Tag: NCAA

Cal Bears podcast Daniel Dullum: Focusing on what went wrong for Cal against Clemson

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Kamar Mothudi (3) celebrates his fumble return for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Clemson Tigers on Fri Sep 25, 2026 . (Photo by: Brianna Ali/Cal Athletics)

Cal Bears podcast Daniel Dullum:

#1 How did Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele respond to Clemson’s defensive pressure after entering the game averaging more than 321 passing yards per game?

#2 What impact did Cal wide receiver Kyion Grayes have against Clemson’s secondary, and how did the Tigers limit his big-play opportunities?

#3 How did Cal running back Adam Mohammed contribute to the Golden Bears’ offense against Clemson’s front seven?

#4 What adjustments could Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Cal’s passing game have made after Clemson held him to a career-low 119 passing yards?

#5 How did Cal’s defense respond to Clemson running back Gideon Davidson, who rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard touchdown run?

Join Daniel Dullum for the Cal Bears podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal game wrap: Cardinal swatted the Yellow Jackets 34-27, on a cool Saturday Evening on the Farm

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Stanford Cardinal quarterback Davis Warren (8) led with three downs and threw for 396 yards for Stanford’s win over the Georgia Tech Bulldogs at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Sat Sep 26, 2026 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif.. — Led by senior quarterback Davis Warren’s 396 passing yards and three touchdowns, the Stanford Cardinal (2-2, 1-2 ACC) garnered their first conference win and chased the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1-3, 0-1 ACC) out of the Bay Area 34-27, in front of 23,422 fans inside of Stanford Stadium.

Stanford won the coin toss, but deferred their possession until their second half. That decision could have been gracious, or very strategic for the home team. Initially it resulted in the team from the Peach State scoring first with their precious gift.

Georgia Tech’s senior kicker Aidan Birr booted a 33-yard FG to put his team up 3-0 in just under the first six minutes of the game.Less than four minutes later, Stanford would respond, during their first possession of the ball. That time with the ball did also put them into the lead.

Junior running back Micah Ford crossed the goal line after a seven yards scamper. However, this lead-taking score was aided by a crucial roughing the passer penalty against the Yellow Jackets. Their defense could have been off the field and the team maintained their three points lead, but instead they were down by four points due to their error.

Despite that, Georgia Tech did respond a few minutes later with their own scoring drive. Junior quarterback Alberto Mendoza threw a 9-yard TD pass to junior running back Trelain Maddox, to put the guests up by three points again, 10-7. After the first 15 minutes elapsed, that score prevailed.

In the second quarter, the swarming Yellow Jackets exposed their nature on defense, as they forged an impressive fourth down stance. The offense parlayed that turnover of the ball into another score, which extended their small lead. After Birr converted another field goal ((23), the lead doubled to six, 13-7.

Midway through the second stanza, Stanford decided to score via their special teams. Senior kicker Emmett Kenney converted a 29-yard FG, to get back within three points of the lead. However, they settled for that amount of points, as a rushing touchdown was called back due to a holding penalty. They were down three instead of up by one point.

Later in the first half, Georgia Tech was on the attack once more. The aforementioned Maddox reached paydirt on a 20-yard sprint from scrimmage. Minutes before recess, the Atlanta based school was up by 10 points, 20-10. That score held up until the halftime whistle.

In the second half the choice of the deferment really came into fruition. In the third quarter alone, Stanford out scord Georgia Tech 17-0. They went from being down 10 points at the half to being up by seven after three quarters. That big momentum shift took 15 minutes of regulation game time.

The scoring barrage included, Kenney kicking another FG (24) and Davis Warren launching two (49) & (33) bomb touchdown strikes. After 45 minutes of ACC action, the Cardinal led 27-20, and Warren was just under 400 yards passing. The Yellow Jackets were stunned, as well as their loyal fans throughout the stadium.

In the final quarter, turnabout’s fair play, as the Cardinal performed their own fourth down stance. Less than two minutes in, Stanford stopped Georgia Tech in their tracks and gave their offence an opportune positioning on the field. More than a minute later, Warren tossed his third TD (7) of the evening. That one landed in the hands of senior wide receiver Caden High, At that point, Stanford had scored 24 straight points on the southern opponents., 34-20.

