Cal at Boston College
Cal really stumbled out of the gate in this one. With Boston College getting the ball to start the game and going up 7-0 at the end of their first drive on a 7 yard TD run by their Sophomore QB Dylan Lonergan, Cal’s Freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele would be intercepted three plays into their first possession. Sitting 2nd and 14 well on their own side of mid-field, Sophomore DB Omar Thornton would pick Sagapolutele off and run it back to the Cal 27 yard line. Starting their next drive just outside the red zone, the Eagles would find the end zone again just two plays later on a 27 yard TD run by Sophomore RB Turbo Richard to go up 14-0. Cal would finally get it together on their subsequent possession and close the gap at the end of a 13 play 75 yard drive and 1 yard TD run by their Senior RB LJ Johnson Jr. to make it 14-7 at the end of the 1st Qtr.
The Golden Bears would hold Boston College to a 6 yard drive and a punt to start the second and then follow that solid defensive series up with another TD at the end of a 9 minute long 15 play 84 yard drive and 5 yard TD pass to Jacob De Jesus from Sagapolutele to tie the score at 14 each. With less than four minutes left in the half the Eagles tried to get back down the field but stalled out when Lonergan threw three consecutive incompletions at the Cal 34 yard line. But that proved no problem for their Junior Place Kicker Luca Lombardo who hit a 52 yard field goal to go up 17-14 at the half.
Neither team was able to score a single point in the third quarter with all four possessions, two each, resulting in punts. On Cal’s first possession of the 4th Qtr they would drive deep into the Boston College red zone but ultimately get stopped trying to convert a 4th and 1 at the Eagles 3 yard line. After a four yard run to start their subsequent possession, Cal’s Corner Hezekiah Masses would pick off Lonergan’s attempt at passing his way out of their own red zone at the 24 yard line and run it all the way back to basically where that down started. Cal’s Junior RB Kendrick Raphael had no problem finding the end zone on their first play from scrimmage and retaking the lead 21-17. But that lead would last only as long as it took for Cal’s Chase Meyers to kickoff and the Eagles Turbo Richard to run it straight back 71 yards to the house. Boston College now back up 24-21. Cal would have to turn the ball back over on downs when on their next possession they failed to convert a 4th and 1 at the BC 29 yard line. The Eagles would punt it on their turn at it after bogging down at midfield. But 11 plays later Cal’s Sagapolutele would connect with Sophomore TE Mason Mini on a 51 yard TD pass to put the Golden Bears back on top 28-24 with less than two minutes left to play. Seven plays later the Eagles QB Dylan Lonergan would hit Sophomore WR Reed Harris in the end zone but the play was broken up by Cal’s Junior DB Cam Sidney. On the very next play sitting 2nd and goal at the Cal 5 yard line with less than 20 second left Lonergan would throw another one into the end zone only to get intercepted this time by Freshman LB Luke Ferrell who returned it to the line of scrimmage and preserved the 28-24 victory for the Golden Bears.
Regarding how it ended Cal’s head coach Justin Wilcox had this to say afterward; “I think that was the most positive lesson we’ll learn from this game: We don’t have to be perfect to win [and] we certainly weren’t. But they played the entire game, literally down to the last play.” For Cal, Freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was 22-of-34 for 254 yards, 2 TD’s—1 each to Sophomore TE Mason Mini and Senior WR Jacob De Jesus—and 1 interception. On the ground, the Golden Bears rushed 37 times for 118 yards and 2 more TD’s with Junior RB Kendrick Raphael carrying most all of the load with over 110 yards on 25 carries and 1 of those scores while Senior RB LJ Johnson Jr. picked up the other. For Boston College, Sophomore QB Dylan Lonergan was 21-of-37 for 197 yards and 2 interceptions in the air without a TD but did find the end zone on a running play. On the ground they rushed 21 times for 178 yards with Sophomore RB Turbo Richard picking up 171 of those yards on 15 carries as well as two other rushing TD’s. Cal led in first downs, 23-20, but had three fewer yards of total offense at 372-to-375; they were successful exactly half the time on their third down conversion attempts compared to 36% for Boston College; they had possession of the ball for way more than 10 minutes and had one less turnover; they had fewer penalties but both teams had way too many, Boston College with 15 for 109 yards and Cal with 11 for 78 yards. The Golden Bears are back home this Saturday to take on Duke.
