Friday night featured an ACC matchup between the Cal Golden Bears and Wake Forest, two storied football programs who played each other for the first time. In the end, Cal walked away with a 46-36 victory and their first ACC win. However, that didn’t come without a battle, as the Demon Deacons got within three points with little time remaining in the fourth quarter. Yet it was too little, too late, as Cal wins and moves to 5-4 and is only one way away from securing a bowl berth.
Let’s look at both the good, and bad, from the Golden Bears’ Week 11 matchup.
Fernando Mendoza shoulders the load for Cal football
Sophomore quarterback Fernando Mendoza has had a strong season for the Golden Bears in 2024, and that continued in the matchup on Friday.
Mendoza threw the ball 40 times in the first half alone, ending the contest with 56 attempts. The sophomore quarterback had two passing touchdowns, and interception, while adding 51 yards and a touchdown on the ground as well.
For most of the contest, Mendoza was decisive throwing the ball. When he saw openings, he took them, leaving Wake Forest with little options in their pass defense. This was Mendoza’s second consecutive game throwing for more than 350 yards with at least two passing touchdowns. He joins Jared Goff and Davis Webb as the only Cal quarterbacks to achieve that feat in the last 20 years.
Fernando Mendoza has been ballin' 😮💨 @CalFootball pic.twitter.com/mjTuFvddDw
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 9, 2024
If Mendoza keeps up this production going forward, he will become an elite prospect finding himself playing on Sunday.
Defense steps up in a big way
It probably seems inaccurate to say that the defense played well in a game where they gave up 36 points. However, the unit had multiple takeaways and stepped up when they needed to make a big play.
Linebacker Cade Uluave left the contest early in the game, yet his replacements played a key role in this matchup. Both Hunter Barth and Liam Johnson created turnovers for Cal football, with Johnson securing the game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter.
Scoop n' score 🤑@hunter_barth_ forces a fumble on the kickoff and @Miles_Williams2 recovers it for a Bears touchdown!
📺 @accnetwork
📲 https://t.co/Xdqafk7K50#GoBears | #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/ApncU7h0XP— Cal Football (@CalFootball) November 9, 2024
Meanwhile, cornerback Nohl Williams had his seventh interception on the season and continues to lead the FBS in that category. Williams continues to showcase his ability to be around the ball, and would have had a fumble recovery as well if not for a facemask that negated the turnover.
Sharing the love
As aforementioned, the passing display by Mendoza was phenomenal. A big part of that was his ball distribution, which saw 11 players catch a pass in the contest. Leading the way was Mikey Matthews with eight receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown. This was Matthews’ breakout game for the Golden Bears; as the transfer receiver made contested catches and looked crisp in his movements.
Mikey on the money💰@qb_fernando hits @_mjmatt8 in the endzone for his first career touchdown!
📺 @accnetwork
📲 https://t.co/Xdqafk7K50#GoBears | #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/L1WXcUvRmd— Cal Football (@CalFootball) November 9, 2024
Another key receiver in this matchup was Tobias Merriweather, who made his season debut in this contest after recovering from an undisclosed injury. In his first game back, Merriweather had six catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. Merriweather looked good in his return, and instantly showed a connection with Mendoza in this contest.
Rushing woes
One major negative in this contest was the inability for the Cal offense to run the football. Jaydn Ott, in his return, only mustered 23 yards on 14 carries. Ott has been unable to get going so far this season, with a combination of injury and closed running lanes.
That inability to run the ball allowed Wake Forest to come back in the game, as Cal was unable to sustain drives and take time off the clock. It’s an issue of concern for head coach Justin Wilcox, who continues to look for answers in how to improve the rushing attack.
Postgame comments
Speaking to the media, head coach Justin Wilcox spoke about the team’s ability to persevere and come away with a victory in a tough environment. And yet while Cal threw the football 40 times in the first half, Wilcox chalked that up to the “ebb and flow” of the game, and the team’s difficulty to get the ball moving on the ground. The head coach also stated that the team needs to be able to finish more drives once they get into opponent territory; yet overall, he was pleased with the team’s performance.
After their win against Wake Forest, Cal HC Justin Wilcox spoke to the media, addressing the matchup, Cal's struggles running the ball, and their determination coming away with a victory and earning their first conference victory. (Via @ThomasCP_NFL)@CalFootball | #GoBears pic.twitter.com/gX7JLc2vjt
— The League Winners (@LeagueWinnersFB) November 9, 2024
Following Wilcox’s presser, Mendoza and Merriweather spoke to the media to discuss the offensive success for the Golden Bears in this matchup. With Wake Forest making the contest close, Mendoza said that the team spoke about the situation on the sideline and that they would not lose this game in the same fashion as their previous losses; losing four games by a total of eight total points.
After their victory against Wake Forest, Cal QB Fernando Mendoza and WR Tobias Merriweather spoke to the media about their first ACC win, and Tobias' return to the lineup.@CalFootball | #GoBears pic.twitter.com/IgnlPOfpV7
— The League Winners (@LeagueWinnersFB) November 9, 2024
