Cal-Washington State Game Thread: Bears Hold Off Cougars 42-39, Bowl Hopes Alive

Well, that was crazy.

Cal built a 42-24 lead with 9:33 left then had to hold on for a 42-39 over Washington State victory in front of 38,155 at Memorial Stadium in the home finale on Saturday.

The Bears (4-6, 2-5 Pac-12) kept alive their bowl hopes with the victory. They need to beat Stanford in the Big Game next Saturday, then knock off UCLA at the Rose Bowl to earn bowl eligibility.

Jaydn Ott rushed for 167 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns. Afterward, he focused on his two fumbles - one of them recovered for a touchdown by Cal center Brian Driscoll, the other by the Cougars, setting up their final touchdown.

“Just scared that I had lost us the game, giving up the ball,” Ott said. “I didn’t want to watch (the end), but I did. I’m just grateful my defense was able to step up and get it done.”

The defense scored a pair of touchdowns -- a 51-yard fumble return by freshman linebacker Cade Uluave in the first quarter and a 52-yard fumble return by junior cornerback Nohl Williams, pushing the Bears' lead to 42-24 with 9:26 to play.

Add in Driscoll's recovery of the Ott fumble for a touchdown, and the Bears recorded three TDs on fumble returns or recoveries - the first time any team in FBS has achieved that since at least 1992, according to the NCAA.

Wilcox, who turns 47 on Sunday, would have preferred less drama at the finish.

“We made it much harder than it needed to be,” he admitted. “That’s where we’ve got to take a step. In those moments, got the lead, they’re up against time, how we gonna make that play to get off the field and put the game away?”

But he was excited and relieved for his players.

“We’ve been through a tough month-and-a-half they keep playing. I love ‘em for that. The joy in there, you can feel it.”

PRE-GAME PERSONNEL UPDATE: Not playing for Cal today are RB Isaiah Ifanse, DE Ethan Saunders, ILB Muelu Iosefa, Saf Raymond Woodie III. And, of course, freshman RB Jaivian Thomas, who was injured and briefly hospitalized last Saturday at Oregon.

COIN FLIP: Cal wins the toss and elects to defer. The Bears kickoff and will defend the south end zone.

12:19 1st: Freshman ILB Cade Uluave picks up a fumble by WSU quarterback Cam Ward on a fourth-and-1 sneak from the Cal 46 and runs 51 yards for a touchdown. Uluave also was credited with forcing the fumble. Cal 7, WSU 0.

6:38 1st Q: Fernando Mendoza fakes a keeper on third-and-goal from the 6, stops and throws a 6-yard TD pass to wide-open TE Jack Endries. The Bears went 65 yards in 12 plays, aided by a 10-yard keeper by Mendoza coupled with a 15-yard facemask penalty on the same play, good for a first down at the WSU 40. Cal 14, WSU 0.

0:17 1st Q: QB Cam Ward scores on a 3-yard keeper, capping a 14-play, 75-yard drive. The key play was a fourth-and-1 completion to Stephen Hall for a 1-yard gain to the WSU 35-yard line. Officials initially ruled Hall was short of the first down but the decision was reversed quickly on review. Cal 14, WSU 7.

12:14 2nd Q: Center Brian Driscoll scores a touchdown, lunging on a fumble by Jaydn Ott in the end zone. Ott had run from the 5 to the 1 when he lost the ball. The play capped an 8-play, 84-yard drive that included Mendoza passes of 14 yards to Endries and 36 yards to Jeremiah Hunter, the latter giving Cal a first down at the WSU 20-yard line Cal 21, WSU 7.

8:46 2nd Q: Ward passes 13 yards for a touchdown to TE Cooper Mathers as the Cougars go 69 yards in nine plays. Penalties for too many players on the field and defensive holding hurt the Bears. Ward had a 10-yard keeper for a first down to the 13-yard line, setting up the score. Cal 21, WSU 14.

3:11 2nd Q: Mendoza passes 13 yards to Ott for the TD. Ott lined up as a wide receiver on the right end, crossed to the left, caught the ball at about the 13 and ran untouched into the end zone, doing a little happy leap over the goal line. The 4-play 19-yard drive was set up by a WSU turnover, as David Reese knocked the ball from QB Cam Ward and Uluave recovered at the 19. Reese gets credit for an 18-yard sack. Cal 28, WSU 14.

0:24 2nd Q: Backup QB John Mateer takes a shotgun snap and runs up the middle for a 5-yard TD. Ward was on the field for the play, but went in motion to the left, leaving the snap to go to Mateeer. The Cougars went 70 yards in 11 plays, including five rushes by Leo Pulasi for 37 yards and a Ward completion of 19 yards to Kyle Williams to the Cal 16-yard line. Cal 28, WSU 21.

HALFTIME STATS: Cal 28, Washington State 21. WSU has a statistic edge, with 231 total yards to 167 for the Bears. WSU has 60 rushing yards (60 more than last week vs. Stanford) and 167 through the air as Ward completed 14 of 25 attempt with 1 TD and 0 INTs. Freshman RB Leo Pulalasi has 42 rushing yards and seven attempts.

Mendoza is 11 for 15 for 124 yards with two TDs. Ott has been held to 33 rushing yards on 12 carries (2.8) although he does have a 13-yard TD reception. Endries has 4 catches for 44 yards and a TD. Hunter has 3 receptions for 45 yards.

The difference in the game has been two lost fumbles by the Cougars, both recovered by freshman ILB Cade Uluave. He returned one of them 51 yards for a touchdown and the other set up a 19-yard scoring drive.

Cal will get the ball first to start the third quarter.

12:33 3rd Q: Dean Janikowski kicks a 28-yard field goal on fourth-and-4 from the 11 after a strip sack by Brennan Jackson against Mendoza gave WSU possession at the Cal 17. Ron Stone Jr. had the fumble recovery. Cal 28, WSU 24.

11:14 4th Q: Jaydn Ott runs 5 yards for a touchdown, passing 1,000 yards for the season in the process. He carried 5 times for 70 on a 5-play, 75-yard drive (including a 5-yard penalty vs.WSU). His 1,001 yards are the most by a Cal player since Patrick Laird had 1,127 yards in 2017. Cal 35, WSU 24.

9:26 4th Q: Cornerback Nohl Williams scores on a 52-yard fumble return after David Reese knocks the ball loose from Ward. It's the second touchdown today by the Bears' beleaguered defensive unit. Reese has three sacks and two forced fumbles. Cal 42, WSU 24.

You don't really want to hear about the rest, do you?

Cover photo of Cal running back Jaydn Ott by Darren Yamashita, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo

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