Tag: USC Trojans

Cardinal Bombarded the Men of Troy, 99-68; Many of the Capacity Crowd’s Eyes on the Farm were on Prince James

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The Stanford Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud (left) who led with 25 points and 19 3’s celebrates a win over the USC Trojans with head coach Jerod Haase (right) at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Sat Feb 10, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — A school record 19 threes helped propel the Stanford Cardinal (12-11, 7-6 Pac-12) to a 99-68 blowout win over the University of Southern California Trojans (9-15, 3-10 Pac-12) in front of a sold out (7,563) Maples Pavilion crowd.

An electric atmosphere surrounding the Northern/Southern rivalry between the two California conference rivals, was also exacerbated by the son (Bronny) of the NBA All-Time Leading scorer, Lebron James, making his first and only appearance at Stanford. The full house was cheering and booing Bronny James, in the same polarizing scenario his father has been through during his storied career. The jeers were apparently directed at James Sr. vicariously through his son.

James Jr. had an unimpressive 6 points and 3 assists, without his father being in the Palo Alto crowd. However, when the Trojans played Cal last Wednesday, King James was inside Haas Pavilion, to witness his son’s team lose an overtime battle to the Golden Bears.

Cal actually started the game off with a 4-0 lead. Unfortunately for them, that was the last lead they would possess in the game Bronny bounced a dime assist to put the Trojans on the scoreboard first, and later hit a three and got an exciting breakaway dunk, stuntin like his daddy. Other than that, it was all Stanford with the excitement and thrills.

The Cardinal stroked a school record 12 treys in the first half. They also had three players in double-figures after 20 minutes of play. Maxime Raynaud (15), 2 threes, Andrej Stojakovic (14), 4 threes, and Benny Gealer (11), 3 threes. The Trojans had 0 players with 10+ points.

After the early 4-point deficit, Stanford went on a 25-0 run and led by as much as 31 points before recess. USC was scoreless for nearly 7 1/2 minutes and approximately 9 minutes without a made FG. At halftime, the Cardinal led by 29 points, 55-26.

In the second half, the onslaught continued, as the team added seven more 3-pointers to their record tabulations. Their lead reached a margin of 33 points, and they managed to maintain that advantage – minus two points – at the final whistle, 99-68.

During the second 20-minute block two Cardinal players recorded career highs in scoring: Freshman Andrej Stojakovic (20) and sophomore Benny Gealer (14). Maxime Raynaud was almost perfect from the field (10-11) and contributed 25 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2-2 from threeland. Spencer Jones had 15 points on 5 made threes, and Kanaan Carlyle added 10 points, 4 assists and 2 blocks.

The Trojans only had a single soul reach double-digits, and it was not Bronny James. Freshman Isaiah Collier posted 18 points for his USC squad, but that was not nearly enough for the offensive barrage of their NorCal opponent.

After the impressive 31-point beatdown, the Cardinal will next be in action in the Great Northwest, as they will battle the Washington Huskies, Thursday, February 15, at 6 PM PDT on ESPN2. The Trojans will head to the Beehive State on the same date to take on the Utah Utes at 8 PM MST .

Bears stave off disaster with another painful win over Trojans in overtime 83-77

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The Cal Bears forward Grant Newell (14) and guard Jalen Cone (15) jump for joy as the Bears defeated the USC Trojans in OT for Cal’s tenth win of the season at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Wed Feb 7, 2024 (Cal Bears photo)

Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

USC Trojans 77 (9-14 Overall; 3-9 Pac-12)

California Golden Bears 83 (10-13 Overall; 6-6 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

The Bears dodged a bullet, and beat the USC Trojans in overtime, 83-77, to cap off yet another painful win in what was their first win against USC in over seven years.

The Bears returned home following a convincing win over the Arizona State Sun Devils in Tempe on Saturday to host a USC Trojans team, who had beaten the Bears in each of their previous 11 matchups.

There would be no scoring in the first minute of the game, but Cal struck first with a dunk and jumper from Fardaws Aimaq. Arrinten Page laid one in to put USC on the board, and Joshua Morgan hit a jumper to tie it, 4-4.

