Cal at Wake Forest Game Thread: Bears Finally Score 1st ACC Victory

Fernando Mendoza passes for 385 yards, 2 TDs and the defense makes big plays in 46-36 win

Jaydn Ott (1) celebrates with Nyziah Hunter (13) after scoring a touchdown. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Cal takes its fifth shot at winning for the first time in the Atlantic Coast Conference when it faces Wake Forest tonight at Allegacy Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC.

The Bears (4-4, 0-4) and Demon Deacons (4-4, 2-2) both are coming off byes. Prior to that, Cal crushed Oregon State 44-7 in non-conference play to snap a four-game losing streak, and Wake won two in a row.

Cal is a 7.5-point favorite in its first-ever meeting with Wake.

A victory would move Cal one big step closer to bowl eligibility for the second year in a row. The Bears need six wins to reach the post season. After this game, Cal plays at home vs. Syracuse and Stanford, then closes the regular season at SMU.

Stay with us throughout the evening for in-game updates.

Update: WR Tobias Merriweather, who has yet to play this season after transferring from Notre Dame, may see limited action tonight.

Coin flip: Wake wins the toss and will kickoff.

10:03 1st Q: Derek Morris converts a 29-yard field goal, but Cal missed a great chance for more. Jaydn Ott scored on a fourth-and-goal play from the 1 but the play was nullified by a holding call on TE Jeffrey Johnson. Fernando Mendoza was 5 for 7 for 44 yards on the 12-play, 64-yard drive. WR Tobias Merriweather saw his first action of the season and caught a 10-yard pass to the 6-yard line. Cal 3, Wake Forest 0.

9:54 1st Q: Hunter Barth pries the ball loose from KO return man Demond Claiborne at the 19-yard line and Miles Williams picks up the loose ball and runs 16 yard untouched for the TD. Ten points in 9 seconds. Cal 10, Wake Forest 0.

3:49 1st Q: Mendoza's first interception in four games sets up Wake for its first score of the game. Nick Andersen returned the pick 30 yards to the Cal 30 and QB Hank Bachmeier immediately completed a 19-yard pass to the 11. Four running plays later, Claiborne piles in from the 1-yard line. Cal 10, Wake Forest 7.

END OF 1ST QUARTER: Cal has a first down at the Wake Forest 24-yard line when the second quarter begins. Bears had 144 yards in the quarter, Wake just 39. Cal with 110 passing yards as Mendoza was 10 for 15 with an INT. First downs favor Cal 9-3, plays 23-12. WRs Tobias Merriweather and Kyion Grayes each saw their first action of the season and each caught passes. OT TJ Session returned as did ILB Cade Uluave and OLB Ryan McCulloch. Cal 10, Wake Forest 7.

13:26 2nd Q: Cal offense is humming. Mendoza completes three straight passes to Mikey Matthews, the last one an 11-yard TD strike, capping a seven-play, 59-yard drive. Ott had a 16-yard run on the drive -- his second-longest run of the season -- and Mendoza was 4 for 5 for 41 yards. Cal 17, Wake Forest 7

9:21 2nd Q: The defense forces a three-and-out and the Bears go 45 yards in nine plays before Morris converts a 38-yard FG. He is 7 for 7 the past two games after his big miss vs. NC State, and 10 for 11 overall in three games. Mendoza is 16 for 22 for 161 yards with a TD and an INT. Cal has 213 total yards to 41 for Wake Forest. Cal 20, Wake Forest 7

3:50 2nd Q: Wake gets fancy with a wildcat player taking the direct snap, lateraling it to QB Bachmeier who threw a 44-yard TD pass to Claiborne for the touchdown. Capped five-play, 68-yard drive. Cal 20, Wake Forest 14

1:30 2nd Q: Mendoza throws a 2-yard TD pass to Tobias Merriweather, capping a six-play, 65-yard drive. Mendoza was 6 for 6 for 65 yards on the drive. The Bears went for the 2-point conversion and Mendoza threw incomplete to Nyziah Hunter. Cal 26, Wake Forest 14

0:00 2nd Q: Ryan Coe is mobbed by his teammates after kicking a season-long 54-yard FG as the half ends, capping a seven-play, 40-yard drive. Coe, of course, struggled so badly he lost his placekicking job to freshman Derek Morris, except that he will be used on long kicks. He just slipped this one over the crossbar and inside the right upright. Cal 29, Wake Forest 14

HALFTIME SUMMARY: Cal has outgained Wake 350 yards to 130, has 22 first downs to 6 for the Demon Deacons and has a 54-27 edge in total plays. Mendoza is 30 for 40 for 289 yards with two TDs and one INT. He has completed passes to 10 different receivers. The defense has four sacks. Wake Forest will get the ball first to start the third quarter. Cal 29, Wake Forest 14

7:43 3rd Q: Bachmeier completes a 23-yard pass to Taylor Morin then a 45-yard TD pass to Donovan Greene, pulling the Demon Deacons within eight points. Wake went 78 yards in just four plays, taking just 1:14 off the clock. Cal 29, Wake Forest 21

0:18 3rd Q: Mendoza scores on a 5-yard keeper after TJ Bollers blocked a long field goal attempt by Wake and Nohl Williams recovered at the 28. Cal 36, Wake Forest 21

11:46 4th Q: If you thought this one was over, you haven't been paying attention. Wake answers with an 11-play, 84-yard drive to get close again. Bachmeier scored on a 4-yard QB keeper then threw the the two-point conversion pass to Harry Lodge. Cal 36, Wake Forest 29

6:39 4th Q: Ryan Coe did it again . . . another 54-yard field goal to pad the Bears' lead. Cal went 42 yards in nine plays before Coe showed off his leg. Cal 39, Wake Forest 29.

3:57 4th Q: Wake keeps coming. Tate Carney caps a 12-play, 75-yard drive with a 2-yard TD plunge up the middle. The Cal offense is going to have to get something done after the kickoff. Cal 39, Wake Forest 36

1:10 4th Q: Jaivian Thomas scores on an 11-yard run after linebacker Liam Johnson essentially locked up the victory by intercepting Bachmeier with 1:54 to play. Cal 46, Wake Forest 36

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Some pre-game reading: 

-- Our comprehensive preview of tonight's game

-- Fernando Mendoza has a 3-game stretch unlike any by a Cal QB in 40 years

-- How do we see tonight's game? Our weekly ACC picks

-- Wake Forest beat writer answers our 5 Questions about the Demon Deacons

-- Wake Forest coach impressed by Cal defense

-- Justin Wilcox's injury update from early this week