Although being down by 14 points, the Yellow Jackets did put up a valiant fight and attempted a comeback. Mendoza threw a 23-yard TD pass to senior WR Jaiven Plummer, bringing them within one score, 34-27. After Stanford did nothing with the ball, he had a chance to tie the game at 34. Unfortunately for him and his team, the drive ended with an interception.

That actually was not the end. Mendoza had one last chance to tie the game or even win on a two-point conversion. One again, the drive stalled and the Cardinal was able to capture the victory on guile and pride, Final score after an adventurous 60 minutes, 34-27 Stanford.

The Cardinal will next be in action Saturday, October 3, in Winston-Salem, NC to take on Wake Forest at ( AM PT/Noon ET on the ACC Network. Georgia Tech heads back to Atlanta and hosts Duke on Saturday, October 10. Time and channel are yet to be determined.

Tigers are Golden against the Bears as Clemson defeats California, 24-10

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Cal quarterback (#3) Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele hands off to running back (#24) Adam Mohammed in a NCAA conference football matchup against Clemson Tigers at the California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, CA on September 25th, 2026. (Photo credits to IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

By Michael Villanueva

BERKELEY – On Friday night at the foot of the Berkeley Hills, the California Golden Bears (2-2) once again hosted the Clemson Tigers (3-1) for an ACC conference football showdown. However, the Clemson Tigers got the win Friday night and are now on a three-game winning streak. The Golden Bears and Tigers last faced off in a historic Florida Citrus Bowl in 1992, where Cal defeated Clemson 37–13. After tonight, Cal will have played its only Friday night of the season this week against Clemson.

After defeating Syracuse on the road in Week 2 on September 12, the Bears are 1-0 in ACC play in 2026. Last weekend, the team defeated Wagner 49-7, the biggest margin of victory since a road win at Oregon State on October 20, 2018. In terms of passing defense efficiency, Cal is ranked 10th nationally and first in the ACC (95.31).

Tonight’s game against Cal was Clemson’s first visit to the West Coast since the ACC’s westward expansion. It will be Clemson’s fourth game in California history on Friday. Still, one of the program’s most memorable games was Clemson’s most recent one in California. Clemson won its third national championship on January 7, 2019, when it defeated Alabama 44-16 in Santa Clara.

In the first quarter, the Golden Bears defense came up big on a play on Clemson’s quarterback, Tait Reynolds. Reynolds would throw his first and only interception to California defensive back Isaiah Crosby. This interception would be the first for Crosby in his collegiate career. Then the Tigers would prevent the Bears offense from scoring after the interception. However, Clemson QB Reynolds would get sacked by Aiden Manutai and lose the ball during the tackle. Bears Kamar Mothudi would pick up the football and run it in for a 35-yard touchdown, putting California on the scoreboard first, 7-0.

Second quarter, it would be an electric and explosive quarter for Clemson. Tigers field goal kicker Nolan Hauser would make a 30-yard field goal attempt and get Clemson their first points of the night, 7-3. After that, Clemson’s offense would have a 17-play offensive possession that would end with the Tigers scoring and taking up much of the clock in the second quarter. Tigers running back Gideon Davidson would score his first touchdown on a 1-yard rush to the end zone, giving Clemson the lead, 10-7.

At halftime, Clemson would hold over the Golden Bears 10-7. California’s offense would put up just 46 rushing yards and 47 passing yards. California’s quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele would also get sacked twice in the first half. Clemson’s offense put up 109 rushing yards and 70 passing yards.

Going into the third quarter, California’s field goal kicker Chase Meyer would make a 30-yard field goal and give Cal three more points, tying the game 10-10. This scoring possession would be the only and last scoring possession for California. On a punt return for Clemson, Tigers’ Bryant Wesco Jr. would return a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown. This gave the Tigers back the lead and changed the score to 17-10. Bryant’s punt return would be the first one for Clemson in eight years.

