Cal Football Trio Collects ACC Player of the Week Honors

Xavier Carlton, Ryan Coe and Fernando Mendoza all cited for their play in the Bears' win over Wake Forest

Xavier Carlton, Ryan Coe and Fernando Mendoza / Photos courtesy of Cal Athletics

Three Cal football players — Xavier Carlton, Ryan Coe and Fernando Mendoza — have been honored as Atlantic Coast Conference Players of the Week for their contributions to the Bears’ 46-36 victory over Wake Forest.

Carlton, a fifth-year outside linebacker, earned Defensive Lineman of the Week honors after collecting two sacks among five tackles. He also had two quarterback hurries.

Coe, a sixth-year placekicker, was voted Specialist of the Week following his two 54-yard field goals against the Demon Deacons.

Mendoza, the Bears’ redshirt sophomore quarterback, passed for a career-high 385 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a career-best 51 yards and another score to secure Quarterback of the Week honors for the second time.

The Bears now have won seven Player of the Week awards in their inaugural season in the ACC. Previous winners were kicker Derek Morris, linebacker Teddye Buchanan and defensive back Nohl Williams, along with Mendoza.

Carlton, a Modesto native, ranks third in the ACC with nine sacks and is tied for seventh nationally.  He needs one more to move onto Cal’s single-season top-10 list and, with 18 over the past three seasons, is two shy of climbing onto the Bears’ top-10 career chart. 

Coe, who lost his primary placekicker assignment with the Bears after missing seven field goals over the first six games, is now being utilized on long field goals. Against Wake Forest, he twice delivered on kicks just one yard shy of the Bears’ program record, the second one with 6:39 left in the game.

Mendoza was 40 of 56 passing against the Demon Deacons and has completed 72.5 percent of his attempts over the past four games. He is  No. 4 in the ACC with 2,480 yards and on pace to reach No. 6 on Cal’s single-season list.

Cal (5-4, 1-4 ACC) pursues its third straight victory and bowl eligibility when it faces Syracuse (6-3, 3-3) on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is 12:30 p.m.