Bear Territory : California CF25

**bayers3** · 11-05-2024, 03:32 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

BLACKSBURG, VA - After an important win last week against Florida State, Cal HC Tosh Lupoi would need to keep his team focused for another road game against a team just trying to keep its head above water. With Virginia Tech sitting at 2-3 in the ACC, much like Florida State, they would be staring at an early end to their season.

“It would be too easy to pay ourselves on the back after last week,” said Tupoi “but the season isn’t over, and we have so much more to get done.”

The Hokies would discover very quickly how much better Cal has become at handling adverse situations and staying on task.

The first drive of the game would end with HB Deuce Linwood running it in from a yard out, and a quick three-and-out for a frustrated QB William Watson III would have the Golden Bears right back out on the field. Despite that, Cal would actually give Virginia Tech an opening to even the score.

QB Duane Dinson, locking in on TE Vai Bush, would throw an interception over the middle to MLB Darrell Lamar to cap a slow opening quarter. Little would come of it, despite Watson III passing for two first downs, K Jeremy Pryor would miss a 52-yard FG attempt to close out the 1st quarter.

OC Justin Burke would make some adjustments to open things up, but it would be DC Scott Symons who could call the 2nd quarter his own triumph.

Cal’s defense would put on a show that would make Watson III feel like he was in a Snickers commercial. First LOLB Taylor Webb would pick off Watson III and put Cal on the Virginia Tech 48. Dinson would hit WR George Cheeseman and the very next play for a 48-yard TD , but that was just the beginning. RE Marvin Wile would be credited with a strip sack as Watson III fought to escape a tackle, and MLB Josh Sanford would be there to scoop it up and go 26 yards for a TD.

HC Chad Butters would burn a timeout to huddle his offense, specifically Watson III, in an attempt to calm things down before they dug a deeper hole. Sadly, this did little to ameliorate the panic that seemed to be setting in on the offense.

A decent drive, with Watson III going 9/11 and getting the Hokies just inside the redzone, would end abruptly with Sanford intercepting a pass in the endzone. Just four plays later Dinson would hit Cheeseman for a 15-yard TD and put Virginia Tech back on the field before they knew it.

This time Cal’s standout SS Tremayne Landman would get in on the act, picking off Watson III and putting Cal on the Virginia Tech 39. Dinson would make use of the short field to hit Bush on a drag route for a short TD, making it 35-0 with little time for the hosts to respond before the half. It would matter, with Watson III finding Landman again after scrambling to avoid LE Karl Haggan. Cal would get the ball on the Virginia Tech 32, but with only a few seconds left they would run out the clock and head into the locker room.

Remarkably, Butter would send Watson III back out for the second half despite throwing 4INT in the first half. He would add another in the 3rd, this time finding CB Joey Eddie while trying to hit WR Chance Fitgerald on a fade route that fell short. The Golden Bears would add three more TD in the 3rd, two rushing (Linwood and HB Larry Hall) and one receiving (WR Darryl Hawkinson) before the Hokies would finally get on the board.

Watson III would put together the Hokies best drive of the game, a 9-play 75-yard drive that would have him scamper in for a 7-yard run despite an extremely pass-heavy attack. The Golden Bears would put in all their backups for the 4th and close out the game with ease. Watson III would have a horrible day thanks to interceptions, but finish with solid numbers outside of that. Going 33/55 for 332 yards and a TD might have kept them close if not for the 5INT and the scoop-and-score fumble.

THE TAKEAWAY

Slightly alarming that Cal finally allowed a 100+ yard receiver, with Virginia Tech’s Fitzgerald finishing with 109 on 11 receptions, but that can be attributed to the hosts throwing the ball 55 times and getting an entire quarter of Cal’s second string defense. For the second week in a row a QB’s legs have haunted Cal on the scoreboard, but at least this week the game was essentially over at halftime. Dinson continues on a stunning run of games, his ability to spread the ball around is making Cal nearly impossible to contain. Just like Fernando Mendoza last year, when Cal can make use of their TE it seems like 70 points is the floor for their offense. Bush finished with 147 yards and a TD on 7 catches, making him the third Cal receiver to cross the century mark today.

UP NEXT

California : The 134th Big Game at Stanfurd.

