Photo by Azael Garcia
Saturday morning’s matchup against Southern Methodist University (SMU) seemed like a golden opportunity, one that could turn the Bears’ season in the right direction, but instead ended as a sad microcosm of Cal football’s struggles. Heading into halftime, the Bears were up 20-17 against number 23-ranked Southern Methodist University, and had just played one of their best halves of the season. Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was back to his routine starting spot after three games of being benched due to a concussion, and came out hot. On the first possession of the game, he led Cal down the field for a powerful 7-play, 65-yard drive finishing it with a 10-yard touchdown to wide receiver Chase Hendricks, which set the tone for the rest of the half.
Cal scored on 4 out of 5 first half drives, including a field goal to take the lead as the second-quarter clock expired. For the first time in weeks it looked like the long awaited offense Cal fans had been hoping to see. The Bears racked up 255 total yards in the first half, while JKS threw 214 yards and a touchdown, completing 19 of his 23 passes. Taking a 20-17 lead against a 23rd ranked SMU team felt monumental. Cal was converting on third-and-longs, wide receivers were making strong plays catching the ball, and most importantly the offensive line was holding up. Heading into the third quarter, which has been Cal’s most successful quarter throughout the season, fans had high optimism for a possible win. The third-quarter began and the Mustangs quickly stomped that out.
Cal’s first second-half possession began with a three-and-out into a punt, while SMU’s first second-half possession was a quick touchdown, and with that, the rest of the game was history. In each of Cal’s seven second-half possessions, they either punted or had a turnover-on-downs, recording only two first downs and 50 yards the entire half. In contrast to all six of SMU’s second half possessions, in which they scored a touchdown. The Mustangs outscored the Bears 42-0 in the second half finishing with a final score of 20-59. This marks the Bears second consecutive loss of an over 30 point deficit.
The question is, how on Earth did Cal go from their best half to worst half of the season in one game? JKS in a post game interview had this to say: "SMU came out and they adjusted well and had a good game plan for us in the second half.” SMU’s adjustments showed exactly why they are now ranked #19 in the country. They truly overwhelmed Cal, making the Bears struggle for every single one of their 50 second half yards. Having already been plagued by injuries especially on offense, the Bears struggled even more to find success. As a result, defensive players were forced to take offensive snaps. Defensive back Niles Davis carried the ball four times, while safety Kingston Lopa caught one pass for 11 yards. On the bright side, JKS played one of his best games of the season, and Cal did not turn the ball over once.
Coach Tosh Lupoi post game said: “We can’t just win one half, [...] To be winning at half and come out the way we did is really disappointing.” In recent years SMU football has been consistently good. Last year Cal beat SMU in the season finale, denying them a spot in the ACC championship, which appeared to be on SMU’s mind in the second half.
Photo by Azael Garcia
The Bears have lost 3 of their last 4 games and have fallen to 3-5 putting them at #13 in the ACC. SMU has improved to a 6-1, and is looking not only towards an ACC championship but a national championship.
At this point, it feels like the only thing left for Bear fans to say is “welp.” In many ways, this game was an embodiment of Cal’s entire season: Cal came out strong, with flashes of promise, only to collapse disastrously. Many are angry at Tosh, others at Rivera, and at the program as a whole, rightfully so. But, to build a winning program it will take time. Cal is not a powerhouse college football team, history points towards mediocrity, with some exceptions, and it will take more than one year to explode onto the scene. Now all the Bears can hope for is a strong finish, a saving grace for a season that has fallen well short of expectations.
Cal will face 3-4 NC State on Halloween, who is coming off a 31-28 loss to a #11 ACC ranked Stanford. Cal fans can hope the ghost of Marshawn Lynch will watch over the Bears, and help them get a needed win, as opposed to the much scarier “Second half” ghost
