Tag: California Golden Bears

Made Baskets And Turnovers: Cal Runs Past Grambling 86-63 Despite 26 Turnovers

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Coach Charmin Smith needs her Cal team to clean up their ball handling and cut down on the turnovers. But on Wednesday, Smith scheduled Grambling, a conundrum disguised as a basketball team that lives and breathes by forcing their opponents to cough up the ball.

The result: an 86-63 win for the hosts, but the Bears committed 26 turnovers, which set off alarms inside Haas Pavilion.

“We have to take better care of the ball,” Smith admitted. “We know that. We’re living dangerously right now. We have to clean it up.”

The Bears are 5-0 with a signature win at Gonzaga. As a testament to how well they’ve played overall, the Bears have spent every second of their five second halves so far with at least a 10-point lead. That’s noticeable and impressive enough to capture ESPN Bracketology’s attention, which projects the Bears as an NCAA qualifier as a No. 11 seed.

Of course, the season is young, and bigger tests are on the immediate horizon, starting with Auburn’s visit to Berkeley on Friday night. Following Auburn, the Bears  will see Michigan State and either Arizona or Vanderbilt in Palm Springs. All three schools are also projected as NCAA teams, meaning the jockeying for postseason position starts now.

What Smith liked was just as apparent as the unsightly turnovers: a five-minute stretch in the third quarter in which Cal made eight 3-pointers. That ballooned Cal’s 13-point lead to a 67-41 advantage that effectively ended the visiting Tigers upset aspirations.

Lulu Twidale led Cal with 19 points, a total boosted by her efficient 4 for 7 shooting from distance. Marta Suarez added 16, Ioanna Krimili had 15, and freshman post Gabrielle Abigor scored 11 on 4 for 4 shooting.

Kahia Warmsley led Grambling with 16 points, and Douthshine Prien and Lydia Freeman had 10 each. The Tigers were the SWAC regular season champions last season, winning 23 games. Coach Courtney Simmons concedes that her group, with 10 new faces this season, doesn’t shoot it well, but they do commit to a tremendous amount of defensive activity across all 94 feet, which explains how they succeed in the SWAC. But against Cal, the disparity in made threes (12-1 for Cal) and 32 percent shooting for the Tigers made for a lopsided result.

“If you research and do your homework on this, we probably shot 30 something percent last year and won 23 games,” Simmons said. “The key to the way we play is to rebound the basketball. In this system, there’s no such thing as a bad shot. We don’t go out and recruit kids that can only shoot the basketball. I recruit athletes to give the kids that can shoot the ball a little bit of problems.”

Simmons, intently dissecting the numbers with a scoresheet in hand, conceded that her Tigers fell short of 30 offensive rebounds, their average which leads the nation. Grambling managed “just” 19 o-boards, which wasn’t enough to compensate for their poor shooting.

“It’s the discipline factor. It’s not finding the shooters in transition, which was the same thing that happened to us at Tulane (in their previous game),” she said.

Auburn, a physical, defensive-minded group as well, arrives on Friday in a rematch of last season’s meeting in Alabama that went to Cal, 67-53 with Suarez scoring 27 points.

Syracuse Comes West To Bear Hunt In Capturing 33-25 Win Over Cal

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Coach Fran Brown’s preparation–for the post-game press conference–was flawless.

Accordingly, his Syracuse football team was best prepared to counter Cal’s momentum, built off consecutive wins, and took control of what could have been a tight game early.

“I was with coach (Kirby) Smart, and he told me, ‘we will not be hunted,'” Brown said. “And I told the team before the game, ‘we will not be hunted. We do the hunt.’ I’m not walking out here, scared.”

Not scared, and not preoccupied with tough results versus Boston College and Pitt, Syracuse surprised the Bears early and held on for a 33-25 road win. Cal’s bowl aspirations were put on hold with the loss, as was their path out of the cellar of the ACC standings.

For the first time in a season of jarring results, Cal was beaten from start to finish, with little to say had one or two plays gone their way.

Fernando Mendoza was intercepted twice in the first quarter, and the tone was set. Mendoza’s game shrunk, and the confidence on the visitor’s sideline grew.