**bayers3** · 11-06-2024, 10:55 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

STANFURD, CA - The 134th Big Game would be a great opportunity for Cal to further ruin Stanfurd’s season, with the Cardinal on the cusp of bowl eligibility a loss would force them into winning their final game to qualify. At 5-5, 4-4 in the ACC, all the hosts could hope for was a low level bowl game at this rate. A win over Cal would make things sweeter, but it would be a minor speed bump for a Golden Bears team headed for another ACC title and a second shot at the College Football Playoff.

Nobody would know it until the end of the game, but Cal would do enough in the 1st quarter to win their 7th straight Big Game.

Cal would receive the opening kickoff and slice right through Stanfurd’s defense, opening the blowout with a 13-yard pass to WR George Cheeseman. Stanfurd QB Elijah Brown would use his legs to haunt the Golden Bears, but a solid opening drive would wither into a K Joey Stanford 21-yard FG. Yes, that’s actually their kicker’s name.

QB Duane Dinson, seemingly passing against an empty field, would explode on the next two Cal possessions. Five passes would be enough to go 83 yards and score again, hitting Cheeseman for his second TD of the game. Then WR Kyion Grayes would get in on it with a 24-yard snag and a 21-3 lead. By the end of the 1st, Dinson would have 206 passing yards.

The Cardinal would respond well to start the 2nd, with Brown using his legs once again to keep the sticks moving and get his team down to Cal’s 4. For once, the Golden Bears did not stop them, HB Trent Parrish would rumble in for their first TD of the game.

Dinson would come right back, once again making short work of the Cardinal secondary, hitting Grayes for another TD to reestablish their lead. Brown would get the Cardinal across the 50 again, but this time his legs would not be enough thanks to DT Andrew Woods sacking him to force a FG. Stanford, the kicker, would not be up to the task with a 50-yard attempt bouncing off the right upright.

That miss would signal a run by Cal that would really put the hosts out of this game. Dinson would hit WR Darry Hawkinson for a short TD before FS Scoot Henderson would cruise over to intercept a deep pass thrown into triple coverage with 0:10 left before halftime. Stanfurd’s players were already headed for the locker room, but Cal wouldn’t be finished. A lax Cardinal secondary would allow Dinson to hit Hawkinson for an 84-yard TD as time expired for a 42-10 lead.

The hosts would fall flat coming off the second half kickoff, putting together a limp three-and-out to watch Cal come roaring back with a 10-play 87-yard drive that would end with Hawkinson’s third TD of the game. Cal would keep their foot on the pedal, passing the ball until later in the 4th quarter to put their bitter rivals away.

Stanfurd did a good job slowing down Cal’s running game, but much like Florida State they figured out what happens when you do that. Dinson and Cheeseman would combine to break some Big Game records, and it’s hard to see them being broken again anytime soon. Dinson’s 633 yards and 9TD would both be Big Game passing records, with Cheeseman’s 288 receiving yards passing Mikey’s Matthews 2024 record.

THE TAKEAWAY

Cal once again gets things done without being able to run the ball much, being able to just keep throwing the ball has been Burke’s Plan B and it continues to work well. Despite allowing a 100+ yard rusher, Parrish totalled 129 yards and a TD on 25 carries, this had more to do with Cal trying to keep Brown from running loose and Stanfurd continuing to run the ball even while down several touchdowns.

UP NEXT

California : Home against SMU.

**redsox907** · 11-06-2024, 02:19 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Joey Stanford was born to play at Stanford. If only he were a QB lol

I don't see anyone stopping the Golden Bears as the march towards the playoffs

GL in the last few games before the CFP!

**bayers3** · 11-06-2024, 09:53 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Originally posted by redsox907

Joey Stanford was born to play at Stanford. If only he were a QB lol

I don't see anyone stopping the Golden Bears as the march towards the playoffs

GL in the last few games before the CFP!

I could not believe that guy's name.

**bayers3** · 11-06-2024, 09:54 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

BERKELEY, CA - For the third game in a row the Golden Bears face a team with little to play for, with just one game left in the regular season SMU had even less to play for. The Mustangs endered the game dead last in the ACC at 1-6, a win would merely pull them level with several other teams at 2 conference wins but leave them firmly near the bottom. Year 2 of Jim Walters tenure has another SMU coach on the hot seat.

