Early turnovers hinder Cal in road blowout loss to No. 6 Oregon

Hoping to turn their season around on a rainy day in Eugene, the Bears fell short against No. 6-ranked Oregon by a score of 63-19 on Saturday.. Coming into the game, especially after the dramatic loss to USC, Cal needed to somehow pull off the win nearing the end of a difficult stretch of the season.

The Bears came into the game as a heavy underdog, and the mismatch proved to be overwhelming for them sooner than later.

The Bears started the game with momentum, intercepting Oregon quarterback Bo Nix’s first pass of the game — which was only his second turnover through the air on the season. The tables turned quickly, as Cal gave the ball back to Oregon with a Fernando Mendoza interception in the red zone. That culminated in a 47-yard touchdown pass to Tez Johnson on second-and-37, as Oregon took a 7-0 lead that it never gave back.

The Bears had their moments, especially in the first quarter. After the Ducks went up 14-0, Cal scored 10 unanswered points highlighted with a defensive touchdown for cornerback Nohl Williams on a scoop-and-score play following a misplayed snap by the Ducks when the ball hit the motion man. However, Oregon scored three straight touchdowns, and Cal could never keep up.

“It was a very talented team,” said Cal head coach Justin Wilcox in the postgame press conference. “The level of speed, size, and explosiveness were together. A couple years ago we were here playing until the last play of the game. The last couple years, it’s been different, so I gotta do a better job.”

The Ducks’ speed on offense showed early and often, especially with receiver Tez Johnson and running back Bucky Irving. The Oregon quarterback had another impressive showing after accounting for six touchdowns in last year's meeting, going 29 for 38 and passing for almost 400 yards and four touchdowns.

Without a doubt, the Bears went into the game knowing that one of the most explosive offenses would pose plenty of problems. However, the first three Cal defensive drives featured an interception and a forced punt, but the two early turnovers were the nail in the coffin.

“The defense did a great job early on,” said Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza in the postgame press conference. “They scored a touchdown, and also got the ball for us in the red zone. So that’s all on myself for having two turnovers, especially against the number six team in the nation.”

Early miscues, especially against a top opponent on the road, are very costly. Cal saw this first hand against Washington, and the script was similar against the Ducks.

Mendoza finished Saturday's game without a passing touchdown for the first time in a start after scoring through the air twice in each of his three previous starts. He had 18 completions on 34 attempts plus an interception.

Overall, the Cal offense managed to rack up just 286 total yards against the Ducks.

The unfortunate story of the game, and the first question Wilcox was asked afterward, was the third-quarter injury to the Oakland native and Cal freshman running back Jaivian Thomas.

“Very scary,” Wilcox said. “He’s at the hospital undergoing tests. He’s alert, interacting with the doctors, he does have movement and feeling, which is certainly good news, but there’s a lot of tests he’ll need to undergo so we’re all praying for him.”

With just three games left, Cal will not face any more ranked opponents. Its remaining schedule features three Pac-12 opponents in Stanford, Washington State, and UCLA.

“Coach Wilcox just mentioned it to us,” Mendoza said. “This loss is tough, and it hurts. However, you can’t control the past, only the future. We’re gonna win the next three games. This team deserves to be bowl-eligible. It has the talent, the heart, and the passion to be. These next three, we’re gonna show up every single day and put on our best show every Saturday.”

This was not a game many people expected the Bears to win. While they had their moments, Oregon has one of the strongest teams in college football, and proved it Saturday against the Bears, and many times throughout the season.

As Mendoza mentioned, Wilcox emphasized that the season is far from over. With an easier stretch coming up, the Bears are still set up for an opportunity to showcase their merit as a team with a chance to finish 6-6 and potential bowl eligibility.

However, the Bears’ margin of error for bowl eligibility is next to zero. A brutal stretch of facing four straight ranked teams — Oregon State, Utah, USC, and Oregon — did not bode well for Cal. However, it is crucial for them to keep their confidence despite this latest loss.

With close losses against USC and Auburn, and great moments against Oregon State, Utah, and Oregon, the Golden Bears are far from pushovers. Losing close games is a long-standing issue for the Bears during the Wilcox era. These final three games will be telling about the direction that the program will go in after the season, and it starts next week in the home finale against Washington State.