Tag: NCAAFB

Stanford Cardinal podcast Daniel Dullum: Stanford pulls away from Cal in 2nd quarter in 31-10 win; Cal fires coach Justin Wilcox

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Stanford Cardinal quarterback Elijah Brown (2) drops back on the Cal Bears in the Big Game at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Sat Nov 22, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast Daniel Dullum:

#1 After nine years as Cal Bears head coach Justin Wilcox was fired after the loss to the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday. Cal had a 10-7 lead on Stanford but couldn’t hold the lead and were shutout by the Cardinal in the second half.

#1 The Cal Bears were in the lead early in the Big Game against the Stanford Cardinal 10-7 but that was all she wrote for Cal as the Cardinal opened up on offense scoring two touchdowns in the second and fourth quarters to put this one away.

#2 The Cardinal got offensive help in the second quarter eclipsing the Bears at 1:05 for a 14-10 lead when Stanford running back Kendrick Raphael ran for 11 yards but fumbled only to be recovered by Darrius Davis who returned it for a touchdown.

#3 Stanford defense didn’t allow Cal to score for the rest of the game shutting out Cal in the third and fourth quarters.

#4 Stanford completed all their scoring in the fourth quarter with two touchdowns a four yard carry by running back Micah Ford for four yards to take a 24-10 lead at 14:56. At 10:01 Stanford quarterback Elijah Brown threw a 34 yard touchdown pass to CJ Williams for a 31-10 final.

#5 The win was Stanford’s home win of the season. The Cardinal improve their record to 3-7 and all three of their wins came from winning at Stanford Stadium this season.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Daniel Dullum is heard Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

128th Big Game/Stanford Cardinal game wrap: Cardinal snatch axe from paws of Golden Bears 31-10, on a cool Saturday Evening on the Farm

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Stanford Cardinal players left to right defensive end Zach Buckley (98), offensive lineman Simone Pale (55), and defensive lineman Zach Rowell (97) join in the celebration of bringing the axe back to Stanford University after defeating the Cal Bears at Stanford Stadium on Sat Nov 22, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — A Big Game crowd of 50.039 experienced cross-Bay, conference (ACC) battle, with the Stanford Cardinal (4-7, 3-5 ACC) obtaining the axe from the California Golden Bears (6-5, 3-4 ACC) 31-10 inside Stanford Stadium.

Although Cal opened the game with possession of the ball, neither team scored on their opening drives. A little more than 10 minutes into the first quarter, the Golden Bears got onto the scoreboard first. Redshirt-Junior kicker Chase Meyer booted a 40-yard field goal, to put the visitors up by three, 3-0.

The first 15 minutes of gameplay ended with that same score, with either team doing much on offense, The crowd of both schools wanted and anticipated more action in the second quarter.

Quarter number two did bring more action to the masses. However, the Cardinal faithful did not see an offensive explosion, but a stellar defensive force.

A few ticks over two minutes into the second stanza, Stanford redshirt-junior safety Jay Green scooped up a Cal fumble for a49-yard touchdown. The Cardinal took a four points lead, 7-3. More than eight minutes later, Cal put up points offensively. Freshman quarterback Jason-Keawe Sagapolutele scored from 7 yards out on a keeper. The Bears regained the lead by three, 10-7..

The Cardinal marched down the field, getting inside the “Red Zone” by the two-minute timeout. After several attempts for a touchdown, they settled for a field goal attempt, with a little over a minute before recess. The kick was blocked by senior safety Dru Polidore Jr. All momentum switched to California, and Stanford’s offense and special teams could not score.

The Bears had possession of the ball in their own Bear territory, with less than a minute until halftime, and had the worst case scenario happen to the team. They coughed up the ball again, with Cardinal sophomore safety Darrius Davis grasping the gift and carrying it to paydirt for a 17 yard score. Stanford went back up by four, 14-10.

When the mid-game whistle blew, that last score stood at intermission., 14-10 Stanford.