“You can’t turn over the ball like that… It was my worst turnover game of the season by far, and [it] just simply was not my day,” Mendoza said.

“To start fast and get up early, that was big. And both sides of the ball did it,” Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord said.

McCord triggered a quick passing attack and effective run game to the extent that Cal’s defense was gassed early. Play action pass plays were especially successful as the Orange led 13-0 and extended that lead to 27-7 at halftime. McCord and the offense racked up 299 yards in offense in the first half, while skillfully navigating away from Cal’s defensive playmakers.

“We certainly were outplayed today. There’s no doubt about that,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “I don’t see anything we did very well.”

Two lengthy run plays highlighted Cal’s attack with Jaivian Thomas’ 75-yard dash trimming Syracuse’s lead to 13-7 in the second quarter. On Cal’s first offensive snap of the fourth, Jadyn Ott broke free for 53 yards. But that drive stalled, and Cal could only cut the deficit to 30-17 after Ryan Coe converted a 44-yard field goal with 12:43 remaining.

Jackson Kennedy’s 32-yard field goal capped a 13-play Syracuse drive that effectively ended Cal’s afternoon by taking a chunk of the time remaining. Mendoza connected with Jonathan Brady on a five-yard TD pass, but Cal failed to regain possession with a successful onside kick in the final minute.

In his first year at Syracuse after a fulfilling season with Georgia as defensive backs coach in which the Bulldogs won the National Championship and Brown was named the #1 national recruiter by 24/7 Sports, Brown’s Orange have been confident despite mixed results on the field. Their damaging loss at Pittsburgh on October 24 was a nationally-televised embarrassment, but Brown refused to reference it after beating Cal.

Instead, the ebullient Brown celebrated Cal’s picturesque campus, stated his respect for Wilcox, and his team’s emphasis on limiting Nyziah Hunter (three catches for 42 yards) and not getting victimized by Bears’ cornerback Nohl Williams. With all boxes checked regarding Syracuse’s first visit to Berkeley since 1968, Brown concluded by celebrating himself.

“I should have let y’all hear my song,” Brown said before powering up his hand-held, Bluetooth speaker cued to Lil Durk’s “100 Grand,” a reference to his disclosure that to his wife’s dismay, he doesn’t shower after losses.

“Smelling like a hundred racks,” Brown mimicked confidently.

Williams Sparks Cal Women to Statement 86-65 Win at Gonzaga

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(picture courtesy of Colin Mulvany, The Spokesman-Review)

By Morris Phillips

Kayla Williams has already been in the right place before… twice.

On Thursday at Gonzaga, Williams was the embodiment of the right place (at the right time) again.

The graduate transfer from USC put up 25 points, six assists, four steals, and Cal never trailed in an 86-65 win at Gonzaga. The Bears improved to 4-0, and now have their initial statement victory for NCAA Tournament consideration.

Lulu Twidale had 18 points, Ioanna Krimili added 17, and Marta Suarez scored 14 while holding Zags standout Maud Huijbens to 0 of 6 shooting. Williams sprinted up the floor right before halftime and sank a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to put Cal up 13. With 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Williams struck again from distance to put Cal up 19, entering the fourth.

The Bears shot 58 percent from the floor for the game after starting 13 of 20 through the first 13 minutes of play.  Gonzaga uncharacteristically committed 24 turnovers.

“We have these inexperienced guards that are handling the ball a lot, and they’ve (the Bears) got some good defenders,” coach Lisa Fortier said. “Some of them were forced, but other times too, we were a bit casual.”

Yvonne Ejim, the Canadian Olympian, didn’t score her first basket until 26 seconds remained in the first quarter, with Gonzaga already trailing by double digits. Cal’s center Michelle Onyiah played Ejim physically throughout and temporarily forced the Zags’ leading scorer to initiate her offense at the free throw line and back. Ejim finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, but only her first two baskets briefly shaved Cal’s lead to single digits. Ejim’s subsequent six baskets and ten made free throws all came with Cal leading comfortably.

“We are going to get turnovers because we’re trying to make the right reads,” Ejim said. “They’re there. We’re just not connecting. That just takes time.”

