Cal Football: Idaho Game Thread - Down 17-0 Early, Bears Roar Back to Win 31-17
Down 17-0 after 18 minutes, Cal muscled up and rallied for a 31-17 victory, closing out its non-conference schedule with a 2-1 record.
The Bears open their final season in the Pac-12 next Saturday night at No. 8 Washington.
Cal, playing without star running back Jaydn Ott, the Bears nonetheless ran for 257 yards against the nation's fifth-ranked FCS team Isaiah Ifanse, who transferred from Montana State in the offseason, rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown.
Jackson threw a pair of first-half touchdown passes as the Bears closed to 17-14 by intermission, then dated 27 yards on a keeper to give Cal its first lead, 21-17, with 11:03 left in the third quarter.
Jackson later left the game for four plays after taking a big hit on a designed run. But he returned on the next series.
Michael Luckhurst, who had missed five of his seven field-goal tries in Cal's first two games, made a 40-yarder to complete the scoring with 10:37 left. He then missed left on a 42-yard try with 1:17 to play.
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JAYDN OTT PRE-GAME UPDATE: Cal officially announced that running back Jaydn Ott, who was banged up last week vs. Auburn, is out. also not playing are defensive starters DT Ethan Saunders an nickelback Matthew Littlejohn.
COIN FLIP: Cal wins the toss, defers and will kickoff, defending the north end zone.
8:41 1st Q: The Vandals, starting at their own 25 after the opening kickoff, moved 67 yards in 12 plays before Ricardo Chavez converted a 25-yard field goal. QB Gevani McCoy, showing a nice ability to step away from pressure, was 5 for 7 for 57 yards as Idaho had four first downs during the scoring drive. Idaho 3, Cal 0.
2:44 1st Q: Idaho got the ball back after Cal managed first down on its first possession. The Vandals responded with a nine-play, 80-yard TD drive that included McCoy's 17-yard completion to Hayden Hatten on a fourth-and-9 play from the Cal 36. From there, McCoy handed the ball off to RB Anthony Woods, who went right and looked as though he was planning to throw it back to McCoy. The play was covered, so Woods reversed his field to the left, reached the sideline and went in for the 19-yard TD. Idaho 10, Cal 0.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: Idaho 10, Cal 0. The Vandals dominated the first 15 minutes, with 147 yards to 39 for the Bears, a 9-4 edge in first downs and a 20-11 advantage in plays.
McCoy was 10 for 13 for 115 yards compared with 3 for 5 for 19 yards for Jackson.
9:08 2nd Q: This is getting serious. Idaho marched 53 yards in nine plays, including a 24-yrd pass from McCoy to Jermaine Jackson for a first down at the Cal 19. The Vandals went for it on fourth-and-goal from 2, and Jackson squirted up the middle on a scramble for the touchdown. Needless to say, this is Cal's biggest deficit of the season. Idaho 17, Cal 0.
5:38 2nd Q: Cal answers with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive. The Bears benefited from holding and illegal substitution penalties against the Vandals while Isaiah Ifanse had three runs for 20 yards and Ashton Stredick converted a fourth-and-1 play with an 8-yard gain to the Idaho 25. Jackson threw 20 yards to Jeremiah Hunter for the TD on a play where it appeared someone ran the wrong pass route. That's because Hunter and Monroe Young were nearly side-by-side when the ball arrived, and so were three defenders. Hunter plucked the ball out of the aid, anyway, Idaho 17, Cal 7.
1:25 2nd Q: Cal makes a defensive stand on a fourth-down play and goes 59 yards in four plays. Ifanse had two runs for 19 yards and Jackson threw a 36-yard TD pass to Trond Grizzell, alone in the end zone. Idaho 17, Cal 14.
HALFTIME: Idaho 17, Cal 14. The Bears mostly recovered from a grim start, rallying from a 17-0 hole. The Bears outgained Idaho 121 adds to 101 in the second quarter but the Vandals still own a 248-160 overall yardage advantage. They have 15 first downs to 11 for Cal and a massive time of possession edge: 19:54 to 10:06.
McCoy completed 18 of 27 for 199 yards with an interception by Nohl Williams and no TDs. Jackson was 8 for 14 for 92 yards and 2 TDs and zero INTs. Ifanse was the leading rusher in the first half, gaining 49 yards and nine carries.
11:03 3rd Q: Cal goes 80 yards in 10 plays - all but two of them on the ground - and takes its first lead of the game when Jackson dashes 27 yards on a designed run for the TD. He got a great block from tight end Jack Entries. Jackson ran the ball on the final three plays of the drive, totaling 39 yards. Ifanse had five rushes for 32 yards on the possession. Cal 21, Idaho 17.
2:53 3rd Q: The Bears go 48 yards in eight plays, with backup QB Ben Finley handling the final four snaps after Jackson left the game when he took a big hit a 7-yard gainer on a keeper. Finley completed a 6-yard pass to Hunter to convert a fourth-and-3 play on his first snap and Ifanse ran 17 yards to the 1, despite a facemask penalty against the Vandals. The ball was moved about 1 foot from the goal ad Ifanse took it in from there. No word on whether Jackson will return. Bears now have a 293-269 edge in total yards. Ifanse has 19 rushes for 130 yards. Cal 28, Idaho 17.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: Cal 28, Idaho 17. The Bears controlled the third quarter, but Idaho is not going away. The Vandals have driven the ball to the Cal 34 and will have a first down from there when the fourth quarter begins. Total yards have swung back to the visitors, who have 302 to 293 for Cal.
14:23 4th Q: On their second play of the final period, the Vandals surrender their second turnover of the afternoon when Lu-Magia Hearns forces a fumble by receiver Terez Traynor and safety Raymond Woodie III recovers at the Cal 33. Cal 28, Idaho 17.
10:37 4th Q: That's 31 unanswered points for Cal, which used the Idaho turnover to set up a 40-yard field goal by Michael Luckhurst. He was just 2 for 7 on FGs in Cal's first two games so this one had to feel good. Sam Jackson V rushed onto the field after the kick to grab Luckhurst and celebrate with him. Jackson, BTW, was back on the field for the series. Cal 31, Idaho 17.
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Some pregame reading:
-- Our comprehensive game preview
-- Quarterback Sam Jackson V says the offense should be better and it starts with him
-- Change the school's name? This one has fans a bit testy.
-- Our weekly Pac-12 game picks
-- An Idaho beat writer answers our 5 Questions about the Vandals
-- Here's what Idaho's coach says about the Bears and this game
-- Idaho's game preview: The Vandals want to become the first FCS team to beat two FBS teams in the same season since 2015
Cover photo of linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr by Al Sermeno, KLC fotos
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
