Nov 30, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs safety Brandon Crossley (1) celebrates a defensive stop against the California Golden Bears during the first half at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

No. 9 SMU blows out Cal to win 9th straight, improve to 11-1

No. 9 SMU jumped out to a three-touchdown lead then sealed the game with a fourth-quarter explosion in their 38-6 win over visiting Cal in an Athletic Coast Conference matchup in Dallas on Saturday.

The Mustangs (11-1, 8-0 ACC) were already assured of a berth in the conference title game on Dec. 7. They will play Clemson, which qualified when No. 6 Miami fell at Syracuse on Saturday.

Kevin Jennings threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Brashard Smith had rushing and receiving scores, and Derrick McFall also ran for a touchdown for SMU.

The Mustangs had 251 total yards in the first half as they built a 21-0 lead but tallied only 17 yards in the third quarter before regaining steam. They finished with 415 yards to 254 for Cal.

SMU also had 17 penalties for 137 yards, with 85 of those yards coming after intermission.

The Mustangs’ defense, meanwhile, had five sacks, two by Kobe Wilson, among their 16 tackles for loss. Jonathan McGill’s interception in the fourth quarter set up Jennings’ 23-yard touchdown strike to Smith to effectively put the game away.

Reserve quarterback Preston Stone hit Key’Shawn Smith for a 40-yard touchdown with 3:38 left in the game to complete the scoring.

Chandler Rogers had 84 yards passing before leaving with an apparent leg injury in the third quarter for Cal (6-6, 2-6), and CJ Harris came on to throw for 75 yards and was intercepted once. Nyziah Hunter finished with 85 yards on five receptions.

The Golden Bears’ only points came on field goals of 40 and 53 yards by Ryan Coe in the second half.

After picking up a combined 35 yards on its first three possessions, Cal had a golden opportunity to draw within striking distance.

Trailing 21-0, the Golden Bears moved from their own 25-yard line to the Mustangs’ 3. But Rogers lost 2 yards on a rush, 10 more on a sack by Elijah Roberts and, after an incompletion, 5 yards for delay of game. Derek Morris’ 38-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide right.

–Field Level Media

Nov 2, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs tight end Stone Eby (44) and wide receiver Roderick Daniels Jr. (13) and wide receiver Moochie Dixon (5) and quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) celebrate a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first half at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

No. 9 SMU aims to improve playoff odds vs. Cal

SMU has plenty to play for when it closes the regular season against California on Saturday afternoon in Dallas.

The Mustangs (10-1, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who checked in at No. 9 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, would like to send their seniors off the right way. They would also like to complete a perfect regular season before appearing in the ACC title game in their first year in the conference. Most importantly, they want to continue to strengthen their playoff case.

“You’ve got the College Football Playoff, so every game matters. That’s what’s so cool about it now. The regular season is important,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “We’d like to finish well in everything we do, particularly on Saturday, to finish off the regular season, continue our momentum into the following week. Hopefully, continue to show the committee and others that we’re worthy of continuing to play this year.”

The Mustangs are a worthy playoff team to date. Kevin Jennings has established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the country, throwing for 2,521 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also has rushed for 315 yards and four TDs. Brashard Smith has been another standout, rushing for 1,089 yards and 13 TDs. Defensively, the Mustangs rank tied for 14th in the country with 20 takeaways.

“Obviously they’ve had a phenomenal season,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said of SMU. “As soon as you turn the tape on, it doesn’t take very long to see why their record is what it is. They’re very, very good really in every phase of the game – extremely explosive and quick and fast. They’ve got a dominant D-line. We’ve got a lot of challenges in front of us and our guys are excited for that.”

Cal (6-5, 2-5) is coming off an emotional win, defeating rival Stanford 24-21 on Saturday to secure a bowl berth. The Golden Bears will appear in consecutive bowls for the first time since 2018-19 and are now looking to clinch their first winning season since 2019.

SMU is not overlooking Cal, as all five of the Golden Bears’ losses have come by one score.

“You’d be hard-pressed to find a better 6-5 team in America,” Lashlee said. “I think you can conservatively say they very, very easily could be 9-2.”

Cal is led by quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who has thrown for 3,004 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. Tight end Jack Endries leads the team with 555 yards receiving, while wide receiver Nyziah Hunter has caught a team-leading five touchdowns.

Defensively, Cal has the ACC’s top scoring defense (20.7 points per game) and is tied with Clemson for the ACC’s best turnover margin (plus-13). Defensive back Nohl Williams is the star of the group — he leads the country with seven interceptions.

Even though oddsmakers are heavily favoring SMU, Cal is going into the game with a simple mindset.