With Cal already locked in to a spot in the ACC title game, the only thing on the line for #1 Cal was holding on to their #1 seed in the College Football Playoff.

It’s a good thing SMU didn’t have anything to play for, the game went downhill so quickly and they found themselves almost completely out of it before the 2nd quarter ever started. The Mustangs committed some cardinal sins when facing this Golden Bears offense.

The opening drive lasted 8 plays, with QB Duane Dinson taking Cal 85 yards before hitting TE Vai Bush for a 5-yard TD. SMU, led by QB Eric Cookus, put up a good show to start but ended up stalling out on Cal’s 10. With just a 20-yard chip shot to get on the board, SMU K Taulia Luani would miss wide and leave Walters hanging his head. Dinson would take Cal back down the field and hit WR Kyion Grayes for a 29-yard TD and a 14-0 lead.

Cookus would start the next drive with a serious mistake, rushing his first pass and giving the ball right to LOLB Taylor Webb at their own 29. Two plays later, Dinson would hit WR Darryl Hawkinson for a 21-yard TD.

The 2nd quarter would be absolutely wild, but SMU just couldn’t manage to pull ahead or slow down Cal.

Cal would get the ball rolling with a 78-yard TD pass to WR George Cheeseman, that must have finally woken up the Mustangs’ offense as Cookus would lead their best drive of the game so far. In just 7 plays they would go 78 yards and get into the endzone thanks to a HB Cole Yarborough 7-yard TD run. A failed 4th down attempt would give SMU the ball back, but Cookus would conspire to score a TD for Cal anyway. Another rushed pass while under pressure would fall to SS Tremayne Landman who would run it back 72 yards for a pick-six.

To their credit, SMU would come back on the next drive and start piling up rushing yards as Cal tried to keep them from passing deep. A 10-play 76-yard drive would end with a HB Greg Balton 5-yard rushing TD, and then it was Dinson’s turn to score for SMU. The first play of the next drive, a bubble screen to Hawkinson would be well read and CB Jarion Randall would jump the route and run 21 yards for a pick-six.

Dinson would redeem himself before the half, managing a solid 8-play 86 yard drive that would eat up the rest of the clock and close out the first half with a 27-yard TD pass to Bush deep over the middle..

A 42-21 lead wouldn’t look that bad for the visitors, but Cal HC Tosh Lupoi would be able to make the appropriate adjustments at the half to shut down SMU’s offense. It also helped that Cookus, who finished 21/26 for 210 yards, would be replaced by QB Lamar Keglar. Keglar did not have Cookus’ scrambling prowess, so it made it much easier for Cal to key in on SMU’s ground game.

Yarborough would have a great day, rushing for 150 yards and 2TD on 29 carries, but it would pale in comparison to the offensive output on Cal’s side.

Dinson would overshadow everything by putting a cherry on top of a perfect regular season, his 459 passing yards and 6TD would break the single season records for passing yards and passing TD. With at least two more games to go in the season, the potential for him to utterly shatter the current records are high.

THE TAKEAWAY

The Golden Bears had a tough 2nd quarter, but still managed to match the scoring of SMU. The Golden Bears continue to put away bad teams easily while putting out a somewhat balanced pass-friendly

UP NEXT

California : Against Georgia Tech in ACC Title Game.

**bayers3** · 11-07-2024, 10:11 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

**bayers3** · 11-07-2024, 06:59 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

CHARLOTTE, NC - For the third time in Cal’s short ACC tenure, their trip to the title game would be a rematch. Yellow Jackets HC Marcus Coleman couldn't possibly forget their first meeting, a 70-27 beating in Berkeley that would turn out to be their only conference loss. #19 Georgia Tech managed to stay a step ahead of #5 Pitt (10-2, 6-2 ACC) despite being 9-3, the downside of this trip for the Yellow Jackets is they need a win to sniff the College Football Playoff. The Panthers are a lock for the playoff thanks to their ranking and being inactive, they are currently slated to be the #6 Seed.

Georgia Tech’s second shot at Cal was very close to a perfect start, with Coleman seeming to learn some important lessons on both sides of the ball.

