INSIGHT BOWL California's triumph over Hokies shattered game's scoring record

The 101 points were the most scored in the bowl's 15-year history.
PHOENIX (AP) -- This postseason of college football shoot-outs hit a new high in the Insight Bowl.
California and Virginia Tech produced 1,081 yards of offense before Tyler Fredrickson's 35-yard field goal as time expired Friday night gave the Bears a 52-49 victory.
"It was back and forth," California coach Jeff Tedford said, "there was no doubt about it. I think the fans got their money's worth, but those games happen all the time."
Not in the Insight Bowl, they don't. The 101 points broke the 15-year-old bowl's scoring record.
Cal sophomore Aaron Rodgers was named the game's offensive MVP after completing 27 of 35 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for two scores.
Great show
"Aaron was phenomenal," Tedford said. "He did a great job of running the show. He's a tremendous talent. There's no doubt about that. If we don't mess him up, he should have a big year next year."
California was without star receiver Geoff McArthur, who broke his forearm in practice last Sunday, but his replacement Chase Lyman caught five passes for 149 yards. He had just 107 yards receiving all season coming into the game.
"Chase stepped up. That's putting it lightly,"' Tedford said. "When you lose your MVP, you lose an all-American receiver, it's a tough time for someone else to step up. I'm so happy that it was Chase because he's really suffered through a lot of injuries."
Fredrickson had his own demons, in the form of five consecutive missed field goals as he trotted onto the field for the game-winner in the final kick of his Cal career.
"Kickers have to have a short memory. That's a little mantra," the senior said. "You put that aside, and you go out and do your job."
Knows the big ones
Fredrickson made just 15 of 30 field goal attempts this season, but he knows what it's like to hit the big ones. His 38-yard kick beat Southern California 34-31 in triple overtime on Sept. 27, the top-ranked Trojans' lone loss.
Rodgers, a sophomore who didn't start until the fifth game, was 15-for-17 for 245 yards in the second half.
Virginia Tech's Bryan Randall was 24-for-34 for 398 yards and tied an Insight Bowl record with four TD passes. He also ran for a score.
Virginia Tech's Carter Warley -- 12-for-15 going into the contest -- missed field goals of 40, 45 and 29 yards.
"I feel for Carter Warley," Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said, "a great kicker that just had an awful night."
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.
"I was pretty emotional," Jones said. "I just went out there and gave it my all."
Not blaming defense
Jones wouldn't point fingers at the Tech defense.
"You could say that if we scored every time we got the ball we would have won, but we didn't," he said. "So we can't pin it on the defense or offense. The team lost."
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 to finish the season with five victories in their last six games.
"They didn't respect us before the game, but after we put up 52 points I think they know what we were all about," Rodgers said. "We knew if we just hung around that we were going to start making big plays."
Virginia Tech (8-5) trailed 42-28 but rallied, and DeAngelo Hall reversed his field for a spectacular 52-yard punt return that tied the game at 49-49 with 3:11 remaining. After the game, Hall, a junior, said he will enter the NFL draft.
Amazingly for a 101-point game, there were no turnovers. 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 down-field for the winning field goal.
Winning march
The winning drive came after Brandon Pace's kickoff went out of bounds and gave Cal the ball on the 35. Fredrickson warmed up as he watched his teammates move down-field.
"I was hoping that we'd put six on the board," he said, "then when I saw the clock click down to about 6 seconds, I realized 'Here we go again. 'SC and then this."'
Virginia Tech, moving from the Big East to the Atlantic Coast Conference next season, lost five of its last seven games after being ranked as high as No. 3.
The Hokies' Ernest Wilford caught eight passes for 110 yards to break the school record for career receptions with 128. The old mark was 121 by Antonio Freeman (1991-94).
Rodgers, who didn't become a starter until the fifth game of the season, surpassed Kyle Boller for second in season passing yardage with 2,903. Rodgers' fifth 300-yard passing game this season tied a school record.
"That kid is accurate," Beamer said. "He's a heck of a quarterback. It's hard to get him. I think this Cal team is a team in the Pac-10 that they better watch out for."