Saturday, redshirt freshman quarterback Fernando Mendoza stepped into some big shoes. Not just because of some of the talented quarterbacks that have come and gone in recent years, but some of the bigger, now household names, the likes of Aaron Rogers, Jared Goff and even Davis Webb.

Coming into the season as the third-string QB, Mendoza earned the nod to start in Week 6 against No. 15 Oregon State. At least for now, it seems like the staff isn’t looking back.

Has the 20-year-old’s life changed in the past few days? He says not really.

“The typical answer would be a lot. However, to be honest, it hasn’t changed that much. Throughout the previous games … I had the same process of getting ready,” Mendoza said at Wednesday’s media availability. “When I was named the starter against Oregon State, it got ramped up a little bit. However, at the end of the day, I just aim to be the same guy to my teammates and on the field as I was Week 1.”

First-year offensive coordinator Jake Spavital said at Tuesday’s media availability that Mendoza was “Davis Webb-esque” — one of the highest compliments one could receive from Spavital. The offensive coordinator returned to the job he previously held at Cal in 2015, when he coached Webb, who is now the quarterbacks coach of the Denver Broncos.

Mendoza said he tries to learn a lot when Spavital talks about Webb or Will Grier, the Patriots’ quarterback that Spavital coached during his time at West Virginia.