Tag: Cal Golden Bears

Oct 26, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears running back Jaydn Ott (1) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Oregon State Beavers during the third quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Ott was ruled down before scoring after a video review. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Big Game, new league: Stanford and Cal renew rivalry

Posted on | by Field Level Media

California has more at stake than just rivalry pride when it hosts Stanford in their first Big Game as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference on Saturday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif.

Coming off a 33-25 home loss to Syracuse, Cal (5-5, 1-5 ACC) remains one win shy of bowl eligibility. The Golden Bears complete the regular season next Saturday at No. 13 SMU.

Stanford (3-7, 2-5) already is assured of its sixth straight campaign without postseason play despite a surprising 38-35 home win over then-No. 19 Louisville last week. The Cardinal finish with a non-conference matchup at San Jose State next Friday.

Cal hopes to unleash star running back Jaydn Ott on the Cardinal like it did in last year’s 27-15 road win, when the then-sophomore dominated the game with 166 yards rushing.

But the All-American candidate hasn’t come close to duplicating those kinds of numbers this year after suffering a sprained ankle in Cal’s season-opening win over UC Davis. He hasn’t rushed for more than 78 yards in any game this year, with his season high coming last week against Syracuse.

Ott isn’t the only Big Game performer who is coming off his best effort of the season. Stanford’s Ashton Daniels earned ACC Quarterback of the Week for his 298-yard, three-touchdown showing against Louisville.

Cal safety Craig Woodson said he and his teammates saw Daniels’ performance on tape and weren’t impressed.

“We still feel the same way about them. We’re coming out Saturday to dominate them,” Woodson boasted. “With them beating Louisville, it doesn’t change anything. It just makes us even more (determined) to show them y’all’s the little dogs and we’re the Bears.”

The best Stanford can do this year is finish with five wins. Cardinal coach Troy Taylor noted any season, regardless of the total number of wins, contains a lifetime memory if it includes a win over the Northern California rival.

“The games are usually decided by a touchdown, so teams do typically rise to the occasion regardless of the records and no matter what’s going on,” he observed. “It’s really what is great about college sports. Hopefully it’ll be another great one for Stanford folk.”

Cal has won the last three Big Games.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarter back CJ Bailey (16) looks for an opening during the second half at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

NC State seeks bounce-back performance vs. Cal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Coming off back-to-back losses at home for the first time since 2019, North Carolina State will look to pick up a win on the road when it heads to the West Coast for the first time this season in the new-look Atlantic Coast Conference to face California on Saturday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif.

NC State (3-4, 0-3 ACC) is still searching for its first conference win. The Wolfpack have failed to live up to expectations after being picked to finish fourth in the ACC preseason poll, garnering eight first-place votes. Heading into this game against the Golden Bears (3-3, 0-3), the Wolfpack seem to be in jeopardy of letting their season go off the rails.

The Wolfpack are coming off a home loss to Syracuse, in which they lost by just one score and lost the turnover battle 3-0.

“When you’re used to it, when you start taking that stuff for granted, sometimes the football gods come back and remind you how hard it really is to win a game,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said this week. “We can’t take winning for granted. We can’t take how to win for granted, the precious details, the value of field position and turnover margin.”

After Coastal Carolina transfer quarterback Grayson McCall suffered his second head injury in the past 12 months in NC State’s loss to Wake Forest on Oct. 5, true freshman CJ Bailey has taken the reins. Statistically, he had his best game yet against Syracuse, completing 17 of 24 throws for a season-high 329 yards and two touchdowns. But he also fumbled once and threw an interception.

NC State turns the ball over 1.9 times per game, which is the most in the ACC.

Cal has lost three games in a row, but by a combined eight points. The Bears lost on the road at Florida State by five, home to Miami by one in a controversial ending, and most recently at Pittsburgh by two. Two of Cal’s losses were also to AP-ranked opponents.