Aimaq hit a jumper to put the Bears back ahead at 6-4, as he scored each of the Bears’ first six points tonight, and the two teams remained neck and neck for the next several minutes.

The Bears led 22-21 when Grant Newell was fouled with 8:34 remaining in the first half, and Newell made both shots from the line. From there, Jalen Cone took off, as he hit back-to-back-to-back threes to open up a 33-25 lead for the Bears.

Cone went for fourth-straight three, and was fouled, but he then hit all three shots from the line to make it 36-25 with 5:39 to go.

The Trojans then made a charge, and scored six unanswered points to cut Cal’s lead to 36-31. However, Aimaq made a pair of dunks, and Newell made a jumper, as the Bears went into the half with a 6-0 run to open their lead back to 11 at 42-31.

The Bears carried their momentum into the second half, as Jalen Celestine hit a three ball, and Jaylon Tyson laid one in, as the Bears’ run extended to 11-0 to make it 47-31. Boogie Ellis was fouled and made one of two from the line, and DJ Rodman, the son of NBA Hall-of-Famer Dennis Rodman, laid one in to give USC a reprieve.

The Trojans then started to slowly chip away at the Bears’ lead. Tyson made a jumper and a layup, but a three-ball by Kobe Johnson cut the lead to 51-39 with 15:32 remaining.

From there, there would not be any scoring for nearly three minutes until Rodman hit a three to make it 51-42. Isaiah Collier made a layup; was fouled; and then hit his shot from the line to cut the Bears’ lead to just six at 51-45.

The Bears were now in danger of blowing another big lead. However, they responded swiftly with a 7-2 run, which featured a three by Tyson; a jumper by Celestine; and a layup by Keonte Kennedy, as the Bears opened their lead back up to 58-47 with 9:05 to go.

Collier then went on a show, and scored seven unanswered points to make it 58-54. Tyson laid one in, and hit one from the line after being fouled on the play, but the Trojans were relentless, as Morgan slammed one down, and Collier hit a layup and a pair of free throws to make it just a one-point game at 61-60.

Once again, there the Bears were on the verge of blowing yet another big lead in a season that has seen them do so so many times. However, Tyson and Cone each hit threes to make it 67-62 with 1:58 remaining, and things were looking good for the Bears.

However, these were the 2023-2024 California Golden Bears, and there was going to be more pain for the Bears and their fans in this one. Ellis and Rodman each made layups to make it 67-66. Tyson and Aimaq each missed layups, and Collier was fouled and made one of two at the line to tie it, 67-67 with 27 seconds to go.

After an intentional foul, Jaylon Tyson missed a three at the buzzer, and we were headed to overtime.

So there you had it, another blown lead for the Bears in this wild roller coaster ride of a season. However, through all the pain, there has been tremendous excitement and glory, and we were about to see whether the Bears had anymore in them.

Aimaq was fouled and made one of two from the line to start overtime, but Ellis laid one in to give the Trojans the lead, 69-68. It was USC’s first lead since Bronny James, the son of NBA star Lebron James, who was in attendance at Haas Pavilion tonight, hit a three to put them up 14-13 in the early part of the first half.

Tyson slammed one down to put the Bears back ahead, but Collier drew a foul and hit two from the line to do the same for USC. Tyson was fouled and hit two from the line, and then Collier was fouled, but only hit one from the line, as the game was tied, 72-72.

Jalen Celestine lit up the sellout crowd at Haas Pavilion with a three to put Cal up 75-72, but of course the Trojans were not going to make this easy. Following a layup by Kobe Johnson, Cone hit a three to make it 78-74, but go figure, Rodman hit a three to make it 78-77 with 36 seconds remaining.

Kennedy then drew a foul, and he hit both from the line to make it 80-77. Aimaq blocked a layup by Collier; then Celestine took the rebound, and was fouled. Celestine made one of two from the line to make it 81-77.

After Rodman missed a three, USC had no choice but to foul Celestine, who took the rebound, but Celestine made both from the line, and Bears held on to win it, 83-77.

Just another painful win for the Bears, who have had so many of them in a comeback season following their second-worst in team history. But hey, if you’re going to have even a close-to-.500 season following a 3-29 season, there is going to be a lot of pain. That’s just how it goes.

With this win, the Bears have won four of their last five. They improve to .500 in conference play at 66, and improve to 10-13 overall. This is also Cal’s first win against USC since Jan. 8, 2017, which was during the Bears’ last winning season.

As for the individual players, Jaylon Tyson had an incredible night, as he scored 27 points. Jalen Cone was also pretty solid with a 20-point performance. Isaiah Collier scored 20, and DJ Rodman scored 17 for USC. Bronny James did hit that three early in the first half, but he only scored five on the night in front of his old man.

Now the Bears will welcome the UCLA Bruins into the House of Pain for a 2:30 p.m. tipoff on Saturday.

Stanford Cardinal Basketball podcast with Michael Roberson: VanDerveer “I’m overwhelmed” in becoming winningest NCAA coach

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Tara VanDerveer acknowledges the Maples Pavilion crowd after winning her 1,203rd game an NCAA record against the Oregon State Beavers on Sun Jan 21, 2024 at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto (AP News photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael:

#1 You were there to see it Michael on Sunday as NCAA history was made by Tara VanDerveer becoming the winningest coach in NCAA history with her 1,203 win.

#2 VanDerveer pass coach K better known as Duke and Army coach Mike Krzyzewski for the record. That’s a storied career Krzyzewski held but VanDerveer had been working on this record for awhile and achieved it with a win over the Oregon State Beavers 65-56.

#3 Those in attendance admired VanDerveer’s class after the game thanking the fans, the marching band, and asked the band to stop playing and got on the PA and told the Maples Pavilion crowd that she was overwhelmed.

#4 In Men’s basketball after winning three of their last four games the Cardinal took a tough loss to the USC Trojans 93-79 on Jan 6th. The Cardinal high scorer was Michael Jones who finished with 23 points. Three Cardinal players finished in double figures.

#5 After some 20 days off from live action the Cardinal are back at it again facing the Cal Bears at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Fri Jan 26th. Cal has played some stunning games and won their last game against the Washington State Cougars 81-75 on Saturday. Cal has won three of their last six games. Do you see this Cardinal-Bears match up as a anyone could win game?

Michael Roberson does Stanford Cardinal podcasts for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Trojans defeat Stanford men 93-79 in LA; 3 USC players score over 20 pts in win

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USC Trojan guard Boogie Ellis (5) drives on Stanford Cardinal forward Brandon Angel (left) at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on Sat Jan 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

By DANIEL DULLUM

Stanford’s final men’s basketball Pac-12 road trip to Los Angeles ended in a split on Saturday, as the Cardinal fell 93-79 to Southern California at Galen Center.

Isaiah Collier collected a game-high 26 points for USC, followed by Boogie Ellis with 22 points and five rebounds, and Kobe Johnson with 21 points, five steals and five assists. Ellis, Johnson and Joshua Morgan each had five rebounds for the Trojans.

Michael Jones led the Cardinal (7-7 overall, 2-2 Pac-12) with 23 points on 8 of 9 field goal attempts while sinking 5 of 5 from 3-point range. Brandon Angel was next with 18 points, including 3 of 3 behind the arc, along with five rebounds and six assists. Spencer Jones added 12 points and Maxime Reynaud grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Cardinal lost despite shooting 52.7 percent from the field, including 59.1 percent on 3s. When Spencer Jones hit his second 3 of the game, he moved into 11th place on the Pac-12’s all-time 3-point standings, passing former Arizona State guard Rihards Kuksika.

The two teams traded one-basket leads in the opening minutes, but USC (8-7 overall, 2-2 Pac-12) eventually took a 39-35 halftime lead. Spencer Jones scored the Cardinal’s first seven points of the second half – nine of their first 11 – and Stanford later used a 10-0 run to tie the game at 61-61.

USC regained the lead and held it for the remainder of the game,

The Trojans made 47.8 percent from the field (32 of 67) while making 14 of 25 (56 percent) of their 3-point attempts. USC had a 34-31 rebounding edge.

The Cardinal return to action Thursday at Oregon State. Tipoff is at 8 p.m.