Cal received the opening kickoff and took it right down to Georgia Tech’s 2 before they forced a 4th & Goal. HB Deuce Linwood would get a shot at punching it in, but the Yellow Jackets’ defensive line stopped him and energized a team that allowed 70 the last time they met.

The celebration would be very short lived, with Georgia Tech playing out of their own endzone the margin of error would be thin. Too thin, the first snap would end in a safety thanks to LE Karl Haggan catching a scrambling QB Graham Knowles trying to get out of the endzone.

A struggling Cal offense needed a safety to score in the 1st quarter.

Starting off 2-0 was not the plan, but Georgia Tech didn’t seem to let it get to them. Putting that opening play aside, their next drive would do something nobody has managed to do all season; keep Cal’s offense out of the endzone. A lengthy 11-play 73-yard drive would eat up most of the remaining quarter, and Knowles would finish it off with a 13-yard TD pass to WR Zion Taylor.

Georgia Tech would stumble on the secret to stopping Cal, at least for a quarter, but just keeping their offense off the field. That wouldn’t last long in the second quarter, and OC Justin Burke seems to have saved a few gems for just this situation.

Cal’s next three drives would take firm control of the score, first with a 65-yard TD to WR Darryl Hawkinson and then with a 23-yard TD to WR George Cheeseman after marching down the field in just four plays, and finally a 1-yard Linwood run. Georgia Tech would recover, down 23-7 now, and get back into the endzone on a WR Stanley Preston 7-yard TD pass with Cal doing their best to keep Knowles in the pocket.

Coleman probably left the 1st quarter feeling good about his defense, especially after the 4th & Goal stop, but he’d close out the first half wondering where that defense had gone. A simple RPO play, with Dinson dumping the ball short to WR Kyion Grayes, would devolve into a 68-yard TD pass that initially looked like a 2-yard gain. Grayes went into a crowd of Yellow Jacket defenders and somehow managed to slip out and run free.

Georgia Tech would receive the second half kickoff down 30-14, hoping that some halftime adjustments would staunch the bleeding. This time though, disaster struck with the ball in their hands. In a comical turn of events, at least for Cal, a pass to WR DeSean Beebe over the middle would look to be an incompletion with MLB Josh Sanford hitting him hard in the back as the ball arrived. The ball shot straight for ROLB Jabari Uweakuoke who seemed surprised to have it land in his arms before taking off for Georgia Tech territory. The Golden Bears would take it down to the 1 and punch it in with Linwood.

Uwaezuoke’s surprise interception ruins the second half for Georgia Tech.

The turnover would seem to take all the air out of Georgia Tech’s players and fans, with nothing going their way the 38-14 score seemed impossible to recover from. They would come back with a good drive, scoring on a short HB Evan Dickens run, but they would fail the 2-PT attempt and give the ball back to a Cal team that was starting to run the ball well.

A Dinson 2-yard TD run would finish off the 3rd quarter, and by then the Georgia Tech fans were filing out as it was just a matter of time before Cal would be hoisting the trophy.

The 4th quarter closed with a series that was better left unseen by the fans that headed for the parking lot early. FS Scoot Henderson would intercept Knowles in the endzone after a desperate heavy found double coverage. A 15-play 79-yard drive, all rushing plays, would follow with Linwood taking it in for the final score of the game.

THE TAKEAWAY

Cal showed why they are #1, they continue to have a less-than-stellar running game but nobody is going to notice with Dinson throwing for over 500 yards. Cheeseman (221 yards) and Hawkinson (253 yards) are making things easy for Dinson and Burke, with the competition stepping up in the College Football Playoff it will be interesting to see if anyone can solve them.

UP NEXT

California : College Football Playoff Quarterfinals.

**bayers3** · 11-08-2024, 10:17 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

**redsox907** · 11-08-2024, 09:16 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Congrats on the ACC championship!

Excited to see who you'll matchup with in the playoffs. I love getting 2nd chances at rivalries in the CFP, but really look forward to games against teams I don't get to play very often. They usually end up being pretty close

**bayers3** · 11-09-2024, 12:12 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Originally posted by redsox907

Congrats on the ACC championship!

Excited to see who you'll matchup with in the playoffs. I love getting 2nd chances at rivalries in the CFP, but really look forward to games against teams I don't get to play very often. They usually end up being pretty close

*Sad Trombone* on half of that, I don't know what happened with the CPU.