San José State at Stanford
This was San Jose State’s last game before starting play in their own Mountain West Conference and they had a lead well inside the last minute of the game where they were up 29-24. But with just 33 seconds left Stanford’s QB, Ben Gulbranson, would connect on a 14 yard pass to Senior WR CJ Williams for a 1st and goal at the Spartans’ 1 yard line where Junior RB Sedrick Irvin would run it in to steal the win away by one point, 30-29. Both teams scored out of the gate, Stanford a TD on an 8 yard run into the end zone by Freshman RB Cole Tab and the Spartans on a 41 yard field goal by their Senior Place Kicker Denis Lynch . But on the Cardinal’s next possession Gulbranson would get sacked down at his own 24 yard line and loose the ball. Five plays later the Spartans would score on a 10 yard TD pass from Senior QB Walker Eget to Sophomore WR Danny Scudero to take a 10-7 lead at the end of the 1st Qtr.
San Jose State would increase the lead to 13-7 with another Denise Lynch field goal—this one for 36 yards—on their first possession of the 2nd Qtr. But the Cardinal would come right back to retake it on a 7 play 77 yard drive and 15 yard TD pass from Gulbranson to Senior TE Sam Roush making it 14-13. Eget would connect on four consecutive pass plays on San Jose State’s next possession, including a 29 yard TD pass to Junior WR Kyri Shoels, to go back out in front 20-14 which would be the last points by either team in the half.
With neither team scoring in the 3rd Qtr the last period would start with the Spartans still up 20-14 until they would extend that lead on their first possession of the quarter on another TD pass from Eget to Scudero to go up 26-14 after a failed 2-point conversion attempt. But Stanford would come right back just five plays later including a 50 yard pass to Senior WR Bryce Farrell and a 14 yard TD pass to Junior WR Myles Libman to make it a 26-21 game. Both teams would add field goals on their next possessions to give us a 29-24 score with less than six minutes to play. After holding the Spartans to a punt on their next possession Stanford would get the ball with less than three minutes left in the game. Four plays into their drive they would find themselves sitting 1st and 10 at their own 30 yard line. Three incompletions later and sitting 4th and 10 at the same place Gulbranson would connect on a 34 yard pass to Caden High for a 1st down. Two more passes for first downs and they found themselves sitting 1st and goal at the San Jose State 1 yard line where RB Sedrick Irvin would run it in with just 19 seconds left for the 30-29 victory.
For Stanford, Senior QB Ben Gulbranson was 29-of-43 for 444 yards, 2 TD’s—1 each to Senior TE Sam Roush and Junior WR Myles Libman—and no interceptions. On the ground Stanford had very little going. With Gulbranson’s negative 27 yards added in they collectively rushed 26 times for just 37 yards but amazingly got into the end zone twice. Once by Freshman RB Cole Tabb and the other by Junior RB Sedrick Irvin. For San Jose State, Senior QB Walter Eget was 36-of-58 for 473 yards, 3 TD’s and no interceptions while also rushing twice for 19 yards. Collectively the Spartans rushed 14 times for just 51 yards. On the receiving end it was Junior WR Kyri Shoels, Sophomore WR Danny Scudero, and Junior WR Leland Smith who individually collected more than 100 yards each in the air and collectively caught 27 passes for 383 yards of that 473 yard total with Scudero picking up 2 of the TD’s and Shoels the other. The Spartans had more first downs, more total yards of offense, had the ball longer and recorded few penalties—but still lost. Stanford will take a week off before hitting the road to take on SMU before having to come back home to host No. 18 Florida State before traveling the next week to take on No. 3 Miami.