Category: Cal Bears

Cal suffers blowout loss to No. 16 Utah 34-14

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Photo credit: @CalFootball

By Mary Anne

The California Golden Bears faced the No. 16 Utah Utes on Saturday. The Golden Bears were battle ready and got off to a fast start, but suffered a blowout loss to the Utes 34-14 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Cal fell to 3-4, while Utah improved to 5-1.

The Golden Bears scored first. Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw a touchdown pass to Jaydn Ott for a 48-yard passing touchdown. Mateen Bhaghani kicked an extra point for a 7-0 lead at 5:41 of the first quarter.

The Golden Bears led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Utes took the go-ahead lead in the second quarter. Ja’Quinden Jackson ran for a three-yard rushing touchdown. Cole Becker kicked an extra point to tie the game 7-7 at 7:56. Sione Vaki ran for a one-yard rushing touchdown. Becker kicked an extra point to give the Utes a 14-7 lead with just 26 seconds left in the second.

The Golden Bears trailed the Utes 14-7 at the end of the first half.

The Utes poured in the points to start the second half. Cole Becker kicked a 23-yard field goal to extend the Utes’ lead to 17-7 at 10:35 of the third quarter. Bryson Barnes ran for a four-yard rushing touchdown. Becker kicked an extra point to expand the Utes’ lead to 24-7 with 9:11 left in the third.

The Golden Bears responded to make it a ten-point game. Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw a touchdown pass to Taj Davis, who ran for a 24-yard rushing touchdown. Mateen Bhaghani kicked an extra point to cut the Utes’ lead to 24-14 with 4:21 left in the third.

The Golden Bears trailed the Utes 24-14 through three quarters.

The Utes scored twice in the fourth quarter. Sione Vaki ran for a 72-yard rushing touchdown. Cole Becker kicked an extra point for a 31-14 lead with 6:51 left in the fourth. Becker capped off the scoring with a 38-yard field goal to make it a 34-14 game with 1:57 left in the fourth.

The Golden Bears lost to the Utes 34-14.

Notes
Find out this week’s Cal captains here.

Get to know the Cal starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza here.

Up Next
The Golden Bears have a bye week before hosting the No. 10 USC Trojans on Saturday, October 28, at TBD.

Oregon State Walks Out Of Berkeley Victorious After 52-40 win against Cal

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Cal Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) runs before throwing the football against the Oregon Beavers in the second quarter at Cal Memorial Stadium in Berkeley on Sat Oct 7, 2023 (AP News photo)

Saturday, October 7th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

Berkeley, CA – On homecoming night at University of Cal, it’s the Cal Bears against the Oregon State University Beavers and the Bears are coming off a great win against Arizona State University, but the Beavers are coming off an equally great win against a ranked Utah squad. Cal walks into this game with a clear swagger and a win for either team would propel them up the ranks in the Pac-12.

Unfortunately Cal lost at home in a highly offensive game of scoring and fell short to Oregon State 52-40. Cal drops to .500 at 3-3.

Cal starts with the ball to open the game and the drive goes nowhere for the Bears and Oregon State takes over on possession and immediately starts pushing down field. In the red zone the Beavers score with ease as DJ Uiagalelei throws a dime to tight end Jack Velling and after an easy extra point, the Beavers take the early lead 7-0.

Cal’s attempt to even the score began as Cal utilized their lead running back Jaydn Ott, but was still forced to punt when even those attempts were foiled by OSU’s defense. The Beavers start out in their own red zone and being pinned there causes the Beavers to have to pass out of the jam, but to no success as they were forced to punt.

Cal’s next drive was more effective as they got down field with a variety of passes and rushes. The quarter ends with the ball still in Cal’s hands in the red zone with a chance to even out the game. 

On the fourth down the Bears decide to settle for the field goal and we start the second quarter 7-3. A major kickoff return for Oregon State goes 59 yards and they start this drive with amazing field position. Again in the red zone, Oregon State had the ball and on four plays Aiden Chiles hit Silas Bolden in the end zone and the Beavers put a gap in the score 14-0, but there was still a lot of ball game left and Cal started their next drive in the red zone after an onside recovery that they took back 26 yards.

Cal gets their first touchdown after Isaiah Ifanse got a nine yard pass from Fernando Mendoza and now it was a 14-10 ball game. On OSU’s drive, they made a big mistake when Cal forced a fumble and recovered it.

This is Cal’s seventh fumble recovery of the season and they are some of the best in the NCAA when it comes to forcing turnovers. Following that big recovery, the Bears offense pushed down the field using Ott and Ifanse and that strategy was effective when Ifanse walked in the end zone for an easy rushing touchdown and after an extra point, Cal had its first lead 17-14 with eight minutes left in the first half.

A trick play by OSU gets them downfield and back in the red zone, but while in the red zone, Cal was fighting in the trenches and forced a fourth and 1 for the Beavers, but a QB run for a yard kept the drive alive.

The Cal defense forced another fourth down attempt for the Beavers, but this time with 3 yards away from the end zone and they converted after Jack Velling caught his second touchdown catch, now the score being 21-17 Beavers up.

In the final minute of the game, Cal’s goal was to go in the locker room with some energy, but were forced to punt before the last eight seconds of the half and OSU took a knee which is how the first half closes. 

The second half started with a big return from the Beavers, 50 yards and a chance to take over early in the half. Cal has outscored their opponents this season in the second half, especially the third quarter, but that didn’t matter as Oregon State capitalized on the great field position when DJ Uiagalelei got a touchdown pass to Jesiah Irish and the Beavers made it 28-17.

Cal wasted no time on their following drive just moving the chains in such an efficient fashion that if you blinked you would’ve missed how far they traveled down field. This pursuit down the field was capitalized on as Ifanse powered through the Beavers O-Line and got another touchdown making it 28-24 and at this point Ifanse had all the touchdowns for the Bears.

The Beavers answered right back with a touchdown of their own with another TD catch from Velling making it 35-24 and the Bears had to respond. That response came after a big drive and the exclamation point was a 30 yard TD pass from Mendoza to Jack Endries and when the Bears converted on the two point attempt and the Cal fans went crazy! 35-32! The third quarter ended with OSU in the red zone on third down and the pendulum could swing any way at this moment. 

Oregon State got the TD to start the fourth as Damien Martinez powered his way into the endzone and they took the lead again 42-32. Cal started their drive with a force of energy, but fumbled the ball and the Beavers recovered the ball and now a chance to put this game away was in their hands.

The nail in the coffin for Oregon State was when Uiagalelei threw a pass to eligible receiver and DT Isaac Hodgins and now it was 49-32 Oregon State as Cal fans started to beat the traffic and head out the stadium.

The downfall wasn’t over for Cal as Mendoza attempted a throw, but was picked off by Jermod McCoy and at this point the game seemed over even though there were still ten minutes left on the clock. Oregon State even with a decisive lead was still pushing down the field just eating the clock down.

The Beavers walked away with a field goal and with two and a half minutes left, the Bears were fighting for pride as the clock ticked and ticked. Cal scored and executed on the two point conversion, but with a minute left, the game was in the bag. 

When the clock hit zero, the Bears fought, but the Beavers fought harder and the game ended with a 52-40 score and Oregon State walked away with a win. Cal shouldn’t be discouraged by this loss, because it showed them as a balanced team who can compete, just need some more elite players to match up against the big dogs.

Cal’s next game will be against Utah at Utah and the hopes for the Bears are a W.

Cal Holds Off Arizona State In A 24-21 Victory

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Cal Bears running back Jaydn Ott (1) gets through for a touchdown as all ASU Sun Devils linebacker Caleb McCullough (22) can do is just watch at Cal Memorial Stadium in Berkeley on Sat Sep 30, 2023 (@CalFootball photo)

Saturday, September 30th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

Berkeley, CA – On a chilly, foggy day in Cal Memorial Stadium, the California Golden Bears against the Arizona State Sun Devils for Cal’s Pac 12 home opener. The Bears coming off a hard loss against Washington in their last game moved over the .500 mark (3-2) in the Pac 12 with a with a win over ASU 24-21 on Saturday. 

ASU started the game with the ball and after six plays the Devils were forced to punt and the Cal defense with one of the most underrated defenses in the Pac 12 showing early why they are so highly touted. The Bears’ first drive started with them immediately going to the air on five straight plays, but only connecting on two passes, forcing them to punt on their first drive.

The Bears are third in the conference in rushing yards, averaging 216.8 yards per game with their three backs having a combined 726 rushing yards through four games, so the idea of going run first to start this game seemed like an odd decision.

