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BERKELEY, Calif. — Arizona learned one of football's simplest lessons in Saturday's 45-27 loss to California: Don't let a good team get ahead of you early.

The sixth-ranked Golden Bears scored 28 points in the first quarter and withstood a late Arizona push to win in the team's Pac-10 opener at Memorial Stadium.

The Wildcats (1-3 overall, 0-1 Pac-10) outscored the Golden Bears in the second half, but could get no closer than 11 points.

After Jason Bondzio's 32-yard field goal pulled the UA to within 38-27 with 13 minutes remaining, Cal drove 74 yards to put the game away.

Forsett ran the ball five times for 49 yards during the drive, which he capped with a two-yard touchdown on a direct snap. The eight-play, 74-yard drive took 4 minutes 8 seconds off the clock and slowed Arizona's momentum. The Wildcats had scored 10 points in the first two minutes of the quarter.

Mike Thomas caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Willie Tuitama on the first play of the fourth quarter to cut California's lead to 38-24 with 14:46 remaining. Louis Holmes forced a fumble on Cal's ensuing drive, and Bondzio nailed his field goal.

Cal scored 28 points in the first quarter alone, the most by an Arizona opponent since 2003. In that game, Oregon State scored four touchdowns in the second quarter on the way to a 52-23 win.

The Bears scored four touchdowns, including one when defensive end Tyson Alualu returned a Tuitama fumble four yards for a touchdown.

Forsett put Cal (4-0, 1-0) on the board three minutes into the game, when he took a direct snap nine yards to make it 7-0. Lavell Hawkins caught an 18-yard touchdown pass, and Jahvid Best rushed in a one-yard score on a pitch.

California put an exclamation point on a solid first quarter when, just before the end of the period, safety Thomas DeCoud sacked Tuitama and forced a fumble. Alualu picked recovered the fumble at Arizona's four-yard line, and took the ball in for a score.

Arizona opened the second quarter by regaining some much-needed momentum. The Wildcats drove 50 yards in nine plays before Grigsby punched in his first college score.

Cornerback Antoine Cason grabbed an interception on Cal's ensuing possession, but Arizona turned the ball over when Tuitama threw an interception in the end zone.