The Bears frustrated the home team’s starters with physical defense that left Gonzaga tentative and forced seven turnovers in the initial surge. The Zags’ new backcourt in place of the graduated and departed Truong sisters played well eventually, but went into the third quarter struggling to get Ejim the ball consistently.

Ines Bettencourt’s misdirected pass into the post bounced out of bounds, followed by a three-second violation as Ejim couldn’t shed Onyiah in a third quarter sequence that left the home team’s leading scorer visibly frustrated. Again, Ejim recovered, but after the game’s outcome was cemented.

Natalia Ackerman provided one of the two made baskets from Cal’s bench, but she did so adroitly, reaching behind herself to grab a pass, then turning 180 degrees toward the basket to lay it in. Ackerman’s third quarter basket put Cal up 50-38.

“Taking care of the ball and the way that we can shoot and score the ball definitely were strengths of ours,” coach Charmin Smith said. “On the defensive end, to force them into 24 turnovers is huge and bodes well for where we’re trying to head defensively and thinking about defending ACC teams.”

Williams began her career at UC Irvine, where she was Big West Freshman of the year with a career-best 32 points in January 2021 and first-team all-conference as a sophomore. She transferred to USC and helped lead the Women of Troy to their first NCAA appearance under coach Lindsay Gottlieb. But after starting all 31 games that season, Juju Watkins’ arrival relegated the 5’7″ guard to the bench in her senior season.

That demotion was Williams’ impetus for pursuing a graduate season at Cal, where she has regained her superior play immediately. She was 9 of 12 from floor against Gonzaga and a defensive pest in the Zags’ passing lanes.

The Bears attempt to stay unbeaten on Wednesday when Grambling visits Haas Pavilion at 7:00pm.

Ejim, Gonzaga The Opening Acts In Cal’s Opponent Showcase

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By Morris Phillips

One after another, accomplished players and talented teams cross paths with the Cal Bears, starting Thursday night at Gonzaga.

Canadian Olympian Yvonne Ejim and the Zags are up first, on the occasion of their first game following a lopsided loss at Stanford that dropped Gonzaga out of the Top 25 national rankings after one week of the season. The Zags scored four points in the first quarter, and lost by 31 to Stanford, who essentially switched places with their non-conference rival in the national polls.

Two seasons ago, Gonzaga registered an 18-point win over Stanford that stands as their best in program history, with the Cardinal then ranked 3rd nationally. Now the Zags are looking for a quick rebound and a return to grace, and Ejim, on track to become the leading scorer in Gonzaga history later this season, is the barometer for that effort. Once again, Cal occupies the unenviable spot as the team that must face a quality team one game after they were knocked around by Stanford.

Coach Charmin Smith knows her Bears need to be ready, especially early in the game on Thursday in a loud environment in Spokane. But the themes and motivations aren’t Smith’s concerns, better defense and offensive consistency from her group are. But after three, easy wins by an average of 37 points, Smith and Cal sense the urgency of their first road trip.

“We need to make a statement of our own,” she said.

Last season in Berkeley, the Bears let Gonzaga escape with a 78-70 win in overtime, after the hosts led most of the first half, and regained several leads in the fourth quarter. That Cal team needed bench support that was lacking with Ioanna Krimili out injured, and Michelle Onyiah limited by foul trouble. Marta Suarez and Cal’s departed backcourt of Leilani McIntosh and McKayla Williams all played at least 43 of the 45 minutes that day, and the Bears wilted late and were outscored 13-5 in the overtime period.

Cal has Krimili, in her 5th year, this time, along with experienced, transfer guards, Kayla Williams (USC), Jayda Noble (Washington) and capable freshman Lola Donez and Zahra King. The Zags are trying to find their hyper pace in the absence of graduated twins Kaylynne and Kayleigh Truong. New starters Claire O’Connor and UConn transfer Ines Bettencourt aren’t as swift as the Truong twins and that in turn limits Ejim’s effectiveness in transition, where she excels.

“We have to stop her in transition,” Smith said of limiting Ejim. “We can’t let her get easy baskets. And at the other end, we have to make her guard.”