The Sun Devils offense for the second time couldn’t get out of the starting blocks as the Bears defense had them pinned three and out on their second drive. The first quarter looked like a defensive chess game, so whoever could get the offense going early seemingly would have the advantage. The second drive for Cal showed why they stick to their run game, especially with Jaydn Ott running the rock.

First two plays of the drive were back to back nine yard rushes for Ott, which then opened up the field for a pass to Jeremiah Hunter for 31 yards, then another 16 yard run for Cal. That slate of offense put them in the red zone where they would eventually score from a run by Isaiah Ifanse and an extra point, 7-0 Cal.

Seven plays going 68 yards and 2:58 of possession time, this was probably Cal’s most efficient offensive drive this season, led by Ott. The first big play for ASU was a pass from Trenton Bourguet to Melquan Stovall for 34 yards followed by a 12 yard pass to Gio Sanders that put the Devils within ten yards of the end zone.

The Devils were right at the line with 26 seconds left and a direct snap to Cam Skattegbo punched it in for a touchdown for ASU plus an extra point to tie this game at 7-7. The 13 play 75 yard drive for ASU was a great mix of offense, utilizing the pass and the run evenly to keep Cal’s defense on their toes.

The first quarter ended with the teams tied and their stats almost exactly the same. Biggest difference in the first quarter was time of possession where ASU held the ball for 10:20 and Cal held it for 4:40. 

The drive for Cal ended with them being forced to punt, but quarterback Sam Jackson V wasn’t stopping the drive without a fight almost literally, running the ball seven yards and taking a hit that flipped Jackson V and some words from the Devils defense and Jackson were exchanged. The Bears defense was relentless in their first drive of the second quarter, laying a brick wall on ASU and pinning them on their own five yard line and forcing a punt.

Back to back passes to the end zone by Jackson V were incomplete, but if you ask the Cal fan base both were clear pass interferences and they let the refs know it. When the drive went nowhere, Cal was forced to kick a field goal and Mateen Bhagani knocked it in the uprights to give the Bears the lead, 10-7.

ASU’s following drive was three plays, but stuffed a yard short and the Devils had to go for it on fourth down and with a little trickery, they ran a running back pass which was converted when Skattegbo completed it to Bourguet over the DB for a first down, but three downs later the drive would come to an end and Cal would get another chance at a score.

The Bears try a trick play themselves and it was the exact opposite for Cal as the play completely blew up in their face when attempting a flea flicker for a loss of 15 yards. Ott tried to make up some ground with a 21 yard run, but still had seven yards to go on fourth down with 1:37 to go in the half, so this forced them to punt.

The crowd was abrasively displeased as no intentional grounding was called and the Devils proceeded to march down the field from their own end zone with seconds left in the half. The first half would end with Devils QB Trenton Bourguet attempting to get one more pass off, but was blasted by Myles Jernigan that forced a fumble and it didn’t matter who recovered the half was over and Cal walked to the locker room with a 10-7 lead. 

The second half started with Cal having the ball and even though they had big plays, but penalties halted that progress and were forced to punt and that punt was beautiful and the punt team pinned the Devils on their own ten yard line.

Back against the wall, Arizona State utilizes the screen pass to get out of their own red zone and move the chains. The drive continued for ASU, but on fourth down on their 31 yard line and was stuffed by captain Jackson Sirmon and turnover on downs.

The following drive for Cal was Jackson V trying to make everything happen, on foot, in the air, it didn’t matter Jackson was trying to extend this lead and he did with a gorgeous pass to Hunter in the end zone and it was 17-7 Cal.

Arizona State’s next drive looked like it was going nowhere, but a desperation screen pass to Skattegbo goes 66 yards in the red zone and now the momentum gap has closed. In the red zone, Arizona State’s Bourguet and Skattegbo attempted three plays and were denied, then on fourth and goal a run by Elijah Badger effortlessly scored a touchdown for the Devils, but after further review the touchdown was called back for illegal substitution and ASU had to settle for a field goal making the score 17-10 Cal.

The next drive wasn’t much for Cal, so they were forced to punt and now the chance for Arizona State to tie it up was wide open. A 52 yard pass to Badger put the Devils back in the red zone, but they had to settle for another field goal after Cal locked them down again and even though ASU was winning the battle of yardage, the score was 17-13 Cal. When the clock hit zero in the third quarter, Cal had the lead and the ball and all of Cal Memorial Stadium on their feet. 

The final quarter was a chance to really silence the crowd for ASU, but they couldn’t capitalize and were forced to punt again. Four punts for ASU this game by this point, two field goals, one fumble, and one touchdown is the breakdown for them offensively, but Cal was still not taking them lightly.

The Cal defense jumped on Bourguet in ASU’s own red zone and Matthew Littlejohn picked him off. Bourguet was injured on the play and fortunately was able to walk off the field. Cal capitalized on the interception with a Ott rushing touchdown and now with 10:32 left in the fourth quarter, the game was being blown wide open, 24-13 Cal. ASU wasn’t done yet though, after a long kickoff return, and two straight long passes, the Devils were back in the red zone, looking to get their first touchdown since the first quarter and they did off a Bourguet run in the end zone.

Bourguet followed the touchdown up with a pass to Badger that converted the two point conversion and by this time it was 24-21 with 9:18 left in the fourth quarter. Cal utilized their running game to run the clock down.

Cal usually doesn’t get penalties that much, averaging five a game, but this game for Cal has them acquiring seven penalties. On the other hand for Cal they didn’t get many penalties called, but finally with three minutes left in the game a blatant pass interference call on the Devils gave the Bears red zone field position to potentially put the nail in the coffin.

Cal was stuffed in the red zone, giving ASU a major chance to go 100 yards for the comeback. In a last chance effort on fourth down, ASU gets denied and the game was over.

The next game for Cal will be in Berkeley against Oregon State on October 7th for another Pac 12 battle.

Huskies Destroy California Bears 59-35

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Cal Bears wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter (3) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Huskies in first half action at Huskies Stadium in Seattle on Sat Sep 23, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Eight Washington touchdowns handed the California Bears a 59-32 beat-down.

Saturday evening the California Bears (2-2) traveled up north to take on the Washington Huskies (4-0) and were handily defeated at Huskies Stadium in Seattle. The Bears tried to establish the run while Washington stopped the Cal run.

The #8 Huskies gave the Bears a run for their money. They had great offense and defense and Cal needed to pull out all the stops to have any chance against this power house.

In the blink of an eye the Huskies had taken a 14-0 lead. What is even crazier, the Huskies had not even made a single offensive play. The first touchdown came as a result of an interception. At 12:37 in the first quarter Edefuan Ulofoshio picked a Ben Finley pass taking it 45 yards for the first touchdown of the game and Washington led early 7-0.

Minutes later Washington’s Rome Odunze returned a punt for 83 yards and a second Huskie touchdown and a 14-0 lead. Cal saw some great play from the Huskies defense and special teams in the opening quarter but still had not seen the Washington offense.

When it had started to look like an empty first quarter for California, quarterback Ben Finley drove downfield connecting with Jeremiah Hunter for seven yards and Cal was on the scoreboard. Cal kicker Michael Luckhurst missed the extra point but the Bears had come away with a good drive.

Washington answered scoring another touchdown as Cal finally got to see their offense. Michael Penix Jr. found Ja’Lynn Polk for eight yards and their third touchdown taking a 21-6 lead. The Huskies had scored defensively, offensively and on special team in a well-rounded first quarter.

Washington finished off the quarter with a Grady Gross kick for 41 yards extending their lead 24-6. It had been a banner quarter for the Huskies and a play from behind quarter for Cal. The Huskies defense had given Cal all sorts of problem intercepting the ball twice in the first quarter.

In the second quarter Washington continued to run right through the Cal defense in the air and on the ground. In the early minutes of the quarter, Dillon Johnson rushed for three yards and another touchdown for the Huskies.

With a 31-6 lead Washington was running away with this game. Cal’s attempts to run the ball were denied by the Huskies forcing third down passing plays that came dangerously close to even more interceptions.

Bears quarterback Ben Finley continued to throw the ball and he put together another nice drive at 9:00 finding Taj Davis for 24 yards and Cal’s second touchdown of the game. The two-point conversion attempt failed and the Bears were looking at a 31-12 deficit. Too make things even more fun, the skies opened up and rain began to fall.