Tyson’s 23 points not enough; Cal drops first three Pac-12 matches

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The Cal Bears guard Rodney Brown Jr (1) tries to defend against the USC Trojans guard Bronny James (6) in the first half Galen Center in Los Angeles on Wed Jan 3, 2023 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024

Galen Center, Los Angeles, California

California Golden Bears 74 (4-10 Overall; 0-3 Pac-12)

USC Trojans 82 (7-7 Overall; 1-2 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

The Bears began their all-Los Angeles road trip with an 82-74 loss to the USC Trojans, despite a 23-point performance from Jaylon Tyson as they have now dropped their first three Pac-12 games.

The Bears were trying to start fresh after a devastating loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils on Sunday, and they would try to do so against a USC team, who had dropped five of their previous six games coming into tonight.

Cal won the opening tip, and Keyonte Kennedy hit a jumper to put them on the board early. Joshua Morgan then made a jumper for USC, followed by a layup by Isiah Collier to make it 4-2 Trojans. 

USC maintained a small lead throughout the next several minutes, but a jumper by Jaylon Tyson tied it at 8-8, and a layup by Tyson gave the Bears a 10-8 lead. Collier hit a jumper for USC to tie it, and then Jalen Cone hit a three-ball to make it 13-10 Cal.

USC then scored seven unanswered points to take a 17-13 lead, but Cal quickly responded, as Rodney Brown Jr. hit a free throw, and Tyson tied it with a three. DJ Rodman hit a three for the Trojans to give them a 20-17 lead, but Fardaws Aimaq then laid one in, and Tyson hit a jumper to put the Bears back ahead at 21-20 with 7:42 left in the first period.

Bronny James hit a jumper to give USC the lead again, and Jalen Celestine hit a three to give the lead back to the Bears at 24-22. Rodman then hit a three to put USC back ahead, and start a 15-5 run, which would take the Trojans into the half with a 37-29 lead.

USC then hit the ground running in the second period, as Rodman hit a three to start things off. Cone hit a jumper for the Bears, but Kobe Johnson hit a three for the Trojans, and Collier laid one in to open USC’s lead to 45-31.

The Trojans led 61-44 with 12:27 remaining, as they had pretty much put the game away. USC would keep that rather-large lead for the next several minutes, and they were up 73-61 with 5:45 remaining. 

However, the Bears made some noise. Kennedy hit a jumper, and Cone hit a three, as it was now 73-66 with 4:53 remaining. Boogie Ellis then hit a three for USC with 2:37 remaining to make it 76-66, but Celestine hit a jumper, as well as the free throw after he was fouled, and Tyson dunked on. Suddenly it was 76-71 with just two minutes remaining.

Despite the Bears’ valiant efforts, they still ultimately fell short, as the Trojans held on to win it, 82-74.

The Bears fall to 4-10, and are now 0-3 to start Pac-12 play. They will head over to UCLA to play the Bruins Saturday night at 7:00.

Bears collapse; Frankie Collins leads Arizona State to comeback win

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The Arizona State Sun Devils forward Kamari Lands (0) takes the ball up the floor and is guarded by the Cal Bears guard Devin Askew (55) and Gus Larson forward (31) in the first half at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sun Dec 31, 2023 (AP News photo)

Sunday, Dec 31, 2023

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

Arizona State Sun Devils 71 (8-5 Overall; 2-0 Pac-12)

California Golden Bears 69 (4-9 Overall; 0-2 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

Frankie Collins led the Arizona Sun Devils to another late comeback win over the Bears in, as Cal blew a 16-point lead, and then collapsed in the final nine minutes to fall, 71-69.

The Bears were looking to bounce back following a shellacking at the hands of the Arizona Wildcats in their Pac-12 opener on Friday night. Tonight, they welcomed in the Arizona State Sun Devils, who were coming off a late comeback win at Stanford Friday night.

The two teams traded missed shots before Jamiya Neal got the Sun Devils on the board with a jumper a minute and 18 seconds into the game. The Bears then jumped ahead on a three by Jaylon Tyson, followed by a jumper by Keonte Kennedy, and a layup by Fardaws Aimaq.

