Two Brilliant Defensive Plays Change Cal’s Season

One play can change a football game, but in Cal’s case two outstanding defensive plays changed the Bears' season.

Luke Ferrilli’s game-saving interception against Boston College and Brent "Paco" Austin’s magnificent defensive play against North Carolina on Friday altered Cal’s 2025 season from one of gloom and doom to one of promise.

Because of those two defensive plays, Cal is 5-2, the Bears’ best seven-game record in 10 years, instead of 3-4, matching the Bears’ record after seven games in each of the past three seasons.

Because of those two defensive plays, Cal needs just one win in its final five regular-season games to become bowl-eligible for the third straight season, instead of needing to scramble for three wins to get to a postseason game.

Because of those two plays, Cal needs just two wins in the next six games (including a bowl game) to achieve its first winning season since 2019, instead of looking like it will finish with a losing record for the 11th time in the past 14 years.

Because of those two defensive plays, Cal is 2-1 in the ACC, providing hope that the Bears might finish with a .500 or better conference record for the first time since 2009, instead of being 0-3 in the conference and on their way to a 16th consecutive season with a losing conference record, the longest such active streak in the country.

Because of those two plays, Cal has won two of its last three games instead of riding a debilitating four-game losing streak heading into Friday’s game at Virginia Tech.

Because of those two plays, Justin Wilcox’s job as head coach seems secure at the moment instead of hearing loud and long calls for general manager Ron Rivera to change head coaches at the end of the season.

Because of those two plays, Cal is 2-0 in games decided by five points or fewer instead of being 0-2 in those games and following the trend of last season when the Bears went 1-4 in games determined by fewer than six points.

Ferrilli’s play in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, on September 27 was a game-changer. Boston College, trailing 28-24, marched 70 yards in the closing moments and faced a second-and-goal at the Cal 5-yard line with 19 seconds to go. That's when Ferrelli flashed in front of a Boston College receiver and snatched an interception in the end zone to avoid disaster and give Cal a 28-24 victory.

But that play paled in comparison to what Austin did on Friday, a play Wilcox called “as good of an individual play as we’ve had this year.” And that was an understatement.

In what was otherwise a mediocre performance by Cal at home against a struggling, underdog North Carolina team, Austin saved the day.

With Cal clinging to a 21-18 lead with just under four minutes left, North Carolina faced a second-and-8 play from the Cal 13-yard line. Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez hit a wide-open Nathan Leacock in full stride with a completion at the 7-yard line. There seemed to be nothing in the way of him scoring the go-ahead touchdown until Austin came streaking in.

A tackle would not have kept Leacock out of the end zone at that point, so Austin punched down on the ball, knocking it free at the half-yard line. Austin not only caused the fumble but scrambled to recover the ball after it had rolled into the end zone for a touchback. It gave Cal the ball at the 20-yrd line, enabling the Bears to run out the clock for a 21-18 victory.

“That is an elite play,” said Wilcox. “That’s as good an individual play as we’ve had this season. Ubelievable. Whatever adjuective you want to throw in front of it, that’s what it was.”

“The play before that I tried to punch the ball out and I missed,” said Austin. “This time I hit it tough."

He even explained the tendencies of a ball-carrier in that situation

“The ball’s loose when you’re running," he said, "especially toward the end zone receivers tend to ease up, thinking they have an easy touchdown.”

Austin, a double transfer from James Madison and South Florida, had never knocked the ball out like that previously.

It clearly was the biggest play of the game, probably the biggest play of Cal’s season and very possibly the biggest play of Cal’s nine seasons under Wilcox.

And it only took a split-second.