At 7:27 Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. made a rare mistake throwing an interception and Cal had the ball in Husky territory on the 37 yard line. The great play that California had made was erased when Washington intercepted the ball on the very next play. This was their third pick of the game.

Washington finished off the first half with not one but two more touchdown. At 4:08 Penix Jr. connected with Ja’Lynn Polk for a second time in this game, a 24 yard pass. With 44 seconds left on the clock Penix Jr. again found an open Rome Odunze for 35 yards and his second touch down of the game. The Huskies took a 45-12 lead into the locker room. California had been competitive in this game but it was the turnovers that left them in the dust.

Despite an extensive injury history which includes ACL and shoulder issues, Michael Penix Jr. continues to excel every time he takes the field. Both the offense and defense of Washington were making life pretty miserable for the Bears.

Both teams would score a single touchdown in the third quarter. Penix Jr. would tack on another 16 yards finding Rome Odunze in the end zone. Despite the 52-12 Husky lead, the Bears continued to fight scoring a rushing touchdown with 1:49 left on the clock. Going into the final quarter the Huskies led 52-19.

Cal would score early in the fourth quarter via a 20 yard pass from Sam Jackson V to Trond Grizzell. The extra point failed and the Bears had some issues with their kicking game. Washington extended their 52-25 lead when Sam Adams II rushed for nine yards and the Huskies had scored their eighth touchdown of the game leading 59-25.

You have to give the Bears a lot of credit fighting to the end scoring the final touchdown of the game. Ashton Stredick rushed for three yards in that last score. The final was 59-32. It sure would have been a much closer game had it not been for those turnovers.

Next Saturday the Bears will take on Arizona State at California Memorial Stadium Berkeley. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 PM.

Cal Scores 31 Unanswered Points To Beat Idaho 31-17

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Congratulations all around as the Cal Bears defeated the Idaho Vandals for their second win at Cal Memorial in Berkeley on Sat Sep 16, 2023 (@CalFootball photo)

Saturday, September 16th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

Berkeley, CA – At Cal Memorial Stadium, the University of Cal Bears host the Idaho Vandals in their third game of the season, and the Bears come into this game 1-1 and coming off a loss last week to Auburn. The defense of Cal has only allowed 14 points in the last six quarters and that was all in the Auburn game. Cal dominated on offense coming away with their second win of the 2023 season defeating the Vandals 31-17.

The game started with Idaho receiving the ball and their first drive was a 12 play, 67 yard drive that resulted in a field goal, 3-0 Idaho, but the story here is Cal’s defense stopping the Vandals in the red zone and forcing them to have to settle for three points.

Quarterback Sam Jackson V leads the Cal offense and has been leading them as a scoring dynamo the last two games, but his first drive this game went three and out and was forced to punt. Idaho’s very next drive was complete domination on offense and was efficient with nine plays and 80 yards that ended with Vandals running back Anthony Woods running head first into the defense and into the end zone for a touchdown. 10-0 Idaho.

The first quarter was all Idaho, dominating the possession time, the yards, and the score. Idaho had a 10:40 possession time and 147 yards which was polar opposite to Cal’s 4:20 time of possession and 39 yards in the opening quarter and Cal needed to shake things up for the second quarter or the Vandals would run away with this game early. 

The domination didn’t slow down for Idaho in the second quarter as they stopped Cal in their tracks to start the quarter and then followed that stop with a nine play, 53 yard touchdown drive where they scored off a two yard run in the end zone for Idaho QB Gevani McCoy.

17-0 Idaho and the Bears were not only trailing, they allowed more points in one half then they did in the last six quarters of two games. Cal finally got on the board with a 20 yard TD pass from Sam Jackson V to Jeremiah Hunter and the energy in the stadium perked up. 17-7.

The first time Cal stopped Idaho for a turnover on downs was deep in the second quarter when cornerback Jeremiah Earby knocked down two big passes, one of them being on fourth down and this set up the Bears for the momentum shifter of the half.

On the fourth play of the drive, Sam Jackson V threw a 36 yard TD pass to Trond Grizzell and the score being 17-14 now changed the environment and the energy in it. On what was supposed to be Idaho’s final drive before the half, they were about to enter the redzone, McCoy threw the ball and it was Nohl Williams for Cal who was there to pick it off and the Bears took over possession with 28 seconds left, but couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity. The first half ends with Idaho in the lead 17-14, but the momentum on the Bears side. 