Late in the fourth and final quarter of the game, the Tigers were still giving it to the Bears. Both of these teams would combine for one offensive touchdown. With three minutes left, Clemson’s running back, Gideon Davidson, rushes in a 75-yard rushing touchdown. Davidson’s second rushing touchdown of the night sealed the deal as Clemson gets the win over California, 24-10.

Against Wagner, Sagapolutele finished 27 of 33 throws for a career-high 413 yards and three touchdowns. Since Jack Plummer threw for 406 yards against USC on November 5, 2022, he is the first Cal signal-caller to throw for at least 400 yards in a game. After his performance, he was named a Manning Star of the Week. But in this game, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele ended up 16 for 29 for 119 yards and two interceptions for his fewest yards.

The California Golden Bears will hit the road to Sin City. The Bears will take on UNLV Rebels (1-2) in Las Vegas, Nevada, at Allegiant Stadium on October 3rd, 2026. The game will start at 12:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on CBSSN. The last time the Bears and Rebels faced off was on December 18th, 2024, at the Art of Sport LA Bowl, Hosted By Gronk. The Rebels would get the win over the Bears, 24-13, and the all-time series is 1-1.

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson: Cardinal hope to put loss to Duke behind them face Georgia Tech Saturday

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The Duke Blue Devils (left) line up against the Stanford Cardinal at Wallace Wade Stadium in North Carolina on Sat Sep 19, 2026 in week 3 of the NCAA season.

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 Duke Blue Devils took advantage of a struggling Stanford Cardinal defense when Nate Sheppard score on two carries and a catch for 154 yards carrying as Duke beat Stanford 35-7 at Wallace Wade Stadium in North Carolina.

#2 Stanford quarterback Davis Warren threw 18-32 for 151 yards and threw for a five yard touchdown to Caden High for Stanford’s only score of the game in a 35-7 loss.

#3 The Cardinal had only 237 yards in total offense and Micah Ford rushed for 76 yards on 11 carries.

#4 The touchdown to High was High’s second touchdown for Stanford and his 17th of his College career.

#5 The Cardinal face Georgia Tech next Sat Sep 26 a 7:30pm PDT kick off at Stanford Stadium. The Yellow Jackets lost the first two games of the season and then won their last game winning huge and beating the Mercer Bears soundly 44-11 at Georgia Tech.

Michael Roberson does the Stanford Cardinal podcasts weekly at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal gets first Win at home this season, beating Wagner Seahawks 49-7

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California Golden Bear running back (#24) Adam Mohammed stiff arms Wagner Seahawk defensive back (#18) Dashawn Long in a NCAA non-conference football game at Berkeley, California on Saturday, September 19th, 2026. (Photo credit to IMAGN IMAGES)

By Michael Villanueva

BERKELEY – California Golden Bears (2-1) got their first home win of the season after hosting and defeating Wagner Seahawks (1-3) 49-7. On a sunny Saturday afternoon in Berkeley, California, the Golden Bears returned back home after coming off their first road and conference win of the season against the Syracuse Oranges, 21-18. Golden Bear Kingston Lopa continues getting interceptions; last week Lopa had three interceptions, but in this game he would add more, which showed the Bears’ resilient defense. With big help on California’s offense. Especially Golden Bear quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who threw two touchdowns last week and threw three touchdown passes this week.

Coming into the game for the Seahawks, this was the two teams’ first time meeting for a football game. In general, the last time the Seahawks played football in California was in 2004 against San Diego. With Cal joining the ACC almost two years ago, this is the Seahawks’ fifth game ever against an ACC team. This game for Cal marks the second straight opponent coming from New York, first Syracuse and now Wagner.

Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele would have himself a field day in this game. In the first three minutes, it would take Cal just seven plays to score. Jaron would make a fourteen-yard pass completion to his receiver Ian Strong. After that, Cal’s running back Adam Mohammed rushed right for a twenty-eight-yard gain for the first touchdown. Cal strikes first, 7-0. Then for the rest of the quarter, every time Cal’s offense was on the field, they would score. At the end of the first quarter, Cal would hold the lead over Wagner 29-0.

