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.
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