Cal Football: Costly mistakes, OL play Dooms Bears 17-15 loss at #22 Pitt

PITTSBURGH, PA – Cal fans experienced even more heartbreak and frustration today in the Bears’ 17-15 loss to #22 Pittsburgh in a game that was more than winnable, but ultimately due to costly mid-game mistakes and an offense line that was a sieve against the aggressive Pitt defense.

When QB Fernando Mendoza wasn’t sacked six times, he was often pressured and beaten. The Bears had 11 tackles and lost to a team that came into the game with just 12 sacks. Overall, Mendoza finished 27 of 37 for 272 yards and one touchdown and no turnovers. TE Jack Endries was the Bears’ star, recording eight receptions for 119 yards and a TD in the loss.

In total, the Bears received 12 penalties for 110 yards and would have been more if several penalties had not been declined.

“Penalties were a big issue,” head coach Justin Wilcox said after the game. “Four 15-yarders. We had an unsportsmanlike call just before halftime that cost us dearly…We had two PIs on one drive for 30 yards of field position. We had a face mask for 15. Receivers had an illegal substitution, really bad. False start, delay, three holding penalties.

“It’s bad. You just have to concentrate. It takes physical strength, mental strength, emotional strength.”

Over the last four years, the team is 5-20 in one-scoring games, including tonight’s disappointing loss.

“How do you win a one-score game today?” Wilcox asked rhetorically. “They halved the penalties. Start there… Let’s go to 4th and 1. Everyone does their job – 10 out of 11 people. A guy makes a selfish decision and breaks free from his void. I think we had a great chance to stop them and get the ball into their territory. A guy comes out of his gap and they run 72 yards for a touchdown.”

The Bears were unable to generate much offense on the ground as running back Jaivian Thomas started in place of injured starter Jadyn Ott and gained 72 yards on 17 carries.

The game got off to a good start for the Bears as they stuffed the Pitt offense with a three-and-out followed by an opening TD drive.

On the drive at the Cal 44, Mendoza faced third-and-17 and made a crucial completion to WR Jonathan Brady for 23 yards, bringing the ball to the Pitt 33. Three plays later, Thomas turned on the Jets for a 21-yarder. Yard TD run to give the Bears a 6-0 lead after a failed 2-point conversion attempt.

The Panthers responded immediately with a shot on goal of their own, aided by two facemask and hands-to-face penalties as well as a 4th-and-5 conversion from midfield. Pitt took the lead on a 5-yard pass. Desmond Reid rushed up the middle for the score and Ben Sauls’ PAT with 5:07 left in the quarter gave them a 7-6 lead.

After two penalties prevented the Bears’ next possession, Cal’s pointless defensive streak on 4th down burned the Bears to the ground.

Showing complete confidence in either their offense or the Cal defense’s recent fourth-down woes, the Panthers attempted an unusual 4th-and-1 situation from their own 28. Seemingly confused by Pitt’s misdirection, Reid let the ball bounce off the tackle and found it nothing but green grass in front of him, he pulled away and scored a surprisingly easy 72-yard TD run that gave Pitt a 14-6 lead early in the second quarter took the lead.

The Panthers extended their lead after the Bears were forced to abandon the attempt on 4th-and-1 at midfield following an illegal substitution penalty. Pitt responded with a 58-yard field goal on the ensuing drive to take a 17-6 lead with 10:04 left in the half.

The Bears finally stemmed the tide of 17 straight Pitt points by staging a nine-play, 54-yard drive that ended with a 39-yard field goal by Ryan Coe to make it 17-9 with 5 left. With 57 minutes remaining in the half, the score tied the score at halftime.

The Bears’ 20:43 to 9:17 first half possession advantage was of little use as 8 penalties for 90 yards wiped out any continuity in the half.

The third quarter was a stalemate, with neither team scoring, although cornerback Nohl Williams and nickelback Cam Sidney threw two Cal interceptions. Sidney’s return gave the Bears the ball at the Pitt 40, but they only managed to move backwards with two sacks and an incompletion.

The Bears finally got going after taking the lead at their 22 on their next possession. Tight end Jack Endries got the team on his back on the drive, hauling in catches for 20 and 27 yards with plenty of yards after the catch before snagging a pass up the middle and making his way to the 19-yard TD.

Cal’s special teams woes continued as they failed on their second straight 2-point conversion attempt and trailed 17-15 with 10:30 left.

The Bears had a unique opportunity to use the clock and take the lead after they took the lead at their 20 with 8:22 to play and systematically moved it to the Pitt 22 where they faced 3rd-and-9 . Instead of trying to get a first down, backup quarterback Chandler Rogers had a short run that set the Bears up for the potential game-winning field goal with 1:50 left on the clock.

The senior kicker set up for a 40-yard field goal down the middle of the field, well within Coe’s reach, but missed wide right, ending the Bears’ hopes of a win.

The Bears still had a chance for a late comeback after forcing a three-and-out and getting the ball back to their 20 with :52 remaining, but three straight incompletions sandwiched around another false start penalty gave the Bears a run on 4th-and-15. When he finally completed a completion to WR Mason Starling, he was again missing the uprights, as had been the case throughout the game, and the Bears turned the ball over on downs, causing Pitt to kneel and the Had to let time run out.

The Bears fell to 3-3 (0-3) after the loss. Pitt increases its record to 6-0 (2-0) after their win.