Duke at California
Cal got out in front of this one on back-to-back TD’s to start the game while holding Duke to a four play punt on their first possession. But with about five minutes left in the 1st Qtr the Blue Devils would go on an eight play 77 yard drive and find the end zone on a 12 yard run by their Freshman RB Nate Sheppard to make it 14-7 at the end of one. Cal would come right back to start the 2nd Qtr with another TD at the end of an 11 play 80 yard drive and 4 yard TD run by Junior RB Kendrick Raphael to extend their lead back to a couple of TD’s at 21-7. After a 39 yard kickoff return the Blue Devils started their next drive just a few yards away from mid-field. Ten plays later Duke Senior RB Anderson Castle would take it into the end zone to make it 21-14. After an interception of Sagapolutele on the second play of Cal’s next possession the Blue Devils would take it right back into the end zone on a 26 yard TD pass from Sophomore QB Darian Mensah to Sophomore WR Que’sean Brown to tie it up at 21 each with almost six minutes left in the half. As it turned out that was plenty of time for Duke to hold the Golden Bears in check on back-to-back three-and-outs as well as make it back downfield and score again on another Anderson Castle TD run as well as a field goal with time expiring to go up 31-21 at the break.
Absolutely nothing happened score wise in a third quarter that consisted of four three-and-outs, an interception, and two more punts leaving the score still at 31-21 after three. The 4th Qtr would start much the same way with a punt by both teams on their first possession. After that things only got worse for Cal as Duke would score another TD at the end of a 6 play 55 yard drive on a 10 yard TD pass from Mensah to Senior WR Cooper Barkate—now up 38-21. Apparently concerned that wasn’t enough of a deficit the Golden Bears would help the Blue Devils out by throwing back-to-back interceptions with a Duke possession in between that featured Freshman RB Nate Sheppard on a 46 yard TD run to the house to make it a 45-21 final.
For Cal, Freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele would connect on 20-of-31 for 245 yards, 1 TD to Junior WR Jordan King, and 3 interceptions—two of which led to Duke TD’s. On the ground, the only positive was Junior RB Kendrick Raphael who rushed 18 times for 67 yards and 2 TD’s. But collectively, once Sagapolutele’s minus 40 yards was added in, they rushed 29 times for just 41 yards. For Duke, Sophomore QB Darian Mensah was 22-of-30 for 265 yards, 2 TD’s—1 to Que’sean Brown and 1 to Cooper Barkate—and no interceptions. On the ground the Blue Devils rushed 37 times for 178 yards with Nate Sheppard and Anderson Castle picking up two TD’s each. Head coach Justin Wilcox wasn’t all that complimentary of his team afterwards and said; “The team’s gotta grow up. We have glimpses where we can play good football but it’s too much of a roller coaster.” Cal takes a week off before hosting North Carolina prior to hitting the road to take on Virginia Tech.