Cal Football: OSU Game Thread - Fernando Mendoza Solid But Beavers Win, 52-40

Redshirt freshman Fernando Mendoza starts for the first time and throws two TD passes against the nation's No. 15 team

Redshirt freshman Fernando Mendoza made his first career start and delivered an encouraging performance by passing for 207 yards and two touchdowns.

But the Bears lost 52-40 to No. 15 Oregon State, which scored touchdowns on its first four possessions of the second half. 

Mendoza, the Miami, Fla., native apparently got word Thursday that he would start over Sam Jackson V and Ben Finley, who have mostly shared the position the first five games. 

Mendoza saw limited action in Cal's 59-21 opening-day win at North Texas, and threw incomplete on his only pass attempt.

The coaching staff had been looking for a catalyst to get the offense going after last week's unimpressive 24-21 win over Arizona State.

Here is our game thread:

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Kickoff is 7 p.m. with the Bears (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) hoping to pull the upset against the Beavers (4-1, 1-1). OSU opened as a 9.5-point favorite but the line has dropped to 7.5.

*** LINEUP NEWS: Cal has announced that LB Blake Antzoulatos, DL Ethan Saunders and DL Derek Wilkins are not dressed for tonight's game..

As Cal goes for its fourth win over the season tonight against No. 15 Oregon State, the Bears welcome a collection of recruiting prospects to Memorial Stadium, including five home-grown players.

*** Oregon State wins coin flip and will kick off to Cal.

12:56 1st Q: Mendoza did start at QB and was 3 for 5 for 13 yards but he threw incomplete on fourth-and-2 from the OSU 47 and the Bears gave up possession on downs. Cal 0, OSU 0. 

7:42 1st Q: The Beavers take advantage of good field position to drive 53 yards in nine plays before DJ Uiagalelei threw a 2-yard TD pass to tight end Jack Velling. The big play on the drive was Uiagalelei's 16-yard completion to running back Damien Martinez. Oregon State 7, Cal 0.

END OF FIRST QUARTER: Cal outgained the Beavers 119 yards to 64, had 51 passing yards to 36, 68 rushing yards to 38 and six first downs to four. Their 68 rushing yards are 1 more than OSU has allowed per game through its first five games. Mendoza was 7 for 12 for 51 yards. Jaydn Ott rushed six times for 41 yards. Oregon State 7, Cal 0.

14:58 2nd Q: Mateen Bhagani kicks a 20-yard field goal on fourth-and-goal from the 3, capping a 54-yard, nine-play drive. The big plays: Mendoza's 21-yard completion to TE Jack Entries and Isaiah Ifanse's 14-yard run to the 9-yard line for a first down. Oregon State 7, Cal 3.

12:24 2nd Q: The Beavers score again and once more the Cal defense started off in a hole. Silas Bolden returned the kickoff 59 yards to the Bears' 41-yard line and an unnecessary roughness flag on Cal's Ryan McCulloch move the ball to the 26. OSU backup quarterback Aidan Chiles, a freshman from Downey, Calif., threw an 11-yard TD pass to Bolden, passing the OSU lead. Oregon State 14, Cal 3.

11:16 2nd Q: Ryan McCulloch, flagged for the roughing penalty on the previous series, fields a high-bounce onside kick try by OSU and returns it 26 yards from the 45 to the 19-yard line. Mendoza threw 11 yards to Jeremiah Hunter to the 8 and on third-and-goal from the 9, Mendoza starts to dash out of the pocket then finds Ifanse for an 8-yard TD. Oregon State 14, Cal 10.

8:09 2nd Q: Patrick McMorris collects a fumble forced by Jackson Sirmon and returns it 9 yards to the Beavers' 49-yard line. Ott then dashed 21 yards to the 28 before Mendez went 11 yards to the 17 on a keeper. Ifanse scores his second touchdown of the game - his second in a span of 3:07 - and the Bears take the lead for the first time tonight. Cal 17, Oregon State 14.

2:00 2nd Q: Back and forth we go. The Beavers went 75 yards in 11 plays with Uiagalelei passing 3 yards to Velling for his second TD of the game. Damien Martinez had a 24-yard run and Uiagalelei passed 26 yards to Velling on a reverse, flea-flicker play to the Cal 19. Oregon State 21, Cal 17.

HALFTIME: Oregon State 21, Cal 17. The Bears have already rushed for 128 yards on a defense that was allowing just 67 per game. The most an OSU had previously gained this season was 106 by Washington Stat. Ott has 84 yards on 12 carries. Ifanse has a TD catch and a rushing score.

Mendoza in his first start is 10 for 17 for 68 yards with 1 TD and no INTs. The Bears have not turned the ball over.

Uiagalelei is 8 for 9 for 68 yards and 2 TDs, both to TE Jack Velling. His backup, Aidan Chiles is 2 for 2 for 22 yards and a TD. Martinez has rushed 9 times for 55 yards.

Cal has 196 total yards and 10 first downs, OSU is at 187 yards with nine first downs and has the game's only turnover.

OSU will get the ball first to open the third quarter.