Tyson, who led the charge for Cal in the early going, hit a jumper and laid one in to give the Bears a 11-7 lead, followed by a jumper by Adam Miller for Arizona State to make it 11-9. Jalen Cone hit a three-ball to make it 14-9, and then the Sun Devils responded with a jumper by Shawn Phillips Jr., as well as a free throw made by Neal to make it 14-12 with 9:47 remaining.

The Bears then scored 10 unanswered points, Aimaq made one of two free throws; and Tyson hit a jumper, got fouled and hit the free throw. Tyson then dunked one in; Cone and Kennedy hit a free throw; and Aimaq laid one in to make it 24-14 with 6:53 to go.

The Sun Devils cut into Cal’s lead a bit to close it to 29-23 with 2:41 remaining, but the Bears were able to close out the first period on a high note. Aimaq dunked on Devin Askew hit a pair of free throws and Kennedy hit a jumper, as the Bears went into the half up 35-25.

Like the first period, neither team scored in the first minute of the second period; and just like the first period, the Sun Devils scored first, this time on a jumper by Frankie Collins.

Cal then scored eight unanswered points. Tyson and AImaq both hit threes, and Kennedy hit a jumper to open Cal’s lead to 43-27, their largest of the night. The score remained steady over the next several minutes, as the Bears led 54-39 with 9:40 to go, and 56-42 with 8:59 left to go.

However, the tides quickly turned. Kamari Lands hit a three for Arizona State; and Collins hit a jumper, which was capped off with a free throw after he was fouled on the play. That cut the score to 56-48. Collins then stole the ball, and passed it to Lands, who hit a three, as suddenly, it was just a five point-game at 56-51.

Tyson hit a pair of free throws, but Lands hit another three-ball to make it 58-54. The teams traded buckets, and after Jose Perez hit a jumper followed by a free throw for the Sun Devils, it was 62-61. Adam Miller was fouled, and hit one of two free throws to tie it at 62-62.

It was another blown lead for the Bears, who have blown some rather large leads early this season. It was also a familiar spot for the Sun Devils, who came back to beat Stanford late on Friday, and they were at it again tonight.

Frankie Collins hit a jumper to put the Sun Devils back ahead at 64-62. Aimaq hit a jumper, as well as a free throw after he was fouled to put the Bears ahead at 65-64. Collins hit a jumper, and Tyson hit a pair of free throws to make it 67-66.

Alfonzo Gaffney dunked one in to make it 68-67 with 43 seconds left, and Collins hit a jumper to make it 70-67 with just seven seconds left.

With the Bears in a position where they could tie it with a three, Jose Perez intentionally fouled Jalen Cone, who would only get two free throws, both of which he hit to make it 70-69. Collins then made a free throw, and all Tyson could do was try and hit a miracle three, which fell short. The Sun Devils won it 71-69.

Collins, who is from nearby Sacramento, and who had friends and family in attendance, stole the show, as he scored 25 points.

Tyson led the scoring for the Bears with 20 points, followed by Aimaq with 17.

The Bears fall to 4-9, and are off to an 0-2 start in conference play. They will now head to Los Angeles for a two-game road trip, as they will take on the USC Trojans on Wednesday night at 7:00, followed by the UCLA Bruins on Saturday.

USC Escapes Berkeley Barely Beating Cal In A Tight 50-49 Game

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USC Trojans running back Austin Jones (6) is airborne for a touchdown over the Cal Bears defensive back Jeremiah Earby (6) in first half action at Cal Memorial Stadium in Berkeley (AP News photo)

Saturday, October 28th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

Berkeley, CA – It’s another PAC-12 matchup for the Cal Bears, but this time it’s against the USC Trojans and their Heisman winning QB, Caleb Williams. This game may be “meaningless” as far as rankings and record, but a win for Cal would be a major example of bragging rights. There was no bragging after this game except the Bears did play a tight game against the Trojans in a 50-49 loss.

The Trojans started off the drive and Caleb Williams showcased real early why he was such a threat. On foot and in the air Williams had USC completely in-sync. After a 69 yard drive the Trojans couldn’t get a touchdown, but they settled for a field goal to get the game’s first points 3-0 USC.

