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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
BERKELEY, CA - A weird former Pac-12 matchup that probably would have looked very different if Jonathan Smith hadn’t left for Michigan State, the Oregon State Beavers come into Memorial Stadium desperate to salvage their season. Justin Wilcox would need to prevent them from doing that at his expense, the Golden Bears’ first loss of the season wouldn’t be so bad as long as they don’t let it leak into other games.
The Beavers looked good to start the game, with both teams scoring a TD on their opening drives, but as the game moved into the 2nd quarter things went south for Oregon State. Already up 14-7, Oregon would force a 3rd and short on Cal’s 46 only to give up a 53 yard pass to Trond Grizzell that started out as a 5 yard gain and rumbled all the way down to the 1. A short Jaydn Ott TD would make it 21-7 and give Oregon State a shot to score before the half.
The Beavers would put together an impressive 70 yard drive, seemingly putting momentum behind them. They would be receiving the kick after the half, so a TD here would open up a path to tying the game without Cal touching the ball again. The drive would flounder at the 10, and a missed FG would just add to their misery.
“That was not how we needed to end the half,” said Beavers coach Trent Bray “we will need to digest that and work around it in the second half.”
If any sequence summed up the Beavers day, it would be their only drive into the red zone during the 3rd quarter. Ben Gulbranson would put together a 64 yard drive down to the 3 yard line, and see his team get stuck on 4th & goal. Oregon State would go for it, down 35-7 at this point, and a short pass to the middle would be tipped and intercepted by RE Ethan Saunder before running it all the way back to Oregon State’s 29.
Gulbranson would not return for the 4th, instead Gevani McCoy would take over and lead the Beavers to a bit of an offensive spark with the game out of hand. They would manage 14 points in the 4th, but allow 20, 6 of which came on Oregon’s State’s final play. McCoy would force the ball into coverage in the endzone and Jasiah Wagoner would run it back 102 yards for a pick six.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oregon State was tough up front, holding Ott to 70 yards on 23 carries, but they were a sieve in the passing game. Fernando Mendoza piled up 383 yards and 5 TD on just 19/20 passing. All of the TD were between Tobias Merriweather (3) and Jack Endries (2), keeping Cal’s offense moving in the right direction.
UP NEXT
California : Plays at Wake Forest.
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The final game before the first College Football Playoff rankings come out would see Cal in an unexpected position. Another win today could have them in the Playoff discussion as well as keep them in the race for the ACC. Wake Forest was a great opponent for a team looking to win, Dave Clawson’s Demon Deacons are having a season to forget and entered the contest 4-4.
“We needed to start strong, and that didn’t happen, the game got away from us,” said Wake Forest Head Coach Clawson “The only thing that went our way was that missed PAT.”
It’s hard to put a positive spin on a game like this, the Golden Bears just absolutely blew out the Demon Deacons. When the dust settled, it was hard to believe they managed to score 35 points in a turnover riddled performance.
Wake Forest gave up an 84 yard TD pass to Mikey Matthews in the 1st, but the pain kept coming. Hank Bachmeier threw an ugly pick over the middle after driving to Cal’s 38, and the very next play they gave up a 57 yard TD run to Jadyn Ott. The 2nd quarter seemed to last an eternity for Wake Forest, who by this point were desperate to keep their own offense on the field as well as Cal’s off it. A 28 point quarter topped off by a 56 yard Trond Grizzell TD pass pretty much put the game away for the hosts. Matthews went into the locker room with 210 yards on 9 receptions with 3TD.
In the final 2:00 of the game, seemingly so close to ending the nightmare, Bachmeier managed to throw two interceptions. Cal scored 14 points off of them. Wake Forest could not get out of this game fast enough.
THE TAKEAWAY
Cal’s 68 point output would be their 8th most in program history, the most since beating Grambling 73-14 in 2015. Fernando Mendoza would be perfect, literally, going 17/17 with 457 yards and 7TD. Mike Bloesch has really found something in their short passing routes that’s giving defenses problems, only Jack Endries caught a pass more than 10 yards down field on his way to 93 yards and a TD. Cal even tried to run out the clock, but Ott just kept breaking free for long runs and finished the day with 248 yards and 3TD.
