Riley McAtee/File

The race may be down to two.

On the fourth day of practice, quarterback Austin Hinder seemed limited in number of reps, while Jared Goff and Zach Kline got the majority.

And in the reps he did get, he didn’t look that impressive. Hinder overthrew a couple of passes and was sacked at least twice.

Coach Sonny Dykes, however, did not confirm that the race may now be down to just Goff and Kline.

“Yeah, it was just kind of what we did today,” Dykes said about Hinder’s limited reps. “We’ll evaluate it tomorrow and come out with a plan tomorrow.”

Kline and Goff, meanwhile made the most of their fourth day. Kline had a pass that should have been intercepted by Damariay Drew, but overall, he did not look off of his game. He also had a scramble in 11-on-11s that went for nearly 20 yards.

And Goff got the most action. He had a few beautiful deep passes that showed off his touch and sense of timing. Goff also rolled out on a few plays and was able to complete passes while throwing on the run.

“They’re both anticipating throws better,” Dykes said. “The more reps they get, the more they see things clearly.”

Right now, it looks like Goff and Kline are in a tight, two-horse race. But Hinder is still getting reps and is not out for the count just yet.

Today was also the first day that the players competed in “shells,” or shoulder pads and helmets while still wearing shorts. In previous practices, the players had only worn helmets, and the increased padding immediately led to an increased physicality in the practice. Though tackling was still not allowed, there were a few big hits. One in particular, between Kameron Jackson and Jonah Hodges, stood out.

In a typical 11-on-11 drill, Hodges caught a short pass and immediately collided with Jackson. The hit featured an audible boom that was heard throughout the stadium. Fans gasped, but neither was injured on the play.

Dykes plans on using those kind of big hits as an opportunity to teach his players how to hit properly. New NCAA rules have placed greater restrictions on how a defensive player can hit an opponent.

“We’ll look at it and see, but based on what I saw, it could have been targeting,” Dykes said. “We’ll pull it off tape, show it to our players and use it to teach.”

Speaking of Kameron Jackson, the junior cornerback has received high praise from his colleagues. Wide receivers Bryce Treggs and Jack Austin both called him the best cornerback they have had to go against.

“He isn’t a big guy, but he’s very quick, he has great hands, he gets up in your face when he needs to and, even when he’s off the ball, he’s pretty hard to fight with,” Austin said. “But I feel confident going against him.”

With the physicality heightened, defensive players were able to finally show their teeth. Things will only get more aggressive when fully padded practices begin on Sunday.

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Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions here, but I think I’m at least partly responsible for Cal football’s upset of UCLA on Saturday night.

And maybe this is my flawless 20/20 hindsight coming into play, but I really can’t believe I wasn’t at Memorial Stadium to witness that turnaround.

Because here’s the thing: Cal football, it still isn’t that stellar. And one win against one barely ranked team doesn’t change that.

Cal’s track record is still suspect. The Bears are still a team that can challenge top opponents but fall apart in guaranteed victories.

But something finally clicked on Saturday night. Rather than crumble under the immense pressure of a 1-4 record devoid of an FBS win, the Bears rose to the challenge.

And this time Cal went one step further. The team didn’t just challenge the superior Bruins; the Bears actually whipped them, 43-17.

Law of averages says that this team would earn the “W” sooner or later. Law of fed-up frustration all but guaranteed that it would be in the homecoming tilt against then-No. 25 UCLA.

No way would the Bears let another home game slip from their grasp. It’s been said before, but the Bear doesn’t quit, and it certainly doesn’t die.

The team didn’t just watch tape this week; Cal examined the film under a Lawrence Hall of Science-worthy microscope, and Kameron Jackson exploited a small gesture from UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley for three interceptions.

Zach Maynard didn’t just get his act together; he turned in one of the best performances of his career with 25 completions and five touchdowns.

And Cal didn’t just reward its fans; the program took the embers of a bowl dream and reignited hope that rang out through the crisp night air.

That’s all enough to melt the darkest cynic’s heart. But it’s still not enough to erase an entire month of mistakes and heated disillusionment.

This team is still 2-4 on the season — and it’s not even the best 2-4 team in the nation.

And the triumph over UCLA could very feasibly be Cal’s last win of the season.

The team has to survive the Big Game against a skidding but still clawing Stanford; a home tilt with Washington that brings to mind ghosts of walk-in touchdowns past; and an insurmountable challenge in the form of a bowl-eligible No. 2 Oregon.

Flames no longer lick Tedford’s hot seat, but that doesn’t mean we should douse the man in cold water quite yet. Let’s follow his mantra for the next few weeks; let’s take it one game at a time.

“We can’t feel relief, we gotta feel motivation,” Tedford said on Sunday. “We have to use this as motivation to continue on the path or preparation or focus it’s gonna take to win this week.”

Cal had a great night, no doubt about that. But what if it’s an anomaly? Don’t get ahead of yourselves, fans. Don’t assume that this game points to a Hollywood-esque comeback. That’s what we call watching too much of the wrong tape.

There’s still a very real possibility that Cal won’t make a bowl. The Bears could easily take a few final missteps and go 2-10 on the season.

So revel in the vivid memory of Saturday night, Cal faithful. Take pride in the fact that you were a witness, a member of the deafening crowd that could be heard all the way from People’s Park. I should know — I was walking past at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

The stadium’s distant din was a comforting reminder of how much I love Cal.

