Tag: Golden Bears

California Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) during warm ups before Auburn Tigers take on California Golden Bears at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.

Cal, San Diego State renew rivalry in Berkeley

Posted on | by Field Level Media

California and San Diego State will meet for the first time in eight years in a non-conference contest Saturday night in Berkeley, Calif.

Both teams have injury concerns as Cal (2-0) seeks its first 3-0 start since 2019, while San Diego State (1-1) hopes to bounce back from a shutout home loss to Oregon State.

Cal has yet to get much from star running back Jaydn Ott, who injured his right ankle in the opener against U.C. Davis. He has been a part-time participant in both of Cal’s games, totaling just 60 yards on 24 carries. He has scored twice.

Ott is considered questionable for Saturday’s game, with the Golden Bears perhaps erring on the side of keeping him healthy for next week’s Atlantic Coast Conference opener at Florida State.

Jaivian Thomas led the Golden Bears in rushing with 53 yards in last week’s 21-14 upset win at Auburn. Cal did most of its offensive damage through the air, with Fernando Mendoza throwing for 233 yards and two touchdowns.

Cal coach Justin Wilcox began the season planning to split time between Mendoza and transfer Chandler Rogers, but Wilcox announced this week that no longer will be the case.

“Fernando will be our starting quarterback,” Wilcox declared. “Fernando has done a really good job. … Obviously last week, especially in the first half, was incredibly efficient. Still really bullish on that (quarterback) room. I think those guys are good football players and can help us win.”

This week, it’s San Diego State that brings quarterback uncertainty into the game, with freshman Danny O’Neil having injured his left knee in the first quarter of last week’s 21-0 loss to Oregon State.

O’Neil returned to the field for the Aztecs’ next possession with a brace on the knee, but finished just 11-of-24 passing for 107 yards.

First-year San Diego State coach Sean Lewis expects O’Neil to tough it out again this week, but hopes he’ll do a better job protecting himself.

“He is a relentless competitor,” Lewis praised. “He’s willing to sacrifice his own body. We’ve got to be smart about that. We talk about necessary hits versus unnecessary hits.”

San Diego State has been led offensively so far by running back Marquez Cooper, who has amassed 276 yards on 40 carries. He has two touchdowns.

The teams have split their eight all-time meetings, with the Aztecs winning the most recent game, 45-40 in San Diego in 2016.

-Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears running back Jaydn Ott (1) carries the ball against UC Davis Aggies defensive lineman Uilisoni Amone (99) during the third quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Cal hopes to have RB Jaydn Ott ready against Auburn

Posted on | by Field Level Media

California will get a chance to get acquainted with the type of travel in its Atlantic Coast Conference future when the Golden Bears fly 2,400 miles to visit fellow unbeaten Auburn in a nonconference game Saturday afternoon.

The matchup will complete a home-and-home agreement between the new ACC school and the longtime Southeastern Conference power, one that began last September with a 14-10 Tigers win in Berkeley, Calif.

Cal (1-0) is expected to have star running back Jaydn Ott available for the rematch after the All-American candidate injured his left ankle in the Golden Bears’ 31-13 opening win at home over U.C. Davis last Saturday.

Cal coach Justin Wilcox, who is known to be secretive with information such as starters and player availability, labeled Ott “probable” in his weekly chat with reporters on Tuesday.

Ott had just 49 yards on 14 carries but had scored two touchdowns before leaving the Davis game for good midway through the third quarter. He had 20 carries for a game-high 78 yards and one score in last year’s loss to Auburn.

Ott factored into a third TD in the opener when Nohl Williams, one of the blocking backs on the kickoff unit, grabbed a short kick designed to prevent an Ott return and dashed 80 yards for a score.

“Going into the week, I knew that was their game plan — kicking away from Jaydn,” noted Williams, who also intercepted a pass in the win. “That was my opportunity right there.”

Ott was a first-team All-Pac 12 selection in 2023, when he rushed for 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns. The preseason All-ACC first-team pick could be replaced Saturday by Kadarius Calloway, Jaivian Thomas and Byron Cardwell.

Auburn (1-0) will feature a familiar face in an unusual spot when it attempts to duplicate the offensive fireworks it displayed in last week’s 73-3 home win over Alabama A&M against a defense that allowed it just 14 points a year ago.

Sam Jackson V, who started at quarterback for Cal in last year’s meeting, is now a wide receiver for the Tigers. He had a 37-yard TD reception against the overmatched FCS opponent in his Auburn debut.

