Cal's defense forced five turnovers and didn't allow a single offensive point as the Bears overcame an early hole to defeat Florida State 34-14 on Tuesday night.
Chandler Rogers threw for 199 yards and three touchdowns on 13-of-20 passing, overcoming a pick-6 in the first quarter that put Cal behind 7-0. The Seminoles busted an 88-yard punt return touchdown and nearly took another one back after another Cal drive stalled.
But the Bears had a huge second quarter, turning the game on its head in a span of 20 seconds. First, Rogers hit Tobias Merriweather for a 56-yard touchdown against zero coverage to cut the deficit in half. Then the Bears came up with the first of four picks, as stud corner Nohl Williams snatched a pass over the middle and housed it from 54 yards out to tie the game.
Jaydn Ott ran for 118 yards on 21 carries, and he added 50 yards through the air on four catches. One of those was seven-yard touchdown catch with 27 seconds remaining in the half, giving Cal a lead they'd never relinquish.
The Seminoles tried to get back into it after halftime, but a huge fumble in the third quarter killed a promising drive and the Bears tacked on two field goals. Rogers found Ott again early in the fourth quarter, as they connected for a 12-yard touchdown, sealing the win.
Florida State brought in DJ Uiagalelei in an attempt to try to make a desperate charge, and he hit a couple big plays. But the turnover bug hit again, as he threw a pick at the goal line which Cal returned to midfield as they were able to ice the victory.
Coach JasonUK was extremely proud of his team, especially his defense, in how they responded. "We were one tackle away from being down 21-0, and early on we couldn't block the Noles to save our lives," he said after the victory. "Our defense has really stepped up the last two games and I never expected them to perform the way they did tonight."
He credited Coach SouthGACracker for putting them on their heels early on. "I was scratching my head as we were going max protection and they were still blowing up our line. That defense is stupid fast and that line is outstanding. We focused on getting the ball out quicker and trying to slow them down, and thankfully it worked.
Florida State ran for only 28 yards on 24 carries, and the Noles were held to just 3.36 yards per play. "We just kind of got back to the basics and allowed our guys to be a bit more aggressive," JasonUK said. "It's changed everything for us and I couldn't be prouder of this team."
The win moves the Bears to 4-2 on the season, as they've already reached their expected win total for the season. "Now we regroup and prepare for Pitt and UCLA before our next bye," JasonUK said, "and we'll hope to find two more wins somewhere and get to a bowl game."
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