Now a major thing about USC’s first drive is Cal put them in a third down scenario three times and even a fourth down scenario, Caleb still got out of it, until USC got in the red zone and the box was too small to convert. Cal began their first drive, but on their second play, QB Fernando Mendoza fumbled the ball and USC recovered in amazing field position.

Caleb Williams and the Trojans went right back on their assault, this time looking to get than three points and they would get that after five quick plays with a Marshawn Llyod two yard punch in making the game now 10-0 USC.

Ten minutes into this first quarter the Trojans already had 116 total yards, 78 of those yards were passing and 38 were rushing, meaning they were perfectly balanced as an offense in this first quarter immediately putting Cal on notice.

The Bears wouldn’t go down that easy though as they came out swinging the next drive and it was none other than their knockout specialist running back Jadyn Ott who would score on a big 43 yard run. This is Ott’s sixth rushing TD and he really has showcased why he’s PAC-12 and national leader in rushing coming into this game as far as yards per game (100), rushing yards (603), rushing TDs (5), all purpose yards per game (114), and total TDs (6). 10-7.

USC didn’t slow their game down after that Cal touchdown as they went 80 yards in six plays the very next drive and scored on a pass from Williams to Austin Jones and now it was 17-7 USC and there was still a minute to go in the first quarter.

We were in for a thrill ride. The next drive Cal adapted to USC’s fast pace and they adapted quickly feeding off the home crowd as on a three play drive, Ott would score another rushing TD, but this time going 61 yards to the end zone and the place erupted. 17-14. 

The second quarter was underway and the first punt of the game is what followed as USC had to punt for the first time in this game and now it was Cal’s chance to strike while the iron was hot and they did exactly in just eight plays and it was highlighted with another Jaydn Ott touchdown, his third rushing TD of the game, putting his current total to eight rushing touchdowns on the season and this touchdown from Ott put Cal in the lead for the first time in the game. Making it 21-17 Bears.

The Bears knew that if they didn’t keep striking the Trojans would stay on their neck, but Cal kept striking and Mendoza got his first passing touchdown of the game to Trond Grizzell and they scored after only three plays, but they went half the field and now halfway through the second quarter it was 28-17 Cal Bears.

Cal’s defense was just as much a key to this lead as the offense as they forced another punt from USC to give this Bears offense another chance to extend their lead. The Bears couldn’t extend in that drive, but now it was USC’s turn and at this point in the second quarter it was the defenses playing a game of who can mess up first.

The second half came to a close with no change in the score and that’s a testament to the defense having a true stalemate the last three minutes of the half. The USC fans were stunned, but Cal was the talk of the college football world with this 28-17 lead at halftime. 

In a wild way to start the half they replayed a down that was messed up clockwise before the half with one second left on the clock and USC tried to knock down a field goal to chorus of boos and they missed. So the official third quarter started with Cal having the ball like they were going to do anyways, but after the missed field goal the energy and momentum was in Cal’s favor.

The Trojans recovered and got the ball back from Cal and Caleb Williams took matters into his own hands and scored using his feet, but their attempt at a two point conversion failed and now it was 28-23. After another failed drive for Cal, USC was in the driver’s seat, but forced to punt after Cal’s defense contained Caleb Williams.

USC’s defense responded with an interception on Cal’s second play of that drive and now USC had great field position and they used it to perfection. Williams on the first play of the drive threw a 22 yard touchdown pass to Brendan Rice, but missed an extra point and now the Trojans regained the lead 29-28.

On Cal’s next drive it was a true battle and a couple pass interference calls put them in a great spot which was followed by a big Mendoza QB keeper that put them in the red zone. Mendoza ended up scoring a big touchdown when he couldn’t find an open receiver and took it in himself, but on top of that the Bears converted on two point conversion and got the lead back 36-29.

The stadium became rambunctious after Williams was sacked for 23 yards and almost fumbled the ball and now they were forced to punt. Cal went three and out and was forced to punt and now with a minute left in the quarter it was a battle now. Caleb Williams went three and out and the Trojans were back on defense as the quarter ended. 

