With their 46-36 win over Wake Forest—Cal, now with their first ACC Conference victory and 4-5 overall, has three shots left at becoming bowl eligible starting with two home games against Syracuse this coming Saturday and Stanford the next. Considering that they lost their other four ACC conference games by an averaging of less than three points I doubt they’ll have to wait for their final game of the year on the road at No. 13 SMU to get it done.
Sophomore QB Fernando Mendoza had a good day at the office in this one for the Golden Bears, connecting on over 70+% of his passes for 385 yards, 2 TD’s, and 1 interception while also rushing 10 times for 51 yards and another score. Mendoza connected with nine different receivers multiple times with Sophomore WR Mikey Matthews and Junior Tobias Merriweather the recipients of a TD each. Besides Mendoza’s efforts on the ground, Sophomore RB Jaivian Thomas and Junior RB Jadyn Ott combined for another 56 yards of the team’s 115 yard total with Thomas picking up the other rushing TD.
With the Cal defense recording 7 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, and 6 pass disruptions, Wake Forest’s Senior QB Hank Bachmeier had his hands full and connected on just over 50% of his passes for 274 yards, 2 TD’s and three interceptions—two leading to points on the board for Cal. On the ground their Junior RB Demond Claiborne led the way rushing 23 times for 113 yards and 1 TD to go along with two others, one by Bachmeier and one by Sophomore RB Tate Carney.
The Golden Bears led from start to finish in this one, up 10-7 at the end of one, 29-14 at the break, 36-21 after three, and 46-36 when it was all over. Both teams struggled with damaging turnovers. Cal, up 10-0 to start the game, threw a pick-six to get the Demon Deacons to within three points early at 10-7. Cal would get that one back when the Wake Forest special teams allowed a punt returned by Cal for touchdown to extend their lead to 17-7. Up 29-14 in the 3rd Qtr Cal’s special teams would return the favor and also allow a punt returned for TD—helping Wake Forest close that gap to 29-21. And with Wake Forest within three points late in the game, 39-36, it would take an interception by Senior LB Liam Johnson to get the ball back and 11 yard TD run by Cal’s Jaivian Thomas with a little over a minute left to finally seal the deal.