**bayers3** · 11-09-2024, 12:12 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

For the first time in quite a while, the Heisman Memorial Trophy winner was a foregone conclusion for most of the season. After Cal blasted Arizona State 105-6 QB Duane Dinson exploded on the national stage and never looked back, and that’s saying something considering two of his teammates also had Heisman-caliber seasons.

2027 HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER

California QB Duane Dinson

Pretty straight forward here, much like George Cheeseman’s record shattering season, Dinson destroyed the season records for passing yards (6,889) and TD passes (74) and still has the College Football Playoff to look forward to. Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe had a stunning 2021 (5,967 yards, 62TD) and looked to have set records nobody could beat, so it’s obvious as to why Dinson was a unanimous winner.

Trend : Winner

THE RUNNERS-UP

California WR George Cheeseman

Cheeseman did everything a defending Heisman winner could do, but he couldn’t beat out the guy throwing him the ball each week. 2,767 receiving yards and 27TD catches would have been enough to win just about any other year, add in his record-tying 25 reception game against Florida State and it should have been a lock. The sophomore should be able to come right back and try to be a two-time winner next year.

Trend : Steady

California WR Darryl Hawksinson

Justin Burke’s offense was so potent that Dinson was able to fuel two Heisman races outside of his own. If it weren’t for his teammates, Hawkinson would have been a lock to take this award.

Trend : Steady

Oklahoma QB Brayden Turpin

Another player that did everything you would want from a Heisman winner. Leading #4 Oklahoma into the College Football Playoff, passing for 4,067 yards and 43TD (both 2nd to only Dinson) while navigating a brutal SEC race.

Trend : Slightly Up

USC WR Jalen Fowler

A late season run of TD catches combined with playing for Big Ten champions #2 USC and Fowler made his way to the award ceremony. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have a chance against either of Cal’s receivers.

Trend : Slightly Down

**xboxxerx** · 11-09-2024, 01:24 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Nice to see the game doesn't seem to punish you like 14 did if you have too good of a season. Congrats on the Heisman, as well as making it to the ACC championship, and playoffs. As Kobe said, "the job isn't done". No time to celebrate yet. Go Bears!!!!

Sent from my SM-S928U using Operation Sports mobile app

**bayers3** · 11-09-2024, 04:23 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

ATLANTA, GA - An exciting first round of the College Football Playoff yielded a nearly all chalk quarterfinal, with #11 Tulane the only lower seed to advance. The Golden Bears would be able to sit back and prepare for their Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl matchup, and with #7 Auburn beating #8 Michigan 22-7 they would face a familiar opponent.

The Tigers would enjoy a bit of home field advantage in Georgia, but they would need significantly more help than cheering.

Auburn would receive the opening kickoff, looking to take the game to Cal, but nobody could have predicted the disaster that would unfold for the SEC’s third place entrant. Five plays into the drive, with Auburn getting across their own 40, RE Marvin Wile would catch Auburn QB Tye DaConti trying to get out of the pocket. The tackle would turn into a strip sack as DaConti fought to get loose, and SS Tremayne Landman would be right there to recover the ball on the Auburn 38.

Anyone that follows Cal will know how dangerous it is to turn the ball over, especially deep in your own territory. This game was no different, with QB Duane Dinson needing just a few plays to hit WR George Cheeseman for a 22-yard TD and a 7-0 lead.

Auburn would come back out, and even more amazingly than the first possession, DaConti would try to scramble out of the pocket on their first play and once again put the ball on the turf. This time was much worse than the first, with Wile knocking the ball out of his hand thanks to shockingly poor ball security. SS Nyshawn Sapp would fall on the ball, giving it back to Cal on Auburn’s 15.

Cal would score as quickly as Auburn gave the ball away, needing a single play for Dinson to find Cheeseman again on a 15-yard TD pass. The next Auburn possession would be better, mostly because they didn’t turn the ball over, but the best part of it was being able to punt the ball deep and pin Cal on their own 7.

Cheeseman’s 1st quarter would turn out to be enough to sink the Tigers.

Being deep in their own end didn’t do much good, but it did prevent the Golden Bears from scoring immediately. This time it would take an 8-play 93 yard drive, scoring on a 3-yard TD pass to WR Darry Hawkinson.