The second half started with a major drive from Cal’s Sam Jackson V as he led the Bears 80 yards and scored  by running it in himself for a 27 yard TD, giving Cal their first lead of the game, 21-17 Cal. Idaho’s third quarter was vastly different than their entire first half.

Cal clearly made adjustments to the defense where this half Idaho couldn’t get anything going even though they were still dominating the time of possession. The offense though for Cal was in full gear during the quarter, collecting another TD, but this one on the ground when Isaiah Ifanse hammered in a one yard run after setting up the scoring play with an even better 17 yard run where dodged any defender who tried to wrap him up. 28-17 Cal. 

The fourth quarter started with a big run by McCoy for Idaho, but a penalty made them go back to their start point and then a fumble recovered by Raymond Woodie III gave the Bears the ball early in the fourth and with such a clear lead, this moment was theirs to seize and put a potential nail in the Vandals’ coffin.

A huge 41 yard run by Ashton Stredick put the Cal offense in the best position to hammer that nail in the coffin, but they had to settle for a field goal after a penalty and failed plays held them outside the red zone. With the score being 31-17 Cal, the Bears at this point had scored 31 unanswered points.

As we went in to the final three minutes of the game, Idaho needed to get back to the vibe they set in the first half, but after another turnover, a fumble recovered by Cal, it was clear that the Vandals might’ve hit their peak point too early and it was in the hands of the Bears as the clock winded down. 

The clock hit zero and the score was final with Cal winning 31-17 and now holding a 2-1 record. Cal’s next game will be against a Pac-12 foe, the #8 Washington Huskies in the University of Washington and the Bears want to take this momentum and type of game into their next game and even into the conference part of the season.

Troy Ewers is a Cal Bears beat writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Bears podcast with Michael Wagaman: Cal coming off tough loss prepares for Idaho Vandals next Sat at UC Berkeley

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Auburn cornerback D.J. James (4) intercepts a pass in the end zone intended for California wide receiver Trond Grizzell, right, during the second half at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley on Sat Sep 9, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Pac 12 podcast with Michael Wagaman:

#1 The Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne threw for five yard touchdown to wide receiver Rovaldo Fairweather this coming after the Cal Bears missed their field goal of the game.

#2 Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze gave the credit to the defense holding back Cal from getting traction on drives and keeping Bears quarterback Sam Jackson running all day.

#3 On the other side of the ball Cal kept Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne running who got 94 yards passing and threw for two touchdowns just to get by Cal 14-10.

#4 One of the positive things the Cal defense was able to hold Auburn’s offense. The Tigers were able to convert six first downs in three quarters before getting that 69 yard drive for the winning score in the middle of the fourth quarter.

#5 Cal hosts the Idaho Vandals who are coming off second win defeating the Nevada Wolf Pack 33-6 on Saturday. How do you see Cal defending against the pass of Idaho quarterback Gevani McCoy who threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns against Nevada.

Michael Wagaman is an AP beat writer and a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Bears Clawed and Defeated by Tigers on the Hill, 14-10 in Home Opener

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Auburn Tigers quarterback Patrick Thorne (1) throws against the Cal Bears defense at Cal Memorial Stadium in Berkeley on Sat Sep 9, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

BERKELEY, Calif — The California Golden Bears (1-1, 0-0 Pac-12) were unable to hold those Auburn Tigers (2-0, 0-0 SEC), 14-10 on Saturday night inside an excited California Memorial Stadium.

The Berkeley sky was filled with fireworks, large crowd noises, and pregame pomp and circumstance for the Golden Bears home opener against the visiting Tigers from the Southeastern Conference. The end of the game had a contrastly different tone with the four point loss.

On Auburn’s first drive, junior quarterback Payton Thorne coughed up the ball (13:33) while scrambling on Cal’s sideline. The Golden Bears capitalized on the early miscue by the southern gentlemen with a tally nearly four minutes later. Sophomore kicker Michael Luckhurst booted a 39-yard field goal to put the home team up 3-0.

Luckhurst had another opportunity to increase the advantage over the Tigers nearly two minutes later, but missed the 42-yard attempt. The Bears and Tigers spent most of the initial 15 minutes of the contest on the visitors’ side of the field. After the first stanza, 3-0 California.