At the start of the second quarter, it would take Wagner twelve plays to finally get on the board. The Seahawks would get a big run play from their quarterback, Benjamin Newman. Newman would rush the middle for a twenty-three-yard gain on the carry. This would lead to Wagner’s eight-yard touchdown pass by Newman to Malik Redd on the front right side of the end zone. The score would still be in the Bears’ favor, 29-7. This touchdown possession was the only touchdown for the Seahawks the whole game.

After scoring twenty-nine points in the first quarter, Cal would score just ten points in the second quarter. Wagner’s defense would build some momentum from their offense scoring, and in Cal’s next offensive possession, they would hold the Bears to a field goal instead of a touchdown. Cal’s field goal in the beginning of the second quarter would make the score 32-7. At halftime, California would push the lead by thirty-two points over Wagner, 39-7.

Starting the third quarter, the Bears would march down the field. Starting off with a nineteen-yard pass from Cal’s QB Jaron to Ian Strong on the left side of the field. Then again, Cal’s QB Jaron would connect with Chase Hendricks on a thirty-one-yard pass on the left side. Ultimately setting up Cal’s running back Ashten Emory for an eight-yard rushing touchdown, pushing the score to 46-7. This would lead to the final quarter of the game.

In the fourth quarter, Cal would make a thirty-seven-yard field goal by Chase Meyer, making the score 49-7. Other than that, that would be the last scoring sequence in the game and would be the final score of the game. California would score six touchdowns and rack up 626 total yards. Cal’s QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw for a career-high 413 yards and three touchdowns. The Bears would score on right of their 11 drives.

Coming up next for the Golden Bears, California will stay at home and host the Clemson Tigers on Friday, September 25th, at the California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN. This game will also be the Bears’ second conference matchup this season.

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson: Warren and Cardinal hope to exploit Duke defense Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium

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Stanford Cardinal quarterback Davis Warren (8) drops back to pass against the Miami Hurricane at Stanford Stadium Sat Sep 5, 2026 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 Can Stanford quarterback Davis Warren lead the Cardinal offense to a strong performance against Duke?

#2 How much of an impact can wide receiver Caden High make for Stanford’s offense in the matchup?

#3 Can Stanford tight end Benji Blackburn provide a big-play threat against the Blue Devils?

#4 Will wide receiver Jordan Onovughe and the Stanford passing attack be able to exploit Duke’s secondary?

#5 Which Stanford player will emerge as the Cardinal’s most influential performer against Duke?

Join Michael Roberson for the Stanford Cardinal podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

UCLA Bruins beat Cal Golden Bears in season home-opener, 45-24

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California Golden Bear quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (#3) avoids the UCLA Bruins’ defense and throws an 8-yard touchdown pass to Mason Mini in Week 1 of an NCAA football game on Saturday, September 5th, 2026, at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, CA. (Photo credit Michael Villanueva)

By Michael Villanueva

BERKELEY – A historic rivalry that began in 1993 and continues to this day. The matchup is known by many names: the Bear Bowl, the Sibling Rivalry, or even another variation of “NorCal vs SoCal”. This game was the home opener for Cal Berkeley as the UCLA Bruins visited the California Golden Bears, starting both teams’ 2026-27 NCAA football season in week 1. This sold-out Saturday night football game had the California Memorial Stadium at maximum capacity. This is Cal and UCLA’s 95th matchup of all-time. UCLA Bruins lead the series at 58-35-1. Last time the UCLA Bruins were in Berkeley, UCLA would get the win over Cal 35-28. However, in the last matchup, it was the Golden Bears getting the win over the Bruins 33-7 in Pasadena. Ultimately, tonight, it would be the UCLA Bruins (1-0) getting the victory on the road over the California Golden Bears (0-1) 45-24.

