SAN FRANCISCO — Zack Follett forced a fumble by Jacory Harris deep in Miami territory with 3:28 left, and Anthony Miller scored the go-ahead touchdown on his first career catch moments later in California's 24-17 victory in the Emerald Bowl last night.

"We couldn't let them come across the country and beat us in our backyard," said Follett, the defensive player of the game with nine tackles — four for losses — and two sacks. "I came to this park when it was first built. I can wear my (championship) ring with pride."

Jahvid Best rushed for a bowl-record 186 yards and two touchdowns, yet the Golden Bears (9-4) still needed a big defensive play and an unlikely hero to hold off the Hurricanes (7-6) in front of a Bay Area crowd teeming with screaming Cal fans.

Harris played well in the freshman's second career start, going 25-of-41 for 194 yards and two TDs while subbing for the suspended Robert Marve. Harris had won 31 straight starts dating back to his high school career in South Florida, but his fumble cost the Hurricanes in their first bowl game under coach Randy Shannon.

"We felt like if we could get the game into the fourth quarter, we had a chance to win," Shannon said. "They just made a play that we weren't capable of making."

Nate Longshore shook off a dismal 10-for-21 performance in his final college game with that sharp scoring pass to Miller for Cal. The Golden Bears won for the fifth time in a school-record six consecutive bowl appearances under coach Jeff Tedford.

Laron Byrd and Thearon Collier caught Harris' scoring passes for Miami, which tied it on Matt Bosher's 22-yard field goal with 9:13 to play.

After Cal's Giorgio Tavecchio missed a 34-yard field goal with 4:24 left, Follett knocked the ball away from Harris while dropping the quarterback from behind on third down. Cameron Jordan recovered and returned it to the Miami 2, where Longshore connected with Miller, a freshman who hardly played this season.

MEINEKE BOWL

WEST VIRGINIA 31, NORTH CAROLINA 30

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Pat White had one more dazzling comeback in him before finishing his record-breaking college career.

White threw for 332 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown pass to Alric Arnett midway through the fourth quarter that lifted West Virginia over North Carolina yesterday in the Meineke Bowl.

The senior quarterback was voted MVP of a bowl for the third straight year and finished 4-0 in postseason games, helping West Virginia (9-4) overcome Hakeem Nicks' big day for North Carolina to end a disappointing season on a positive note.

"Knowing that this is the last time I'm going to put on this uniform, I definitely wanted to go out on top," White said. "We accomplished that."

Nicks caught eight passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns for the Tar Heels (8-5), but T.J. Yates was intercepted by Pat Lazear with under 2 minutes left to end Butch Davis' hopes of a bowl win in his second year at North Carolina.

CHAMP SPORTS BOWL

FLORIDA STATE 42, WISCONSIN 13

ORLANDO, Fla. — Derek Nicholson and Dekoda Watson returned fumbles for touchdowns, Christian Ponder threw two TD passes and Florida State routed Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl to finish with more than eight wins for the first time since 2004.

Nicholson had two fumble recoveries, including one he returned 75 yards for a first-quarter touchdown for FSU (9-4). Punter Graham Gano averaged 48.2 yards on five and had three downed inside the Badgers' 5 to earn game MVP.

"It looked like the old Florida State out there," said coach Bobby Bowden. "Not that we're there, but we looked like we used to."

P.J. Hill ran for 140 yards for the Badgers (7-6), but quarterback Dustin Sherer's fumble early in the fourth quarter was returned 51 yards for a score by Watson to put FSU up 35-6.