UP NEXT
California : Home against Syracuse.
“We needed to start strong, and that didn’t happen, the game got away from us,” said Wake Forest Head Coach Clawson “The only thing that went our way was that missed PAT.”
It’s hard to put a positive spin on a game like this, the Golden Bears just absolutely blew out the Demon Deacons. When the dust settled, it was hard to believe they managed to score 35 points in a turnover riddled performance.
Wake Forest gave up an 84 yard TD pass to Mikey Matthews in the 1st, but the pain kept coming. Hank Bachmeier threw an ugly pick over the middle after driving to Cal’s 38, and the very next play they gave up a 57 yard TD run to Jadyn Ott. The 2nd quarter seemed to last an eternity for Wake Forest, who by this point were desperate to keep their own offense on the field as well as Cal’s off it. A 28 point quarter topped off by a 56 yard Trond Grizzell TD pass pretty much put the game away for the hosts. Matthews went into the locker room with 210 yards on 9 receptions with 3TD.
In the final 2:00 of the game, seemingly so close to ending the nightmare, Bachmeier managed to throw two interceptions. Cal scored 14 points off of them. Wake Forest could not get out of this game fast enough.
THE TAKEAWAY
Cal’s 68 point output would be their 8th most in program history, the most since beating Grambling 73-14 in 2015. Fernando Mendoza would be perfect, literally, going 17/17 with 457 yards and 7TD. Mike Bloesch has really found something in their short passing routes that’s giving defenses problems, only Jack Endries caught a pass more than 10 yards down field on his way to 93 yards and a TD. Cal even tried to run out the clock, but Ott just kept breaking free for long runs and finished the day with 248 yards and 3TD.
UP NEXT
California : Home against Syracuse.
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
BERKELEY, CA - After blowing out Wake Forest the Golden Bears would rise to #8 in the College Football Playoff rankings and would currently be projected as the 9th Seed. Justin Wilcox would make it clear that he was trying to keep his team focused on a ‘one game at a time’ mentality.
“This is new to us, but we can’t let what so and so says on TV or what some pundit thinks distract us” said Wilcox prior to the game “we have to win this game, and the next, and the next, and then we can think about it. Not now.”
As things turned out, they would be able to stop worrying about it at the end of the 1st quarter. Things started off very poorly for Syracuse, with Cal’s first play from scrimmage an 83 yard TD pass to Tobias Merriweather on an underneath crossing route. Syracuse would rely on a hurry up offense for most of the game, and initially it would give Cal trouble with their players stuck on the field. It would work well enough at first for Kyle McCord to hit Jackson Meeks for a 1st quarter TD, but after that it wasn’t enough to keep up.
Cal just really poured it on all game, and McCord’s command of the hurry up became a liability as their passers became turnover prone. McCord would be picked off for the first time in the 1st quarter by Jasiah Wagoner, giving Cal the ball on Syracuse’s 30. Giving Cal a short field over and over really killed the Orange’s chances of coming back.
A deep pass before the half would be tipped by Lu-Magia Hearns III and intercepted by Miles Williams. McCord would not return for the second half, he would be replaced by Carlos Del Rio-Wilson. He would not fare much better.
Two more second half interceptions would keep Syracuse from being much of a threat, at this point the game was well out of hand and Cal had their backups in. Short underneath passes kept the chains moving and the Orange just could not stop the ground game even with Jadyn Ott sitting on the bench.
THE TAKEAWAY
Syracuse has some soul searching to do on both sides of the ball. Ott (24/129 2TD) and Byron Cardwell (12/179 TD) combined for a solid day that nearly shut out the Orange in the second half. Merriweather would finish with 10 receptions for 219 yards and 4TD, good enough to earn ACC and National Player Of The Week awards.
UP NEXT
California : Host Stanfurd in The Big Game.
