Cal Football Game Summary: Bears Beat San Diego State

Golden Bears improve to 3-0 and play their first ACC game next Saturday at Florida State

San Diego State linebacker Tano Letuli (right) sacks Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Cal defeated San Diego State 31-10 on Saturday night before a crowd of 35,197 in Berkeley, and the Bears will take a 3-0 record into their first ACC game next Saturday at Florida State, which is 0-3

The Game Summary

CAL 31, SAN DIEGO STATE 10

RECORDS: CAL (3-0), SAN DIEGO STATE (1-2)

PLAYER OF THE GAME:  Cal running back Jaivian Thomas. Thomas, starting in place of the injured Jaydn Ott, rushed for a career-high 169 yards, the most by a Cal running back this season. He had runs of 37 and 57 yards that set up Cal touchdowns, and averaged 9.9 yards per carry in his first career start.

STAT OF THE GAME: The teams combined for 27 penalties, resulting in 233 penalty yards. (15 penalties against San Diego State for 120 yards; 12 penalties against Cal for 113 yards) The 13 penalties against the Aztecs in he first half were tied for the most in a half by an FBS team in the last 10 years.

STAT OF THE GAME II: Cal intercepted two passes, giving them nine interceptions for the seasons.

WEIRD STAT OF THE GAME: Cal was penalized twice for a total of 30 yards (15 yards for each penalty) because its crowd threw objects onto the field resulting in unsportsmanlike behavior penalties. The crowd had been warned earlier.

TURNING POINT:  After San Diego State made a field goal to take a 3-0 lead, Cal marched 67 yards for a touchdown to go ahead 7-3 with 2:25 left in the first quarter. Jaivian Thomas' 37-yard run was the key play in that drive.

CAL PLAYER AVAILABILITY: Running back Jaydn Ott did not play.  Wide receiver Tobias Merriweather, wide receiver Kyion Grayes, guard Sioape Vatikani and center Will McDonald, all projected starters, missed their third straight games. Starting nickelback Matthew Littlejohn missed his second straight game. Starting outside linebacker David Reese did not play. Starting cornerback Marcus Harris sat out the first half after being penalized for targeting in the second half last week. Safety Craig Woodson was ejected in the first quarter for targeting.

SAN DIEGO STATE PLAYER AVAILABILITY: San Diego State starting quarterback Danny O’Neil did not play because of a knee injury sustained last week. The Aztecs starting quarterback was Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson, a redshirt freshman who had never thrown a college pass before Saturday.

KEY PLAY 1: On a fourth-and-6 play from the Cal 36-yard line, San Diego State quarterback Javance Tupou’ata completed an 11-yard pass to Nate Bennett for a first down. Cal safety Craig Woodson was called for targeting on the play, resulting in a 13-yard penalty that put the ball at the Cal 12-yard line with 7:21 left in the first quarter.  Woodson was ejected for targeting. That possession resulted in a 29-yard field goal by Nick Lopez that gave San Diego State a 3-0 lead with 5:42 left in the first quarter.

KEY PLAY 2: On a second-and-6 play from the Bears’ 45-yard line, Cal’s Jaivian Thomas ran for 37 yards, putting the ball at the San Diego State 18-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Fernando Mendoza ran 8 yards for a touchdown that gave the Bears a 7-3 lead with 2:25 remaining in the first quarter.

KEY PLAY 3: On a fourth-and-1 play from the Cal 44-yard line, the Bears’ Kadarius Calloway was stopped for no gain, turning the ball over to San Diego State at that spot with 12:20 left in the first half. 

KEY PLAY 4:  On a fourth-and-1 play from the San Diego State 40-yard line, Fernando Mendoza’s pass hit Cal receiver Mikey Matthews in the shoulder, bounced into the air and was intercepted by San Diego State’s Tanu Letuli, who returned it 65 yards for an apparent Aztecs touchdown.  But a block-in-the-back penalty after the interception moved the ball back to the San Diego State 45-yard line.

KEY PLAY 5:  Jaivian Thomas ran 57 yards on a third-and-1 play from the Cal 36-yard line, putting the ball at the San Diego State 7-yard line.  Three plays later Kadarius Calloway scored a touchdown on a 7-yard run, giving the Bears a 14-3 lead with 9:36 left in the third quarter.

KEY PLAY 6: Fernando Mendoza completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Corey Dyches to complete a 90-yard drive that gave Cal a 21-3 lead with 1:30 left in the third quarter.

KEY PLAY 7: After San Diego State cut the Cal lead to 24-10, Cal's Kadarius Calloway ran 60 yards to San Diego State 15-yard line, setting up Nyziah Hunter's 15-yard touchdown reception that gave the Bears a 31-10 lead with 9:48 left in the fourth quarter.

INDIVIDUAL STAT OF THE GAME:  Cal wide receiver Nyziah Hunter had a touchdown catch, giving him four touchdown receptions for the season.

INDIVIDUAL STAT OF THE GAME II: Cal outside linebacker Xavier Carlton had 2.5 sacks.

QUARTERBACK STATISTICS: Cal's Fernando Mendoza was 21-for-29 for 191 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, which was his first pick of the season. He was sacked six times. San Diego State’s Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson, making his first college start, was 13-for-29 for 156 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

WHAT IT MEANS:  Cal is 3-0 for the first time since 2019 and carries momentum into its first ACC game next Saturday against Florida State  The Bears might get a few more votes in the AP and coaches polls that will be released Sunday, but it is unlikely they will get a top-25 ranking..

CAL'S BOWL BAROMETER: Cal has a 65% chance of landing a bowl berth. The Bears are already halfway to the six wins needed to become bowl-eligible.

NEXT GAME: Cal (3-0) vs. Florida State (0-3) at Doak S. Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. Kickoff time: 4 p.m. Pacific time (7 p.m. Eastern time). TV: ESPN or ESPN2. Florida State, ranked No. 10 in the AP preseason poll, lost at home to Memphis 20-12 on Saturday to fall to 0-3 for just the second time since 1976.

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