Fourth quarter started and Cal had the chance to make or break everything in this drive and capitalized with a Mendoza rushing touchdown and the score was now 43-29 which was the biggest lead of the game. Caleb Williams and the Trojans pushed down the field thanks to a 53 yard catch by Marshawn Llyod put them in the red zone and Williams rushed for a one yard touchdown and they got the extra point.

43-36 was the score here and with 11 minutes left in the game this game had a whole crowd at attention. The Bears had big attempts to try to move downfield, but the clamps were put on them and they punted the ball, but the punt was right on the seven yard line and Williams had to go all the way down the field to potentially tie this game up.

When the Trojans were forced to punt Cal returner Jeremiah Hunter received the punt and got a little too crafty trying to shake the Trojans defense, but fumbled and USC recovered in the red zone now with a chance to even the score.

A touchdown was scored when Llyod punched in a rushing touchdown and the score was now tied after a successful extra point, 43-43. The Bears needed to close out this game strong, but one thing you don’t do when trying to close out a game like this is fumble which both teams did on back to back plays.

Cal fumbled and USC recovered, but USC fumbled and Cal recovered right after and this game was more than even it was a “who will make the mistake that closes this out” game. The Bears went four downs, but no luck and they turned it over on downs, now it was USC’s chance.

The first play of this new Trojans drive was a 56 yard run by Lloyd that put them in the red zone and was followed by a touchdown run by Austin Jones and the lead was in USC’s grasp with 3:33 left. 50-43 USC. Fernando Mendoza had to lead this team down the field and it was an unsportsmanlike conduct that saved them and Mendoza was back in the mix.

A third down pass from Mendoza to Hunter kept the drive alive, then followed it with a 23 yard run by Justin Thomas that put them in the red zone and now there was a little over a minute left.

Cal finally got into the end zone with a pass to Jaivian Thomas and then they went for two, but was unsuccessful and the game was deemed over as USC was gonna receive the ball with 58 seconds left. The score was 50-49 and after the onside kick was recovered by the Trojans, the game was over as USC ran the clock out and escaped Berkeley with an extremely close victory.

Cal suffers blowout loss to No. 16 Utah 34-14

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Photo credit: @CalFootball

By Mary Anne

The California Golden Bears faced the No. 16 Utah Utes on Saturday. The Golden Bears were battle ready and got off to a fast start, but suffered a blowout loss to the Utes 34-14 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Cal fell to 3-4, while Utah improved to 5-1.

The Golden Bears scored first. Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw a touchdown pass to Jaydn Ott for a 48-yard passing touchdown. Mateen Bhaghani kicked an extra point for a 7-0 lead at 5:41 of the first quarter.

The Golden Bears led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Utes took the go-ahead lead in the second quarter. Ja’Quinden Jackson ran for a three-yard rushing touchdown. Cole Becker kicked an extra point to tie the game 7-7 at 7:56. Sione Vaki ran for a one-yard rushing touchdown. Becker kicked an extra point to give the Utes a 14-7 lead with just 26 seconds left in the second.

The Golden Bears trailed the Utes 14-7 at the end of the first half.

The Utes poured in the points to start the second half. Cole Becker kicked a 23-yard field goal to extend the Utes’ lead to 17-7 at 10:35 of the third quarter. Bryson Barnes ran for a four-yard rushing touchdown. Becker kicked an extra point to expand the Utes’ lead to 24-7 with 9:11 left in the third.

The Golden Bears responded to make it a ten-point game. Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw a touchdown pass to Taj Davis, who ran for a 24-yard rushing touchdown. Mateen Bhaghani kicked an extra point to cut the Utes’ lead to 24-14 with 4:21 left in the third.

The Golden Bears trailed the Utes 24-14 through three quarters.

The Utes scored twice in the fourth quarter. Sione Vaki ran for a 72-yard rushing touchdown. Cole Becker kicked an extra point for a 31-14 lead with 6:51 left in the fourth. Becker capped off the scoring with a 38-yard field goal to make it a 34-14 game with 1:57 left in the fourth.

The Golden Bears lost to the Utes 34-14.

Notes
Find out this week’s Cal captains here.

Get to know the Cal starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza here.