Both of these schools came into this game with new head coaches. Tosh Lupoi was announced as the Travers Family Head Football Coach of the Bears on Dec. 4, 2025. Lupoi won a pair of national championships during a five-year stint at Alabama, where he served as an outside linebackers coach and defensive coordinator, in addition to five conference championships (4 SEC, 1 Big 10). He is the 35th head coach in Cal football program history. Bob Chesney was hired as the 20th head coach in UCLA football history on Dec. 6, 2025. He arrives in Westwood after two successful seasons at James Madison from 2024-25, guiding the Dukes to a 21-6 record and numerous historic firsts.

The Golden Bears scored the first touchdown of the night and their season. Cal’s quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele gets a short pass to the left for a 9-yard touchdown to Chase Hendricks. Sagapolutele picked up where he left off last season in his freshman year. Sagapolutele completed 316-of-492 passes for 3,454 yards with 18 touchdown throws and nine interceptions while starting all 13 games in 2025. He was only the second true freshman to be named the Bears’ starting quarterback for a season opener and the first since Jared Goff arrived in Berkeley in 2013, on his way to becoming the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick in 2016.

On UCLA’s first offensive drive, they responded. The Bruins would get on the board by their quarterback, Nico Lamaleave. Lamaleave would do a fake handoff and keep the ball to run in a 9-yard touchdown. After that, the game would be tied at 7-7, halfway through the 1st quarter. Nico Iamaleava is back for his second season at UCLA. The Long Beach, Calif., native led the Bruins in rushing yards (505), carries (112), and rushing touchdowns (4) in addition to throwing for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns on 208 of 323 passes.

UCLA and California’s defense have been stellar throughout the first half. It wouldn’t be until three minutes into the second quarter that Cal would add more points on the scoreboard. Cal’s kicker Town McGough would make a 28-yard field goal to give the Golden Bears the lead, 10-7. After that, UCLA’s offense would catch Cal’s defense and score on back-to-back offensive possessions. UCLA running back Anthony Woods would rush for a 31-yard touchdown to give UCLA their first lead of the night, 10-14.

After UCLA’s defense held Cal’s offense. The Bruins would march down the field and score again on another rushing touchdown from Wayne Knight’s 8-yard run. The lead would go by 11 points for UCLA over California at 10-21. Then with three and a half minutes left, Cal is looking to score before halftime, but UCLA’s defense would have something to say. Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele would get sacked and lose the ball during that, and UCLA’s Amier Washington would recover the fumble.

However, with fifty-one seconds left of the second quarter, the Golden Bears weren’t gonna let this game get out of control. UCLA quarterback Nico Lamaleava would throw an interception to Cal’s defensive back, Kingston Lopa. Giving the ball back to Cal with less than a minute. However, that’s all the time Cal would need to get themselves back in the game. With the ball at the 8-yard line, Sagapolutele would throw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Mason Mini to cut the lead to 4 points, 17-21.

With just two seconds left, UCLA would be able to get into field goal range and add three more points to the lead before halftime, 17-24. UCLA’s running game has been big for them in their Week 1 matchup. The Bruins were able to put up 123 rushing yards compared to the Golden Bears’ 34 rushing yards. These two sophomore quarterbacks have displayed that they could throw the ball and find their targets. UCLA would be able to finish the first half going 12-for-18 on passing, while California went 15-for-32 in their passing.

Heading into the third quarter, Cal took advantage of the game clock and emphasized it with a touchdown. The Golden Bears had the ball for basically the entire third quarter; they were on offense for over 11 minutes. Cal would march down the field and end the drive on a 1-yard touchdown from running back Adam Mohammed. That touchdown would tie the game and head into the final quarter.

Going into the final quarter of the game, with the score tied, the Golden Bears had the ball, and with ten minutes left, it was perfect for Cal to strike. However, UCLA’s defense would come up big for the Bruins. Cal quarterback Sagapolutele would throw two interceptions in the final minutes, and UCLA would capitalize on his mistakes. The first interception from the Bruins would follow up on a 31-yard rushing touchdown by Wayne Knight, 31-24. Then Sagapolutele would hop on the field to throw his second interception. Which, again, would lead to another UCLA touchdown by Wayne Knight, again, for his 3rd rushing touchdown of the night, 38-24.

