After he caught a 23-yard touchdown pass in the closing minute of the first half, Cal receiver Chad Hansen mockingly made a Texas’ “Hook ’em Horns” sign and then turned the horns upside down.

Hansen earned the right to be that brash by having a career-defining performance Saturday night that helped the Bears upset No. 11 Texas in a highly entertaining shootout that went down to the wire for Cal’s 50-43 victory.

Hansen, who is finally on scholarship as a senior, had 12 catches for 196 yards and two touchdowns, including a 12-yarder that put the Bears ahead 50-43 with 3:41 remaining in their home opener.

The drama didn’t end there, though. After forcing the Longhorns to punt on their ensuing possession, the Bears appeared to put the game away when running back Vic Enwere broke free for an apparent 55-yard touchdown ramble. But Enwere dropped the ball before crossing the goal line, and the play was reviewed. Officials ruled that there was no immediate recovery and gave Cal the ball at the 1-yard line and the Bears were able to run out the clock.

Cal hadn’t beaten a top-11 team since knocking off Oregon on the road in 2007, but the Bears did their parts in participating in what should be called “Shakeup Saturday.” Seven top-25 teams lost, including a Texas team that never could have seen this coming at Memorial Stadium.

The Longhorns outscored Cal 155-25 in the teams’ first five meetings, including their last visit to Strawberry Canyon in 1969. If the Bears’ win in Austin last season was a confidence builder, this victory could have even more enormous implications for the program.

It definitely got the attention of schools around the Pac-12. Conference plays starts for Cal next week against Utah for Cal, and it probably got the attention of the nation, which watched the Bears’ defense do just enough to give the offense a chance.

Back to Gallery Hansen’s big night helps Cal knock off No. 11 Texas 50-43 17 1 of 17 Photo: Brian Bahr, Getty Images 2 of 17 Photo: Brian Bahr, Getty Images 3 of 17 Photo: Brian Bahr, Getty Images 4 of 17 Photo: Brian Bahr, Getty Images 5 of 17 Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press 6 of 17 Photo: Brian Bahr, Getty Images 7 of 17 Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press 8 of 17 Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press 9 of 17 Photo: Brian Bahr, Getty Images 10 of 17 Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press 11 of 17 Photo: Brian Bahr, Getty Images 12 of 17 Photo: Brian Bahr, Getty Images 13 of 17 Photo: Brian Bahr, Getty Images 14 of 17 Photo: Brian Bahr, Getty Images 15 of 17 Photo: Brian Bahr, Getty Images 16 of 17 Photo: Brian Bahr, Getty Images 17 of 17 Photo: Brian Bahr, Getty Images

































Cal marched down the field with its first possession, racking up 84 yards on six plays. Webb beat a double team with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Veasy. Texas answered with an 84-yard drive led by Charles Warren’s 25 rushing yards, including a four-yard scoring run.

The Bears got away with one. After failing to convert on a 4th-and-1 run from their own 34-yard line, the Bears limited Texas to a field goal and a 10-7 lead midway through the first quarter. With Buechele being tended to in the locker room, Swoopes led a run-heavy drive highlighted by Warren’s 12-yard bulldozing touchdown.

Cal generally did away with their running game as the first quarter ticked toward its end. Once they got the ball inside the 5-yard-line, however, they went back to the ground. It took three carries to go the final three yards, but Enwere finally punched it in to trim the Bears’ deficit to 17-14.

Buechele was back on the sideline for Texas’ next possession, but Swoopes stayed in at quarterback. He hooked up with Armanti Foreman on a 34-yard pass, and his twin brother, D’Onte Foreman finished the drive with a five-yard touchdown run.

Five plays after Chibuzo Nwokocha’s interception and 17-yard return, Cal cut the score to 24-21. A 38-yard pass to Hansen set up the score, and Enwere closed the drive with a one-yard pounce.

Buechele returned to the game for the first time since Texas’ first possession and seemingly hadn’t missed a beat. He connected on a 41-yard touchdown pass to Jacorey Warrick that put the Longhorns ahead 31-21 midway through the second quarter.

Stovall had a huge third-down conversion early in the drive and then capped the possession by a 29-yard touchdown catch that trimmed the Longhorns’ lead to 31-28. After rare consecutive stops, Brandon Jones blocked Dylan Klumph’s punt through the back of the end zone for a safety and a 33-28 lead with about 1½ minutes to play in the first half.

In an eventful final 90 seconds of the first half, Luke Rubenzer returned an interception to 32 yards to Texas’ 24-yard-line, and a play later Webb found Hansen in the corner of the end zone for a 35-33 lead - the Bears’ first advantage since the opening series of the game.

After stopping Texas on a game-high four consecutive possession, the Longhorns regained the lead on a one-play, 47-yard scamper by D’Onta Freeman. Webb got Cal’s next drive started with 17- and 28-yard passes to Hansen. Webb ran in the go-ahead touchdown from a yard out, and Hansen ran in the two-point conversion for a 43-40 lead with 10:45 remaining.

Trent Domingue, who missed who first two field-goal attempts of the night, drilled one from 35 yards to tie it 43-43 with 5:29 remaining and to set up a dramatic finish.

Rusty Simmons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: rsimmons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Rusty_SFChron

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