The Bears will play as many as 13 teams this season that currently have a place in the Top 25 or in the next group of 10 to 15 that are getting votes. Stanford is the only one of the 13 that Cal will play twice, so scouting and preparedness will be crucial in all of these meetings. Cal may have an idea what to expect from Ejim, who was limited to 12 points against Stanford, a point total she’s exceeded in 36 of her last 39 games. But they need to be up to speed on O’Connor and Bettencourt, along with Maud Huijbens, who played just 19 minutes against Cal last season, but will likely play more than 30 on Thursday.

Natalia Ackerman, who decided to continue her college basketball career only a month before school started, is Cal’s secret weapon. In her first three games at Cal, after four, injury-plagued years at Cal Poly, Ackerman has 22 points, 18 rebounds, five steals and three blocks in just 33 minutes on the floor. Matched against inexperienced reserves, she’s thrived, doing a little of everything for Cal as their biggest threat outside their starting five. Smith said, she’s not surprised as Ackerman’s return to form followed her health returning in the off-season when she debated whether she wanted to play for a fifth season.

Smith said she’s reluctant to restrict any of her shooters outside of Krimili and Lulu Twidale, who have combined to start the season a scorching 23 of 45 shooting from 3-point distance. The rest of the Bears are 11 of 38, 29 percent, but have provided the Bears with the desired spacing on offense that creates driving lanes to the basket. It’s Smith’s belief that the other shooters will become more efficient as the season progresses.

“The more threes,’ the merrier,” Smith said.

Cal Women Use Physicality, Pace To Wear Down Host San Jose State in 82-53 Win

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By Morris Phillips

SAN JOSE–The depth of talented teams in women’s college basketball is quite noticeable in the season following the Angel Reese/Caitlin Clark supernova that elevated the sport to new levels of visibility.

For Cal’s women, that means the Top 40 is the new Top 25. Most of Cal’s biggest opponents this season currently reside in the Associated Press “vote getting” group just outside the first 25. It’s that group Cal wants to join for the purpose of seizing their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2019.

The quest has begun in earnest as the Bears completed a 3-0 opening week by beating host San Jose State, 82-53, on Saturday afternoon. Coach Charmin Smith wants a physical group defensively that also plays with pace offensively without turning the ball over. Smith admits it’s a dense mix.

“I think this was the lowest in turnovers for us to only have eight,” Smith said. “And they’re a really aggressive team, so we made some strides there. We know we need to be better with taking care of the ball, so we’re just taking steps to keep moving towards who we want to be ultimately.”

Cal’s wins against SJSU, Idaho, and St. Mary’s came with an average margin of victory of 37 points, which immediately catches the attention of the pollsters. But a win on Thursday at Gonzaga, currently in that group following the Top 25, would mean more, a sign that the Bears belong.

In that group are future opponents Miami, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, likely Thanksgiving opponent Vanderbilt and Stanford, who Cal plays twice. In addition, Cal plays No. 24 Alabama of the SEC, and six ACC conference opponents that are ranked as high as No. 6 Notre Dame and as low as No. 19 Florida State with North Carolina State, Louisville, North Carolina, and Duke in between.

Spartans coach April Jackson admitted that Cal went further in approaching their goals than her group did on Saturday. San Jose State trailed 15-3, 23-13 after the first quarter, 40-22 and 51-28 at halftime. The third quarter was even more lopsided as SJSU made just two baskets and scored six points. With Cal emptying their bench in the fourth, the Spartans won that 10-minute stretch, 19-12.

“Cal’s a good basketball team,” Jackson said. “They’re coming off a really good season and obviously returning a lot of key pieces. I don’t want to dismiss that they are a very talented team. But I think it was a good test for us to get an opportunity to see the level of physicality that we can face down the line. So I think it was a really good opportunity for us. We played a full game, we came back in that second half and actually competed. And when you get faced with that type of adversity to finish the last 10 minutes strong and together is always a positive sign.”

Ioanna Krimili led Cal with 18 points, Kayla Williams had 16, and Lulu Twidale added 14. Michelle Onyiah had eight points, 10 rebounds, and graduate transfer Natalia Ackerman was a beehive of activity with eight points, seven rebounds, one assist, one block in only 13 minutes on the floor.

Finau Tonga was the only SJSU player to score in double figures with 12. The Spartans’ defense was largely ineffective as they forced just eight turnovers and committed 23 fouls. That led to Cal converting 21 of 25 from the foul line.