“It’ll be a good challenge to sort of see kind of where we are offensively,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said of the Golden Bears. “Here’s our chance to prove we can be a fundamentally efficient scoring machine against who I think plays really good defensive football.”

–Field Level Media

California's Jaydn Ott runs with the ball against Texas Tech in the Independence Bowl game, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La.

Jaydn Ott and Cal usher in ACC era against UC Davis

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California’s first game as an Atlantic Coast Conference school will be against a longtime Pacific Coast rival when the Golden Bears host UC Davis on Saturday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif.

In the first of three nonconference lead-ups to its ACC opener at Florida State, Cal will seek to make it three straight home wins over the rival Aggies in the last six seasons. The Golden Bears won 27-13 in 2019, then 34-13 in 2022.

A bowl team that went 6-7 last season, Cal hopes its Heisman Trophy candidate, running back Jaydn Ott, can get a jump-start on the competition against a UC Davis squad that went 7-4 last year. Ott topped 150 rushing yards five times last season en route to 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Ott’s 92.2 rushing yards per game rank second in the nation among returning backs. The junior begins the season with 2,202 career rushing yards; only one Golden Bear — J.J. Arrington with 2,452 in 2003-04 — had a higher total in his first two years in Berkeley.

While everyone knows who will be running the ball for Cal, coach Justin Wilcox has been unwilling to disclose who will be throwing it after a tight competition between returning eight-game starter Fernando Mendoza and transfers Chandler Rogers of North Texas and CJ Harris of Ohio.

“We will have a starting quarterback,” Wilcox teased in his final pregame press conference this week. “I don’t see how (making his name public) helps our team right now.”

UC Davis, which has earned Nos. 17 and 18 national rankings in preseason FCS polls, returns a star running back of its own in senior Lan Larison, the preseason Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

The Idaho native rushed for 1,101 yards and 13 touchdowns in just eight games last season, going for 255 against Eastern Washington and later 264 against Idaho State.

“There’s a lot that Lan still has to show,” Aggies coach Kevin Burke said of his All-American candidate. “He is becoming a more versatile player for us.”

Fifth-year senior Miles Hastings, a veteran of 34 games and more than 6,000 career passing yards at UC Davis, returns at quarterback.

The Aggies are winless in 11 meetings with Cal.

–Field Level Media

November 25, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Jake Bobo (9) scores a touchdown against California Golden Bears safety Craig Woodson (2) during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Dorian Thompson-Robinson, No. 18 UCLA finally finish off Cal

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Dorian Thompson-Robinson accounted for three touchdowns and Zach Charbonnet rushed for 119 yards and the game-winning score to lead UCLA to a 35-28 victory over host California on Friday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif.

Charbonnet carried the ball 24 times as UCLA rushed for 352 yards. T.J. Harden rushed for 89 yards and Thompson-Robinson, who threw for 189 yards and a score on 21-of-30 passing, added 88 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.

The Bruins (9-3 overall, 6-3 Pac-12) clinched the win with less than two minutes remaining when Laiatu Latu recovered his second fumble of the game after the ball was punched out of Cal running back Jaydn Ott’s hands.

Cal quarterback Jack Plummer threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns on 24-for-34 passing. Plummer also became the sixth quarterback for Cal to surpass the 3,000 yards passing in a season.

Less than four minutes after Cal (4-8, 2-7) took a 28-27 lead, Charbonnet scored a 5-yard touchdown run and Thompson-Robinson converted a two-point pass play to Jake Bobo as UCLA went 73 yards on 10 plays to take the lead.

The teams traded touchdowns in the first quarter, with UCLA striking first on a 5-yard toss from Thompson-Robinson to Bobo. Plummer capped an 80-yard drive with a 46-yard bomb to J. Michael Sturdivant to tie the score.

Nicholas Barr-Mira punched in a 23-yard field goal for a 10-7 UCLA lead in the second quarter.

Cal seemed to grab the momentum before halftime with a pair of Plummer touchdown passes to Jeremiah Hunter — from 38 and 22 yards out — as the Bears went up 21-10 with 58 seconds remaining.

But Thompson-Robinson led the Bruins on an impressive 75-yard drive on five plays in 40 seconds, rushing 19 yards for the score to make it a 21-17 game at the half.

Thompson-Robinson then helped the Bruins regain the lead at 24-21 with a 14-yard keeper midway through the third quarter.

Latu recovered a fumble after Jack Landherr IV popped the ball out of punt returner Hunter’s hands late in the third quarter in what was Cal’s only other turnover.