“This is new to us, but we can’t let what so and so says on TV or what some pundit thinks distract us” said Wilcox prior to the game “we have to win this game, and the next, and the next, and then we can think about it. Not now.”
As things turned out, they would be able to stop worrying about it at the end of the 1st quarter. Things started off very poorly for Syracuse, with Cal’s first play from scrimmage an 83 yard TD pass to Tobias Merriweather on an underneath crossing route. Syracuse would rely on a hurry up offense for most of the game, and initially it would give Cal trouble with their players stuck on the field. It would work well enough at first for Kyle McCord to hit Jackson Meeks for a 1st quarter TD, but after that it wasn’t enough to keep up.
Cal just really poured it on all game, and McCord’s command of the hurry up became a liability as their passers became turnover prone. McCord would be picked off for the first time in the 1st quarter by Jasiah Wagoner, giving Cal the ball on Syracuse’s 30. Giving Cal a short field over and over really killed the Orange’s chances of coming back.
A deep pass before the half would be tipped by Lu-Magia Hearns III and intercepted by Miles Williams. McCord would not return for the second half, he would be replaced by Carlos Del Rio-Wilson. He would not fare much better.
Two more second half interceptions would keep Syracuse from being much of a threat, at this point the game was well out of hand and Cal had their backups in. Short underneath passes kept the chains moving and the Orange just could not stop the ground game even with Jadyn Ott sitting on the bench.
THE TAKEAWAY
Syracuse has some soul searching to do on both sides of the ball. Ott (24/129 2TD) and Byron Cardwell (12/179 TD) combined for a solid day that nearly shut out the Orange in the second half. Merriweather would finish with 10 receptions for 219 yards and 4TD, good enough to earn ACC and National Player Of The Week awards.
UP NEXT
California : Host Stanfurd in The Big Game.
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
BERKELEY, CA - The 131st Big Game would be the first of the ACC era, and few could have predicted the state of this rivalry. Stanfurd were right in line with a shot at a bowl berth at 5-5, but the Golden Bears came in ranked #5 at 9-1 and looking for a place in the first College Football Playoff. After scoring 55, 68, and 69 while boasting the nation’s top offense in total yards, rushing yards, and points per game, a 4th straight win was in the cards for Cal.
The opening drive did little to help Cal’s case, with the Cardinal coming up with a solid defensive effort and leaving Cal with a 4th & 1 on Stanfurd’s 29. Justin Wilcox did not hesitate to go for it, but Jadyn Ott would be stopped short. Ashton Daniels would put together one of his most impressive drives of the game and run it in himself from the 3 for a 7-0 lead.
Cal would pull level with the visitors before the 2nd quarter, almost the exact time this game went against Stanfurd and left them in the dust. Daniels managed another long drive, taking the Cardinal all the way down to Cal’s 3 before being forced into a 4th & goal. Stanfurd would somehow manage to miss the FG and give the ball back on the 20. The very next play, Mikey Matthews would catch a short out pass, break a tackle, and escape down the sidelines for an 80 yard TD and a 14-7 lead.
Up 21-13 at the half, and Stanfurd unable to slow down the run, Cal came out of the break looking to run over their visitors.
“We had them on the ground, we wanted to turn the tables on them” said Wilcos after the game “show them we controlled the line of scrimmage.”
The second half was mostly just Ott and Byron Cardwell running wild while Stanfurd spread things out and tried to push the ball downfield. This made things much easier for Cal to deal with, forcing a number of three-and-out possessions while getting to Daniels much more easily.
With 2:20 left in the 4th, Daniels would be picked off by Jasiah Wagoner trying to go deep down the sidelines. Any attempt at a comeback likely died with that interception. With 1:41 left, there was more humiliation waiting for Stanfurd as Rick Correia logged a strip sack on Daniels and recovered the ball himself.
Correia’s strip sack and fumble recovery would seal the win.
Cal would get the ball on the 44 and run the clock down, finishing the game by tying a school record for wins in a season.
