Goal one of the Justin Wilcox era is complete.

Cal came down to Santa Clara and played their best offensive game of 2019, Chase Garbers won offensive MVP in producing five touchdowns, and Wilcox's squad won a bowl game for the first time since 2015 with a 35-20 victory over Illinois.

Wilcox set out three goals at the beginning of his tenure, to win a bowl, to win the Pac-12 North, and to win the Pac-12 as a whole. The win over Illinois gives them one, as their eight wins are tied for the most this decade. Garbers starred in the effort, going 22-31 for 272 yards and 4 TDs. This was also the only game of 2019 where the Bears had both a 100 yard rusher and receiver in Chris Brown (120 yards on 20 carries) and Makai Polk (5 receptions for 105 yards

Cal's win came with something Cal hadn't done consistently well with, touchdowns on every possession inside the redzone. Garbers completed passes to nine different receivers, four different targets for touchdowns, with two going to tight ends in Collin Moore and Gavin Reinwald.

Illinois struck first in the contest, with a field goal on their first drive, thanks to a Brandon Peters scramble and a couple broken contain plays, but the Bears answered back with Moore's short touchdown, set up by a 54 yard run by Brown. Illinois answered, thanks to a consistent run game and a play action pass to Daniel Barker from 7 yards out.

That's when the Bears' offense kicked in, as the second quarter started. Garbers hit Polk three times for 63 yards on the drive, including a 38 yarder along the sideline that was initially ruled incomplete. Garbers snuck in from a yard out to give the Bears a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

A trading of punts later, Cal went on their longest drive of the season, marching 97 yards with a couple timely conversions, one to Nikko Remigio on 3rd and 10 for 25. Garbers found Jake Tonges for 18 more, then Makai Polk for 26. Cal eventually made it down to the 3, facing fourth and goal. Polk came in short motion, Brown swung out right, Garbers dumped it, and the Bears had a 21-10 lead.

Illinois tacked on a field goal to end the half, but the Bears got a stop thanks to Zeandae Johnson's massive strip sack to start the 3rd quarter. It gave Cal their best field position of the day, and after a Jake Tonges reception, Garbers found Gavin Reinwald for a 2 yard score. The Bears scored once more in the fourth, thanks to drawing a pass interference penalty, a targeting call on Berkeley native Milo Eifler. It allowed for a Garbers throw to Remigio for the fourth passing TD and their final score.

Illinois scored again thanks to Brandon Peters coming alive for a drive, but the Bears eventually closed things out, with a Jaylinn Hawkins interception, a Cam Goode sack, and the clock winding to zero in Santa Clara.

- Cal went from 31 turnovers a year ago to 13 this year. It was the first game that Illinois did not force a turnover

- Evan Weaver fell short of the all-time tackle record, only recording 9 tackles, but he now holds the Pac-12 record with 182 tackles in a season.