Cal-Clemson Thread: Bears Whiff in 24-10 Loss to the Tigers

Cal hopes of staying perfect in ACC play dissolved in a 24-10 loss to Clemson in front of 41,778 fans at Memorial Stadium on Friday night.

The Bears failed to score an offensive touchdown in a home game for the first time since 2018 and fell to 2-2 overall, 1-1 in ACC play.

Running back Adam Mohammed left the game in the third quarter and was later seen wearing a brace on his left knee. Coach Tosh Lupoi said afterward that he didn't expect the injury to be serious.

Cal defensive coordinator Michael Hutchings talks in the video at the to pof this story about what he sees in Clemson freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds.

COIN TOSS: Cal wins the coin flip and will defer. The Bears are kicking off to start the game, will get the ball to start the second half.

13:09 1st Q: Isaiah Crosby intercepts Clemson freshman QB Tait Reynolds and returns it 35 yards to the Tigers' 36-yard line. But the ball comes back to the Cal 19 after an unsportsmanlike conduct flag against Daniel Harris. Cal 0, Clemson 0

12:05 1st Q: On first-and-10 from the 49, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is intercepted by Elliot Washington II at the Clemson 25-yard line. Cal 0, Clemson 0

5:50 1st Q: Cal goes for it on fourth-and-2 from the Clemson 26. JKS rolls left and tries throwing to a wide-open TE Mason Mini. But Clemson DE Darien Mayo deflects the pass at the line of scrimage and Cal turns the ball over on downs. Cal 0, Clemson 0

5:15 1st Q: Clemson QB Reynolds rolls right and is sacked by safety Aiden Manutai. He loses the ball while going to the ground and LB Kamar Mothudi picks it up and races 35 yards for a touchdown. The play is reviewed by officlals, who confirm a touchdown. Cal 7, Clemson 0

14:56 2nd Q: Nolan Hauser kicks a 30-yard field goal for Clemson, capping an 11-play, 59-yard drive. Hauser is 10 for 10 on FGs this year. Jericho Johnson prevented the Tigers from doing more damage when he tackled Reynolds for a 4-yard loss on a keeper on third down. Cal 7, Clemson 3

5:37 2nd Q: RB Gideon Davidson takes the direct snap on second-and-goal from the 1 and plunges into the end zone to put the Tigers in front. The 17-play, 68-yard drive was kept alive by an offsides flag against Niles Davis while Clemson was trying to punt fourth-and-4 from the Cal 39. Clemson has run 38 plays to 14 for the Bears and has outgained Cal 163 yards to 50. Clemson 10, Cal 7

1:29 2nd Q: The Bears move to the Clemson 32 before a holding penalty against Jordan King knocked them back 10 yards. Cal was forced to attempt a 51-yard field goal, which Chase Meyer pushed to the left and short. Clemson 10, Cal 7

HALFTIME STATS: Clemson has dominated, outgaining Cal 179 yard to 93. The Tigers have thrown for 70 yards and rushed for 109. JKS is 6 for 13 passing for 47 yards with an interception. Adam Mohammed has rushed 11 times for 44 yards and Cal's total on the ground is 47. First downs are 14 to 7 for Clemson and time of possession is 19:12 to 10:48. Cal gets the ball to start the second half. Clemson 10, Cal 7

9:23 3rd Q: Chase Meyer kicks a 30-yard field goal to cap an 11-play, 71-yard drive and pulls the Bears even on the first series of the second half. The Bears ysed two trick plays to get positioned for the field goal. First, TE Mason Mini took a lateral pass on the left flank before completing a 25-yard pass to Ian Strong for a first down at the Bears' 45-yard line. Then, on third-and-1 from the Clemson 26, fourth-string QB Dominic Ingrassia - a redshirt sophomore taking his first snap -- ran for 8 yards out of the shotgun for a first down at the 18. The Bears may have lost RB Mohammed on the series. He was knocked out of bounds after a 15-yard gain on a pass reception, went to the bench and was not on the field for the Bears' final six offensive plays of the drive. Cal 10, Clemson 10

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3:57 3rd Q: Angus Davies booted a low punt from his own 26-yard line and Clemson's Bryant Wesco Jr. fielded it on the run and dash 65 yards untouched to the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown. Clemson 17, Cal 10.

9:14 4th Q: Cal dodged a bullet when Hauser -- who hade made his previous 10 field goal tries from at least 40 yards -- was wide left on a 48-yard attempt. Clemson 17, Cal 10

2:58 4th Q: Gideon Davidson races 75 yards for a touchdown, sealing the Tigers' victory in their first trip to California since a 44-16 rout of Alabama in the national championship game on Jan. 7, 2018 at Levi's Stadium. Clemson 24, Cal 10

Pre-game reading:

-- Our Cal-Clemson preview

-- A Clemson beat writer answers our 5 Questions about the Tigers

-- Injury report: Who's in and who's out tonight

-- Swinney vs. Swinney: Long-lost cousins? Apparently not

-- What did Cal rookie coach Tosh Lupoi say about Dabo Swinney?

-- What do the experts say about Cal's bowl prospects?

-- Is once-mighty Clemson vulnerable in 2026?

-- Has quarterback JKS found his rhythm?

-- The Vegas oddsmakers aren't really sure what to think about Clemson-Cal

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