In Cal coach Justin Wilcox’s opinion, the team’s problem lately has been protecting its quarterback. The Bears have allowed 24 sacks through six games, which is the second-worst mark in FBS, tied with Colorado and trailing only South Carolina.

“We can’t get sacked so much. Everybody’s involved in that,” Wilcox said. “We’ve got to throw the ball on time, we have to protect the quarterback up front. The quarterback, there are times we can make better decisions.”

That quarterback is Fernando Mendoza, who has a completion percentage of 66.5 percent and is averaging 8.1 passing yards per attempt, both of which rank in the top 10 in the ACC.

Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between NC State and Cal in football.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein (10) runs with the ball against Youngstown State Penguins defensive lineman Jabarrek Hopkins (16) during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Eli Holstein, No. 22 Pitt aim to continue sizzling start vs. Cal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Pittsburgh is back in the Top 25 and hopes to stay there when the No. 22 Panthers take on visiting California in an Atlantic Coast Conference game Saturday afternoon.

Pittsburgh (5-0, 1-0) entered the Top 25 for the first time this season after beating North Carolina 34-24 last weekend.

A sixth consecutive victory likely won’t come easy. The Golden Bears (3-2, 0-2) fell just short against two annual ACC powers. Cal lost to the Florida State Seminoles 14-9 on Sept. 21 in the Golden Bears’ first game in their new conference and fell 39-38 to then-No. 8 Miami last Saturday.

The new long-distance rivals haven’t met since 1966. The Panthers won that game 30-15 to take a 3-2 all-time lead in the series.

Panthers standout quarterback and redshirt freshman Eli Holstein etched his name in the Pittsburgh record book when he threw for 381 yards and three touchdowns in the win over North Carolina. Holstein’s passing yardage total broke the school’s single-game mark by a freshman, passing Alex Van Pelt’s 366 against West Virginia in 1989.

Holstein’s performance earned him the Walter Camp Award as national Offensive Player of the Week. He also rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown.

Holstein also has equaled former Panthers star Dan Marino’s early success. Holstein is the first Panthers quarterback to win his first five career starts since Marino in 1979.

Holstein also is the first Pittsburgh quarterback in school history to throw at least three touchdown passes in each of the team’s first five games.

Like everyone else who watched the end of Cal’s entertaining one-point loss to Miami, Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi wasted no time warning his club about the Golden Bears.

He also wants his players not to overlook the Bears and avoid getting caught up in celebrating the program’s first national ranking since the end of the 2022 season.

“I don’t care (about) the preseason ranking,” Narduzzi said. “The only ranking we’ll brag about is what our postseason ranking is and trying to win a championship. Those are the rankings you worry about.”

As Cal looks to record its first ACC win in school history, the Golden Bears would love to get their running back going.

Arguably Cal’s most pressing issue this season has been the health of All-American candidate Jaydn Ott, who suffered an ankle injury in the opener against U.C. Davis. He has totaled just 86 rushing yards on 23 carries in Cal’s past three outings, after eclipsing the 100-yard mark five times last season.

He sprinted 66 yards against Miami after receiving a short pass, but, according to coach Justin Wilcox, was experiencing ankle pain shortly thereafter.

“He really wants to be out there and doing his best,” said Wilcox, who added that Ott is listed as probable to return against Pitt. “It’s a physical game. One of the unfortunate realities of football is things happen from time to time. He’ll get back as soon as he possibly can.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass against the San Diego State Aztecs during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Winless Florida State hosts unbeaten Cal in ACC action

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Some could have predicted that when California faced Florida State at this point in the season, one team would be undefeated and one would still be winless.

But most probably thought the roles would be reversed.

The reality is the Bears are the ones who arrive for their first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference matchup Saturday night in Tallahassee, Fla., with an unblemished record. Meanwhile, the Seminoles (0-3) are off to one of the most disappointing starts in program history.

Cal coach Justin Wilcox has guided the Bears to their first 3-0 start since 2019, which includes a road win at Auburn. But Wilcox said his squad still has some growing up to do heading into what is always a tough road venue.