First ACC Win For Cal: Bears Survive A Shootout At Wake Forest, Win 46-36

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By Morris Phillips

Fernando Mendoza’s late fourth quarter dash for 24 yards came with a pair of Cal companions that were poised to escort their quarterback the remaining 16 yards to paydirt.

Then Mendoza tackled himself.

If you know Cal’s recent history regarding late game collapses, it made complete sense. Mendoza popped up and signaled the next play to his teammates, a couple of whom looked stunned. Mendoza’s reasoning was a narrow 3-point lead, and ball possession was far more comforting than a 10-point lead without the ball, even as just 1:49 remained in the game.

That’s Cal football, and the residual fear created by four, agonizing ACC losses by a combined total of nine points.

Did we mention that streak of conference defeats has ended?

It has, as Cal enjoyed a cool, comfortable Friday evening in North Carolina by outlasting Wake Forest, 46-36. Mendoza continued his hot run with 385 yards passing, two touchdown passes, and one touchdown run that could have been two.

“We found a way to win,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “It’s hard to win. We have a ton of respect for Wake Forest. I’m proud of our players.”

The Bears’ (5-4, 1-4) special teams set the tone early when Hunter Barth ripped the ball loose from kick returner Demond Claiborne, Miles Williams scooped the football and dashed nine yards to give Cal a 10-0 lead five minutes in.

Cal built leads of 20-7, 29-14, and 39-29 with 6:38 remaining only to see Wake Forest respond each time. With Cal clinging to a 39-36 advantage after the two-minute warning, Mendoza broke free, but his calculated move forced the Demon Deacons to burn a pair of timeouts.

Jaivian Thomas then ran 11 yards with 1:10 remaining for Cal’s final score, which re-established a two-score lead.

Ryan Coe, demoted from his position due to missed field goals, re-emerged with a pair of 54-yard field goals. Freshman Derek Morris, the new starting kicker but lacking Coe’s leg strength, also converted from 38 and 29 yards, along with nailing all four of Cal’s extra points.

“I’m just proud of that guy for continuing to stick with it through some tough times,” Wilcox said of Coe. “For Ryan to come in and hit two 54-yarders, that’s big time. We knew he could do it. We’ve seen it. It’s not surprising. It’s really a testament to him.”

Hank Bachmeier was 19 of 36 passing for 274 yards for the Deacons, but he was picked off three times. Nohl Williams was the recipient of one of Bachmeier’s errant throws, his seventh interception of the season, a total that leads the nation.

“They were the more physical team on both sides of the line of scrimmage,” Deacons coach Dave Clawson said. “Their defensive line really kind of got the best of our offensive line. We did not take care of the football. The sequence of the blocked field goal that led to the touchdown was really costly.” 

Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium didn’t exactly benefit from the first gridiron meeting of the two universities, despite the near perfect fall weather. The actual in-stadium attendance appeared to be fewer than 5,000 people in a facility that seats 30,000.

More Of The Same, And Less Of What’s Needed: Cal Drops Another Close One, 24-23 to NC State

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA– By default, the Cal Bears are built to compete in close, contentious football games. Currently, winning those games is not part of the mix.

Freshman kicker Derek Morris’ field goal miss from 28 yards with 1:37 remaining left Cal short on the scoreboard in a 24-23 loss to North Carolina State, but a list of plays and issues kept the Bears winless in their inaugural trip through the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Making winning plays simply hasn’t happened for Cal in a painful, four-game losing streak that has been too little in the game’s biggest moments.

“I have to do a better job coaching the team so we can find a way to win these tight games,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “Everyone has to come back and own their part of it. We need to have high expectations and standards for the way we operate around here.”

The Bears looked the part in building a 13-10 halftime lead and extending it to 23-10 after three quarters. But that put gutty freshman quarterback CJ Bailey in position to survive six sacks and the punishment that came with them, and fashion a comeback that would be the Wolpack’s biggest since October 2012. Bailey threw two fourth quarter touchdown passes, the second 41 yards to Hollywood Smothers that gave NC State the lead with 6:32 remaining.

“His ability to keep composure is just very impressive,” Bailey’s teammate Davin Vann said. “He just continues to show me why he has the ability to play at this level and is going to succeed at this level and beyond.”