THE TAKEAWAY
Big win for Cal in the Big Game. The 49 points scored by Cal would be the second most all time for the Big Game, and the most since #10 Stanfurd crushed Cal 63-13 in 2013. While the offense would get most of the attention, Cal’s defense would be excellent today. Correia would win the ACC and National Defensive Player Of The Week award thanks to his 10 tackles, 2 sacks, forced fumble, and fumble recovery.
UP NEXT
California : Plays at SMU.
The opening drive did little to help Cal’s case, with the Cardinal coming up with a solid defensive effort and leaving Cal with a 4th & 1 on Stanfurd’s 29. Justin Wilcox did not hesitate to go for it, but Jadyn Ott would be stopped short. Ashton Daniels would put together one of his most impressive drives of the game and run it in himself from the 3 for a 7-0 lead.
Cal would pull level with the visitors before the 2nd quarter, almost the exact time this game went against Stanfurd and left them in the dust. Daniels managed another long drive, taking the Cardinal all the way down to Cal’s 3 before being forced into a 4th & goal. Stanfurd would somehow manage to miss the FG and give the ball back on the 20. The very next play, Mikey Matthews would catch a short out pass, break a tackle, and escape down the sidelines for an 80 yard TD and a 14-7 lead.
Up 21-13 at the half, and Stanfurd unable to slow down the run, Cal came out of the break looking to run over their visitors.
“We had them on the ground, we wanted to turn the tables on them” said Wilcos after the game “show them we controlled the line of scrimmage.”
The second half was mostly just Ott and Byron Cardwell running wild while Stanfurd spread things out and tried to push the ball downfield. This made things much easier for Cal to deal with, forcing a number of three-and-out possessions while getting to Daniels much more easily.
With 2:20 left in the 4th, Daniels would be picked off by Jasiah Wagoner trying to go deep down the sidelines. Any attempt at a comeback likely died with that interception. With 1:41 left, there was more humiliation waiting for Stanfurd as Rick Correia logged a strip sack on Daniels and recovered the ball himself.
Cal would get the ball on the 44 and run the clock down, finishing the game by tying a school record for wins in a season.
THE TAKEAWAY
Big win for Cal in the Big Game. The 49 points scored by Cal would be the second most all time for the Big Game, and the most since #10 Stanfurd crushed Cal 63-13 in 2013. While the offense would get most of the attention, Cal’s defense would be excellent today. Correia would win the ACC and National Defensive Player Of The Week award thanks to his 10 tackles, 2 sacks, forced fumble, and fumble recovery.
UP NEXT
California : Plays at SMU.
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
DALLAS, TX - The final regular season game for the Golden Bears would have them in a position the school has never been in before; a spot in the College Football Playoff would be on the line. A spot in the ACC title game would be theirs with a win, if NC State beats North Carolina later today they could advance with a loss, but Justin Wilcox wasn’t going to rely on another team.
“This is definitely a new situation, but we can’t discount them because of their record, we can’t afford to look past this game.” said Wilcox prior to the game while addressing SMU’s 4-7 record.
The hardest thing to overlook was Cal’s current seeding in the College Football Playoff, coming into the game they were #6 and slated to face Notre Dame.
Initially it looked as though the Golden Bears would have this locked up. Jaydn Ott would score a 9 yard TD run on the opening drive, and a short TD pass to Tobias Merriweather would put them up 14-0 later in the quarter.
Early in the 2nd quarter it looked like SMU would fall further in a hole when Xavier Carlton would force a fumble from Jordan Hudson on Cal’s 12 yard line, but the ball would roll out of bounds before Cal could establish possession. Hudson would get a second chance as Preston Stone would hit him for a 12 yard TD catch, finally putting the Mustangs on the scoreboard.
Up 21-7 at the half, things would start to fall apart for Cal in the 3rd quarter. The first sign of trouble would come with Fernando Mendoza throwing an interception deep over the middle trying to force the ball into Endries. The one thing SMU was doing really well right from the start of the game was clamping down on Cal’s wide receivers, especially Merriweather and Mikey Matthews. Endries would continue to burn them, but with the WR’s blanketed it was easy to know when Mendoza wanted to go.
