Cal-Miami Game Thread: No. 8 Canes Erase 25-Point Deficit to Stun Bears, 39-38

Miami spoils Cal's first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference home game by scoring three fourth-quarter touchdowns

Cal running back Jaydn Ott dashes to the end zone / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Cal led 35-10 in the third quarter and was up 38-18 lead early in the fourth but could not hold off No. 8 Miami, which scored three unanswered touchdowns to escape sold-out Memorial Stadium with a stunning 39-38 victory.

This could have been one of the greatest days in recent Cal football history. The day began in the dark when more than 3,000 energetic fans packed the Memorial Glade in the heart of campus to wow the ESPN College GameDay crew.

It ended at just after 11:30 p.m. when Miami quarterback Cam Ward delivered a 5-yard touchdown pass to tght end Elijah Arroyo with 26 seconds left. The ensuing PAT kick completed the stunning comeback and sent home a capacity crowd of 52,428 mostly disappointed fans.

Coach Justin Wilcox expresses his immediate reaction to the outcome in the video at the top of this story.

The Bears were chasing their first win over a Top-25 opponent since beating Oregon in 2020.

Kickoff was at 7:30 p.m. -- 13 1/2 hours after Cal hosts ESPN's College GameDay program for the first time. That event, which began in darkness, drew an enthusiastic crowd of more than 3,000 fans. By the time the game ended, it was 11:32 p.m. -- 2:32 a.m. in Miami.

Here's our game thread:

COIN FLIP: Cal wins the toss and defers. Will kick off.

10:41 1st Q: Cal defense gives up one first down then forces a punt. Bears will start their first possession at their own 27. Cal 0, Miami 0

6:19 1st Q: Miami forces Cal to punt after the Bears lost 10 yards on their first possession. The Canes went 63 yards in five plays, including three runs for 45 yards by Mark Fletcher Jr. Fletcher got the final 3 yards on a blast through left tackle, and Miami converted the PAT kick. Miami 7, Cal 0

3:58 1st Q: Cal answers with a seven-play, 89-yard drive, with Fernando Mendoza hitting tight end Jack Endries down the left sideline for a 57-yard touchdown. Endries got behind DB D'Yoni Hill and outran him to the end zone. Cal 7, Miami 7.

END OF 1ST Q: Miami faces a fourth-and-2 at the Cal 45 when the second quarter begins. First quarter numbers: Miami 115 total yards to 79 for Cal. Miami 63 rushing yards to minus-4 for the Bears. Cal 83 passing yards to 52 for the Canes. Miami has an 18-10 edge in total plays and a 6-3 advantage in first downs. Mendoza is 4 for 7 for 83 yards and a TD. Ward is 5 for 6 for 52 yards. Cal 7, Miami 7.

13:43 2nd Q: After defensive back Miles Williams makes a tackle to stop Miami on a fourth-and-2 play from the Cal 45, the Bears go 56 yards in three plays to take the lead. Mendoza's 51-yard pass to Trond Grizzell got the ball to the 5-yard line and two plays later Ott dashed around right end and into the end zone. Cal 14, Miami 7.

9:07 2nd Q: The Hurricanes benefit from a personal foul against Cal LB Cade Uluave and get a first down at the Cal 26. But TJ Bollers tackles Damien Martinez for a 2-yard loss before Ward twice throws incomplete. Adres Borregales kicks a 46-yard field goal, capping the 10-playm 47-yard drive. Cal 14, Miami 10.

8:00 2nd Q: Cal stretches its lead as Mendoza uses a play-fake and drop a screen pass to Jaydn Ott in the right flat on fourth-and-1 from the Cal 34. Ott dashes down the right sideline, untouched, toying the Miami defenders as he strides into the end zone, capping a four-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Cal 21, Miami 10.

HALFTIME: Cal 21, Miami 10. The Bears' defense holds the nation's second-highest scoring team (49.4 points) to a touchdown and a field goal. Cal outgained the Canes 215 yards to 190 in the half, including 204 to 109 through the air. Mendoza is 8 for 12 for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns and is the first Cal QB with three completions of at least 50 yards since Jared Goff in 2015 vs. Arizona State.

Miami ran 41 plays to 21 for Cal and has a massive time of possession edge: 21:44 to 8:16. But the Bears are averaging 10.2 yards per play compared to 4.6 for the visitors.

The game is officially a sellout: 52,428.

Cal will get the ball first to start the third quarter.

13:07 3rd Q: The Bears flush Ward out of the pocket on first and 10 from the Miami 24 and he throws the ball up for grabs. Cornerback Nohl Williams gets the easiest of his five interceptions this season and returns it 40 yards for the touchdown. Nate Burrell, who is having a huge game, gets credit for the QB pressure. Cal 28, Miami 10.

8:06 3rd Q: Cal continued to go hard at the Canes on its next possession, sparked by a 56-yard pass and run from Mendoza to sophomore RB Javian Thomas. That gave the Bears a first down at the Miami 29. Mendoza passed 20 yards to Endries to the 9, and backup QB Chander Rogers sneaked onto the field, took the shotgun snap and dashed into the end zone with 8:06 left in the third quarter. Cal 35, Miami 10.

3:02 3rd Q: Miami responds with a 12-play, 75-yard drive, capped by Damien Martinez's 1-yard plunge for the touchdown. The Cames go for 2 points and Ward lofts a pass to Xavier Restrepo for the successful conversion. Cal 35, Miami 18.

END OF 3rd Q: The Bears will begin the fourth quarter with a second-and-9 at the Miami 21. Jonathan Brady ran 20 yards on a reverse to the Cal 46 and Mendoza scrambled 22 yards to the Miami 32. But he took a pretty good hit at the end of the run, instead of sliding, and came out of the game. Rogers passed 12 yards to Ott for a first down at the 22 before Kadarius Calloway gained a yard to the 21.

Third quarter stats: Cal has 344 yards, Miami 297. Mendoza is 11 for 17 for 285 yards, but the Bears have just 47 rushing yards, and that includes Brady's dash. Rogers remained in the game as the fourth quarterback. Cal 35, Miami 18.

14:13 4th Q: Ryan Coe, who missed a pair of mid-range field goal tries in the Bears' 14-9 loss at Florida State two weeks ago, made a 37-yard to cap an eight-play, 55-yard drive and push Cal's lead to 20 points. What we don't know is whether Mendoza is injured and, if so, how seriously. Rogers finished the drive before Coe made his field goal, with Mendoza standing on the sideline. Cal 38, Miami 18.

10:28 4th Q: Ward threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Horton to cap an 11-play, 75-yard drive and the Hurricanes made the capacity crowd sweat just a little for the first time in a while. Cal 38, Miami 25.

4:04 4th Q: Ward scrambles 24 yards for a TD, capping a nine-play, 70-yard drive that consumed just 2:38 off the game clock. Cal 38, Miami 32.

0:26 4th Q: Ward passes 5 yards to Arroyo for the TD and the ensuing PAT gives Miami its first lead of the night. Miami outgained Cal 278 yards to 26 in the fourth quarter, collecting 11 first downs to two for the Bears. Miami 39, Cal 38.