BERKELEY — Given the chance to clinch bowl eligibility with two games left on its regular-season schedule, Cal laid an egg at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Syracuse scored on its first six possessions, the Bears trailed 27-7 at halftime and they never got closer than 13 points until the final 61 seconds in a 33-25 defeat in front of 33,493 fans on a clear, cool afternoon.
Cal (5-5, 1-5 ACC) had won its two previous games, scoring more than 40 points in each of them. The Bears’ four previous defeats were by a total of nine points.
This one was surprisingly decisive, the final score notwithstanding. Favored by 10 points, the Bears got a season-best 78 rushing yards and a touchdown from injured-hindered Jaydn Ott, but Fernando Mendoza was intercepted on consecutive throws in the first half.
Mendoza, who wound up with 225 passing yards, threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Brady with 1:01 left after the outcome has been largely settled. Mendoza then delivered a 2-point pass to Jack Endries to pull within eight points.
The Bears’ onside kick attempt was recovered by the Orange.
The Cal defense, which entered the game with an FBS-leading 17 interceptions and 29 sacks, could not squeeze a turnover out of the Orange (7-3, 4-3) and managed just one sack of quarterback Kyle McCord.
The nation’s most prolific passer at 350 yards per game, McCord threw for 323 yards and a touchdown to Jackson Meeks. He connected with wide receiver Trebor Pena 11 times for 97 yards and tight end Oronde Gadsden II eight times for 109 yards.
Jackson Kennedy’s 32-yard field goal — his fourth of the game — essentially clinched the Syracuse win with 3:12 to play.
Now the Bears prep for the 127th Big Game against Stanford next Saturday at Berkeley. The game provides Cal with another chance to win a sixth game and secure bowl eligibility for a second year in a row. Cal has won the past three meetings with its ancient rival.
The Bears assembled their first sustained drive of the game to open the third quarter, going 93 yards in 14 plays. Ott gained the final 15 yards on a dash to the end zone with 8:54 left in the third quarter after Mendoza completed 7 of 8 passes for 75 yards.
Ott’s TD inched the Bears to 27-14 but the Orange responded with a 43-yard field goal by Kennedy with 4:53 left and the margin swelled to 16 points.
Cal finally forced a Syracuse punt on second play of the fourth quarter and a 53-yard run by Ott — by far his longest of the season — put the Bears in position for a 44-yard field goal by Ryan Coe that made it 30-17 with 12:43 left.
Nothing went right for the Bears, who trailed 27-7 at halftime of their worst half of the season.
Mendoza’s two interceptions led to 10 Syracuse points and the Cal defense was at a loss to slow the Orange.
Syracuse rolled up 299 first-half yards, held a 16 to 7 edge in first downs and a 45-25 advantage in total plays.
The Orange led 6-0 after field goals of 24 and 42 yards by Kennedy, and pounced on Mendoza’s second giveaway, going 69 yards in 12 plays with LeQuint Allen dashing 30 yards for a TD that made it 13-0 with 13:37 left in the half.
Cal sophomore running back Jaivian Thomas gave the home crowd a moment to cheer when he sprinted 75 yards untouched to the end zone, pulling the Bears within 13-7 with 13:20 left.
But Syracuse responded with scoring drives of 75 and 70 yards, capped by a 1-yard TD run by Allen and a 6-yard pass from McCord to Meeks, extending its lead to 27-7.
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Cal moved into scoring range to close the half before freshman Derek Morris was well short on a 48-yard field goal try on the period’s final play.
NOTE: Cal played without inside linebacker Cade Uluave, the 2023 Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, sidelined by a leg injury.