The Bruins had to settle for a field goal and a 27-21 lead.

On Cal’s next possession, Hunter gained 49 yards on a reception, setting up an 8-yard screen pass to Ott as Cal temporarily regained a one-point lead.

–Field Level Media

Oct 22, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox during the third quarter against the Washington Huskies at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Pride on the line for skidding Cal, Stanford

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Stanford has to make the trip across the San Francisco Bay, but the Cardinal appear to have Cal right where they want it when the rivals contest the 125th Big Game on Saturday in Berkeley, Calif.

The battle to avoid last place in the Pacific-12 Conference will pit a Stanford squad (3-7, 1-7) attempting to end a three-game losing streak and avenge last season’s 41-11 home drubbing against a Cal team (3-7, 1-6) that responded to a sixth consecutive defeat last weekend by firing offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave.

Both head coaches made it clear this week: You can throw out the records, which include not only the one-win conference seasons this year but also the fact that the road team has won the past four Big Games.

“The Big Game. That’s the message,” Stanford coach David Shaw said of his plan to fire up a team coming off a 42-7 shellacking at Utah. “The Axe is about the seniors and the tradition of holding that thing and taking pictures with it. We’re trying to get that Axe for the seniors. That’s the focus.”

Cal made a similarly disastrous trip last week, falling 38-10 at Oregon State. Curiously, Cal coach Justin Wilcox responded by firing Musgrave, whose offense (22.5 points per game) had far outperformed the Wilcox-influenced defense (37.3) over the past four weeks.

With his own job possibly on the line, Wilcox had a “win one for the alumni” speech prepared for his players.

“We recognize the importance of the Big Game to the university and our alumni and our student body,” Wilcox said. “We need to make the most out of (the) opportunity.”

While Cal introduces transfer quarterback Jack Plummer to the rivalry, Stanford junior Tanner McKee will get his second crack at being a Big Game starter.

He watched as a freshman when Stanford bussed out of Berkeley with The Axe in its possession following a 24-23 win in 2020, then contributed two interceptions to the Cardinal’s demise in last year’s 41-11 debacle at home.

McKee and Plummer have similar stats with the season winding down. McKee has thrown for 2,363 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while Plummer has logged 2,521 passing yards, 16 scores and seven picks.

–Field Level Media

Oct 22, 2022; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) carries the football during the second half with help from offensive lineman Ryan Walk (53) against the UCLA Bruins at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks won the game 45-30. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

No. 8 Oregon aims to keep rolling against Cal

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No. 8 Oregon will seek to retain its top spot in the Pac-12 standings while keeping its playoff hopes alive when it visits struggling Cal on Saturday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif.

The Ducks (6-1, 4-0 Pac-12) have gotten their offense in high gear since a 49-3 shellacking at the hands of top-ranked Georgia in a neutral-site opener. After putting up 70 points on Eastern Washington, Oregon has topped 40 in five consecutive games against BYU and four Pac-12 opponents — Washington State, Stanford, Arizona and most recently UCLA.

The latter was Oregon’s victim last week in a showdown of teams ranked inside the top 10 of the AP Poll. Ducks quarterback Bo Nix outdueled UCLA star Dorian Thompson-Robinson with 283 passing yards and five touchdowns in a 45-30 win that allowed Oregon to move up two spots in the national rankings.

A win over Cal (3-4, 1-3) likely wouldn’t have that kind of impact, but all wins count, especially when another loss would assuredly knock the Ducks out of the national-title picture.

Oregon has won 11 of the last 13 meetings over the Golden Bears, but Cal has taken two of the last three at home, including 21-17 in the 2020 finale when the Ducks flew into town as the 21st-ranked team in the country.

Cal has lost 11 of 19 games since then, including 24-17 last October at Oregon when the Ducks, ranked ninth at the time, needed to score two touchdowns in the final 11:23 to avoid a major upset.

The Golden Bears enter this meeting having lost three in a row, but several players — including star receiver J. Michael Sturdivant — have seen improvement.

“I think this team could beat anybody,” the wideout boasted in the wake of last week’s competitive setback. “I think every game from here on out is definitely winnable.”

The Ducks surely enter the game with a big edge in a battle of transfer quarterbacks.

Nix has averaged 272.7 passing yards in his last six games with 17 touchdowns and just one interception. The Auburn transfer also has rushed for eight touchdowns in his last five outings.

