BERKELEY >> Fernando Mendoza clearly embraced the suggestion that Cal’s 98-yard, fourth-quarter, game-winning touchdown drive will become a piece of Big Game lore.

“It was a phenomenal drive, definitely the best we’ve put together all season,” said Mendoza, who had 294 passing yards in last season’s Big Game win. “Ninety-eight yards, it was an amazing moment, a Big Game moment.”

Capping the drive was Mendoza’s second fourth-quarter touchdown pass to wide receiver Jonathan Brady, a 22-yarder that Brady pulled in with his fingertips in the end zone with 2:40 to play, lifting the Bears to a 24-21 triumph in the 127th Big Game on Saturday afternoon.

Brady, a junior transfer from New Mexico State, could not describe either the game-winner or the 30-yard scoring catch that got Cal within 21-16 with 10:09 left.

“I kind of blacked out afterward,” Brady said.

But he got a full dose of Big Game pandemonium when seemingly half of the Memorial Stadium crowd of 52,428 spilled onto the field to celebrate.

“That was just crazy. I’ve never experienced anything like that,” Brady said. “You have rival games, but nothing like this. I’m happy I met so many fans out there and I was just happy to see a smile on their face.”

The Bears (6-5, 2-5 ACC) made it four wins in a row against their cross-bay rivals and five in six seasons. The victory also gave them bowl eligibility for a second straight season.

But after rallying from deficits of 14-0 in the first quarter and 21-7 in the third, the Bears weren’t ready to turn the page on this one.

“I say this every year and I mean it: In my professional life I don’t know that there’s a better feeling than I’ve had than just being a witness after a Big Game victory,” said Cal coach Justin Wilcox, who joined Andy Smith, Stub Allison and Jeff Tedford as the only Cal coaches to beat Stanford four years in a row. “Really just seeing the response of the fans, the alumni, the student body and how much it means to them. And our players, first and foremost. Selfishly, that’s the best feeling there is.”

Also on hand 20 years later was a large contingent from Cal’s 2004 team that went 10-2.

“There was a guy who talked to the team yesterday who’s a really good quarterback, probably the best,” said Wilcox, referring to Aaron Rodgers. “He just talked about his experience here, how meaningful it was, how proud he is, and the team.

“Him walking in the room, that was pretty special for our players, special for everybody.”

It certainly was for Mendoza, who didn’t play particularly well in stretches, but finished 25 for 36 for 299 yards with three TDs, no interceptions and became the seventh Cal quarterback to reach 3,000 passing yards in a season. He threw a 16-yard touchdown to Trond Grizzell in the second quarter to get the Bears on the scoreboard.

“Having (Rodgers) come to our team meeting (Friday) and speak about that the Cal-Stanford rivalry has to be the most important rivalry of his life ... it means a lot to us,” Mendoza said. “It inspired the team.”

Cal needed all the inspiration it could get. A loss to Stanford (3-8, 2-6) would have left the Bears needing a road victory over No. 13 SMU (10-1) next Saturday to qualify for a bowl game.

The drive that averted that scenario began with 7:45 left after Stanford pinned the Bears at their 2-yard line with a punt.

“We didn’t take the field hoping ... we just had to execute better,” Wilcox said. “We felt confident in the guys doing their job.”

There were four pivotal plays in the 11-play drive:

On third-and-3 from the Cal 24, Mendoza dashed out of the pocket for a 6-yard gain and a first down.

On fourth-and-2 from the Cal 38, he found tight end Jack Endries for a 5-yard completion and a first down.

On the next snap, Mendoza fired a 36-yard completion to Nyziah Hunter, moving the ball to the Cardinal 21.

Mendoza was then sacked for the second time on the drive but two plays later, on third-and-11 from the 22, he delivered a pass that Brady caught for the TD, despite the fact that Stanford was flagged for a holding penalty on him.