Bailey not only was under duress for the first three quarters, but he also was essentially without a run game as well. The Bears stuffed the Wolfpack, allowing an insignificant 29 yards on 30 rushing attempts.

But when afforded time, Bailey delivered, with 6’3″ Justin Joly using his height to snag four catches for 95 yards to lead the NC State receivers. The freshman, who began the season behind senior transfer Grayson McCall on the depth chart, finished 25 of 36 for 306 yards.

“He stays positive, and he’s just got that it factor when it comes to how he manages things and overcomes,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said of Bailey. “Even when he makes a bad play, it doesn’t rattle him.”

The Bears should have benefitted from all the upheaval in NC State’s lineup that saw them without leading rusher Jordan Waters and beholden to a new mic linebacker Kamal Bonner. But NC State touted their depth, and it proved to be the case as their first trip west since a 1960 game at UCLA turned out to be a winner.

Cal’s final drive encompassed 13 plays for 65 yards and put Cal in position to retake the lead. It also bought precious minutes for its defense that once again was on the short side of time of possession in part because of Thomas’ damaging, first half fumble. But the drive didn’t end well after a critical holding penalty on first down at NC State’s 16-yard line. Fernando Mendoza misfired on second down, and two short completions left Cal with a fourth down and sufficient time for NC State to respond had Morris converted a go-ahead field goal.

Again, a missed field goal in the final two minutes was not solely the reason for Cal’s loss.

The Bears (3-4, 0-4) have a non-conference game next Saturday against Oregon State in Berkeley.

Cal 0 for 3 in the ACC: Big Defensive Effort Not Enough For Bears In 17-15 Loss At No. 22 Pittsburgh

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By Morris Phillips

For Cal, the margin of loss again was small. But the totality of mistakes and penalties were bigger than coach Justin Wilcox could tolerate.

“I’m not sure you ever go through a game perfectly, but we don’t have the margin for error to play bad football from time to time and expect to win against a Top 25 team,” Wilcox said of Cal’s 12 penalties that left his Bears on the short end of a 17-15 loss at Pittsburgh. “Nobody feels sorry for us. Those are things we have to fix. If we do that, than we can win these one-score games.”

Cal’s resourceful 3-0 start to the season has dissolved into a three-game conference losing streak with an aggregate loss total of eight points. At Acrisure Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the Bears shut out the host Panthers for the final 40 minutes but couldn’t regain a lead at any point.

“If we were able to take the lead, I felt good about our defense stopping them,” Wilcox said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that.”

Cal’s counter to Pitt’s surprising 5-0 start that now has them at 6-0 for the first time since 1982 in the glory days of Dan Marino and Hugh Green should have been the story. Prolific Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein was forced into a defensive posture as Cal added to their nationally-leading interception total of 13 with picks by Nohl Williams and Cam Sidney.

“That’s a great defense we played right there,” Holstein said. “They played every coverage in the book. They gave me different looks. It was hard to tell what they were playing in certain situations.”

Games aren’t normally decided on the first play of the second quarter, but ultimately, this one was. Coach Pat Narduzzi rolled the dice and elected to attempt a fourth down conversion on his side of the field. A handoff to Desmond Reid was the perfect call as the speedy back went 72 yards untouched against Cal’s unbalanced set.

That was Reid’s second scoring run and put the Panthers up 14-6. A few minutes later, they would increase their lead to 17-6 on Ben Sauls booming, 58-yard field goal.

Fernando Mendoza played well with 27 of 37 passing for 272 yards. But his offensive line again incurred critical penalties that stopped drives and limited Cal’s scoring. With Cal’s defense in control for the vast majority of the game, Mendoza and the offense could only muster Ryan Coe’s 39-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Jack Endries 19-yard scoring catch with 10:30 remaining.

Twice Cal failed to convert two-point conversions, including backup quarterback Chandler Rogers rushing attempt that was stuffed after Endries score.

Jaivian Thomas got the majority of Cal’s rushing attempts as Jadyn Ott was scratched before the game due to lingering ankle issues. Thomas opened the scoring with a 21-yard run in the first quarter.