“Our task at hand is to make the best bowl game right now,” Mendoza said. “And the way to do that is to go into Dallas, give it our best and ruin SMU’s season.”

Saturday will mark the first conference meeting between these ACC newcomers, and just the second meeting between the programs all time. SMU won a 13-6 game back in 1957.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) carries the ball against the Stanford Cardinal during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Cal scores twice late to edge Stanford in Big Game’s ACC debut

Fernando Mendoza connected with Jonathan Brady for a pair of touchdown passes in the final 10:09 on Saturday afternoon, rallying California to a 24-21 victory over rival Stanford in the annual Big Game’s first Atlantic Coast Conference edition in Berkeley, Calif.

Mendoza threw for 299 yards and three scores, the first of which was a second-quarter, 16-yard toss to Trond Grizzell for Cal’s only TD in the game’s first three quarters as Stanford built a 21-10 lead.

But Mendoza found Brady for a 30-yard TD to cap a 71-yard drive with 10:09 to play to get the Golden Bears (6-5, 2-5 ACC) within five, then hit his wideout again for a 22-yard score that put Cal on top with 2:40 to go.

A two-point shovel pass from Mendoza to Jaydn Ott increased the margin to 24-21, before the Cal defense forced a turnover on downs on Stanford’s ensuing possession, giving the host Golden Bears command of the game.

Mendoza’s late accuracy left him 25-for-36 without an interception, helping the Golden Bears gain bowl eligibility with a sixth win.

Brady finished with five catches for 64 yards and his two scores, while Grizzell had four catches for a game-high 70 yards and the first-half TD. Mendoza also was Cal’s leading rusher with 11 carries for 35 yards.

Stanford dominated the early going, taking a 14-0 lead in the 14th minute of the game on 1- and 2-yard plunges by Stanford backup quarterback Justin Lamson.

Seeking to end a three-game losing streak in the rivalry, the Cardinal (3-8, 2-6) created a two-touchdown cushion midway through the third quarter when running back Micah Ford flipped a 2-yard TD pass to Emmett Mosley V on a fourth-down trick play. Emmet Kenney’s PAT made it 21-7.

Ryan Coe hit a 46-yard field goal with 47 seconds left in the third period, getting Cal within 21-10 and setting up the fourth-quarter rally.

Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels went 14-for-26 for 139 yards with no interceptions and added a game-high 63 yards on 21 rushes. Mosley hauled in six of Daniels’ 14 completions for 63 yards.

The Stanford defense sacked Mendoza six times.

Cal outgained the visitors 371-259, but had the game’s only turnover, a fumble on a kickoff return.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid (0) runs the ball against the California Golden Bears during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Pittsburgh won 17-15. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

No. 22 Pitt edges Cal, improves to 6-0

Pittsburgh’s Desmond Reid ran 72 yards on a fourth-down play in the second quarter, California’s Ryan Coe missed a potential go-ahead field goal with 1:50 remaining and the Panthers held on for a 17-15 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over the visiting Golden Bears on Saturday afternoon.

Reid finished with a game-high 120 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, helping No. 22 Pittsburgh (6-0, 2-0) remain unbeaten despite going scoreless in the second half.

Fernando Mendoza threw for 272 yards and a score for Cal (3-3, 0-3), which outgained the Panthers 335-277.

The Golden Bears forced a punt after Coe missed low and wide right from 40 yards out. Cal got the ball back at its own 20-yard line with 41 seconds left but went four-and-out.

The difference in the game turned out to be two missed two-point conversion attempts by the Golden Bears.

The first came after Cal went up 6-0, the second after it closed within 17-15 on Jack Endries’ 19-yard touchdown reception with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter.

Pittsburgh also gambled early on when, up 7-6, it went for a fourth-and-1 at its own 28 on the first play of the second quarter. Reid cashed in for the Panthers with his 72-yard touchdown run to give the hosts a 14-6 lead.

The Golden Bears struck first on their opening possession. Jaivian Thomas’s 21-yard run capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive that left Cal ahead 6-0 after its first failed two-point attempt.

Pitt went ahead for good at 7-6 on Reid’s 5-yard run with 5:08 left in the first quarter.

After Reid’s fourth-down score, the teams exchanged field goals. Ben Sauls was good from 58 yards for the Panthers before Coe converted from 39 yards, drawing the Golden Bears within 17-9 at halftime.

Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein went 14-for-28 for 133 yards with two interceptions, the only two turnovers of the game.

Endries hauled in eight passes for a game-high 119 yards for Cal. The Golden Bears rushed for just 63 yards on 40 carries in the absence of All-American candidate running back Jaydn Ott, who sat out with an ankle injury.

-Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) passes against the Miami Hurricanes during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

No. 8 Miami comes back from 25 down to stun Cal

Cam Ward threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Arroyo with 26 seconds left and No. 8 Miami recovered from a 25-point, third-quarter deficit to register a 39-38 victory over Cal in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday night at Berkley, Calif.

Ward completed 35 of 53 passes for a season-best 437 yards, along with two touchdowns and one interception for Miami (6-0, 2-0 ACC), which scored 21 unanswered points in the final 10:28. Mark Fletcher Jr. and Damien Martinez rushed for scores before the fourth quarter, Xavier Restrepo caught seven passes for 163 yards, and Isaiah Horton had nine catches for 83 yards and the first of the final three touchdowns for Miami.

The Hurricanes drove 92 yards on six plays in 76 seconds for the decisive score. A broken coverage helped Ward and Restrepo team up for a 77-yard pass play on the first play to move the ball from Miami’s own 8-yard line to the Cal 15, setting up the winning points.

Francisco Mauigoa intercepted Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza with five seconds left to seal it.

The Hurricanes outgained the Golden Bears 278-26 in the final quarter and 575-370 for the game.

Mendoza, a native of Miami, completed 11 of 22 passes for 285 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Golden Bears (3-2, 0-2).

Nohl Williams collected fifth interception of the season and returned it for score, Jaydn Ott scored two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving), and Jack Endries had a scoring reception for the Golden Bears.

Miami trailed 35-10 in the third quarter but crept within 38-25 on Ward’s 18-yard pass to Horton with 10:28 left in the contest.

The next time the Hurricanes got the ball, Ward raced 24 yards on a scramble to pull Miami within six with 4:04 remaining.

After Miami scored the game’s first touchdown on Fletcher’s 3-yard run in the opening quarter, the Golden Bears scored 35 of the next 38 points.

Mendoza connected with Endries on a 57-yard scoring play to tie the game with 3:58 left in the first period. Ott scored on a run from the 5 early in the second quarter to give Cal a 14-7 lead.

Andres Borregales kicked a 46-yard field goal to bring the Hurricanes within four with 9:07 left.

Cal made it 21-10 just 67 seconds later as Ott caught a short pass in the right flat and outran Miami defenders down the sideline for a 66-yard score.

Early in the third quarter, a scrambling Ward threw the ball toward the center of the field and Williams intercepted it and went 40 yards for a touchdown.

Cal’s lead topped out at 35-10 when backup quarterback Chandler Rogers entered and ran 9 yards for a touchdown with 8:06 left in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

Dec 2, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Patrick Payton (11) defends Louisville Cardinals running back Jawhar Jordan (25) during the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Florida State edges Cal in defensive struggle for first win of the season

Patrick Payton had three sacks for the game and Marvin Jones Jr. had two on the host Florida State Seminoles’ final defensive series to help seal a 14-9 victory over California on Saturday night in Tallahassee, Fla.

Florida State (1-3) snapped a four-game losing streak and avoided what would have been its second 0-4 start since 2021 while handing the Bears (3-1) their first loss in what was the first ever meeting between the schools.

Cal starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza completed 22 of 36 passes for 303 yards to lead the Bears, who played their first ever game in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

But Mendoza was sacked six times with the last one by Edwin Joseph to force a game-clinching loss on downs with 54 seconds remaining.

Joseph, a redshirt freshman, also came up with the lone turnover forced by FSU when he recorded an interception.

The Bears will lament missed opportunities in the kicking game, which could have kept them unbeaten.

While kicker Ryan Coe connected from 25, 29 and 51 yards out, he also had a costly miss from 36 yards early in the third quarter and had a 38-yard attempt blocked with 6:07 left in the fourth.

Cal suffered an injury scare when offensive lineman Sioape Vatikani suffered an injury with 1:43 remaining in the third quarter. Vatikani remained on the ground for several minutes.

Moments after Vatikani was carted off the field, Coe booted his 51-yard field goal to put Cal ahead 9-7.

But Florida State, which entered the game ranked 124th of 133 FBS teams in scoring offense, found a way to score some points in the clutch.
Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei connected in stride with Ja’Khi Douglas for a 36-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass to put the Seminoles ahead with 11:08 remaining in the fourth.

Uiagalelei completed 16 of 27 passes for 177 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Another improvement for the Seminoles came in a running game which ranked 132nd in the nation entering the week. Lawrance Toafili ran for 80 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries as the Seminoles ran for a season-high 107 yards overall.

–Field Level Media

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

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

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

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

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