In both head coach Sonny Dykes’ and true freshman quarterback Jared Goff’s first game for Cal, the Bears fell, 44-30, to No. 22 Northwestern in a close evening contest on Saturday.
The Bears went up first off of a trick play that involved kicker Vince D’Amato and senior wide receiver Jackson Bouza. But Northwestern dominated the rest of the half, with Cal’s defense racking up multiple penalties. The Wildcats headed into the locker room up 17-10.
But in the third quarter, Cal woke up again after Goff connected with sophomore wideout Chris Harper on a 52-yard play. The Bears’ very next drive resulted once again in another Goff-to-Harper touchdown to put Cal ahead, 24-20.
The rest of the game was a back-and-forth affair until Northwestern pulled ahead, 37-27. Though Cal knocked in a field goal and caught a momentum-shifting pick, it wasn’t enough to change the tide.
Full recap to follow.
Annie Gerlach covers football. Contact her at [email protected]