LA BEATS THE BAY: CAL VS UCLA GAME RECAP

An interstate rivalry between the 2 biggest schools in the UC system has always been overshadowed by the two teams’ geographic rivals. However, this game was able to build plenty of hype on its own because both teams came into this season with a feeling they haven’t felt in a while, hope. 

For UCLA, after years of disappointments and poor management with Chip Kelly, Deshaun Foster, and Martin Jarmond leading the way, the introduction of new head coach Bob Chesney changed the atmosphere surrounding UCLA football. With returning 5-star quarterback and captain Nico Iamaleava paired with the ultimate running back duo in JMU transfer Wayne Knight and returning Anthony Woods, the Sons of Westwood finally had some momentum in the program. With noticeable similarities between coach Curt Cignetti and Bob Chesney, former JMU coaches with success coaching at all levels of football and the ability to form a team culture of winning wherever they go, many view UCLA as the next possible Indiana. 

Meanwhile, up north in the Bay in Berkeley with the Bears, the nine-year tenure of Justin Wilcox has come to a close and gave way to the return of Tosh Lupoi, a Bay Area native and former Oregon DC who attended Cal as a player and coached later as a graduate assistant. However, this time, Lupoi would be at the helm of a team for the first time in his career. 

Lupoi’s first move after being named head coach was an important one. He successfully secured the return of Jaron-Keawe Safapolutele(JKS), the Golden Bears' 2025 quarterback who was the key to their offense last year, to the tune of 3454 yards and 18 touchdowns as a true freshman a year ago. 

Combine JKS with UCLA’s Nico Lamaleava, and a returning quarterback matchup with two new exciting head coaches at California schools was born. A Week 1 thriller was born long before kickoff. 

First Half: 

On the first two drives of the game, touchdowns were traded as Cal’s Chase Hendricks muscled his way into the end zone for the first score. The Bruins replied with a 9-yard Nico Iamaleava option run showing off the L.A native’s versatility.  But what was thought to be an old western shootout slowly turned into a defensive grind as 4 straight possessions resulted in punts from both teams. The stalemate ended with a Cal field goal and the Bears started to gain some momentum for the first time. But the Chesney train didn't slow down for long as UCLA was able to land two hard-fought rushing touchdowns, one from each member of their backfield duo, now leading the game 21-10. And after a Cal fumble, it seemed as if UCLA might have this game wrapped up before halftime. 

But in college football, every team is prone to mistakes and momentum, and the Golden Bears capitalized on both as safety Kingston Lopa snatched a pass from Lamaleava. The offense followed up with a beautifully executed 2 minute drill and was able to score seven in just 38 seconds, with JKS delivering a laser to former Idaho tight end transfer and Bay Area native Mason Mini for the score. Mini has emerged as one of JKS’s favorite security blankets. With the home crowd on their side, Cal was able to take a lot of momentum into the half despite letting up a field goal in the last 12 seconds of the first half. The strike to Mini left the score 24-17 Bruins going into the half.

Second Half: 

To open the second half, Cal forced a 3-and-out, and then grinded out a grueling 14-play drive capped off by a 1-yard punch-in by Washington RB transfer and this year's RB1 Adam Mohammed to tie the game at 24. 

With a sold-out stadium in Berkeley for the first time in years, it felt as if the Bears could have the Bruins shaking as they went into the 4th. But it became glaringly obvious by the way the Bruins danced to Swag Surfin’ between the 3rd and 4th that they weren’t fazed by anything. No matter the score, they looked like they wanted to be there: a tie game on the road with a hostile crowd. It felt like these Bruins were built for college football in a way they have not been in previous years. 

Despite Cal playing in a much more dominant fashion in the third quarter, the Bruins were able to hold their own and force a turnover on downs and an interception to begin the 4th. Starting with great field position after the pick, the stage was set perfectly for Bruins RB Wayne Knight to slip through the defense and win a foot race to the end zone to take back a 31-24 UCLA lead. After that, UCLA did not look back. The next drive for Cal, JKS had to escape the pocket and throw on the run, resulting in another interception from Bruins DB Ta’Shawn James, his second of the day. James was all over the place for Chesney’s secondary. Wayne Knight followed up the turnover with his 3rd touchdown of the game, and as desperation hit, Cal wasn’t able to break past the UCLA defense, giving the ball away on downs again as Bruins RB Anthony Woods added salt to the wound, running for a 53-yard touchdown to ice the game, ending with a final score of 45 - 24. 

Turnovers: Despite what the scoreline shows, this game was a close affair that came down to it until late in the 4th when the Bruins were finally able to break ahead and stay ahead. Cal had the opportunity to win this game, as they were able to have the majority of the momentum through late in the 2nd and the entirety of the 3rd, but squandered any opportunity they had with costly turnovers. The Bears defense had kept the UCLA offense at bay, limiting the throwing and rushing attacks, but mistakes on the offensive side of the ball kept UCLA in the game. 

The Bruins were able to not let the game get out of hand, having built a big enough lead to begin with that they could capitalize on Cal’s miscues and finish them off by the time they got their offense up and running again. 

Looking Ahead:

For next week, Cal is set to travel to upstate New York and take on Syracuse, who is looking for their own rebuild right now. What could be a good start to their conference campaign looks like a good opportunity for Cal to bounce back. 

For UCLA, they play their home opener against SDSU, and the Bruins look for revenge as the Aztecs embarrassed them last year, being one of the losses that got DeShaun Foster Fired. 

A good chance for the Bruins and Bears to build momentum into the rest of the season, this game delivered a fun one to watch as both of these teams look to set a new standard for themselves through the rest of the season.