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TEMPE, Arizona (Ticker) -- Kyle Boller tied a career high with five touchdown passes and California continued its remarkable turnaround under first-year coach Jeff Tedford with a 55-38 Pac-10 Conference victory over 24th-ranked Arizona State.

The Golden Bears (6-4, 3-3 Pac-10) won just one game last season under Tom Holmoe, but need just one victory in their last two games to secure their first winning season since 1993.

California continued to do it the hard way, defeating a ranked opponent on the road for the third time this season. Michigan State and Washington were the initial victims before the Bears won in Tempe for the first time since 1990.

Even though his team gave up 475 yards, Tedford still was pleased with his defense.

"Our defense did a great job throughout the game," Tedford said. "We got the momentum back by creating turnovers and keeping our heads up when they kept completing those long passes for touchdowns."

The Bears are ineligible for a bowl game due to NCAA probation, but have appealed to the NCAA.

Andrew Walter threw for 477 yards and four touchdown passes for the Sun Devils (7-4, 4-2), but he fumbled away the ball at an inopportune time late in the third quarter with the game tied at 38-38.

Mark-Christian Jensen put the Bears ahead for good with a 20-yard goal early in the final period and Boller put the game out of reach by throwing touchdown passes of 17 yards to Joe Igber and 28 yards to Jonathan Makonnen.

Boller completed just 16-of-35 passes 213 yards but tied his career high in TDs set at Washington on October 5.

"It was awesome. I threw the ball well," Boller said. "I can't give enough credit to our defense and special teams. Our offense stepped up when we needed to."

Arizona State suffered its second straight loss after a three-game winning streak. The Sun Devils were routed at Washington State last week and likely will fall out of the national rankings on Sunday.

Arizona was unable to recover from five turnovers as well as a blocked punt that was returned for a score.

"We just didn't do the things necessary to win a football game," Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter said. "We did not play as a team for 60 minutes. We had some spectacular performances mixed in, but we made way, way too many errors in all phases of the game to win against a quality opponent in the Pac-10."

Igber had another big game in Tempe, carrying 30 times for 144 yards. He rushed for 181 yards in California's last visit in 2000.

Shaun McDonald of the Sun Devils caught six passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

California took a 35-24 lead when cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha intercepted a screen pass by Walter and raced 85 yards for a score midway through the third quarter.

Walter, who completed 29-of-50 passes, answered with an 85-yard TD pass to Daryl Lighfoot and a two-yard TD run by Hakim Hill to give Arizona State its final lead at 38-35.

"Andrew certainly did do some very nice things, but again there's no solace in numbers," Koetter said.

Jensen kicked a 48-yard field goal with 35 seconds left in the third quarter to tie the game at 38-38.

California took a 28-17 lead early in the third quarter when Wale Forrester returned a block punt 18 yards for a score, igniting a wild third quarter that featured 38 points.

"It was the longest third quarter I could imagine," Boller said. "That's just the way it goes."

Boller threw TD passes of 11 yards to Tom Swoboda, 47 yards to Lashaun Ward and nine yards to Makonnen in the first half.