Already down 21-0, the game was already escaping Auburn but it was on the verge of spiraling out of control. Two plays into Auburn’s next possession, it would do just that.

A QB option would initially burn Cal, catching their defensive line crashing to the left and leaving acres of space for DaConti to pull the ball and take off running. FS Scoot Henderson would not be fooled, and would come down hard on DaConti and send the ball flying out for DaConti’s third fumble of the game. This one would be the worst of them, with MLB Josh Sanford rushing in for a 31-yard scoop and score.

Auburn would start the 2nd quarter with the ball, staring at a 28-0 hole knowing that there was almost no chance of climbing out against a Cal team that is more likely to score 70 than allow over 28. Unbelievably, they would conspire to make it even worse. DaConti, again opting to keep the ball himself, would try to run wide and get caught by Sanford and once again try to fight for yards instead of going down for a short gain. The fight would once again cost him the ball as Wile joined the pileup, the ball would hit the turf and CB Joey Eddie would fall on the ball at Auburn’s 28.

Tigers fans’ silence would turn to booing as DaConti walked off the field and hit the bench, dropping his head as Cal’s offense came out on the field. He wouldn’t have long to sulk, with HB Deuce Linwood running in a TD from 9 yards out. Auburn’s next possession, miraculously, would not result in a turnover. DaConti would make it a whole drive without fumbling the ball, but the best Auburn could do was send out K Towns McGough for a 39-yard FG.

Cal would go right back down the field, scoring yet again on a 2-yard TD run by Dinson, before their own defense would give Auburn a tiny sliver of hope. DaConti had barely thrown the ball at this point, with Auburn doggedly sticking to a run game that was mostly running into a blue and gold colored brick wall. That’s probably how Auburn caught Cal’s secondary napping, when DaConti looked to be taking off he instead hauled back and heaved a pass deep over the middle and split Cal’s deep safeties. WR Alex Tatum caught the ball in stride and took it 69 yards for their first TD of the game.

42-10 somehow doesn’t look as bad as 28-0, but Cal wouldn’t be done in the 1st half. Their next drive would end with a 15-yard TD to TE Vai Bush, thoroughly ruining any momentum built by Auburn’s score. With the 2nd quarter running down, DaConti would have another turnover up his sleeve. This time he would do it through the air, scrambling and throwing across the field would make it easy for ROLB Jabari Uwaezuoke to snatch it and bring the first half nightmare to a close.

Auburn’s fans, at least the ones that hadn’t filed out already, would greet the site of DaConti coming out for the 3rd quarter with loud booing. After Cal scored on their opening possession of the half, Bush’s second TD catch, their booing would grow louder and more justified. This time it would be LE Karl Haggan producing a strip sack, with DT Andrew Woods falling on the ball on Auburn’s 29.

At this point it seemed beyond cruel that DaConti remained in the game. As things moved into the 4th quarter, he would finally be taken out of the game for QB Hank Brown. DaConti would finish 7/11 with a TD, an interception, and an eye watering five lost fumbles.

Brown wouldn’t fair much better with both teams fielding their backups, he would throw two interceptions. Both would lead to Cal TD’s and push the final score to 84-10. Auburn’s 10 turnovers would be the worst in the FBS all year, at the worst possible time.

THE TAKEAWAY

Do.Not. Turn. The. Ball. Over. Against. Cal. Auburn, more specifically DaConti, were terrible with ball security and it cost them dearly. Nobody can win a game turning the ball over 10 times, and when you do it against a team that’s better than anyone at turning turnovers into points, it’s going to be bad.

UP NEXT

California : The Goodyear Cotton Bowl against #4 Oklahoma.

**redsox907** · 11-10-2024, 01:02 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

taking FAFO to a whole new level

**bayers3** · 11-10-2024, 05:42 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

ARLINGTON, TX - A nearly all chalk first round of the College Football Playoff would give way to a wildly chaotic quarterfinal. Cal was the only high seed to win their game, with #4 Oklahoma (5th Seed) topping #9 Colorado 35-24 to face Cal in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl. #11 Tulane would provide more shocks, with a 35-20 win over SEC champions #3 South Carolina. #2 USC would go down 17-14 to #6 Notre Dame (7th Seed) to set up a very unlikely 1-5 / 7-11 semifinal.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables was definitely aware of the situation the Sooners found themselves in.

