Cal’s 24-13 loss to No. 24 UNLV Wednesday night in the LA Bowl wasn’t pretty.
Unlike most of the Bears’ shootout defeats this season, the game dragged on as Cal failed to find any rhythm offensively, despite a solid performance from its defense.
Cal was without some of its key offensive stars – most notably quarterback Fernando Mendoza and wide receiver Nyziah Hunter who both entered the transfer portal last week – but the Bears couldn’t execute the simple stuff that could have changed the game in a big way.
“We unfortunately had a turnover that turned into points, a missed field goal, they had a punt return that turned into a field goal,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. “The defense was on a short field a couple of times and gave up some points. The offense when we got down there, we didn’t quite put in the end zone. … It was really unfortunate that we couldn’t quite get that done.”
With Wednesday’s loss, Cal fell to 12-13-1 in bowl games all-time and is now 1-3 in postseason games under head coach Justin Wilcox. Cal has now suffered its fifth consecutive losing season.
Here are some takeaways from Wednesday’s loss to UNLV:
Quarterback struggles hinder offense
With Mendoza sitting out, backup Chandler Rogers sidelined with a leg injury and the play calling being decided by committee, it was expected that the offense would look different.
Fifth-year sophomore CJ Harris started the game, but exited in the middle of the third quarter with an injury, leaving true freshman EJ Caminong to close the game against a battle-tested UNLV defense.
It did not go well.
The two quarterbacks combined to complete 19 of 39 passes for 166 yards and no touchdowns. Down 14-13 in the third, Caminong had a costly turnover on a backward pass that led to a UNLV score.
Given the circumstances, Wilcox said he was proud of the way Caminong handled himself in the moment.
“I thought EJ competed and competed really hard,” he said. “I’m really proud of him. Not the easiest situation to step into, but he sure competed really hard.”
Jaydn Ott finishes season strong
Running back Jadyn Ott might have played his final game in a Cal uniform, but he finished the season on a high note in a year that was riddled with injuries.
The junior had his highest rushing yard total of the season, running for 84 yards on 11 carries. He had a long breakaway run for 48 yards in the first quarter that set up a field goal.
Ott, who was a projected early-round NFL draft pick before the season, missed three games and was clearly hindered by nagging injuries. He totaled just 385 yards and four touchdowns this season, a year removed from his electric 2023, when the Chino native total 1,315 yards and 12 scores.
“He’s had some big moments in his career here,” Wilcox said. “Unfortunately, he had some injuries this year that slowed him down a little bit. But I was pleased that he was able to go out there and compete today.”
Young players get opportunities
Wilcox made it clear that Wednesday’s game also served as an opportunity for the coaching staff to evaluate some of the young talent that didn’t get many reps this season.
In the second half, some of Cal’s usual starters – specifically on defense – were subbed out despite the game still being within reach.
“We knew there was guys on defense that were not going to play or they’re going to play a certain amount of reps,” Wilcox said. “We knew that there was going to be a lot of guys playing in the game, and it was going to be regardless of the score. … We knew we were going to get great evaluations, and some of those guys really helped themselves, and it helps us shape recruiting decisions.”
One of those standouts was freshman receiver Josiah Martin. The Corinth, Texas native totaled 69 yards from scrimmage to go along with a rushing touchdown.
Craig Woodson reflects on final season
Defensive back Craig Woodson has seen it all in his six seasons at Cal.
There were ups and downs, but Woodson said he cherished every moment in the Cal blue and gold.
“I’m just grateful for it,” he said. “I’m happy that I stayed this extra year coming to Cal because honestly everybody got options nowadays, but I think this is a special place. The relationships that I built here, I wouldn’t trade it for nothing.”
Wilcox added, “This dude right here has been here six years. He came here, went through some injuries and worked his butt off. He’s a damn good player. He’s going to play after college. He got a Cal degree and could have left, but didn’t leave. Forever, I’ll be thinking about this guy.”