With the ball on the 34 it wouldn’t take long for Stone to lead a scoring drive and make it 21-14. Cal would answer back with a TD to Endries, but a missed PAT would leave Wilcox fuming.
The end of the 3rd would see another Cal misstep, this time SMU would get a stop on 4th & 4 to give themselves the ball on Cal’s 36. Wilcox’s refusal to send Ryan Coe out for makeable field goals was starting to make things much harder for the visitors.
The 4th quarter would be all Stone, finally finding a way to unlock Cal’s secondary and taking advantage of more turnovers. First a 73 yard TD pass to Hudson would make it a two TD game, and then a Cale Sanders Jr. interception would give the ball right back to them. This time Stone would run the ball in himself after a drive that would make Cal look completely lost on defense.
Once again refusing the try for a FG, Wilcox would gamble on a 4th & 2 at SMU’s 14 only to have Ott stuffed a yard short. The Golden Bears would look tough for two downs, stopping a rushing attempt and a Stone scramble for zero yards. On 3th & 10, they would get a taste of their own medicine when Moochie Dixon would catch a 15 yard pass and slip through for an 86 yard TD and a 35-34 lead.
A moribund SMU would find life against Cal.
Mendoza would lead a conservative drive down the field in just under 2:00, and find themselves stuck on SMU’s 25 with just a few seconds left on the clock. Finally Wilcox would send out Coe, only to make it obvious why it was the first time all game. Coe would kick it just wide as time expired and the Mustangs would rush the field to celebrate a win against a Top 5 opponent.
THE TAKEAWAY
Cal cannot kick a FG. Over the course of the season Wilcox’s offensive bravado when faced with 4th down seemed like a strength, it has slowly morphed into a serious weakness as it looks like he’s making that call because they can’t grab an easy three points. For a team on track to lead the nation in numerous offensive categories, it’s concerning that they can’t find points in close games.
UP NEXT
California : NC State in the ACC Championship.
“This is definitely a new situation, but we can’t discount them because of their record, we can’t afford to look past this game.” said Wilcox prior to the game while addressing SMU’s 4-7 record.
The hardest thing to overlook was Cal’s current seeding in the College Football Playoff, coming into the game they were #6 and slated to face Notre Dame.
Initially it looked as though the Golden Bears would have this locked up. Jaydn Ott would score a 9 yard TD run on the opening drive, and a short TD pass to Tobias Merriweather would put them up 14-0 later in the quarter.
Early in the 2nd quarter it looked like SMU would fall further in a hole when Xavier Carlton would force a fumble from Jordan Hudson on Cal’s 12 yard line, but the ball would roll out of bounds before Cal could establish possession. Hudson would get a second chance as Preston Stone would hit him for a 12 yard TD catch, finally putting the Mustangs on the scoreboard.
Up 21-7 at the half, things would start to fall apart for Cal in the 3rd quarter. The first sign of trouble would come with Fernando Mendoza throwing an interception deep over the middle trying to force the ball into Endries. The one thing SMU was doing really well right from the start of the game was clamping down on Cal’s wide receivers, especially Merriweather and Mikey Matthews. Endries would continue to burn them, but with the WR’s blanketed it was easy to know when Mendoza wanted to go.
With the ball on the 34 it wouldn’t take long for Stone to lead a scoring drive and make it 21-14. Cal would answer back with a TD to Endries, but a missed PAT would leave Wilcox fuming.
The end of the 3rd would see another Cal misstep, this time SMU would get a stop on 4th & 4 to give themselves the ball on Cal’s 36. Wilcox’s refusal to send Ryan Coe out for makeable field goals was starting to make things much harder for the visitors.
The 4th quarter would be all Stone, finally finding a way to unlock Cal’s secondary and taking advantage of more turnovers. First a 73 yard TD pass to Hudson would make it a two TD game, and then a Cale Sanders Jr. interception would give the ball right back to them. This time Stone would run the ball in himself after a drive that would make Cal look completely lost on defense.