“We all got to learn how to win,” Wilcox said following last weekend’s 31-10 defeat of San Diego State. “The team has to learn how to win, the program’s got to learn how to win.”

The Bears finished with a season-best 473 yards of offense in that win over the Aztecs. Fernando Mendoza played well, completing 21 of 29 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Nyziah Hunter has four touchdown receptions in three games.

For the Seminoles, the offense has continued to struggle for a team that opened the season ranked in the top 10 and coming off a 13-0 regular season in 2023.

Transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is 56-of-99 passing for 666 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, and is averaging 6.7 yards per attempt. FSU’s lack of a running game has not helped. The Seminoles rank 133rd of 134 FBS teams, averaging 52 yards rushing per game.

“Looking at DJ, obviously, it’s been a challenging start for everybody. It takes 11,” coach Mike Norvell said this week, coming off a 20-12 loss to Memphis, the team he coached for four years before taking the FSU job.

Uiagalelei threw for 201 yards and an interception against Memphis.

“We all have a job, we all have a responsibility. I think when you look at the game, there were some things that DJ did really well in putting guys in a position and trying to give opportunities,” Norvell said. “But there were also a few times that we had some missed opportunities on his part, in our overall execution.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 11, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears running back Jaydn Ott (1) gestures towards the Washington State Cougars fan section after scoring a touchdown while being congratulated by tight end Jeffrey Johnson (right) and tight end Jack Endries (87) during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Big Game has extra meaning for Cal, host Stanford

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cal has more than just “The Stanford Axe” in mind when it attempts to win the rivalry game against host Stanford on Saturday afternoon in the annual Big Game.

It will be the school’s final meeting as members of the Pacific-12 Conference.

The Golden Bears (4-6, 2-5 Pac-12) must win at Stanford (3-7, 2-6) and again on Nov. 25 at UCLA in order to get to .500 for the season and become bowl eligible. They haven’t reached the postseason since playing in the 2019 Redbox Bowl.

Becoming bowl-eligible would require a third straight victory over the Cardinal, having blitzed the hosts 41-11 two years ago before retaining San Francisco Bay Area superiority with a 27-20 home win last November.

Cal and Stanford will continue their 131-year-old rivalry moving forward, but they will do so next season as new members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Golden Bears kept their bowl hopes alive with a wild, 42-39 home win over Washington State last Saturday. Cal scored three touchdowns on fumble recoveries, including one by center Brian Driscoll.

The senior is well aware of the rivalry with Stanford, but he admits there’s more to this matchup than just another year in possession of a coveted plaque.

“We’re going to recognize the history and appreciate that,” Driscoll said, “but we’re trying to win out and get to a bowl game and our mindset is just win every week.”

Driscoll’s recovery came on a fumble by standout Cal running Jaydn Ott, who went over 1,000 rushing yards for the season with 167 last week. It was the sophomore’s fourth game with 150 or more yards this season.

As a freshman last season, Ott contributed 97 rushing yards and a touchdown in the Golden Bears’ narrow win over Stanford. His 1-yard TD run gave Cal a 10-point lead in the game’s final minute.

Stanford has yet to win at home this season, falling to Sacramento State in a nonconference game before coming up short against Arizona, Oregon, UCLA and Washington in Pac-12 contests.

The Cardinal were competitive in a 42-33 defeat against the No. 5 Huskies in their most recent home game, after which they won 10-7 at Washington State before falling 62-17 last week at then-No. 12 Oregon State.

Stanford will complete its season Nov. 25 with a home contest against Notre Dame, meaning the Cal game takes on extra significance in that it will be the Cardinal’s final Pac-12 football contest.

It’s also a big game for first-year coach Troy Taylor, a former star quarterback for the Golden Bears.

“Cal’s forged the person I am,” said Taylor, whose Golden Bears career ran from 1986-89. “I’ll be forever grateful to Cal. It was an unbelievable experience …

“Excited to be (now at Stanford). Excited to continue a great rivalry. It’s one of the oldest rivalries, and I’m excited to compete against Cal.”