13:32 3rd Q: Silas Bolden is tearing up the Bears KO coverage team. He takes the second-half kickoff from his goal 50 yards to midfield. That's two KO returns for 109 yards. Three plays later, Uiagalelei finds WR Josiah Irish alone down the left sideline for a 38-yard TD. Oregon State 28, Cal 17. 

9:53 3rd Q: Cal answers with a 10-play, 75-yard drive capped by Ifanse's third touchdown of the night, a 5-yard burst up the middle where he ran over a tackler near the goal line to get into the end zone. Ifanse had a 24-yard run and Mendoza completed passes of 13 and 9 yards to Taj Davis to help set up the score. Ifanse has 56 rushing yards to go with 84 for Ott. Mendoza is 14 for 21 for 100 yards. Oregon State 28, Cal 24.

5:40 3rd Q: Hardly time to come up for air in this one. Uiagalelei just threw his fourth TD of the night, his third to TE Jack Velling on a third-and-4 play from the Cal 7. He also had pass completions of 15 and 22 yards during the nine-play, 66-yard scoring drive. Uiagalelei is 13 for 15 for 177 yards. Oregon State 35, Cal 24.

 2:45 3rd Q: This game just keeps getting better. Cal benefits from a pair of roughing penalties - one against punter Lachlan Wilson and the second against Mendoza. That gave Cal a first down at the OSU 30, and Mendoza immediately found TE Jack Endries all alone in the middle of the field for a touchdown. The Bears went for two points and Mendoza, while rolling right, found Jeremiah Hunter in the back of the end zone for the successful conversion. Oregon State 35, Cal 32. 

END OF THIRD QUARTER: The Beavers have a third-and-goal from the 4-yard line awaiting when the fourth quarter begins. OSU had 364 yards to 321 for Cal. Mendoza is 17 for 26 for 136 yards and two TDs. Ott apparently is injured - we do not have a report. But he carried the ball just once in the third quarter. Uiagalelei has been terrific: 14 for 18 for 208 yards and four of the Beavers' five TD passes. Oregon State 35, Cal 32.

14:25 4th Q: Damien Martinez goes in from the 1 on fourth down and the Beavers extend their lead after a nine-play, 64-yard drive. The big play: Uiagalelei's 31-yard pass to Anthony Gould on third-and-8 from the OSU 38, giving OSU a first down at the Cal 31. Oregon State 42, Cal 32.

12:32 4th Q: An Ashton Stredick fumble - caused and recovered by OSU defensive lineman Sione Lolohea -- set up the Beavers at the Cal 49-yard line. Uiagalelei made another pinpoint throw with a 30-yard completion to Gould to the 8-yard line. From second-and-goal at the 1, Uiagalelei threw a TD pass to defensive lineman/sometimes fullback Isaac Hodgins. Uiagalelei is now 16 for 20 for 240 yards and 5 touchdowns. Oregon State 49, Cal 32.

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*** Tight end Jack Entries, a redshirt freshman Monte Vista HS in Danville, talks in the video at the top of this story about his early days playing youth football.

The Bay Area News Group’s Jon Wilner reports that Brandon Huffman, national recruiting editor for 247Sports, has these five recruits in the house:

— From the 2024 class, offensive tackle Kalolo Ta’aga, a 6-foot-7, 265-pound 3-star prospect from Riordan High in San Francisco. Primarily a basketball player until taking up football just this year. Ta’aga decommitted from San Jose State last week but has drawn offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Florida and Utah, besides Cal.

— Peter Langi (Class of 2025), is another offensive lineman from Riordan. The 6-6, 330-pound 3-star prospect reportedly has more than 30 offers, including from Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, LSU, USC, Utah and Washington.

— Wide receiver Ellijah Washington (Class of 2025) of Castlemont High in Oakland, reportedly will be at the stadium for the second week in a row. The 5-11, 175-pound 3-star prospect also has offered from Arizona, Oregon State and Washington State.

— Also on hand will be edge rusher Jewelous Walls (Class of 2025), a 6-3, 231-pounder from nearby Pittsburg High. Rivals rates him as a 3-star prospect but 247Sports gives him 4 stars and has him ranked as the No. 21 edge in the country, the 194th overall prospect. The line of schools Cal must compete with includes Oregon, USC and Arizona.

— Da La Salle High safety Robert Santiago (Class of 2025), at 6-2, 170 pound, is a consensus 3-star recruit who reportedly has offers from Miami, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington.

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In the meantime, some pregame reading:

— Our thorough Cal-Oregon State game preview

— OSU beat writer Les Gehrett answers our 5 Questions about the Beavers

— The Beavers reportedly practiced this week, expecting a quite atmosphere

— Our weekly Pac-12 game picks

— To win the first of five straight games against Top-25 teams, the Bears have to reduce the "controllable" mistakes

— We expect Sam Jackson V to get the starting call at QB tonight, but coach Justin Wilcox wasn't tipping his hand this week

— Former Golden Bears tight end Jermaine Terry II returns home with no ill will 

Cover photo of Cal running back Jaydn Ott by Robert Edwards, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo