When your team loses four games in a row, boy does everything feel hopeless. You forget that sometimes, things do in fact go your way.
Sometimes, the other team’s QB air mails a throw to the safety. Sometimes, the other team’s secondary takes an hilariously bad angle on a running back swing pass. Sometimes, the other team screws up a protection on a critical 4th and 3. Sometimes, the refs accidentally call the penalty on your opponent when it was supposed to be on you.
Which isn’t to suggest that this was a lucky win. Cal out gained WSU badly on a per/play basis even counting a pointless final touchdown drive against a prevent Cal defense.