Cal Football: Oregon State In-Game Thread - Beavers Overpower Bears 38-10

Cal loses its sixth straight game, cannot become bowl eligible this season.

A disappointing Cal season got worse Saturday night.

The Bears (3-7, 1-6) fell behind 21-0 early in the second quarter and lost 38-10 at Oregon State.

With their sixth straight defeat, the Bears are mathematically eliminated from possible bowl eligibility. Oregon State improved to 7-3, 4-3 in the Pac-12.

Cal takes on rival Stanford next Saturday at Berkeley in the 125th Big Game.

INJURY UPDATES: The Bears announced the following injury scratches for tonight's game: Safety Raymond Woodie III, CB Lu-Magia Hearns III, NB Collin Gamble, reserve safety DeJuan Butler, reserve CB Kalen Higgins, reserve punter Ethan Baxter, OLB Braxten Croteau, LB Muelu Iosefa and ILB Ryan Puskas. Offensive lineman Ben Coleman also missed the game.

Cal coach Justin Wilcox talks in the video at the top of this story about how it won't matter much whether OSU starts Ben Gulbranson or Chance Nolan at quarterback. Nolan has missed the past four games with a neck injury and still hasn't been cleared to play, it was announced Saturday evening.

Gulbranson is 3-1 in his four starts. 

The Bears are coming off a 41-35 road loss to USC in a game that seemed out of hand before Cal scored three four-quarter touchdowns.

Cal remains winless in four road games this season and has won just once away from Memorial Stadium since the start of the 2020 schedule.

COIN FLIP: Oregon State won the toss and deferred. Cal gets the opening kickoff.

5:37 1st Q: The Beavers go 65 yards in 10 plays on their first possession with QB Ben Gulbranson scoring on a 1-yard sneak on fourth down. The big play on the drive came on an earlier fourth-down play, where all-purpose star Jack Colletto came on at QB for a fourth-and-2 try fro the Bears' 47-yard line. Colletto faked a run out of the shotgun, then stepped back a delivered a 37-yard completion to sophomore wide receiver Anthony Gould, who made a great diving catch at the 10-yard line. OSU nearly scored on a third-and-goal pass from the 7, but linebacker Jackson Sirmon stopped Damien Martinez just short of the goal after making a catch over the middle. Oregon State, 7, Cal 0.

2:14 1st Q: Trouble for Cal as LB Kyrie Fisher-Morris intercepts Plummer on first down, giving OSU possession at the Bears' 31-yard line. The Beavers needed just six plays to cash it in, with Jam Griffin running 5 yards for the TD. Oregon State 14, Cal 0.

END OF FIRST QUARTER: The Beavers have owned the first 15 minutes. Completely. The Beavers have outgained Cal 101 yards to 5. First downs are 4-1. Turnovers 1-0. Oregon State 14, Cal 0.

12:01 2nd Q: This game has gotten out of hand pretty early for the Bears. Anthony Gould takes a punt from Jamieson Sheahan at his own 44 and dashes 56 yards for a touchdown. Oregon State 21, Cal 0.

4:24 2nd Q: Plummer throws incomplete to J,.Michael Sturdivant on fourth-and-3 from the OSU 18, surrendering the ball after their best possession of the night. Four plays earlier, Plummer hit Sturdivant on a crossing route for a 40-yard gain to the OSU 25. Alas, nothing came of it. Oregon State 21, Cal 0.

2:33 2nd Q: Cal's defense makes a big play, with Xavier Carlton knocking the ball loose from freshman RB Damien Martinez before Cal freshman DB Jeremiah Earby picks up the loose ball and scores from 33 yards. Oregon State 21, Cal 7.

HALFTIME: Oregon State 21, Cal 7. Possibly Cal's worst half of the season, at least from an offensive standpoint. The Bears totaled 53 yards and just two first downs, and even that is a bit misleading. Take away the 40-yard completion from Plummer to Sturdivant -- which got the Bears close but no cigar -- and Cal had 13 yards on 23 snaps. That works out to 20 inches per play. 

Plummer was 11-for-16 but for just 60 yards -- again, 40 of them on 1 play. 

The Cal offensive line has given Plummer no time to find receivers and has created no holes to run the ball, Freshman Jaydn Ott is a target, with little help in front of him, and has gained 6 yards on 5 rushing attempts and minus-3 yards and 3 pass receptions. The total: 8 touches, 3 yards. 

Meanwhile, the Beavers have totaled 161 yards with nine first downs, despite losing two offensive linemen, one running back and all-purpose player Jack Colletto to first-half injuries. 

OSU got a touchdown from its punt return team and Cal got one from its defense.

The Beavers get the ball to start the second half.

10:12 3rd Q: The Beavers add to their lead as Everett Hayes converts a 49-yard field goal, capping a nine-play, 38-yard drive on the opening possession of the second half. Oregon State 24, Cal 7.

4:03 3rd Q: The Beavers go 70 yards in seven plays, triggered by a 36-yard pass play which included a fumble by receiver Tre`Shaun Harrison and a subsequent gain by Tyjon Lindsey, giving OSU a first down at the Cal 26. Gulbranson then zipped an 8-yard TD pass to Harrison. Oregon State 31, Cal 7.

12:30 4th Q: The Cal offense scores its first points of the night, but only after Plummer was rushed hard and flagged for intentional grounding while trying to throw the ball away. That pushed the Bears out of position to possibly score a touchdown and left it to freshman Michael Luckhurst -- the son of Cal two-sport legend Mick Luckhurst --  who made a 36-yard field goal, capping a 16-play, 57-yard drive. Luckhurst then made a tackle on the ensuing kickoff. Oregon State 31, Cal 10.

7:00 4th Q: Gulbranson throws a 2-yard TD pass to freshman tight end Jack Velling, capping an 11-play, 65-yard drive. Oregon State 38, Cal 10.

.

Cover photo of Jaydn Ott being tackled by Alex Austin by Soobum Im, USA Today

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