But it was also hard to remind myself that I probably won’t hear such noise again.

Contact Annie Gerlach at agerlach@dailycal.org

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Tony Zhou/Staff

One FBS win, and the Cal football team is reaping the awards.

Kameron Jackson was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week. The sophomore cornerback, playing heavy minutes due to a first half injury to starter Marc Anthony, made the most of his opportunity and caught three interceptions in the Bears’ 43-17 win over UCLA. Jackson, who tallied four tackles and a pass breakup, was also honored by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) as one of two national Defensive Back Performers of the Week.

Zach Maynard’s five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) earned him the title of CFPA National Performer of the Week, as well as the CFPA Quarterback of the Week. The senior overcame an early interception to complete 25-of-30 passes for 295 yards. The California Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week, Maynard was also selected as a Manning Award Star of the Week.

Tight end Richard Rodgers and running back C.J. Anderson were selected as CFPA honorable mentions as their respective positions. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Rodgers had a coming out party on Saturday, as the sophomore shattered his career highs with seven catches for 129 yards. Anderson, a senior, rushed for a career-high 151 yards on 21 carries. He accounted for two touchdowns, one on the ground and one in the air.

While many of these awards are unknown or random — Manning Award Star of the Week? — the sheer number that Cal players racked up is, at least, a positive sign for a program that had little to celebrate just a week earlier.

Jonathan Kuperberg covers football. Contact him at jkuperberg@dailycal.org

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Tony Zhou/Staff

When Las Vegas made No. 25 UCLA a two-point favorite over a 1-4 Cal football team, skeptics figured that line to be far too slim.

And they were right, as the Bears turned that two-point handicap into a 26-point margin of victory, knocking off the Bruins, 43-17, Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

“The belief and the trust is still there with our team,” said coach Jeff Tedford. “I thought some guys stepped up and played big tonight.”

Cal (2-4, 1-2 in the Pac-12) still continued its recent string of bad starts as quarterback Zach Maynard tried to force a pass to a double-covered Keenan Allen. Instead of connecting with his half-brother, he telegraphed the pass into the hands of UCLA’s Andrew Abbott at the 28 yard-line.

Six plays later, UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley found a wide-open Cassius Marsh to make it 7-0 UCLA (4-2, 1-2).

But then it was the Bruins’ turn to shoot themselves in the foot. First, Hundley opened up the second quarter with a backwards pass that bounced off its intended target and was scooped up by Cal linebacker Nick Forbes.

The Bears made the visitors pay, as Maynard overcame his shaky start and connected with running back C.J. Anderson on a quick slant, giving Cal a 10-7 edge — its first home lead over an FBS team.

“We had a huge week of practice this week,” Maynard said. “Everyone was focused in since Tuesday.”

UCLA wasn’t done there, however. After forcing a three and out, Bruins’ return man Steven Manfro had two teammates crash into him while trying to field a punt, resulting in a muff and a Cal recovery at UCLA’s 34.

Four plays later, Maynard found his brother Allen in the end zone, putting his team up 16-7 after kicker Vincenzo D’Amato had his point after blocked.

Mistakes were a recurring theme of the game for the Bruins, who racked up 12 penalties to go along with six turnovers. The Bears dominated UCLA’s porous offensive line all night, forcing Hundley to frequently run for his life.

“They were relentless,” said UCLA head coach Jim Mora Jr. “They were maniacal. They did bring a lot of pressure, and we’ve got to learn to handle that better.”

Hundley then failed to capitalize on a pair of Cal 15-yard penalties that set up his offense deep in Bear territory with a minute left in the half. On a first and 10, he suffered a major communication breakdown with his wide out, who cut off a go rout without his quarterback anticipating it.

Hundley sailed a ball 15 yards over his receiver’s head and into the welcoming hands of Cal’s Kameron Jackson in the end zone, who tapped his toes and locked up the squad’s first halftime lead over an FBS team this season.

Cal carried that momentum into the second half. Running back Brendan Bigelow took a quick screen from Maynard, cut inside and flashed his breakaway speed. He darted down the left sideline for a 34-yard touchdown to put his team up 23-7.

But the Bruins had one last gasp at life. Hundley marched his team right back down the field and hit his tight end Joseph Fauria on play action to pull his squad within nine.

Both teams would continue to trade blows. After an offsides and a subsequent face mask penalty on UCLA that kept the drive alive, Maynard (25-for-30, 295 yards, four touchdowns) threw a strike down the seam to Allen, who shook off a defender and sauntered into the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown.

The Bruins then responded with a 12-play, 77-yard drive, culminating in a 29-yard field goal to make it 29-17 at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

After a bizarre series of events featuring two Cal fumbles — each almost immediately followed by a Hundley interception — the Bears capitalized on fortuitous field position as Maynard punched in his fifth touchdown of the night, putting his team up 19 points.

“There are always tough moments in games and we’ve got to be able to respond back to it,” Hundley said. “Things just didn’t bounce our way tonight.”

On the next series, Jackson snagged his third pick off Hundley, setting up a 68-yard touchdown run from Anderson to put the final dagger in the Bruins’ side.

And with the final score, the Bears shook off a dreadful September to upset a ranked team and earn their first legitimate win of the year.

“It was much needed, no doubt about it,” Tedford said. “It’s been a tough few weeks, and that’s definitely going to give us a boost.”

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