The second quarter had a little more action for the fans and viewers. Two minutes into the quarter, Cal gave Auburn a gift. Bears’ redshirt senior running back Isaiah Ifanse fumbled on his own 17 yard line, giving the opponent possession in immediate scoring position. About a minute later, the Tigers took the lead on a 13-yard TD pass by Thorne to sophomore wide receiver Jay Fair.

Auburn led 7-3 for several minutes, and when they were attempting to expand the lead, sophomore running back Damari Alston had the ball knocked out of his hands by Cal’s redshirt junior safety Craig Woodson in Bears’ territory (35-yard line) and senior safety Patrick McMorris recovered the ball. California marched down the field and recaptured the lead, on a 14-yard TD run by sophomore running back Jaydn Ott (4:47).

With approximately a minute left in the first half, and a 10-7 lead in their pocket, the Bears intercepted (Nohl Williams So. CB) a pass from Thorne in Tigers territory. Cal lined up for a FG to obtain three more points at the intermission horn, but something else happened on the attempt.

The Bears kicking team was called for holding, so the 51-yard boot was nullified and they were backed up ten more yards farther from the end zone. Instead of trying a 61-yarder, the offense came back on the field.

California had one last play before recess, and it ended badly. Quarterback Sam Jackson V threw the ball into the endzone, but unfortunately it was caught by Auburn’s senior free safety Jaylin Simpson, ending the the half at 10-7, Golden Bears.

Quarter number three could have been surmised as a defensive battle, as neither team was able to affect the scoreboard. Cal once again was in position to score, but Luckhurst was unlucky and missed a 42-yard attempt with less than two minutes left in the quarter. After 45 minutes of play, the Bears kept their claws around their three-point lead (10-7).

Nearly four minutes into the final quadrant, Luckhurst missed his third FG, this time from 44 yards away from the uprights. After less than five minutes elapsed, Auburn’s Thorne tossed a five yard TD pass to junior TE Rivaldo Fairweather, putting the Tigers up by four, 14-10.

Two and a half minutes later, Auburn gave the Bears hope for a comeback victory, as their junior RB Jarquez Hunter had the ball stripped out of his hands at the visitors’ 41 yard line. Cal moved the ball and attempted a few shots to the end zone; however, the final attempt (1:44) ended with an interception. Auburn just had to let the clock run out and they could leave the Bay Area with a tough victory. At the the end of the alotted 60 minutes, the Auburn Tigers won by four, 14-10.

California HC Justin Wilcox expressed the reason his team lost, “You have to take advantage of the opportunities you get…we didn’t.”

QB Sam Jackson V was inserted into the game the second drive of the second quarter for redshirt sophomore Ben Finley. Jackson’s statline: 14-27, 126 passing yards and two interceptions. Ott rushed for 78 yards and a TD. Luckhurst was 1-4 (39) in FG attemps.

Auburn’s QB Thorne was 9-14 with 94 yards passing, two TD’s and two INT’s. TE Fairweather, 39 yards receiving & TD and WR Fair, 25 receiving yards & TD.

The Golden Bears will host Idaho next Saturday, September 16 (1 pm PDT), while the Tigers head back to Alabama to Host Samford on the same date (6 pm CST).

Cal takes down North Texas 58-21 in Denton, TX

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Photo credit: @CalFootball

By: Mary Anne

The California Golden Bears started the 2023 NCAA football season against the North Texas Mean Green. Cal defeated North Texas 58-21 at DATCU Stadium and did the Texas two-step. Cal improved to 1-0, while North Texas fell to 0-1.

The Golden Bears were ready to roll in their week one uniforms and got on the board first. Jeremiah Hunter caught a 23-yard pass from Sam Jackson V for the game’s first touchdown. Michael Luckhurtst kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead at 12:53.

The Mean Green tied the game a little under two minutes later. Ja’Mori Maclin caught a 3-yard pass from Stone Earle for the game-tying touchdown. Noah Rauschenberg kicked the extra point for a 7-7 tie at 11:04.

The Golden Bears responded late in the first quarter. Jaydn Ott rushed for a 4-yard touchdown. Michael Luckhurst kicked the extra point for a 14-7 lead with 1:04 left in the first.

The Golden Bears led 14-7 after the first quarter.