The Cardinal had possession of the ball to start the second half, but more of the same on offense persisted. They could not get into the end zone, but did get into field goal range. Just over four minutes into the half, senior Emmett Kenney missed a 35-yard attempt, to the dismay of the home fans.

About eight minutes later he had another opportunity. This time from 36 yards from the goalposts. Kenney was successful on that particular attempt. The cardinal extended their advantage to seven, 17-10.

The Golden Bears managed to lose possession of the ball immediately upon receiving it after the Cardinal score. Stanford parlayed that golden opportunity to another score, over two quarters. They had the ball near the goal line as the third quarter ended, and continued at the beginning of the fourth.

Four seconds into the final quarter, sophomore running back Micah Ford scampered in for a 4-yard TD. The Cardinal went up by 14 points, 24-10. They were not finished.

Less than two minutes of elapsed time, the Cardinal reached the end zone again. This score was a 34 yard bomb from Elijah Brown to CJ Williams for SIX. with the subsequent extra point, the Cardinal tied their high score output of 31 points. They also led by 21 points. 31-10.

Despite Cal’s efforts to score again in the waning moments, the score remained the same after 60 minutes of regulation play, 31-10 for the Tree.

The Cardinal will next be in action back here on the Farm next Saturday, November 29, hosting the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 7:30 PM PT on ESPN. Cal heads back across the Bay to host SMU on the same date at TBD.

Big Game/Cal Bears podcast Morris Phillips: Can Bears Sagapolutele command the offense against Stanford?

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Cal Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele makes a pass against the Louisville Cardinal at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville on Sat Nov 8, 2025 (AP News photo)

Cal Bears podcast Morris Phillips:

#1 How critical will freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele be in this matchup, and can he command the offense under Big Game pressure?

#2 Which Cal running back — Kendrick Raphael or LJ Johnson Jr. — is best suited to exploit Stanford’s run defense, and how might their usage shape the game plan?

#3 Can Cal’s passing attack, featuring Jacob De Jesus and Trond Grizzell, generate enough big plays to stretch Stanford’s defense?

#4 On defense, how will linebacker Cade Uluave’s leadership and production factor into Cal’s ability to slow down Stanford’s offense?

#5 What impact could ball-hawking defensive back Hezekiah Masses have on the game, and how might his presence influence Cal’s secondary strategy.

Morris Philips does the Cal Bears podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cardinal Unlucky Versus the Guest Fighting Irish, 56-23; ND Avenged ’22 Upset Loss and Regained Legends Trophy

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Audric Estime (7) scores one of his four touchdowns in the second half against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Sat Nov 25, 2023 (AP News photo)

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (3-9) ended their 2023 season with a 56-23 loss to rival Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-3), on Senior Day on the Farm.

Stanford opened the contest with the initial possession, due to the benevolence of the opponents from Indiana.  Notre Dame won the coin toss, but deferred the ball to the home team, in which they had possession to begin the second half.

During the four minute drive, sophomore quarterback Justin Lamson broke a 49-yard keeper down the field.  Joshua Karty converted a 34-yard field goal to validate the first drive of the game. Stanford was on top 3-0 early in the contest.

When the Fighting Irish finally got their hands on the ball, they also tried to score on their initial drive.  Senior QB Sam Hartman also had a large gain on a keeper (25), but his trot ended with a fumble and turnover to Stanford.

Stanford did not do much with the stolen possession, and the Golden Domers were given another crack at changing the score.  Junior running back Audric Estime scampered for 25 yards into the end zone, giving the Irish the lead, 7-3.

The Cardinal was back on the attack, and sophomore starting quarterback, Ashton Daniels had a 53-yard pass to E.J. Smith, putting them deep into enemy territory.  Karty converted a 23-yard boot, bringing his squad within one, 7-6.

On the subsequent kickoff, Notre Dame proceeded to fumble the ball back to Stanford.  Less than a minute later, freshman wide receiver Tiger Bachmeier took a handoff and scurried 14 yards to pay dirt, propelling his team back in front by six, 13-7.   That score stood after 15 minutes of play.