“For starters, nothing against Auburn, but we can’t turn the ball over. This is a good, maybe a great team that can hurt us all over the field, and we just can NOT shoot ourselves in the foot.”

Venables may have been talking up turnovers, but he may have learned a better lesson from Auburn’s approach to Cal’s secondary.

The Sooners took the opening kickoff and started the game with a short run to the left, getting a few yards before HB Taylor Tatum was brought down by SS Tremayne Landman. The next play, QB Brayden Turpin rolled out to his right to avoid Cal’s rush, looked to take off, but instead threw a bomb down the sideline and hit WR Zion Kearney in stride for a 74-yard TD.

Cal DC Scott Symons and secondary coach Tre Watson could be seen huddling up their players and laying into them, Cal’s defense has excelled at stopping plays like that and it was clear they didn’t expect to see it happen again.

Kearney’s opening catch would be a wakeup call for a big play averse defense.

QB Duane Dinson would respond well, as Cal has done so many times this season, and a 1-yard HB Larry Hall TD run would make it 7-7. The next drive, Turpin would have Venables smashing his headset on the ground, a pass to Tatum underneath would go over his head and right to Landman for an easy interception. Cal would start on the Oklahoma 47, not disastrous but still an easy place for the Golden Bears. HB Deuce Linwood would make it 14-7 with a 14-yard TD run, and as the 1st quarter ended the Sooners would find themselves moving backwards.

Turpin would make some great completions, along with some timely runs, and keep the chains moving into Cal territory. Venables, on his second headset, would need a third thanks to an extremely questionable decision. Turbin, running a QB option, would attempt to fake a toss to Tatum but turn the whole thing into a strip sack by LOLB Taylor Webb. Webb would be able to scoop the ball under himself and give Cal the ball back on their own 29.

The turnover would become a 5-yard TD pass to WR Darryl Hawkinson, and before Cal touched the ball again Venables would run out of things to throw. An outside zone run would go well at first, with Tatum getting numerous blocks to clear his path wide. Trying to get around the edge, SS Nyshawn Sapp would grab him and swat the ball out of his hands for MLB Josh Sanford to recover. This put Cal on the Oklahoma 30, and what would happen next would not surprise anyone.

Dinson would throw two TD passes on their next two possessions, one to Hawkinson and one to TE Vai Bush.

An early 7-0 lead had curdled into a 35-7 deficit, and Oklahoma seemed to be unable to get out of its own way. Turpin would manage a solid drive, using his legs yet again while sliding to avoid contact, finally getting the Sooners to Cal’s 10 for a 1st & Goal. An attempt at a reverse would not go well, knocking them back to the 15, and an incomplete pass would get them to 3rd & Goal from the 15. A HB screen would be the call, but Turpin wouldn’t be able to get the ball off thanks to Cal sniffing out the play. DT Andrew Woods only needed that second of hesitation to get to Turpin, and register a strip sack with Landman jumping on the loose ball. Cal wouldn’t have much time to do anything from their own 21, but the damage had already been done.

Cal would take the 2d half kickoff, and do Cal things with the ball. The first play, Dinson would hit WR George Cheeseman for an 83-yard TD and start sending upset Sooners fans heading for the exits.

The ones that did leave would be lucky to escape. While the second half wasn’t nearly as bad as the first, it traded poor ball security for comical play execution.

Turpin would hit WR Kade McINtyre for a 12-yard pass that would give them a 1st down, but McIntyre didn’t secure the catch, bobbled the ball and made it easy for Sanford to just snatch the ball from him. Turpin, somehow still in and still allowed to run the ball, would fumble away the ball two more times in the 3rd quarter. Both led to Cal TDs, and the start of the 4th was the end of his day.

QB Marco Galippo came in to drag the Sooners across the finish line, he finished 4/10 but didn’t cause any turnovers so it was a minor victory.

THE TAKEAWAY

In back-to-back games the opposition has made it too easy for Cal to blow them out. Dinson would finish 27/31 for 425 yards and 5TD, putting even more distance between himself and Bailey Zappe’s previous records.

UP NEXT

California : National title game against #6 Notre Dame.

Bear Territory : California CF25

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