Chandler Rogers threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns and added another on the ground as Cal enjoyed their highest scoring output of the season in a 52-28 victory on Tuesday night.
Rogers threw a pick-6 on the second play of the game, but he rebounded nicely as he completed 11-of-18 passes with the Bears rattling off 24 unanswered points to take a lead they'd never relinquish.
Jaydn Ott blew the game open with 90 seconds left in the first half. Cal was nearly stopped inside their own five for a safety with the Bears holding a 17-7 lead, but Ott took a sweep toss on the next play, made a man miss at the five yard line, and was able to shrug off a tackle inside the UCLA 10-yard line to complete the longest play in program history.
"I was able to get the defender to fly by me, and then I got enough blocks downfield to spring for the touchdown," Ott said after the game. It capped off another strong game for the running back, who ran for 183 yards and two scores on 19 carries.
But it was how Cal ended the first half that had Coach JasonUK pumped the most. After UCLA marched down the field to score with 24 seconds left, Rogers told him he wanted to try to at least get one big play. "He said, 'Coach trust me, I won't turn it over', and I told him to go make a play," Coach JasonUK said. "And damn if he didn't make two of them."
Rogers would connect with freakishly-big wideout Tobias Merriweather for a 54-yard gain, and then hit tight end Jack Endries on the ensuing play as Cal went 75 yards in two plays to score what would end up being the game-winning touchdown.
"We made some huge pass plays today against a very aggressive UCLA defense," JasonUK said. "Coach Carman had his guys flying to the ball and they got that early pick and some big hits in the running lane, but we started hitting them downfield and that opened things up."
Coach JasonUK also acknowledged that his team got some fortunate breaks. "UCLA had some big pass plays that could've swung momentum but guys dropped passes or just missed them altogether. This game was closer than the score indicated."
JasonUk wished his opponent well as he's about to set sail (literally) into the wild blue yonder, and at 5-2 he's now wondering how far this Cal team can go. "As long as we continue to take care of the football and play smart, I don't see why we can't finish in the Top 6 in the ACC."
UCLA continued a new losing tradition, but made things interesting.
Cal was able to run and pass, and UCLA was surprisingly (they'd admit) keeping pace with them.
Unfortunately, the Bruins left enough time for 2 big plays at the end of the half, and faced a deficit equal to what it was with 2 mins to go in the 2nd.
There was also a tackle for loss that was just inches away from a safety, thanks to the Bruins walk-on punter, Barry, a mysterious man that's a former assassin, turned actor, turned coffin corner specialist, getting a nice placement of his punt for a 1 yard line start.
Then, the wheels came off as Ott evaded a player intent on a safety, and went on to scamper 99.9 yards.
The fat lady wasn't singing, but she may as well have :-)
GG jasonuk!
CONNECT WITH US ONLINE:
WHOS ONLINE:
138 Guests in the last 5 minutes Legend: NDL Admin | Conference Commish | Media Team | NDL Coaches
NDL Hall of Fame:
678 Coaches Newest Member: ZakTasty
HOME
Discord