Taylor competed against the Golden Bears in 2021, when his previous team, Sacramento State, gave Cal a scare before settling for a 42-30 defeat.

Stanford would love for that kind of offensive success. The Cardinal have been held to a total of 27 points in their past two games and have scored 10 or fewer four times this year.

The Cardinal are led on offense by sophomore wideout Elic Ayomanor, who needs 88 receiving yards Saturday to reach 1,000 for the season.

–Field Level Media

Nov 4, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws the ball during the second half against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Reeling teams clash as Cal hosts Washington State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Two reeling teams with fading bowl hopes square off Saturday when Cal hosts Washington State in Berkeley in the last home game of the season for the Golden Bears.

After starting 4-0 and ranked No. 13 in the AP Top 25 poll, Washington State (4-5, 1-5 Pac-12) has lost five consecutive games following last week’s 10-7 defeat to Stanford at Pullman, Wash.

Cal (3-6, 1-5) suffered its fourth straight loss — all against ranked teams — when the Golden Bears were routed 63-19 at Oregon last week.

The Golden Bears must win their remaining three games to become bowl eligible. They will play at Stanford and UCLA to conclude the regular season.

“The only thing that really matters is winning, and we’re going to win those next three games,” said Cal freshman quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The 63 points allowed to Oregon were the most in the seven-year tenure of Cal’s Justin Wilcox, who has a background as a defensive coordinator.

Cal has allowed at least 50 points in four games this season for the first time since 2013, when the Golden Bears finished 1-11.

“I take responsibility for the performance of the team,” Wilcox said. “I need to do a better job to get the team ready and make sure they are given the best chance to be successful.”

Washington State coach Jake Dickert said the Cougars have not lost their desire to become bowl eligible for the eighth straight non-COVID year. They must win two of their last three games to do that. They will host Colorado next week before playing the Apple Cup game on Nov. 25 at Washington.

Despite the Cougars’ recent woes, Dickert has not changed the practice routines.

“I’m not a big believer, or a believer at all, (in saying) ‘Because things aren’t going our way, let’s put in 30 more hours,’” he said. “Let’s just live to the standard. … Let’s prepare to the standard, and let’s do it that way regardless of the outcome. So that’s been the mindset of this building.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 16, 2023; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (5) looks to throw during the second half against the San Diego State Aztecs at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

No. 15 Oregon State expecting a challenge at Cal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 15 Oregon State looks to continue its rise up the rankings when the Beavers travel to Cal for a Pac-12 game on Saturday night.

Oregon State (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12) climbed four spots after defeating then-No. 10 Utah last Friday, causing the Utes to plunge to No. 18 in this week’s rankings.

This marks the first time in program history that Oregon State has been ranked the first six weeks of a season.

The Beavers’ 21-7 win against the Utes followed a three-point loss at Washington State on Sept. 23, so they aren’t taking anything for granted on the road against the Golden Bears (3-2, 1-1).

“We’ve got a big-time challenge this weekend,” Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith said. “That program down at Cal has played us tough when you look at the battles the last three or four years. … Always plays stout defense, they’ve got a good running back that’s carrying the ball and that’ll be a challenge down there and we’re looking forward to it.”

Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and wide receiver Silas Bolden remain a dangerous combination.

Uiagalelei, a junior transfer from Clemson, surpassed the 1,000-yard mark on the season against Utah, while Bolden caught six passes for a career-high 100 yards and a touchdown.

Bolden also had two carries for 52 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown on fourth-and-1 early in the fourth quarter that stretched the lead to 21-0. The Beavers earned just one first down over their final four drives, however.

“On the offensive end, we want to be able to finish better,” Smith said.

Defensively, linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold has led the Beavers in tackles the past four games. He was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after totaling nine tackles, a sack and an interception against Utah.

“Easton is playing at a high level,” Smith said. “That showed up a ton on tape.”

