Cal Football Game Summary: Bears Defeat UC Davis in Opener

Cal freshman Jaydn Ott rushes for 104 yards in his college debut

Cal overcame a horrible start in which it had minus-15 yards after its first two possessions to beat UC Davis 34-13 in the Bears' season opener Saturday afternoon in Berkeley.

The star of the game was freshman running back Jaydn Ott, who was not a starter but ended up with 104 rushing yards and 26 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in his college debut.

Jack Plummer started the game 0-for-3 with an interceptions but finished 23-for-35 for 268 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a 152.6 passer rating in his first game as Cal's quarterback.

The Aggies, an FCS team, took an early 7-0 lead, but a 65-yard punt by Cal's Jamieson Sheahan in the second quarter seemed to turn things Cal's way.

CAL 34, UC DAVIS 13

RECORDS: CAL (1-0), UC DAVIS (0-1)

PLAYER OF THE GAME, OFFENSE: Jaydn Ott. Freshman Cal running back had 104 yards rushing, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, and had two receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown.

PLAYER OF THE GAME, DEFENSE: Jackson Sirmon. Cal inside linebacker had eight tackles and kocked down a pass.

TURNING POINT: Cal trailed 7-0 when the Bears' Jamieson Sheahan booted a 65-yard punt that gave UC Davis the ball at its own 6-yard line. After the Aggies went three-and-out, Cal got the ball at its 47-yard line and drove for the tying touchdown.

KEY PLAY 1: With UC Davis leading 7-0, Cal safety Daniel Scott tackled UC Davis' Trent Tompkins for a 1-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 play from Cal 10-yard line with 57 seconds left in the first quarter.

KEY PLAY 2: Cal punter Jamieson Sheahan booted a 65-yard punt that rolled dead at the UC Davis 6-yard line, and after the Aggies went three-and-out and punted, Cal took over at its 47-yard line, setting up its first touchdown drive early in the second quarter.

KEY PLAY 3: Cal quarterback Jack Plummer threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Hunter to complete a 53-yard drive and tie the score 7-7 with 8:54 left in the first half.

KEY PLAY 4: UC Davis defensive back Devon King cut in front of Cal receiver J.Michael Sturdivant and seemed to have an interception, but it went through his hands and Sturdivant caught the ball for a 28-yard completion on a third-and-6 play that put the ball at the Cal 45-yard line in a drive that resulted in a touchdown.

KEY PLAY 5: On that same Cal series, Jeremiah Hunter made a juggling catch along the sidelines, keeping one foot inbounds, for a 27-yard gain on a second-and-18 play that put the ball at the UC Davis 20-yard line.

KEY PLAY 6: On the same Cal drive, Jaydn Ott took a swing pass from Jack Plummer and outran the defender for an 8-yard touchdown reception that put Cal ahead 14-7 with 2:25 left in the first half.

KEY PLAY 7: Jaydn Ott catches a pass over the middle and makes two defenders miss for an 18-yard completion that put the ball at the UC Davis' 14-yard line with 5 seconds left. Dario Longhetto then kicked a 32-yard field goal on the final ply of the first half to give Cal a 17-7 lead.

KEY PLAY 8: On the second play of the second half, Cal safety Craig Woodson intercepted a Miles Hastings pass and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown to give the Bears a 24-7 lead.

KEY PLAY 9: Cal defensive back Jeremiah Earby made a leaping interception by the sidelines at the Cal 2-yard line to end a UC Davis scoring threat late in the third quarter, preserving a 27-13 lead. 

KEY PLAY 10: Jack Plummer threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Mavin Anderson midway through the fourth quarter to give Cal a 34-13 lead.

STAT OF THE GAME: Cal quarterback Jack Plummer started the game 0-for-3 with an interception, then went 12-for-13 for 157 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions the rest of the first half.

QUARTERBACK STATS: Cal's Jack Plummer was 23-for-35, 268 yards, three touchdowns, one interception. UC Davis' Miles Hastings was 32-for-50, 242 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions

RUNNING BACK STATS: Cal's Jaydn Ott had 104 yards on 17 carries. UC Davis' Ulonzo Gilliam Jr. had 115 yards rushing on 14 carries, including a 60-yard touchdown run.

WHAT IT MEANS: It's a win, but it means little since Cal was a three-touchdown favorite against this FCS opponent in a nonconference game. We still don't know much about Cal.

CAL'S BOWL BAROMETER: The chances for a Cal bowl berth still stand at about 50 percent. This win got the Bears one of the six victories Cal needs to be bowl eligible, but the Bears were expected to win this one. 

NEXT GAME: UNLV (1-0) at Cal (1-0), Saturday, September 10. Kickoff: 1 p.m. TV: Pac-12 Bay Area. This will be the first meeting ever between Cal and UNLV. The Rebels, who were 2-10 last year, will be coming off a bye after beating FCS opponent Idaho State 52-21 in their season opener on August 27. UNLV left-handed quarterback Doug Brumfield was 21-for-25 for 356 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, and he played little more than one half.

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Cover photo of Cal quarterback Jack Plummer by Darren Yamashita, USA TODAY Sports

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