“I don’t think anybody can sit here and watch football right now and watch our quarterback playing and tell me he’s not an elite quarterback,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said after the UCLA win. “This guy’s playing at an extremely high level. He makes great decisions for his team.”

Meanwhile, Cal’s Jack Plummer has just 12 touchdown passes in seven games, although he’s coming off a game against Washington in which he equaled his season high with three. The Purdue transfer threw for 245 yards without an interception against the Huskies in arguably his best performance for Cal.

If the Golden Bears are going to put themselves in a position to possibly upset Oregon again, chances are they’ll have to duplicate a defensive effort in which they allowed Washington just six points over the first 40 minutes of last week’s contest.

–Field Level Media

Sep 24, 2022; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Cameron Ward (1) throws a pass against the Oregon Ducks in the second half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Ducks won 44-41. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

After dispiriting loss, Washington State aims to rebound vs. Cal

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In the southeast corner of Washington State, where Pullman is located, they have a phrase for what happened to the Cougars last weekend against Oregon.

They “Couged it.”

Their fans hope it doesn’t happen again when Washington State plays host to Cal (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) on Saturday afternoon for their homecoming game.

Washington State (3-1, 0-1) blew a double-digit lead in the final four minutes against the then-No. 15 Ducks, allowing 22 unanswered points in a span of less than three minutes. The host Cougars scored a meaningless touchdown in the final seconds to lose 44-41.

“We need to make sure we’re going into every single game ready to go four quarters,” Cougars edge rusher Brennan Jackson said. “We had some great goal-line stands early in the game. That’s kind of the embodiment of finishing.”

Instead, the Ducks scored 29 fourth-quarter points.

“We gotta finish the game out … I think we did that in the first two or three games, but we gotta do it consistently, every single week,” Jackson said. “There’s going to be some great teams. This is a hard schedule, it’s a hard conference.”

Washington State’s Cameron Ward completed 37 of 48 passes for 375 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a score in the fourth quarter.

“You saw the best of Cam Ward,” Cougars coach Jake Dickert said. “He has magic with the ball in his hands. …

“(But) you’re not going to win a lot of games giving up 600 yards of offense. … It was them out-executing us in the fourth quarter.”

The Golden Bears opened Pac-12 play with a 49-31 victory against Arizona as freshman Jaydn Ott ran for 274 yards and three touchdowns.

It was the third-highest single-game mark in school history, behind Jahvid Best’s 311 against Washington in 2008 and Jerry Drew’s 283 against Oregon State in 1954.

“Every time I touch the ball, I feel like I’m going to score,” said Ott, who had touchdowns on runs of 73, 18 and 72 yards. “That’s my mentality.”

Jack Plummer added three touchdown passes for the Golden Bears.

Cal leads the all-time series with Washington State 48-29-5.

–Field Level Media

Nov 20, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) throws a pass against the Southern California Trojans in the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

UCLA, Cal look to showcase stellar offenses again

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UCLA is heading to a bowl game this season, but California still has plenty of work left to secure its spot in a postseason game.

The Bruins welcome the Golden Bears to Pasadena on Saturday night in a Pac-12 matchup of teams that are playing better of late.

UCLA (7-4, 5-3 Pac-12) has posted a pair of comfortable wins in its last two games following a two-game stretch in which it lost to Oregon and Utah, allowing a combined 78 points in those two defeats. The Bruins trampled Colorado two weeks ago and then knocked off USC last week, 62-33, in their highest-scoring performance ever in 91 all-time matchups with the Trojans.

“We’re about finishing off, being resilient, and that’s the thing that I’m most impressed with today, regardless of how many points were on the board,” UCLA coach Chip Kelly said.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson stole the show for the Bruins, passing for 349 yards and four touchdowns and adding a pair of scores on the ground.

“He’s a special player,” Kelly said, “and I’ve said it since the beginning. I love the kid. He’s as tough as they come both mentally and physically — and that was just on display today.”

Thompson-Robinson may be the headliner for the UCLA offense, but Cal undoubtedly will be keeping a close eye on two others: Zach Charbonnet, who ran for 167 yards and a touchdown last week, and Kazmeir Allen, who scored on a 100-yard kickoff return and also grabbed three receptions for 115 yards and two scores.

Meanwhile, Cal (4-6, 3-4) can still reach the postseason by winning its last two regular-season contests. The Bears host the Trojans next weekend, but first they need to defeat the Bruins — and replicating last week’s effort against Stanford isn’t a bad place to start.