Oregon State’s run defense is ranked fourth nationally, but the Beavers will be without linebacker Calvin Hart Jr. and defensive lineman James Rawls for the first half on Saturday. Both were ejected for targeting against Utah.

Cal held off visiting Arizona State to win 24-21 last Saturday. The Golden Bears were coming off a 59-32 loss at Washington in their conference opener the week before.

“We will never minimize winning in this conference,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. “It’s tough.”

Wilcox has not settled on a No. 1 quarterback after TCU transfer Sam Jackson V started last week and NC State transfer Ben Finley started the week before in the loss to the Huskies.

Wilcox spoke of the need to eliminate the mistakes that have made things more difficult on both sides of the ball.

“We have to learn how to eliminate some of these things that are giving us so much trouble,” he said. “Offensive penalties. Defensively, it’s like we’re playing good, playing good, and then we have a bust.”

Cal holds a 39-36 edge in the all-time series. Oregon State has won three of the past four.

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Drew Pyne (10) throws against the USC Trojans during the second half at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona State visits Cal with both teams seeking a turnaround

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Arizona State plays its first road game of the season Saturday at Cal in a clash of two teams looking to bounce back from losses to top-10 foes in their Pac-12 openers last weekend.

The Sun Devils (1-3, 0-1) travel to Berkeley, Calif., after a 42-28 loss to then-No. 5 Southern California in a game in which Arizona State hung around until the fourth quarter.

The Golden Bears (2-2, 0-1) trailed 45-12 at halftime at then-No. 8 Washington last Saturday and lost 59-32.

Arizona State’s lone win under first-year coach Kenny Dillingham was against Southern Utah, and it lost to Oklahoma State and Fresno State by a combined 56-15 before facing the Trojans.

The program has a self-imposed postseason ban because of an NCAA investigation into alleged recruiting violations that occurred under previous coach Herman Edwards.

“What’s the record matter this year anyways?” Dillingham said. “It doesn’t. The only thing that should matter is just getting better.”

With starting quarterback Jaden Rashada out for four to six weeks with an undisclosed injury, Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne started against USC.

Pyne completed 21 of 36 pass attempts for 221 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

He was sacked eight times.

Trenton Bourguet, who started against Fresno State but left because of a left lower-leg injury, did not play against USC but is expected to return against California, according to Dillingham.

California will also operate with potentially more than one quarterback against Arizona State.

Ben Finley started against Washington and completed 17 of 32 passes for 207 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

He suffered an undisclosed injury during an interception return in the third quarter, allowing former starter Sam Jackson V to enter the game.

Jackson, who started two of the first three games before he suffered a left shoulder injury, completed 10 of 14 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown without an interception against Washington.

“Basically both guys have two games under their belt and it’s unsettled,” California coach Justin Wilcox said about Finley and Jackson.

“We’ve got to find more consistent play at that position and that’s the one that gets the most attention for obvious reasons.”

–Field Level Media

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. throws a pass against Michigan State during the third quarter on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

Michael Penix Jr. leads No. 8 Washington against Cal

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The Heisman Trophy campaign for Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is picking up steam.

Penix will look to top 400 passing yards for the fourth straight game this season when the No. 8 Huskies (3-0) open Pac-12 play against Cal (2-1, 0-0) on Saturday night in Seattle.

Penix leads the nation with 1,332 passing yards after this opening salvo: 450 yards against Boise State, 409 vs. Tulsa and 473 in last Saturday’s 41-7 road rout over Michigan State.

The 473 yards are third most in Washington history. Penix also produced the two higher amounts — 516 against Arizona and 485 against Washington State, both last season.

Penix owns four of the top five passing-yardage outputs in school history. He also is tied for second nationally with 12 touchdown passes this season.

The Indiana transfer flirted with leaving for the NFL after passing for a school-record 4,641 yards and throwing 31 touchdown passes in 2022 before deciding to return for a second season with the Huskies.