Up Next
The Golden Bears have a bye week before hosting the No. 10 USC Trojans on Saturday, October 28, at TBD.

Stanford Cardinal with Jerry Feitelberg: Taylor trying to right Stanford ship and prepare for Arizona for Saturday

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Stanford head coach Troy Taylor disputes a call during the first half against the USC Trojans on Sat Sep 9, 2023 in Los Angeles, the Cardinal went onto loose to the Sacramento State Hornets on Sat Sep 16, 2023 at Stanford and host the Arizona Wildcats on Sat Sep 23, 2023 at Stanford Stadium (AP News photo)

On the Pac 12 podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 The Stanford Cardinal (1-2) continued their struggles as they were beaten by the Sacramento State Hornets (3-0) 30-23. Former Hornets head coach and current Stanford head coach Troy Taylor was beaten by his former team the Hornets for the Cardinal second loss in week 3.

#2 The Hornets had a key second quarter scoring two touchdowns against the Cardinal and coming away with a 20-14 lead at the half.

#3 Hornets quarterback Kaiden Barnett refused to loose as he threw for 279 yards, going 21-33 for one touchdown and two interceptions. Barnett once again leads the Hornets to another win and Sacramento State goes up 3-0.

#4 The Cardinals on the other hand continues to struggle executing the red zone they have seen the worst of times this season getting whipped by the USC Trojans in week 2 56-10 and losing by a touchdown last Saturday to the Hornets.

#5 It’s week 4 for Stanford as they try and regroup, try and get a game plan to prepare for the Arizona Wildcats who dominated in their two wins this season beating Miss State 31-24 on Sat Sep 9th and UTEP on Sat 16th, 31-10. Do you see the Cardinal with their hands full this Sat with the Wildcats at Stanford Stadium?

Jerry Feitelberg is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

USC puts game out of reach, crushes Stanford 56-10 in the Southland

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The USC Trojans linebacker Tackett Curtis (25) tackles Stanford Cardinal quarterback Justin Lamson (8)in first half action at the LA Memorial Coliseum on Sat Sep 9, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023

Southern California built a 46-point halftime lead that turned out to be all they would need Saturday, as the No. 6-ranked Trojans routed Stanford 56-10 in the final Pac-12 football opener for both schools, played at the Memorial Coliseum.

This was the final scheduled meeting between the West Coast rivals in a series that goes back to 1905. They’ve been in the same conference since 1922, a status that changes next year when Southern California joins the Big 10 and Stanford goes to the ACC.

USC (3-0 overall, 1-0 Pac-12) jumped to a 21-0 lead on first-quarter touchdowns by Caleb Williams, Marshawn Lloyd and Austin Jones. The Trojans continued to roll in the second quarter, starting with a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown by Zachariah Branch.

Three minutes later, Williams completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to Dorian Singer. At 7:02 of the second quarter, Joshua Karty kicked a 38-yard field goal to put the Cardinal (1-1 overall, 0-1 Pac-12) on the board.

The Trojans didn’t let up, as Williams fired a 75-yard scoring strike to Brenden Rice on the ensuing possession. With 16 seconds to play in the first half, Williams completed a 1-yard TD pass to Lake McRee, giving USC a 49-3 halftime lead.

After a scoreless third quarter, Stanford’s Justin Lamson ran in from a yard out for the Cardinal’s first touchdown at 3:35 of the fourth quarter. Miller Moss scored USC’s final touchdown on a 15-yard run with 58 seconds to play,

Williams played only in the first half, passing for 281 yards and three touchdowns while running for another. The Trojans racked up 433 yards of total offense.

Starting quarterback Ashton Daniels was injured while being sacked in the second quarter and was replaced by Lamson, who passed for 121 yards and ran for the Cardinal’s only touchdown. Daniels was 2 of 7 for 19 yards.

Casey Wilkins was the Cardinal’s top rusher with 63 yards on five carries. E.J. Smith ran for 50 yards and Lamson gained 36 yards on 16 carries. Benjamin Yurosek caught four passes for 54 yards. On defense, Collin Wright racked up 10 solo tackles.

Next week, the Cardinal host Sacramento State. Kickoff is at 5 p.m.