The Bears return to Berkeley for Homecoming and a meeting with North Carolina State on Saturday. At 0-3 in the ACC, the Bears won’t earn a championship game appearance in their first year in the new conference. But they do figure to be favored in all of their remaining games, which could lead them to a significant bowl game invitation.

For Pitt, a day dangerously thin on offense but propped up with their best defensive effort of the season stood up. Far from what Narduzzi would have preferred and less than the subdued, nervous home crowd wanted, but it worked.

“I don’t know if there’s ever been a perfect game,” Narduzzi said. “I wish. We strive for perfection and take excellence. It’s never going to be perfect. There’s too many scholarship athletes out there.”

Florida State Says No To Cal Staying Undefeated, Wins 14-9 in Tallahassee

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By Morris Phillips

Cal knows how hard going 4-0 in the ACC is now.

Host Florida State wasn’t much better than they were in an 0-3 start, but this time, they didn’t fall behind, and they didn’t go away in a tense, gritty 14-9 win over the Bears.

D.J. Uiagalelei completed 16 of 27 passes for 177 yards, with the biggest connection coming with 11:08 remaining.  The 35-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Khi Douglas was the play of the game, allowing the Seminoles to regain the lead after they trailed for the first time, 9-7 late in the third quarter.

“I just tried to give him a good ball. Ja’Khi made him miss early. He had a good release and got separation, I just had to put a good ball, and he did the rest,” Uiagalelei said.

“When you play a team like Florida State with that much talent, you can’t make mistakes and expect to win,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “We had plenty of opportunities and couldn’t capitalize on it. They did, so they deserve credit for that.

Cal’s playmakers–quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Jadyn Ott, back from an injury absence and Mason Starling–played well, but playing well didn’t include scoring a touchdown.

Cal kicker Ryan Coe converted three of five field goal attempts, but four was the magic number. Coe missed from 36 yards in the third quarter after Cal ran 15 plays and put FSU on their toes to start the second half.

Coe missed again from 38 yards with 6:07 remaining while converting from 25, 29, and 51. Had the first year specialist converted either of his misses, Cal’s penetration on both of their concluding drives would have afforded Coe an opportunity to give Cal the lead with little time left.

Linebackers Cade Uluave and Teddye Buchanan combined for 20 solo tackles as Cal made sure the Noles would go a fourth consecutive game with no more than 21 points. Cal forced six FSU punts, and the Noles converted 7 of 17 third down opportunities. Nohl Williams added to Cal nationally-leading interception total of ten with his second quarter pick.

“We don’t want to be at this point scoring 14 points, but at the end of the day, a win is a win,” Uiagalelei said.

“We can’t dwell on this,” Uluave said. “We just have to put our head down and keep going.”

Patrick Payton keyed Florida State’s defense with three sacks and three more tackles for loss yardage. Payton’s pressure and the Doak Campbell Stadium crowd noise contributed to Cal’s offensive line woes. The Bears suffered two critical penalties in the red zone for a false start and delay of game.

The Bears’ first taste of ACC play and Cal’s first visit to Tallahassee seemed to measurably flummox both squads. Coe’s missed kicks and Cal’s 10 penalties displayed the visitors’ nerves. But the home crowd was subdued by Cal’s measured attack and consistent effort on defense.

The Bears host first place Miami and familiar face, quarterback Cam Ward on October 5 at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley.

ACC Weekly: Wary Golden Bears Commit to Grab Utensils Before Attempting To Eat The Picnic

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Successful college football coaches compartmentalize. That’s what they do: within the hyped-up world of rabid fan bases, blithering blitherers, realignment, and further talk regarding realignment, the big-time head coaches emphasize blocking assignments, play calling, and seizing and maintaining momentum within a game.

If the only thing that floats your boat is high-flying, cross-country storylines that zeros in on perennial, heavyweight squads losing for a second, third, or even a fourth, consecutive week, don’t tread here. Coaches and players don’t have time for that stuff, blitherers do. For seven plus seasons, Coach Justin Wilcox has always been among the best at keeping the main thing the main thing.

This is the week Wilcox and his unwavering focus really comes into focus.