“I was saying being able to come back for another year with the same guys and offense for a second year is definitely going to be special, and it’s been special so far,” Penix said.

The Huskies will look for another huge offensive game after accumulating 713 yards of total offense against the Spartans. That was second most in school history behind a 734-yard effort against San Jose State in 1996.

Washington has three receivers with at least 300 yards. Rome Odunze leads with 419, Jalen McMillan has 311 and Ja’Lynn Polk has 300.

McMillan exited the Michigan State game with an ankle injury. His availability won’t be known until later in the week.

The Huskies have won 11 of their past 15 games against the Golden Bears, including a 28-21 road victory last season.

Cal dug itself a 17-point hole last Saturday against FCS foe Idaho before rallying for a 31-17 victory.

Sam Jackson V threw two touchdown passes and rushed for one to help fuel the comeback. Isaiah Ifanse rushed for 137 yards with lead back Jaydn Ott out with an injury sustained the previous week against Auburn.

Ott had 268 rushing yards over the first two games. Ifanse has contributed 206 in three.

No matter who is in the backfield, Golden Bears coach Justin Wilcox said the team’s performance will need to be much higher this week against the Huskies.

“We’re all going to sit up here and say we’ve got to be better,” Wilcox said. “It’s true. Now it needs to be reflected.

“The size and explosiveness — and this is not a knock on Idaho — is going to be different.”

Cal has been opportunistic with 10 takeaways (five interceptions, five fumbles) over the first three games.

That trend will have to continue if the Golden Bears harbor thoughts of producing an epic upset in Seattle.

“Our goal is three turnovers a game so we can give the ball back to the offense and they can put points on the scoreboard,” said Nohl Williams, who has a team-leading two interceptions. “We were just emphasizing winning our one-on-ones and getting off the field on third downs. After we cleaned up a couple things, we were good.”

The Golden Bears have split the past four road games in the series after losing the previous four.

–Field Level Media

Dec 4, 2021; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) run the ball against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Cal sends USC to most losses since 1991

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Christopher Brooks ran for a pair of touchdowns, and Trey Paster returned a fumble 55 yards for a score on Saturday to lead Cal past USC 24-14 in Berkeley, Calif., its first home win over the Trojans since 2003.

Cal (5-7, 4-5 Pac-12 Conference) turned a pair of USC turnovers into touchdowns, including Paster’s long return of a fumble forced by Elijah Hicks, and the Golden Bears held the Trojans to conversions on just 1-of-3 red-zone opportunities.

Cal stymied one trip to the red zone with a fourth-down stop near the goal line. The other ended inside the 10-yard line when Daniel Scott jarred the ball loose from Miller Moss on a sack.

Cal nearly forced a third turnover when Lu-Magia Hearns III made a spectacular leaping grab for an interception, but an offsides penalty negated the play.

USC (4-8, 3-6) scored later on the same drive when Moss –replacing starter Jaxson Dart at quarterback in the third quarter when Dart was helped off the field following a hard hit — found K.D. Nixon for a 16-yard touchdown.

The late fourth-quarter score came too little, too late, as Cal recovered the ensuing onside-kick attempt to preserve the win.

Chase Garbers went 18-of-21 passing for 177 yards. He added 12 yards rushing on a night that Cal only gained 88 yards on the ground, led by Brooks’ 49.

Despite the lack of explosive offense and being outgained 409 yards to 265, the Golden Bears were helped by the turnovers and good field position. One of Cal’s scoring drives went 62 yards, culminating in a Dario Longhetto field goal of 22 yards, and nother covered 65 yards, ending with a 2-yard Brooks rush.

The Trojans concluded the season on a four-game losing streak and finished with eight losses for the first time since 1991, when they went 3-8.

Vavae Malepeai rushed for 107 yards on Saturday. Before coming out, Dart went 17-of-26 passing for 191 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown to Kyle Ford.

The loss of Dart compounded issues for an already depleted roster.

USC had only “about 60” players dressed for the season finale, according to the Los Angeles Times.

–Field Level Media