Once again refusing the try for a FG, Wilcox would gamble on a 4th & 2 at SMU’s 14 only to have Ott stuffed a yard short. The Golden Bears would look tough for two downs, stopping a rushing attempt and a Stone scramble for zero yards. On 3th & 10, they would get a taste of their own medicine when Moochie Dixon would catch a 15 yard pass and slip through for an 86 yard TD and a 35-34 lead.
Mendoza would lead a conservative drive down the field in just under 2:00, and find themselves stuck on SMU’s 25 with just a few seconds left on the clock. Finally Wilcox would send out Coe, only to make it obvious why it was the first time all game. Coe would kick it just wide as time expired and the Mustangs would rush the field to celebrate a win against a Top 5 opponent.
THE TAKEAWAY
Cal cannot kick a FG. Over the course of the season Wilcox’s offensive bravado when faced with 4th down seemed like a strength, it has slowly morphed into a serious weakness as it looks like he’s making that call because they can’t grab an easy three points. For a team on track to lead the nation in numerous offensive categories, it’s concerning that they can’t find points in close games.
UP NEXT
California : NC State in the ACC Championship.
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
Tough loss and it sucks that it's because of FGs, but you are still in the title game which is great.
Tough loss and it sucks that it's because of FGs, but you are still in the title game which is great.
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Re: Bear Territory : California CF25
CHARLOTTE, NC - The chaos of the 2023 seems to have stayed around, though on some level this outcome isn’t as chaotic as it could have been. NC State had an outside chance of making this game and the College Football Playoff, they just needed a bunch of other teams to fall apart. That came true as Florida State, Clemson, Miami, and Louisville all failed to take a commanding lead of the conference. Anyone who put money on Cal being here before the season is probably on the Forbes Rich list now, ironically they needed the Wolfpack’s help to get here and they got it in the form of a 42-21 win over North Carolina in their final game.
NC State is one of the teams that has never been in the title game, with Syracuse the other previous ACC member never to have participated. With Cal appearing in their first year that leaves the Orange, SMU, and Stanfurd as the last remaining teams to miss out.
“We need to respect their offense,” said NC State’s Dave Doeren prior to the game “but they will need to respect ours, and I think we have the talent to shut down the big TD strikes.”
Doeren’s words would ring true, but not true enough on Cal’s opening drive. The Golden Bears would once again methodically drive down the field and start a game with a 7-0 lead thanks to a short pass over the middle to Jack Endries.
Things seriously started to tip Cal’s way in the 2nd quarter, starting with a big stop on 3rd & goal from the 4 that would force a FG. The next drive Fernando Mendoza would reward Wilcox’s no-field-goal-attempts approach by finding Tobias Merriweather for a 5 yard TD on 4th & 3 from the 5 to put Cal up 21-10. It got worse for Grayson McCall on their next drive, inside 2:00 and in the red zone Isaiah Crosby would intercept a pass near the goal line and take it back 86 yards for a 28-10 lead.
McCall would not be deterred by the turnover, taking a big hit on a blitz he would deliver a deep ball to split Cal’s Cover 2 and Justin Joly would take it in for a 75 yard TD. With less than a minute left in the half, the Wolfpack would find some life and exploit Cal’s inability to stop big plays when it mattered most.
From halftime on, the game would be NC State’s. They would open the 3rd quarter with a 12 play 84 yard drive that would end with a 2 yard TD run by Jordan Waters, they would fail the 2-point attempt but a 28-23 score would be much more manageable. With the two-minute warning approaching in the 4th, and the score 35-30, the whole game would explode with a flurry of scoring.
An underthrown ball to Endries would once again give NC State the ball, this time on Cal’s 30 with 2:24 left in the game. Just a few plays later Kevin Concepcion would absolutely torch Wagoner in man coverage, break inside on a 20 yard post for a TD and run him over for good measure. Cal would stop another 2-point attempt, but NC State would finally have the lead with 1:52 left in the game.
Kevin Concepcion would pour salt on the wound.