With one minute and twenty seconds left, UCLA Bruins weren’t done with the Golden Bears. Bruins running back Anthony Woods would rush in a touchdown for 53 yards. The score would now go to 45-24. After that, it would be the Bruins doing the last dance on the field as UCLA wins the game, 45-24. UCLA Bruins would score 21 points alone in the fourth quarter.

After this crushing loss to the UCLA Bruins. The California Golden Bears are gonna hit the road for their next game. They’ll be facing the Syracuse Orange in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse got their win in week 1 against the New Hampshire Wildcats, 66-3. The game will be broadcast live on the ACC Network at 12:30 p.m.

Cardinal Blown out by the Category 5 Hurricanes 45-6, Friday Evening on the Farm

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Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Daylyn Upshaw (7) reacts to quarterback Darian Mensah (10) after scoring a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal in the first half at Stanford Stadium on Fri Sep 4, 2026 (AP News photo)

Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (1-1, 0-1 ACC) Atlantic Coast Conference home opener was spoiled by the #7 Miami Hurricanes (1-0, 1-0 ACC), 45-6, turning a mild 70-degree gametime start into a stormy (scoring) night in the Bay on national television.

MIami acted in a benevolent way, by winning the coin flip, but deferring their possession until the second half.. Stanford was not able to capitalize on their early gift. After three down, Stanford was giving the ball right back to their South Florida visitors.

The Hurricanes absolutely took advantage of their initial possession. In less than three minutes into the game, Miami went on a 77-yard drive to open up the scoring for the two ACC combatants, ‘Canes’ QB Darian Mensah tossed a 23-yard TD to wide receiver Malachi Toney, putting the Sunshine State boys up 7-0. That would be only the beginning.

A little over four minutes later, the home team was able to scratch the scoreboard, with an Emmett Kenney 30-yard field goal. The Cardinal trailed by four, 7-3 at the midway point of the quarter. However, the Hurricane’s mighty winds would be in effect five minutes later.

The aforementioned touchdown combination of Mensah/Toney was at it again. The second one was on a 2-yard connection. With less than three minutes left in the initial quarter, Miami took an 11 points lead, 14-3. That advantage stayed the same at the quarter’s end. After one, Mensah had thrown two touchdown passes for 129 yards (8-8), while Toney caught two TDs for 89 yards.

The Hurricanes were not done with their damaging winds against the California trees. In the middle of the second quarter, running backCharMar “Marty” Brown crossed the end zone on a 5-yard run, to put his team up by 18 points, 213. After the 2:00 timeout, Mensah threw his third TD pass of the game. This one went to WR Daylyn Upshaw. The 25-point lead almost lasted until recess, but Stanford still showed their Cardinal pride. Kenney converted a 24-yard field goal with less than :30 left in the half. So, after 30 minutes of conference action, the Hurricanes led by 22 points, 28-6.

Mensah had three TD passes for 253 yards at the half, while Toney had his two TD receptions for 182 yards at the midpoint of the game.

Even with the large lead at the half, Miami had the distinction of receiving the ball, due to their early deferment. For the fourth time Mensah displayed his aerial skills, by hitting Cooper Burkate for a 34-yard TD strike. Three minutes into the second half, they found themselves up by 29 points, 35-6.

More than six minutes after the last score, Mensah to Toney happened again. The final connection between the two was for a 47-yard link.With nearly 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, Mensah had thrown 5 TDs and amassed over 400 yards passing. With a whopping 42-6 lead and more than a quarter left in the game, the Hurricanes decided to give Mensah the rest of the game off and mercifully let the clock run out and leave the Bay with a victory.

However, late in the final quarter, Miami added another three points to their already impressive tally, when kicker Jake Weinberg booted a 46-yard field goal, and increased their gap to 39 points, 45-6. That score lasted until the final whistle, and the U had earned a W.

Mensah finished early with 27-30 (90%), 401 passing yards and five TDs. MalachiToney’s 234 yards receiving was a school record performance.