The Bears play their first-ever ACC football game in a sold-out stadium in Tallahassee, Florida where the team, the coach and the quarterback are about to be run out of town without any wait til season’s end grace period. The Top 25 (for the first time since 2019) and the direct leadup to a bigger showdown in Berkeley on October 5 are at stake. Suddenly, and momentarily, everything is possible for Cal, including an ACC Championship Game berth, if they win.

Wilcox did say enthusiastically, that winning “would mean we went out and played our best game of the season thus far and had an opportunity to go 4-0. And so, as I mentioned, there’s only so many chances you get, and it’s going to be a great venue. We’ve never been down there before. Again, in a different place with some great players and coaches. So it’s an unbelievably exciting opportunity.”

Wilcox knows a great season can only achieve its beginning on September 21. He also knows a failed season starting Saturday could manifest a lot faster. So being level-headed and detail-oriented is what Wilcox is preaching.

“I think they’re a very, very talented football team. The games haven’t gone their way from one reason or another. We recognize how slim the margins are in playing great football and not great football. And they’re a very gifted team. They got really good coaches, and they’re a prideful outfit. So we know what’s in store, and we’ve got to be, we’ll have to play our best game, and our guys are expecting that.”

FSU hasn’t shown pride yet. In their opener, the Seminoles scored first, didn’t commit a turnover, and managed a slight edge in time of possession against gritty Georgia Tech. But the Noles’ defensive line got outplayed, and three lengthy scoring drives by Tech stood up in their 24-21 upset win.

Boston College made big plays early and led Florida State 14-6 at halftime. A deeper lethargy froze FSU’s offense in the third quarter, and they found themselves in an insurmountable hole before losing 28-13.  

Memphis led 20-3 halfway through the third quarter before DJ Uiagalelei and company started making plays. But that was too late, and the Noles fell to an unthinkable 0-3.

Uiagalelei obviously isn’t playing well; missing throws and an inability to stretch the field with deep balls are his biggest faults. But he needs help, and his teammates on both sides haven’t provided any.

“I think it’s a feel from the entire offense,” coach Mike Norvell said. “Obviously, DJ has to help that transition for him individually and offensively. We’ve got to make sure that we’re doing that. That’s something that we’re definitely working to make sure they have a heightened sense of awareness to the detail.”

On the heels of Boston College, especially, the Bears defense could again leave the Noles stuck in the mud. Defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina, linebacker Teddye Buchanan, and corner Nohl Williams are Cal’s stars, but the entire defense has displayed a confident, veteran presence. The Noles rank second-to-last in rushing nationally with just 52 yards per game.

“They are very multiple in what they do, fronts, coverages they mix it up as good as we’ve played up to this point this year. They do a really nice job of just the effort, the passion, the energy. They are a big, long, physical defense,” said Norvell. “They’ve got good playmakers. They’ve done a really nice job in putting together a defense that plays to a standard, and those guys have been very opportunistic when that ball’s in the air.”

The Bears are hoping Jaydn Ott’s return will take pressure off quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who to date hasn’t had to win a game with his arm. Mendoza has completed 70 percent of his passes, and avoided mistakes, but can he maintain that ascent in a game that’s competitive in the fourth quarter on the road?

FSU stopped the run against Memphis, which ranks 90th nationally, but they weren’t stout against Boston College and Georgia Tech. DL Daniel Lyons, linebackers Blake Nichelson and Justin Cryer can make plays, but the third down efficiency has to improve. FSU is 124th in that category and they’ve been repeatedly unable to get off the field.

Norvell could position his young, talented secondary to make plays this week. KJ Kirkland and Conrad Hussey head a group that’s been sticky in coverage while improving each week.

Cal’s Nyziah Hunter will draw the most attention, he has 12 catches this season, four for touchdowns. Jonathon Brady, Corey Dyches, and slot receiver Maven Anderson have been active as well for Mendoza.

A close game feels inevitable between teams that aren’t blessed with explosive offenses. Turnovers will be key, as well as third down situations. Wilcox knows that means execution and belief will be paramount for his Bears.

 “(Won-loss) records are records but if you sit down in our offices and turn on the tape, you see what you see and you trust that, and our players do the same thing,” Wilcox said. “So we know how gifted they are and how good of coaches and scheme they’ve got. So we’re going to need to play great football on Saturday.”