The word on how to beat Cal is definitely out, as NC State would practically copy SMU’s late game heroics. Locking down the outside receivers and tempting Mendoza to find Endries over the middle would be the way to go, and Mendoza would oblige almost immediately after Concepcion’s TD catch. Devan Boykin would slip under Endries and take it back 42 yards for a pick six and a 43-35 lead.
With the ball in their hands to finish the game, Cal would go 80 yards and score with a 5 yard TD pass to Mikey Matthews. Down 2, Wilcox would make the obvious call and go for it, but NC State was ready and Ott would be stoned at the goal line. Even a challenge of the spot wouldn’t help them, and a failed onside kick attempt would end the game in NC State’s favor.
THE TAKEAWAY
Cal has vastly overachieved, but they clearly have more room for improvement. Turnovers are almost directly linked to them losing games, Wilcox will need to find a way to avoid shooting themselves in the foot. The loss would kick them about of the College Football Playoff, landing them a bid for the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
UP NEXT
California : North Texas in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl
NC State is one of the teams that has never been in the title game, with Syracuse the other previous ACC member never to have participated. With Cal appearing in their first year that leaves the Orange, SMU, and Stanfurd as the last remaining teams to miss out.
“We need to respect their offense,” said NC State’s Dave Doeren prior to the game “but they will need to respect ours, and I think we have the talent to shut down the big TD strikes.”
Doeren’s words would ring true, but not true enough on Cal’s opening drive. The Golden Bears would once again methodically drive down the field and start a game with a 7-0 lead thanks to a short pass over the middle to Jack Endries.
Things seriously started to tip Cal’s way in the 2nd quarter, starting with a big stop on 3rd & goal from the 4 that would force a FG. The next drive Fernando Mendoza would reward Wilcox’s no-field-goal-attempts approach by finding Tobias Merriweather for a 5 yard TD on 4th & 3 from the 5 to put Cal up 21-10. It got worse for Grayson McCall on their next drive, inside 2:00 and in the red zone Isaiah Crosby would intercept a pass near the goal line and take it back 86 yards for a 28-10 lead.
McCall would not be deterred by the turnover, taking a big hit on a blitz he would deliver a deep ball to split Cal’s Cover 2 and Justin Joly would take it in for a 75 yard TD. With less than a minute left in the half, the Wolfpack would find some life and exploit Cal’s inability to stop big plays when it mattered most.
From halftime on, the game would be NC State’s. They would open the 3rd quarter with a 12 play 84 yard drive that would end with a 2 yard TD run by Jordan Waters, they would fail the 2-point attempt but a 28-23 score would be much more manageable. With the two-minute warning approaching in the 4th, and the score 35-30, the whole game would explode with a flurry of scoring.
An underthrown ball to Endries would once again give NC State the ball, this time on Cal’s 30 with 2:24 left in the game. Just a few plays later Kevin Concepcion would absolutely torch Wagoner in man coverage, break inside on a 20 yard post for a TD and run him over for good measure. Cal would stop another 2-point attempt, but NC State would finally have the lead with 1:52 left in the game.
The word on how to beat Cal is definitely out, as NC State would practically copy SMU’s late game heroics. Locking down the outside receivers and tempting Mendoza to find Endries over the middle would be the way to go, and Mendoza would oblige almost immediately after Concepcion’s TD catch. Devan Boykin would slip under Endries and take it back 42 yards for a pick six and a 43-35 lead.
With the ball in their hands to finish the game, Cal would go 80 yards and score with a 5 yard TD pass to Mikey Matthews. Down 2, Wilcox would make the obvious call and go for it, but NC State was ready and Ott would be stoned at the goal line. Even a challenge of the spot wouldn’t help them, and a failed onside kick attempt would end the game in NC State’s favor.
THE TAKEAWAY
Cal has vastly overachieved, but they clearly have more room for improvement. Turnovers are almost directly linked to them losing games, Wilcox will need to find a way to avoid shooting themselves in the foot. The loss would kick them about of the College Football Playoff, landing them a bid for the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
UP NEXT
California : North Texas in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl
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