The Mean Green opened the second quarter with a scoring play. Ja’Mori Maclin caught a 59-yard pass from Stone Earle for the game-tying touchdown. Noah Rauschenberg kicked the extra point for a 14-14 tie at 14:33.

The Golden Bears regained the lead with back-to-back touchdowns. Isaiah Ifanse rushed for a 26-yard touchdown. Michael Luckhurst kicked the extra point to make it 21-14 with 7:30 left in the second quarter. Jaydn Ott rushed for a 66-yard touchdown. Luckhurst’s extra point kick failed, so the Golden Bears settled for a 27-14 lead with 5:42 left in the second.

The Mean Green made it a six-point game with under two minutes left in the second quarter. Xzavior Kautai caught a 12-yard pass from Stone Earle. Noah Rauschenberg kicked the extra point and cut the Golden Bears’ lead to 27-21 with 1:47 left in the second.

The Golden Bears had the last word of the second quarter. Isaiah Ifanse rushed for an 8-yard touchdown. Jaydn Ott tried the 2-point conversion, but it was no good, and Cal settled for a 33-21 lead with seven seconds left in the second.

The Golden Bears brought a 33-21 lead to the locker room at the half.

The Golden Bears continued to dominate offensively in the third quarter. Isaiah Ifanse rushed for a 1-yard touchdown. Jack Endries tried the 2-point conversion, which was good, and Cal took a 41-21 lead at 11:24. Taj Davis caught a 4-yard pass from Ben Finley for the touchdown. Michael Luckhurst kicked the extra point for a 48-21 lead with 8:02 left in the third.

The Golden Bears had a commanding 48-21 lead after three quarters.

The Golden Bears continued their offensive dominance in the fourth quarter. Ashton Stredick rushed for a 5-yard touchdown. Michael Luckhurst kicked the extra point for a 55-21 lead at 11:42. Luckhurst kicked a 52-yard field goal to make it 58-21 with 6:27 left in the fourth.

Notes
Cal will join the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in August 2024.

Cal had a good visit with Dallas Cowboys punter Bryan Anger on Friday. Anger will start his 12 NFL season next week. He played college football for Cal and was drafted 70th overall in the third round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Up Next
Cal will return home to Memorial Stadium to host the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, September 9 at 7:30 p.m. Pacific.

Pac 12 podcast with Michael Roberson: Shooting on UNC campus delays Cal-Stanford vote into the ACC

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Law enforcement and first responders gather on South Street near the Bell Tower on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus in Chapel Hill, N.C., Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, after a report of an “armed and dangerous person” on campus. (AP News photo)

On Pac 12 the podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 Michael, Cal, Stanford and SMU were close to getting that invite to the ACC but the vote was postponed last Monday due to a shooting on the UNC campus?

#2 There have been ACC teams that have complained about their TV deal which runs through the 2036 season ACC school is out $30 million less per year then the SEC and Big Ten.

#3 Do you see Cal and Stanford going into the ACC as a boost to the ACC’s TV package? Nothing like adding the fifth largest TV market to your repertoire?

#4 The Bears and the Cardinal are want the same revenue share, Stanford has a strong financial backing and Cal doesn’t have the same financial backing like a Stanford taking that in consideration would the ACC still add Cal to the conference?

#5 What about the non revenue sports do you see them being included in the ACC with football and basketball?

Join Michael Roberson for the Pac 12 podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Pac 12 podcast with Michael Wagaman: Will Cal and Stanford get that ACC invite?

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Jim Phillips ACC Commissioner will he welcome Stanford and Cal to the ACC? Both sides are working to make it happen. (ACC image)

On the Pac 12 podcast with Michael Wagaman:

#1 Michael, how close are Cal, Stanford and SMU to getting an invite to the ACC?

#2 There have been ACC teams that have complained about their TV deal which runs through the 2036 season ACC school is out $30 million less per year then the SEC and Big Ten.

#3 Do you see Cal and Stanford going into the ACC as a boost to the ACC’s TV package? Nothing like adding the fifth largest TV market to your repertoire?

#4 The Bears and the Cardinal are want the same revenue share, Stanford has a strong financial backing and Cal doesn’t have the same financial backing like a Stanford taking that in consideration would the ACC still add Cal to the conference?

#5 What about the non revenue sports do you see them being included in the ACC with football and basketball?

Join Michael for the Pac 12 podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com