Stanford will next be in action Saturday, September 19 in Durham< NC, as they take on the Duke Blue Devils at 1 PM PT/4 PM ET on the CW. Miami flies back to South Florida to host Florida A&M Thursday, September 10 8 PM ET on the ACC Network/ACCNX.

March Madness NCAA report: Bruins exorcised the Blue Devils 70-58, in Sac Town Elite 8 (2), Sunday Afternoon; Final Four bound

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UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (right) battles in the paint with Duke Blue Devils center Adrianna Robertson (20) at the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Arena Sacarmento on Sun Mar 29, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —  The #1 ranked UCLA Bruins (25-1) are headed to their second consecutive Final Four, after a 70-58 comeback victory over the #4 Duke Blue Devils (27-9) inside the Golden 1 Center.

The Bruins opened the game with a basket to take their only lead of the first half.  The Blue Devils responded with a push of their own and had a lead as high as eight, the first 10 minutes of the game.  They managed to end the quarter, 21-17.

Duke continued to control the flow and tempo during the second stanza of the contest.  An upset was on the horizon; however, there was a whole other half of play to come.  Both teams shot over 50% from the field in the first two quarters, but not so well from beyond the arc.

After 20 minutes of Elite 8 action, Duke held an eight-point lead, 39-31.  This was despite both teams shooting a horrible 0% from 3-point territory.  That would be a factor in the second half of the tournament clash.

At recess, only Duke presented players with double-digit scoring.  Senior guard Taina Mair scored 12 points, while redshirt-sophomore Riley Nelson chipped in 11 points.  Loren Betts was close, for the Bruins, with her points after 20 minutes.

In the second half, the Bruins overcame the eight points deific at the 2:40 mark of the third quarter.  Senior guard Gianna Kneepkens launched a three-pointer that put the Bruins in front (47-45) for the first time since they led 2-0 to start the game.  That was a huge momentum shift that Duke would have a hard time recovering from.

As the third quarter ended, UCLA had made a 12-point turnaround in the 10 minutes of the block..  After three, the Bruins were up four, 51-47.  The Blue Devils were discombobulated at that point in time, and so were their faithful fans.  It would only get worse in the final stanza.

In the fourth quarter, UCLA led by as much as 12 points, and was in total control of the game..  With that largest margin score, they completed a 20-point turnaround after returning from the locker room.  The 12-point advantage would be the same at the final horn,  UCLA was the winner 70-58 for the #2 Sacramento Regional.

Loren Betts led all players with 23 points and 10 rebounds.  Her teammate Angela Dugalic tallied 15 points and 6 rebounds.  Duke put forward four players with 10+ points scored.  Taina Mair led with 21 points and 7 rebounds, while Riley Nelson (13), Delaney Thomas (12), and Toby Fournier (10) all added their share for the Blue Devils.

The Bruins are heading to Phoenix, and and will face the winner of the #3 Fort Worth Region (Michigan/Texas). Friday, April 3 at TBD.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

March Madness NCAA podcast Daniel Dullum: Arizona’s Peat leads with 20 points to put Purdue away 79-64 in San Jose

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Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) slam dunks against the Purdue Boilermakers defense in the second half of the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament at SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Mar 28, 2026 (AP News photo)

March Madness NCAA podcast Daniel Dullum:

#1 What key adjustments did Arizona make in the second half to turn a halftime deficit into a dominant win? (Arizona outscored Purdue heavily after halftime and took control defensively.)

#2 How did Purdue’s offensive struggles—especially shooting efficiency—impact the outcome of the game? (Purdue had difficulty scoring consistently, particularly in the second half.)

#3 Which players had the biggest impact on Arizona’s victory, and how did their performances compare to Purdue’s top contributors? (Freshmen like Koa Peat and Ivan Kharchenkov played major roles.)

#4 How did the contrasting play styles (Arizona’s interior dominance vs. Purdue’s perimeter shooting) shape the flow of the game? (Arizona focused on inside scoring and defense, while Purdue relied more on outside shots.)

#5 What does this result reveal about each team’s strengths and weaknesses heading into future tournaments or seasons?

Join Daniel Dullum for analysis on the March Madness NCAA podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com