who averaged 32 points per game over their last four Pac-12 tilts, punted on their next two touches, and Marvin Jones fumbled another away with 3:24 remaining to seal the outcome.
Giorgio Tavecchio booted a 47-yard field goal on California's first possession, but Maynard threw an interception and lost a fumble on a bad snap on the next two Bears drives.
The Longhorns failed to take advantage of the latter turnover, as Justin Tucker missed a 38-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
But an ineffective punt later in the half gave Texas a short field, and Ash completed passes of 14 and 30 yards before hauling in Jaxon Shipley's four- yard lob on a reverse pass with 6:08 showing.