Best of Cal: The Texas Two-Step in 2015 and 2016

With Cal Spring Football postponed until at least March 30th, UC Berkeley as a whole moving to remote instruction for the remainder of the semester, and Cal Athletics suspending spring sports altogether, we're taking a dive into games of the past and some of the greatest moments in the recent history of Cal Athletics. This continues with Cal's two game series against Texas in 2015-16

Previous Installments: 2019 Big Game | 2007 FB vs. Tennessee | 2010 MBB vs. Arizona State

Best may not be the right word for the place in history the Bears' two game series against the Texas Longhorns over the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Entertaining, absolutely. A showcase of the insanity of the Air Raid? Yes indeed. Both games that probably could've gone the other way if it weren't for a couple lucky breaks? Certainly so.

That was a handful of games for the Bears while the Air Raid was in place in Berkeley. Craziness, silliness, passing records falling left and right, and defense that was, to be frank, not great.

That led to 45-44 and 50-43 wins over Texas in back to back years, a Jared Goff GIF that has been used over and over, constant reminders of the importance of holding onto the ball as you cross the plane, and much more.

- A primetime game in a sold out Darrell K. Royal stadium for the Bears, who had come off a Drop70 game against Grambling State and a 35-7 beatdown of a good San Diego State team. Texas came in 1-1, getting destroyed in South Bend to start the year, then rebounding to a win over Rice in week two. It was year three of Sonny Dykes at Cal, year two of Charlie Strong at Texas.

- It was the 27th consecutive start for Jared Goff, seven months prior to him being taken number one overall in the 2016 draft. It was the second start for Jerrod Heard, who was seven months away from a move to wide receiver for Texas.

This is a game remembered for a handful of plays, starting with the missed extra point that gave Cal the victory:

- (2:51:24) The extra point veered wide right, Cal DB Darius White could have gotten a piece of it, but it looks a bit like a shank still.

- That extra point was preceded by Jerrod Heard scrambling for a 45 yard touchdown, as the Bears gave up 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Heard set a Texas record for total offense with 527 yards on the day

- The game-changer that gave the Bears a push toward their initial 21 point lead (1:28:02), an interception by Jalen Jefferson that gave the Bears a chance to score before the half. It led to a Matt Anderson field goal, tying the game up at 24

- There's been a handful of QB-WR duos throughout Cal history that have had a next level connection. Joe Roth and Wesley Walker. Mike Pawlawski and Brian Treggs, Rich Campbell and Matt Bouza, Aaron Rodgers and Geoff MacArthur, Zach Maynard and Keenan Allen. Goff and Kenny Lawler had that connection (54:15), as this back shoulder throw is a case of putting the ball where only your guy can get it, taking advantage of single coverage.

- The Texas games brought out the best in both Vic Enwere (his multi-touchdown games came against Texas, a school that spurned him in recruiting) and Khalfani Muhammad. On the Bears final touchdown drive, Muhammad provided all of the yardage in two carries. Two plays, 92 yards, finished with a 74 yard dash up the gut (2:04:25). Right before this, Gus Johnson talks about how Charlie Strong will turn Texas around.

- Cal won despite giving up 650 total yards, as the final onside kick bounced out of bounds, and the Bears remained the only undefeated team in the Pac-12, to that point.

(There was no full replay of this on YouTube, only highlights)

A year later, the records were flipped. Cal was 1-1 after a last second comeback at San Diego State fell short. Texas was "back" after a double overtime win against Notre Dame. Both teams would fire their coaches within the next four months.

- This was one of the wildest first halves of a game, with 68 combined points between the two teams. The Davis Webb to Chad Hansen connection continued, starting from a big catch and run on the first drive (:18), to Hansen's touchdown to give the Bears a 35-33 lead (10:17), followed by one of the best Horns Down gestures.

- Two big defensive plays defined the first half for the Bears. The first came on Texas's first drive, as a true freshman Evan Weaver, still at defensive end, made his first career sack (1:45). The second came to end the first half, as Luke Rubenzer, picked off a floater from Shane Buechele (9:51), returning it to the Cal side to set up the final Hansen score of the half

- This game, while being an example of how not to stop the run, didn't see any scoring in the third quarter. It also was an example of the kind of arm strength Davis Webb had. His first touchdown pass, a 29 yard strike to Jordan Veasy, came as the Texan QB was backpedaling and off his back foot (:26)

- (14:05) Hansen's 2016 is up there for best years by a Cal wideout (Keenan Allen's 2011, Steve Sweeney's 1972, Geoff MacArthur's 2003, Dameane Douglas's 1998 and Sean Dawkins' 1992 are all up in that category), and the body control on this reception is incredible.

- The two-point conversion that put the Bears' up 3 (15:06) is a similar play design to the Philly special, though it's a speed option that sets up the pitch reverse, instead of a direct snap to the back, reverse to the receiver, and subsequent pass back to the QB lined up as an H-back. Jake Spavital had a ton of creativity with his two point tries. Ray Hudson was there for any potential pass, but Hansen was running it in all the way.

- Jerrod Heard makes an appearance at wideout, but Khari Vanderbilt snuffed out a screen in his direction (17:22)

- Then we come to the infamous 3rd and 1, following Hansen's touchdown to put the Bears up 50-43, which saw Enwere, dubbed the Spearmint Rhino by some, burst free for an apparent touchdown (17:50). He dropped the ball at the one yard line, where after the play was blown dead, a Texas defender nonchalantly picked up the ball and handed it to the official. Because of this, the officials decided that since the recovery wasn't an "instantaneous recovery." Cal would get the ball on Texas's 1 yard line, kneeling out the clock, and starting a streak of consecutive years with a win over a top 15 team.

- Both Strong and Dykes were fired after the 2016 season, with Strong popping back up at South Florida, getting fired after the 2019 season. Dykes was hired at SMU, where he had his best success with Buechele transferring to the Mustangs. SMU had their first 10 win season since the death penalty came down on the program

- Trey Watson would eventually grad transfer to Texas after the 2017 season.

- Weaver, Ashtyn Davis, and Jordan Kunaszyk all had extended action during this game, though not close to what they'd experience in the years afterward.

- These two games continued a streak of Cal victories in non-conference Power 5 games, one that was snapped in the Cheez-It Bowl of 2018. Since 2014, Cal is 7-1 against Power 5 non-conference opponents.