Cal topped the Cardinal 41-11 behind Chase Garbers’ two touchdown passes and Marcel Dancy’s pair of rushing scores. The Bears’ defense held Stanford to 282 total yards in a crisp all-around effort, but coach Justin Wilcox was particularly pleased with the play of his senior quarterback.

“I’m really glad Chase is on our team while I’ve been here to quarterback the Big Game,” Wilcox said, referencing the rivalry with Stanford. “He had another good one today. Chase is playing his best ball since being here. It’s not even close.”

UCLA has won three of the last four meetings between the teams, including a 34-10 triumph a season ago. The Bruins lead the all-time series 56-34-1.

–Field Level Media

November 27, 2020; Berkeley, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal players celebrate with The Stanford Axe after the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Big Game arrives amid bad seasons for Cal, Stanford

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Quarterback Chase Garbers looks for a second career win over rival Stanford when he leads visiting California into the annual Big Game among the San Francisco Bay Area’s two Pac-12 Conference football programs on Saturday afternoon.

The schools, separated by a bridge and just 35 miles, have alternated wins and losses the last three seasons. Stanford held on for a 24-23 victory at Cal last November when the Golden Bears missed a PAT after a touchdown with 58 seconds remaining.

That game pitted Garbers against Stanford’s Davis Mills, who has since graduated to the NFL’s Houston Texans.

The Cardinal’s quarterback situation has become a mess in the 10 games since, with opening-day backup Tanner McKee having quickly seized the starting job, only to come away with an undisclosed injury to his left leg in a home loss to Washington last month.

Jack West, Ari Patu and Dylan Plautz have shared the duties in the last two contests, in which Stanford (3-7, 2-6 Pac-12) was blown out by Utah and Oregon State.

The Cardinal totaled just 94 passing yards with two interceptions in last week’s 35-14 loss at Oregon State.

The good news for Stanford, which enters the Big Game on a five-game losing streak, is that McKee appears ready to return from his two-game absence.

“Having some guys back I think will help a lot this week,” Stanford coach David Shaw said, adding cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly and linebacker Ricky Miezan to the list of potential key returners headed by McKee.

“Right now it’s not about any of the previous games. It’s not about next week. It’s about rivalry week and that’s what these guys are focused on, trying to keep the Axe.”

Cal (3-6, 2-4 Pac-12) has had no such problems at the quarterback position, with Garbers ranking sixth in the Pac-12 in passing yards despite having played one or two fewer games than the five guys ahead of him on the list.

Cal’s contest last week against Southern California had to be rescheduled because of COVID issues among the Golden Bears. Cal was seriously undermanned, including the absence of Garbers, when it lost 10-3 the previous week at Arizona.

Cal offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave expects a big performance from Garbers this week despite the fact he hasn’t played since Oct. 30, when he threw for a season-best three touchdowns and rushed for a fourth in a win over Oregon State.

“I feel like we’re getting better as a coaching staff,” Musgrave said of a relationship he believes has kept his quarterback on an upward trajectory this season. “We’re game-planning better and putting him in better position — everybody, all 11 guys — to be successful.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 30, 2021; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Chase Garbers (7) scrambles during the third quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

USC-Cal game rescheduled due to COVID-19

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In what was a common occurrence a year ago, an NCAA football game has been postponed due to COVID-19. Unlike last year, this is the only FBS game moved so far in 2021, as Southern Cal’s trip to face Pac-12 foe Cal has been rescheduled from this Saturday to Dec. 4.

The Golden Bears were ravaged by a surge of players being deemed ineligible to play a week ago, helping to contribute to Cal’s ugly 10-3 loss to the Arizona Wildcats, previous losers of 20 games in a row.

Seven starters, including starting quarterback Chase Garbers, as well as 24 players and coaches overall were unavailable to Cal in the loss. The school announced Tuesday an undisclosed number of additional players have tested positive for COVID-19, necessitating a postponement.

USC and Cal negotiated a rescheduled date, and the Pac-12 approved the move.

Previously, the Pac-12 announced that teams will receive forfeits for COVID-19-related cancellations in 2021-22, but with the wiggle room to allow commissioner George Kliavkoff to have full discretion to rule differently on a case-by-case basis.

Garbers put out a statement on social media Monday, expressing frustration with Cal’s testing methodology and how it is communicated to athletes.

USC (4-5, 3-4 Pac-12) is now off this weekend before the Trojans play host to UCLA (5-4, 3-3) on Nov. 20. Cal (3-6, 2-4) will next travel to Stanford (3-6, 2-5) to take on the Cardinal Nov. 20.

–Field Level Media