Tucson, Ariz ? California center Alex Mack was philosophical about the eighth-ranked Golden Bears’ 24-20 loss to Arizona Saturday afternoon.

“It’s not over,” he said. “It just hurts.”

The loss knocked the Golden Bears (8-2, 6-1 Pac-10) out of the national title hunt. But Cal can still clinch its first Rose Bowl berth since the 1958 season with a victory at No. 7 Southern California next week.

For Arizona (5-5, 3-4), the victory was another milestone on the road to respectability. The Wildcats, who won three games each of the last two years, have knocked off a Top 25 team on consecutive Saturdays. Last week it was then-No 25 Washington State.

“It has been a long day, but it ended great,” said Arizona coach Mike Stoops, who has beaten four ranked opponents in three seasons. “People rushing the field at the end, that’s always a good sign.”

While delirious Arizona students tried to tug down the north goalpost, the Bears looked back on a series of plays that cost them the victory.

“There were a lot of things today – a lot of things,” California coach Jeff Tedford said.

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The strange plays are perhaps the best way to explain how the Bears blew a 17-3 third-quarter lead against a team that had averaged 13.8 points in the first nine games.

The first one came midway through the first quarter, when a block-in-the-back penalty on receiver Lavelle Hawkins nullified tailback Marshawn Lynch’s 79-yard touchdown run. The ball was brought back to Arizona’s 33-yard line and the Bears had to settle for a field goal and a 10-3 lead.

With Cal clinging to a 17-10 lead late in the third quarter, a defensive holding call erased an interception by the Bears’ Bernard Hicks. Two plays later, Hughes appeared to pick off a Willie Tuitama pass at goal line, only to have an official flag him for interference.

Arizona went ahead 24-17 early in the fourth quarter when cornerback Antoine Cason returned an interception 39 yards for a touchdown.