Cal LB Jackson Sirmon Out for Season; Fernando Mendoza Says He's Fine
There was some bad news and some good news on the Cal injury front following the Bears' 34-14 loss to Utah on Saturday.
In short, inside linebacker Jackson Sirmon is finished for the season, while redshirt freshman quarterback Fernando Mendoza said he's 100% healthy despite leaving Saturday's game with an injury.
Cal head coach Justin Wilcox announced after Saturday's loss that Sirmon will miss the rest of the season with an undisclosed injury. Presumably that means his college career is over because this was his sixth college season. He spent his first four seasons at Washington and the past two at Cal.
This is a significant loss. Sirmon was the only Cal player named to the first-team all-Pac-12 team last year and was the only Cal player named to the 2023 preseason first-team all-conference squad.
Wilcox had said last week that Sirmon's status was a day-to-day, but it turned out to be far worse than that.
Sirmon's absence was noticeable on Saturday. Sirmon, a team captain, is outstanding against the run, but the Utes gouged the Bears for 317 rushing yards, much of it between the tackles, which is where Sirmon makes his presence felt.
"I really feel for Jack," Wilcox said. "He works really, really hard and he loves football. He's a really important member of our team. Did it impact things? Yeah, when your captain goes down, it does, but what are you going to do?"
Sirmon entered the weekend ranked fourth in the Pac-12 in tackles, averaging 7.3 stops per game.
Blake Antzoulatos got the start in Sirmon's place on Saturday, but a number of players got playing time alongside the other inside linebacker, Kaleb Elarms-Orr, who leads the Pac-12 in tackles.
Cade Uluave received a lot of playing time at inside linebacker and recorded nine tackles, but he knows Sirmon's absence will have an impact.
"My heart hurts for Jackson," Uluave said. "Jackson was an incredible leader. He was my mentor, someone I really looked up to. I feel bad that his season is over. That puts everyone else in the linebacker room to be even more alert."
The news is better for Mendoza, who played decently in his second collegiate start.
Wilcox was noncommittal of the status of Mendoza, who left Saturday's game in the fourth quarter after taking a big hit, However, Mendoza was far more optimistic.
"Physically I'm great," he said after the game. "I'm 100%. I'm all good."
That certainly makes it seem he'll be the Bears starting quarterback in Cal's home game against USC on October 28. Cal has a bye this week, so the extra week should ensure that Mendoza will be ready for the Trojans.
Against Utah Mendoza was 10-for-17 for 149 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on a ball tipped at the line of scrimmage. Mendoza was hard on himself after the game, but said he was not nervous despite playing on the road at a loud Utah stadium where the Utes have now won 18 games in a row.
"I would say Start One [last week against Oregon State] and Start Two weren't really that much different," he said. "They were both high-pressure situations, which I believe I thrive in."
He said he had no jitters in the early going Saturday, and his 48-yard pass to Jaydn Ott got Cal off to a 7-0 lead.
Wilcox recognized that Mendoza kept the Bears in the game until the closing minutes.
"I think he played really competitively," Wilcox said. "He brings energy. The tipped-ball interception was a third-down play in the second quarter. The D-lineman tipped the ball. [If] that ball is not tipped, I think it's a big play, explosive. Coulda, shoulda, woulda."
The score was tied 7-7 at the time of that pick, and Utah turned that interception into the go-ahead touchdown with a 48-yard drive after taking possession.
"I think he competed really hard," Wilcox said of Mendoza. "I think there's some plays he's like to have back. He's going to get better the more he plays."
And he will continue to be Cal's starting quarterback, because Cal's offense is noticeably more productive when Mendoza is the quarterback.
Cover photo of Jackson Sirmon by Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports
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