The Tosh Lupoi Era for the Cal football team began in Berkeley on Saturday night with a full house at Memorial Stadium and plenty of thrills. What it ultimately lacked, however, was a victory for the Bears, who saw UCLA score three fourth-quarter touchdowns to claim a 45-24 victory with a majority of Cal fans clearing out of their seats before the final whistle.
It seemed nothing could stop Cal after sophomore Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele delivered three consecutive completions to take the Bears 87 yards into the end zone in just 38 seconds to cut the Bears’ deficit to 21-17 toward the end of the first half.
With the Memorial Stadium home crowd roaring and the powers of their star quarterback on full display in the moon-balls he summoned, it felt like nothing could stop the Bears from satisfying the hype that the team spent the last eight months cultivating. A start to what the program hoped could be a Cinderella season.
And then the clock struck midnight.
The UCLA offensive line began to mash Cal
The UCLA offensive line began to mash Cal in the trenches. Bruins running backs Wayne Knight and Jaiainment. And the Sagapolutele magic turned into dust as a mishandled snap on a fourth-down and two fourth-quarter interceptions – one off the hands of his receiver and the other right to defense (both to the Bruins’ Ta’Shawn James) – gave UCLA the momentum to take the game and run
A full day’s worth of alumni-organized tailgates, local bars packed with fans decked in countless No. 12 Joe Roth jerseys, the Berkeley streets swarming with students decked out in their trademark blue and gold, and the collective hope they have a special football team in the East Bay was spoiled by a reality check in the opener.
Lupoi, a Cal alum, was hired as head coach after serving as the architect of an Oregon defense that was consistently among the top units in the country. But after witnessing the ease at which UCLA moved the ball on Cal, it looks like there’s some work to be done before he can do the same for the Bears.
Whether it was biting on the Bruins’ misdirections
Whether it was biting on the Bruins’ misdirections or getting mashed in the trenches, the Cal defense appeared to be on its back foot for most of the game. Bears defenders often were a step too late and found themselves bouncing off of UCLA’s running backs as a result of going for arm tackles and heat-seeking hits.
That linebacker group was seen as a weakness heading into this season, with the team losing Cade Uluave and Luke Ferrelli in the portal, and it definitely showed in some aspects of that against the run.
Where the Bears’ defense did show signs of encouragement was in the passing game. Cal’s pass rush generated two sacks, five pass break-ups, two QB hits. And in the secondary, redshirt sophomore Kingston Lopa came with an interception that set up Sagapolutele’s electric second-quarter sequence.
UCLA was often able to beat Cal
But UCLA was often able to beat Cal to the edges or high-step through tackles. Which is why it’s not a surprise the Bruins finished with 277 yards on the ground and six rushing touchdowns.
It was kind of a rollercoaster ride with Sagapolutele (24-for-41, 271 yards), as the highs were high and the lows were low. But a big part of the lows was the fact that the sophomore was under fire all night long.
Rewinding back to Sagapolutele’s off-balance 49-yard moon ball to Ian Strong, the whole reason why he had to make that throw on the run was because the pocket had collapsed. And that was a theme all night long. UCLA generated two sacks, seven pass breakups, and two QB hits, including the one that forced a fumble from Sagapolutele, who had nowhere to go because three Bruins were in the backfield.
By the end of the game, Sagapolutele looked
And by the end of the game, Sagapolutele looked roughed up. He was slow to get up after taking several hits while throwing the ball.
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This article originally published at Cal’s season opens with some thrills, but ultimately a loss to UCLA.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
