Cal's Paco Austin Delivers a Game We Haven't Seen in a Decade

Cornerback Paco Austin is loving pretty much everything about his return to his home state to play this season at Cal.

The senior from San Bernardino prefers Bay Area weather over what he experienced last season at South Florida or the two years before that at James Madison in Virginia.

The food is better here, he says, especially compared to Virginia, where he cannot recall finding a Mexican restaurant. And then there’s the music.

“On the East Coast, I was the only Cali kid on the team. They didn’t like my music. They thought I was weird.” Austin says in the video above. “Everything that’s California music is trash — you hear that everywhere on the East Coast. Everytime I’d play it, they were `Turn if off!’ Out here everyone knows the music.”

Austin’s game is very much in tune here as well. Last Saturday, in the Bears’ 31-21 loss to No. 12 Virginia, Austin delivered what might be the most disruptive game by a defensive back in the country over the past decade.

He had six pass breakups (PBUs) — more than Cal coach Justin Wilcox could ever remember. “That’s a lot,” he said. “He was very good and sticky in man coverages. There were a couple zones where if he had played it a little better might have had a chance to get seven (PBUs) or maybe an interception.”

Austin finished the game unaware of how many PBUs he had collected during the afternoon.

“That was the most I’ve ever had. It was kind of crazy,” he said. “During the game I wasn’t thinking about it but after the game ESPN said six. I’ve never seen that before. Pretty cool.”

In fact, according to the Football Reference database, going back to the 2008 season, Austin’s six PBUs are the most by any player since Tulane cornerback Donnie Lewis had six vs. East Carolina in 2018.

Rashard Fant of Indiana (2014-17) had 53 career passes defended (interceptions plus pass breakups), topping Football Reference’s list. But he never had more than four PBUs in a game.

Demarcus Milliner of Alabama twice had five passes defended (4 PBUs and 1 INT each time) in 2012. Teldrick Ross of Middle Tennessee had 15 passes PBUs (plus 1 INT) in a five-game stretch in 2022.

But no one has recorded more than six in a game since Houston’s William Jackson III had seven in the Cougars’ 24-13 win over Temple in the 2015 American Conference championship game.

Austin has 10 pass breakups on the season, matching the ACC-leading total of fellow Cal corner Hezekiah Masses. Because Masses also had four interceptions, he tops the ACC and the nation in total passes defended with 14. Austin, still seeking his first pick, is second in the conference with 10.

Austin reflected on two missed opportunities in the Virginia game. “A couple of them I thought could have been a pick,” he said. “But I had that DB mindset instead of playing like a receiver and going for the pick instead of the (breakup).”

Wilcox said Austin has played well in “bursts” this season but still can become more consistent. The Bears play Saturday at No. 14 Louisville.

Greater consistency would help Austin toward his career ambition of playing in the NFL.

“Of course, my No. 1 goal is obviously to go through school here and go to the NFL,” he said. “That was a main reason why I came to Cal.”

Since 2020, when safeties Ashtyn Davis and Jaylinn Hawkins were drafted, Cal has had nine defensive backs taken in the NFL draft. Three went this year — cornerbacks Nohl Williams (Kansas City Chiefs) and Marcus Harris (Tennessee Titans) and safety Craig Woodson (New England Patritots).

Seven of the nine remain active in he NFL.

Before finalizing his transfer to Cal, Austin talked with Williams, who told him, “If you want to make the league, this is the place to be.”

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