By BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO(AP) -- The Utah Utes flat out know how to win bowl
games, whether they're busting the BCS or playing in a
lower-tier game before Christmas.

True freshman Jordan Wynn threw for a career-high 338 yards and
three touchdowns to rally No. 23 Utah from an early
two-touchdown deficit to a 37-27 victory over California in the
Poinsettia Bowl on Wednesday night.

The Utes scored 27 straight points to win their ninth straight
bowl game, the longest current streak in the country and tied
for the second-longest ever. Florida State won 11 straight from
1985-96 and Southern California won nine in a row from 1923-45.

"It's the work ethic of our players," coach Kyle Whittingham
said. "We don't have any secret, magic way of practicing for
bowl games. It's how our guys go about their business. It's
their work ethic and focus. They understand a bowl game is a
reward for a good season but also a chance to win another
ballgame."

The Utes' bowl victory streak began with a win over Fresno State
in the 1999 Las Vegas Bowl. A member of the Mountain West
Conference, the Utes were the original BCS busters, beating
Pittsburgh 35-7 in the Fiesta Bowl after the 2004 season. They
also beat Alabama 31-17 in the Sugar Bowl last season.

Cal is the fifth team from a BCS conference to lose to Utah
during the streak.

Utah didn't play in bowl games following the 2000 and 2002
seasons.

The Golden Bears, in a bowl game for the school-record seventh
straight year, had their four-game postseason winning streak
snapped.

"We didn't come into this game overconfident," Cal coach Jeff
Tedford said. "That's a good football team there. I don't know
what the perception is throughout, but we give them a lot of
respect. They did a nice job of controlling the line of
scrimmage."

Wynn improved to 3-0 at Qualcomm Stadium, including two section
championships while the starter at suburban Oceanside High. He
graduated last December and enrolled at Utah in January,
allowing him to participate in spring ball.

Wynn completed 26 of 36 passes and improved to 3-2 as the Utes'
starter.

Utah's defense came up big, too. The Utes sacked Cal's Kevin
Riley five times and intercepted him twice, with linebacker
Stevenson Sylvester returning a tipped pass 27 yards for a
touchdown late in the game. Riley also lost a fumble.

"It's a great feeling, especially at home, to play the way I did
and get a bowl win," Wynn said. "The defense had a great night.
It's kind of been the story all year. Our defense is solid. We
rely on them to keep us in the game."

Shane Vereen, who scored twice, was the seventh Cal back to gain
more than 100 yards in a bowl, finishing with 122 yards on 20
carries.

Utah (10-3) looked overmatched after Cal (8-5) scored twice in
11 seconds midway through the first quarter. Vereen scored on a
36-yard run and Eddie Young intercepted Wynn on the first play
of Utah's next drive and returned it 31 yards for a score.

After that it was all Utah.

"Our coaches told us to calm down," Wynn said about the quick
deficit. "It was early in the game. We knew there was a lot of
time left to just slow it down and make plays and claw ourselves
back in the game."

Young said the Golden Bears hoped to rattle the young QB.

"That was our plan going in, to make him make tough reads," he
said. "But they made plays and he threw the ball down the field
and his receivers went up and got the ball."

Utah's defense shut down Cal and Utah scored on its last four
possessions of the first half.

Wynn threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kendrick Moeai
late in the first quarter and Joe Phillips' 28-yard field goal
early in the second quarter pulled Utah to 14-10.

Wynn's 15-yard scoring pass to Moeai gave Utah the lead and his
21-yarder to Jereme Brooks made it 24-14 at halftime.

Riley fumbled early in the third quarter when he was sacked by
Lamar Chapman, with Mike Wright recovering at the 14. That set
up Phillips' 29-yard field goal for a 27-14 lead.

Cal finally scored again on a 1-yard run by Vereen with 39
seconds left in the third quarter to pull the Golden Bears to
27-21 before Phillips kicked a 25-yard field goal.

Riley was 20 of 36 for 214 yards and one touchdown.

Cal had only six first downs in the first half.

Utah's David Reed set school records for catches (81) and
receiving yards (1,188) in a season. Both records came on a
39-yard catch in the fourth quarter.

"The record came along with being part of this great program,
great coaches, great organization, great everything," Reed said.
"Jordan Wynn played a great game and it can't get any better
than the way it finished."