Early in the second quarter the Irish fought their way down the field into scoring position.  That very thing happened when Hartman tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Jaden Greathouse.  Notre Dame back on top, 14-13.  Hartman’s attempt to put more points on the board resulted in his second turnover of the first half.  His pass attempt was picked off by safety Che Ojariikre.

Stanford quickly turned that into a Karty 56-yard field goal, putting the home team back in front by two, 16-14.  They held onto the advantage for a little more than five game time minutes.  However, the visitors from the Hoosier State had an answer for the Cardinal.

Estime was at it again, as he reached the scoring zone for the second time in the first half.  The Golden Domers went up by five, 21-16.  After a Daniels interception (Jack Kiser), the Irish were in position to add more points before intermission.  With seconds left in the half, sophomore running back Gi’ Bran Payne ran in for a three yard touchdown, giving midwesterners a double-digit lead at recess, 28-16.

The second half was set up perfectly by the road team, as their deferment gave them the ball to begin the second half, after being the last to score at the end of the first stanza.  They capitalized on the strategy fairly soon, when the frequent rusher, Estime, carried the ball to the house for the third time, and the margin widened to 19, Irish 35-16.

Later in the third quarter, Notre Dame scored an additional two touchdowns, by air, and by land.  Hartman hurled a 45-yard bomb touchdown to his freshman wide receiver Jordan Faison. (42-16)  Five minutes later, the ubiquitous Estime crossed the goal line (25) for an incredible fourth time, increasing the lead to 33, Notre Dame 49-16.  That daunting deficit for the Cardinal was also the score after the third quarter ended.

In the final quarter, the leprechauns were somewhat called off, for self preservation.  However, the special teams and defense apparently did not get the memo.

A little more than two minutes into the fourth, Karty was lined up for a 56-yard field goal attempt.  Mister Reliable had his kick blocked by the Domers, and senior defensive end Javonte Jean-Baptiste ran the ball back for 60-yard Block six touchdown.  That was the largest lead of the night (40), and the Fighting Irish were pretty confident they had avenged the previous loss and regained the Legends Trophy, 56-16.

With Cardinal pride, the home team did not want to lose by a 40 point margin, and attempted to alter the scoreboard.  Unfortunately on the next drive quarterback Ari Putu fumbled and turned over the ball during a quarterback keeper.  Notre Dame seemed not to be in any mood to add more points to their already impressive tally, and gave the ball back to Stanford.

Stanford gave the 30,901 fans something to cheer for, as Justin Lamson scored the final touchdown on a quarterback Keeper.  At that point, the deficit didn’t look as horrific, 56-23.  Being good sports, St Joseph County based Fighting Irish took the obligatory knee to end the game with the 33-point victory, 56-23, and possession of the Legends Trophy back to South Bend.

Stanford will next be in action next season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), while Notre Dame will be in a significant Bowl game.

Note: Cardinal sophomore wide receiver, Elic Ayomanor eclipsed the K mark in receiving yards with his 58 in the game.

Irish’ junior running back Audric Estime found himself in the Notre Dame record books with his extraordinary performance on the farm: 238 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

California Bears Upset UCLA With Spectacular Defense 33-7

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The Cal Bears wide receiver Marvin Anderson (left) gets around the UCLA Bruins defensive Laiatu Latu in first half action at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles on Sat Nov 25, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The highly favored UCLA Bruins (7-5) were in for the surprise of their lives. The California Bears (6-6) came into this game as underdogs and hardly looked the part in this game. They defended the run brilliantly and displayed some pretty solid offense. The front five for Cal deserved a lot of credit for the 33-7 win. This was a true team effort.

The first quarter took an unexpected turn in the opening drive for UCLA. Bruins Quarterback Ethan Garbers was hurt and had to leave the game with apparent right arm injury. He would eventually leave the field and head for the locker room in some considerable pain.

Dante Moore would come into the game in place of the injured Garbers. He threw an interception which the Bears turned into three points for the early 3-0 lead. Kicker Mateen Bhaghani was 2 of 2 in the first quarter. At 5:25 he kicked a 43 yard field goal and he would kick a second field goal with 0:37 seconds left on the clock in the opening quarter extending their lead to 6-0.

Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw an interception at 9:53 in the second quarter. UCLA took full advantage of that pick and a few plays later took the ball down to the Cal 13 yard line. The Bruin offense was really dialed in after a bit of a slow start. The Cal defense kept the Bruins out of the end zone.

They went for a 23 yard field goal which kicker Blake Glesssner missed and the score remained 6-0 in favor of Cal. The next Bears possession saw a second Mendoza interception and the Bruins had the ball deep in Cal territory. UCLA was unable to turn the first interception into points but they did turn the second one into a touchdown taking a 7-6 lead.

Cal had the ultimate answer to the UCLA touchdown. The Bears Jaydn Ott took the kickoff for 100 yds and a touchdown; California had wasted no time taking back the lead 13-7. WIth 0.56 seconds left in the half the Cal Bears delivered a punishing hit to Bruin quarterback Dante Moore forcing a fumble that Cal recovered deep in UCLA territory.

Mendoza found Jeremiah Hunter for 14 yards and their second touchdown of the day taking a 20-7 lead into the locker room. The Bears not only had the lead in this game, they would also get the ball to start the second half. This was a great first half of football for the Bears. The Bears defense would have to continue to put pressure on the UCLA offense most importantly Moore.

In the second possession of the second half the Cal Bears intercepted the ball for the second time in this game. So far the Cal’s run defense had been impressive. The Bruins put together a great drive in the third quarter that stalled when they attempted to go on a 4th and 13.

Head Coach for UCLA Chip Kelly is not a fan of the field goal and more often than not, the Bruins are successful on fourth downs. A 4th and 13, however, is a long shot and it did put the ball back into the hands of Cal. The Bears put together a nice drive that culminated with a 32 yard field goal to start the fourth quarter giving Cal a 23-7 lead. The Bears were on the cusp of an amazing upset.

Less than a minute into the fourth quarter the Bruins fumbled and California recovered the ball. The Bears had really dictated the tone of this game and momentum was totally in their favor. Hunter celebrated his second touchdown of the game, a 13 yard pass from Mendoza extending the Cal lead to 30-7 at 13:35.

The Bears would tack on their fourth field goal of the game, a 20 yarder for the final score of 33-7. The Bears would finish off the game with a sack of Moore and this game was a wrap. This was a terrific win for Cal but also a sad ending to the storied Pac-12.

Post game notes: Saturday night the Bears traveled down south to take on the Bruins . The Bears are coming off a great win over the Stanford Cardinal winning their fourth Big Game in five years 27-15. They came into this game on a very high note. Mendoza threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns in the win on Nov 18th.

Ott had his fifth 100-yard game of the season. As good as the Bear’s offense was, the defense was equally as good in this great win on Nov 18th. Cal was on point for this game. The UCLA offense featuring Garbers did not start and UCLA went with Moore who threw for 266 yards, one touchdown, and threw two interceptions.

The UCLA season had come to an end with a resounding thud as the Cal Bears manhandled the favored Bruins. Mendoza finished with 178 passing yards. The player of the game has to be Hunter with eight receptions, 101 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Ott 21 carries for 80 yards. The Bears are bowl eligible after Saturday night’s win.

San Jose State Spartans Earn Possible Shot At Mountain West Title Game With 37-31 Victory Over UNLV Rebels

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A happy group of San Jose State Spartans leave the field after playing against the UNLV Running Rebels at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sat Nov 25, 2023 (San Jose State University image)

Saturday, November 25th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

The San Jose State Spartans won its fifth straight game and earned a shot at the Mountain West Conference title by beating the UNLV Rebels 37-31 in this final week of the season. Thanks to Chevan Cordeiro’s two touchdown passes and Kairee Robinson’s two touchdown rushes the Spartans made a big statement headed into the championship week. 

