INSIGHT BOWL Fredrickson kicks Cal to victory
He ended a shootout against Virginia Tech by splitting a 35-yarder.
PHOENIX (AP) -- Tyler Fredrickson, who had missed his previous five field goal attempts, capped a wild Insight Bowl with a 35-yard field goal as time expired Friday night to give California a 52-49 victory over Virginia Tech.
Cal's Aaron Rodgers and Virginia Tech's Bryan Randall each flirted with 400 yards passing in an aerial duel that saw both teams rally from 14-point deficits.
MVP performance
Rodgers, a sophomore who didn't start until the fifth game, was 27-of-35 for 394 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for two scores and was named the game's offensive MVP.
Randall was 24-for-34 for 398 yards and tied an Insight Bowl record with four TD passes. He also ran for a score.
The teams combined for 1,081 yards and broke the 15-year-old bowl's record for points.
Virginia Tech's Carter Warley -- 12-for-15 going into the contest, missed field goals of 40, 45 and 29 yards.
Junior Kevin Jones, in his final game for the Hokies because he's leaving for the NFL, rushed for 153 yards on 16 carries, including an 11-yard touchdown.
Chris Lyman, starting in place of injured Cal star Geoff McArthur, caught five passes for 149 yards, including a 33-yarder for a touchdown. He had just 107 yards receiving for the entire season entering the game.
The Golden Bears (8-6), in their first bowl game since 1996, scored six consecutive touchdowns after falling behind 21-7 in the first quarter.
Rodgers, 15-for-17 for 245 yards in the second half, scored on an 8-yard option play to put Cal up 42-28 with 48 seconds left in the third quarter.
Tech rally
Virginia Tech (8-5) came back, though, and DeAngelo Hall reversed his field for a spectacular 52-yard punt return that tied the game at 49-49 with 3:11 remaining.
There were no turnovers in the game, but Rodgers almost committed a disastrous one when he was sacked at the Bears' 29 by Kevin Lewis and fumbled. But Cal's Chris Murphy recovered and the Golden Bears moved downfield for the winning field goal.