Cal Hopes to Turn the Page on a Frustratingly Familiar Narrative

Cal’s performance in the Hawaii Bowl was a familiar one — the tease of something special before the Bears pulled the rug out from under themselves.

Maybe things will be different going forward under new coach Tosh Lupoi. General manager Ron Rivera and legions of Cal fans are counting on it.

What we saw Wednesday night in a 35-31 loss to Hawaii felt like so many games we have watched in recent years. Think Miami, 2024. And there were others, a lot of them.

The theme of good but not good enough was so often the refrain during former coach Justin Wilcox’s nine seasons. The Bears were competitive most of the time, gave fans big highs on occasion but also saw the bottom drop out more often that even most patient Old Blues could stomach.

That’s what happened at cozy Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in front of a sellout crowd of 15,194.

The Bears (7-6) looked unstoppable out of the gate, racing effortlessly to a 21-0 lead. With their first eight-win season since 2019 within grasp, the Bears appeared to tire on defense against the Rainbow Warriors' run-and-shoot offense and the game was even before we knew it.

“We knew they had fight in them,” Cal interim Nick Rolovich said of Hawaii, where he played quarterback and later served as head coach. “We jumped on ‘em, which was a great start for us. We talked about it, they were not going to give up. And they came back and fought hard.”

Freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who delivered another sparkling performance, put Cal in front 31-28 when he converted a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 1:57 left in the fourth quarter.

But the defense could not stop the Rainbow Warriors (9-4), who converted a brilliant 2-minute drive even after starting quarterback Micah Alejado was knocked out of the game by injury with 15 seconds left. That’s when backup Luke Weaver came on to deliver a virtual lump of coal to the Bears’ Christmas stockings by throwing a game-winning, 13-yard TD pass to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left.

Here are takeaways from Wednesday’s defeat, with an eye on what’s ahead for the Bears:

Sagapolutele already a star

The Bears’ freshman quarterback seemingly did enough to generate a victory. He led a Cal offense that posted season highs of 487 yards and 31 first downs. He completed 28 of 39 passes for 343 yards, threw for one TD and ran for another. The Bears did not turn the ball over.

The left-hander from Hawaii, who grew up 20 minutes away from where Wednesday’s game was played, passed for at least 200 yards in every game this season, including 300-plus in three of the final four outings. He was intercepted in just one of the Bears' final seven games, throwing two picks at Virginia on Nov. 1.

“It was a great experience. I’m glad the guys got to see where I’m from,” he said of playing in Hawaii. “This is a big stepping stone for us to get better and I think we’ll come back stronger next year.

“We’ve got a long offseason, especially me — I’ve got a lot to work on. I’ve got to get my body right, first of all. Got to make plays with my feet.”

Sagapolutele led all freshmen at FBS schools with 3,460 passing yards, which ranks sixth all-time at Cal. More importantly, he has committed to returning to Berkeley next season and is the hub around which Lupoi will try to build a better Bear.

Cal’s defense falters

Defense generally was the consistent hallmark under Wilcox, but the Bears slipped this fall. Wednesday night marked the fifth time this season they have allowed at least 34 points.

Hawaii outscored Cal 35-10 after falling behind 21-zip and Rainbow Warriors’ freshman QB Alejado matched JKS most of the night, throwing three TD passes and completing his first 10 attempts of the second half.

Hawaii ran up 348 yards over the final three quarters after managing just 47 in the first period. They converted 3-for-3 on fourth down and were 5-for-5 in red zone.

Linebackers Cade Uluave and Luke Ferrelli are set to return next season, along with freshman safety Aiden Manutai. But Lupoi has work to do on the recruiting trail — most likely in the transfer portal — to replace Aidan Keanaaina among the team’s top four defensive tackles and talented cornerbacks Hezekiah Masses and Brent Austin.

Foundation in place for better days

The turnaround Cal fans crave began when Chancellor Rich Lyons made the commitment to do all within his grasp to elevate the football program. He hired Golden Bear icon Ron Rivera as general manager last spring and provided the football team with greater resources than it’s ever enjoyed.

In Lupoi, the Bears have a respected recruiter, a dynamite defensive coach and a passionate alum. He will remain with Oregon as defensive coordinator as long as the Ducks are alive in the College Football Playoff, but he already is assembling his coaching staff.

By convincing Sagapolutele to return, Lupoi has a centerpiece around which to recruit offensive players. The Bears must improve up front and they need more frontline and backup talent at wide receiver and running back. There will be players in the transfer portal eager to line up alongside an elite young quarterback.

There is talk the Bears will explore finding another season of eligibility for record-setting wide receiver Jacob De Jesus, but it may be some time before the NCAA receives an appeal and delivers an outcome.

De Jesus played two seasons of JC ball before three years at the FBS level, the first two at UNLV. His 108 catches this season in his debut with the Bears broke Cal’s program record and are second-most in ACC history.

Follow Jeff Faraudo on Twitter, Facebook and Bluesky

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