After Stumbling vs. Syracuse, Cal Ready to Focus on the 127th Big Game

The Bears still need one more victory to become bowl eligible, and their regular-season finale on the road vs. 9-1 SMU will be much tougher

Justin Wilcox / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Cal arrived at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon riding the high of a two-game win streak in which the offense scored at least 40 points both games. At 5-4, the Bears knew they had three games to secure a sixth victory and bowl eligibility.

Whatever wiggle room the Bears may have felt before their 33-25 loss to Syracuse is replaced now by a sense of urgency with Stanford coming to Berkeley next Saturday for the 127th Big Game.

“The biggest thing our coaches emphasized is we can’t let Syracuse beat us twice,” said quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who threw two interceptions and said he played  “miserable” game.

“Now all my focus is on next week,” he said. “No mopping around. Getting to work in order to win the Big Game and, more important, get bowl eligible.”

It’s extra important because although Stanford (3-7, 2-5 ACC) is coming off a 38-35 upset of 19th-ranked Louisville, the Cardinal is unlikely to provide the same challenge that a road game at No. 14 SMU (9-1, 6-0) a week later will pose.

Cal (5-5, 1-5) does not want to fly to Dallas during Thanksgiving week knowing it has to corral the Mustangs in order to become eligible for a second straight bowl.

Coach Justin Wilcox won’t drill down deeper than next week and the Bears’ desire to beat Stanford for a fourth straight season.

“It’s a big game, we all know that. The Stanford game means a lot to a lot of people,” he said. "We’ll need a great week of practice. We’ve got great respect for them. 

“We’ve got to learn from this game first. This can’t happen again, the level of execution, the almost, the woulda, coulda, shoulda. Way too many of them. It’s really frustrating, disappointing. 

“We obviously will have to have a very productive week of practice because we can’t play like that again. It’s unacceptable.”

The Bears were decisively outplayed by Syracuse, which scored on its first six possessions and wasn’t forced to punt until the fourth quarter. The Bears were beaten (2-0) in the turnover game for the first time this season, couldn’t stop the run or the pass and allowed the Orange to convert 4 for 4 on fourth-down plays.

Linebacker Teddye Buchanan, who had 14 tackles, will play in his first Big Game after spending his first four seasons at UC Davis. A native of San Francisco, Buchanan says he’s fired up for the opportunity.

“Growing up in the Bay Area, I kind of have an understanding of what the Big Game means,” he said. “Going to do everything from now until then to prepare.”