This loss for UNLV leaves a three-way tie for first place in the Mountain West between them SJSU and Boise State and computer rankings will determine which two teams will play in the conference championship game. Updates coming soon. 

SJSU took control early in this game and didn’t let up. Cordeiro’s 56 yard passing TD to Sam Olson was the fourth play from scrimmage and grabbed the lead. A UNLV fumble on the following kickoff that Jay’Vion Cole recovered at the 23 yard line set up a Spartans field goal. 10-0 SJSU.

Robinson scored a 25 yard touchdown making it 17-0 Spartans, but UNLV responded with a rushing TD of their own thanks to Jai’Den Thomas that put them within ten points at the end of the first quarter. 

Each team hit a field goal in the second quarter making it 20-10 Spartans at halftime. In the third quarter UNLV was able to cut the deficit with another Thomas rushing TD early in the third quarter, but Cordeiro came right back with a toss to Isaac Jernigin, and then another field goal by SJSU made it 30-17 by the end of the third quarter. 

The final quarter started with Robinson scoring on a 40 yard touchdown giving the Spartans a three score lead. UNLV in back to back drives was able to score and cut the lead to 37-31 with 1:27 left in the game. Spartans ran the clock down and ended the game with 37-31 and now the rankings have to decide which one the three teams in this tie will play in the conference championship game next week.

Cardinal Grounds Eagles 95-70, on a Rainy Friday Night on the Farm

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Stanford Cardinal guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) goes up for a bucket against the Eastern Washington Tigers at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Fri Nov 17, 2023 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif.– The Stanford Cardinal (3-1, 0-0 Pac-12) and Bay Area inclimate weather did not allow the Eastern Washington Eagles (0-4, 0-0 Big Sky) to soar inside or outside of Maples Pavilion, 95-70.

Stanford started the game off trying to respond to the12-point loss in their previous contest. They also were down two senior starters (Spencer Jones & Brandon Angel) at gametime (6 pm PDT). However, EWU wanted to get their first win period, no matter the locale or opponent.

The Eagles got off to a flying start and led most of the first half. They were in front by as much as 12 points and had an 8-0 run during that time frame. Eastern Washington was also hot from beyond the 3-point arc, shooting a sizzling 57% from Downtown/Suburbs. Their junior guard/forward Cedric Coward was really “en fuego,” as he was perfect (4-4) from Threeland and garnered 14 points by recess.

The Cardinal had to battle from behind for nearly 13 minutes before they finally gained the advantage on the scoreboard. Graduate transfer Jared Bynum nailed a jumper (7:14) to put them in front, 27-26. That was a pivotal juncture in the half and game.

Stanford went on a 17-0 run themselves and also led by as many as 12 points. This was also the margin at intermission, 47-35. Freshman guard Andrej Stojakovic led the Cardinal with 12 points, while Bynum offered 9 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds.

The second half Stanford widened their margin to as large as 25 points. Which was also the distance of the final tally, 95-70.. The aforementioned Pivot Time was when the Cardinal took over the lead and game for good.

Famous basketball son/player Stojakovic, led the Cardinal and opposing players at the half, as well as at the end of the game in points (18), with a variety of scoring options. Michael Jones chipped in 15 points, while sophomore guard Benny Gealer scored 13 points. Jared Bynum (11 points, 9 assists & 5 rebounds) and James Keeth (8 points & 12 rebounds) were both either an assist or a basket from a double-double in the blowout victory.

With the great play of the two newcomers Bynum and Stojakovic, Stanford Head Coach Jerod Haase explained what type of high character player comes to the program, “We’re really trying to bring in the guys who fit in with Stanford.”

The Cardinal are next in action in Paradise (Paradise Island, Bahamas) as they will participate in the Battle4Atlantis tournament in the Atlantic Ocean locale. They are scheduled to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks Wednesday, November 22 at 7:30 pm EST, and possibly face either the Michigan Wolverines or Memphis Tigers on Friday, November 24 at TBD.

EWU heads back to Cheney, WA to host the Walla Walla Wolves Wednesday, November 22 at 6 pm PDT.