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.
