Cal vs. Duke Game Thread: Blue Devils Sprint Away For 45-21 Victory

It’s been 10 years since Cal started a football season 5-1 and 10 years since the Golden Bears won their first two conference games.

Cal couldn't achieve either of those milestones Saturday night, squandering a 21-7 lead in a 45-21 defeat to a visiting Duke squad that scored the game's final 38 points.

A disappointed season-high crowd of 42,240 fans at Memorial Stadium saw the Bears (4-2, 1-1 ACC) lose at home for the first time.

Ca has a bye next week and returns to face North Carolina and coach Bill Bellichick on Friday night, Oct. 17 at Memorial Stadium. The Tar Heels, beaten 38-10 by Clemson on Saturday, are 2-3 overall, 0-1 in the ACC.

*** Cal coach Justin Wilcox talks about tight end Mason Mini in the video above.

Here's our game thread:

Before the Bears took the field, Oski came charging out of he north tunnel on a bicycle. Trailing just him on a bike . . . chancellor Rich Lyons. This man is into it!

COIN TOSS: Duke wins the toss and defers to the second half. Cal will get the ball to start the game.

9:11 1st Q: Cal scores on the game's opening possession when Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele thows a 6-yard TD pass to WR Jordan King, capping an 11-play, 75-yard drive. Sagapolutele was 8 for 8 for 71 yards, connecting with four different receivers, including Jacob De Jesus three times for 21 yards. Cal 7, Duke 0

5:20 1st Q: Kendrick Ralphael dashes 5 yards on a pitch left and Cal completes a 5-play, 55-yard drive. De Jesus set things up with a 17-yard punt return to the Cal 45. Sagapolutele completed passes of 29 yards to Trond Grizzell (who outwrestled CB Kimari Robinson for the ball) and 22 yards to Jordan King. King took a helmet-to-helmet hit by Duke LB Bradley Gompers, who was ejected after a targeting penalty was confirmed on replay, and the penalty gave the Bears a first down at the 7. Raphael scored two plays later. Cal 14, Duke 0

2:38 1st Q: Duke answers with an eight-play, 77-yard drive, capped by freshman RB Nate Sheppard's 12-yard dash around right end. QB Darian Mensah was 4 for 5 for 58 yards on the drive. Cal 14, Duke 7

END OF 1ST Q: Cal has dominated, forging a total yardage edge of 159 to 78. The Bears have 138 passing yards, 21 rushing yards. Duke is at 60 and 18. First downs are 10 to 4 for Cal. The Bears have converted 2 for 2 on third down. Cal has run 21 plays to 12 for Duke. Sagapolutele is 12 for 14 for 138 yards with a touchdown. Cal 14, Duke 7

12:17 2nd Q: Call makes it 3 for 3 on touchdown drives, going 80 yards in 11 plays with Raphael scoring on a 4-yard burst up the middle. Sagapolutele came up limping after a scramble two plays earlier, but he remained in the game. He had a 30-yard completion to De Jesus on the drive. Cal 21, Duke 7

7:47 2nd Q: Back and forth we go. Duke marches 58 yards in 10 plays, with Anderson Castle piling over from the 2-yard line for the TD. Mensah completed a third-and-11 pass for 15 yards to Cooper Barkate early in the drive, then another one for 15 yards to Barkate to the Cal 14. Cal 21, Duke 14

6:59 2nd Q: Duke's defense claims the game's first turnover as free safety Andrew Pellicciota picks off Sagspolutele's deep pass intended for De Jesus. He returned it 45 yards to the Cal 41 but a holding penalty during the return put the ball back at the Duke 38. Cal 21, Duke 14

5:50 2nd Q: Mensah delivers a perfect 26-yard TD pass to Que-Sean Brown and Duke ties things. Mensah had a 33-yard completion to Landen King to start the 3-play, 62-yard possesson after the Blue Devils got the ball on an interception by free safety Andre Pellicciotta. Cal 21, Duke 21

1:10 2nd Q: The Blue Devils have now scored 21 unanswered points after Cal mounted a 21-7 lead. Castle powered in from the 1-yard to cap a six-play, 38-yard drive after a 25-yard Cal punt. Mensah had a 23-yard pass to Brown to get Duke into scoring position. Duke 28, Cal 21

0:00 2nd Q: A hideous second quarter comes to an end for the Bears as Duke's Todd Pelino kicks a 25-yard field goal, capping a 24-point run in the period. Cal led 21-7 less than 3 minutes into the second quarter but the visitors had things their way the rest of the period. They went 53 yards in six plays after a 51-yard Cal punt set them up at their own 39. Mensah was 3 for 4 for 53 yards and finishes the half 15 for 19 for 214 yards. And Duke gets the ball first to start the second half. Duke 31, Cal 21

END OF 3rd Q: After the teams combined for 31 points in the second quarter, neither squad got onthe boad in the third. Duke has a first-and-10 from its own 26 as the fourth quarter begins after starting this possession at its own 4-yard line following a 60-yard punt by Michael Kern. Duke 31, Cal 21

8:22 4th Q: Mensah throws a 10-yard TD pass to Barkate, who beat two defenders in the back left corner of the end zone for the first points of the second half. Duke went 55 yards in six plays for a touchdown that seemingly puts this out of reach. Duke 38 Cal 21.

5:50 4th Q: Freshman RB Nate Sheppard caps the scoring with a 46-yard TD run and Cal waves a white flag by pulling Sagapolutele. Duke 45, Cal 21

Pre-game reading:

Our A to Z preview of tonight's game

Hezekiah Masses is Cal's latest interception machine

Cal hopes to remain among teams unbeaten in ACC play

We ask a Duke beat writer 5 Questions about Cal's Saturday opponent

Cal will try to establish its own Black Hole on Saturday night vs. Duke

Outside linebacker Jayden Wayne excited about his first Cal start

GM Ron Rivera confident Cal can retain Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele