Pasadena, Calif. — The California Golden Bears became bowl eligible for the first time in four years with a 33-7 win over the UCLA Bruins Saturday night in the final regular-season game under the current Pac-12 Conference.
UCLA along with USC announced last June that it was moving to the Big Ten Conference in 2024, has lost three of its last four games. The Pac-12 then was hit by a wave of defections in late July and August after the conference was unable to get a lucrative television extension. The Golden Bears will join the Atlantic Coast Conference next year.
The Bruins (7-5, 4-5) turned the ball over four times that resulted in 13 points for the Golden Bears. The loss will undoubtedly raise the talk about Chip Kelly’s future despite last week’s victory over USC. Kelly is 34-34 in six seasons at the helm.
Bears’ running back Jaydn Ott had a 100-yard kickoff return and Jeremiah Hunter had two touchdown receptions to seal UCLA fate.
Quarterback Ethan Garbers’ night was short after 12 plays due to a right shoulder injury. Freshman Dante Moore was 23 of 38 for 276 yards with a touchdown and also threw two interceptions. He was sacked six times as well.
“We didn’t do what we needed to do, and it’s disappointing because in phases I think we’ve played really, really well,” Kelly said. “But we got to put it together. And in five games we didn’t put it together.”
The Golden Bears led 6-0 at the end of the first quarter on two field goals by Bhaghani. UCLA linebacker Laiatu Latu picked off Mendoza’s pass and returned it to the Cal 8-yard line, the Bruins took the lead few plays later when Moore hit Loya for a 5-yard TD.
UCLA’s lead would be short lived when Ott ran back the ensuing kickoff.
Cal extended its lead to 20-7 late in the first half. Three plays after Brett Johnson recovered Moore’s fumble at the Bruins 11-yard line, Hunter scored on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Mendoza with 10 seconds remaining in the frame.
Fernando Mendoza had two TD passes and Mateen Bhaghani who kicked four field goals for the Golden Bears (6-6, 4-5 Pac-12) was the difference in the game. The Bears won their last three games after four straight losses.
“It was a month ago there wasn’t a lot of positivity around the program. I think it just speaks to the character of the guys in the room,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said.
Ott had 80 yards on 21 carries and was menace between the tackles. Mendoza finished the night 19 of 30 for 178 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
“Not a lot of people believed in us, especially when we said in the interviews that we were going to burn the boats beat Washington State and burn the forest defeat Stanford and then now burn the city beat UCLA. It was more of a lot of people probably thought that we just saying that for good media presence and having a positive mindset,” Mendoza said. “But everyone in that locker room really believed that and we knew that was gonna happen.”
Wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter caught eight passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns and inside linebacker Cade Uluave rung up 12 tackles, a sack, and an interception for the Bears, who only trailed for 16 seconds midway through the second quarter.
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Both teams will await their bowl destination and opponent.
