The end of the season is finally here, and the Bears are preparing for one last matchup against Texas Tech at the Independence Bowl Saturday. Set to kickoff at 6:15 p.m. PT, the two 6-6 teams will play for a bowl game win, but also for a winning season.
The Bears are in Shreveport, Louisiana, and hoping to make headlines on a national stage as they face off against the Red Raiders. As they prepare to do so, here are the top storylines of Saturday night’s matchup.
Bears retain star of the backfield
Friday morning — the day before the Independence Bowl and right before the two teams’ pre-game press conferences — star running back Jaydn Ott announced that he was staying with the program next year. While that might not seem like huge news, especially since Ott is just a true sophomore and has at least two more years left in his collegiate career, Ott is one of the best rushers in the country and would have certainly spiked interest from top programs nationwide had he entered the transfer portal, so this was a big win for the program.
Keeping Ott for next season is crucial for the Bears; over his true freshman and sophomore seasons, the running back rushed for 2,175 yards and 19 touchdowns, also tallying 486 receiving yards. Ott leads the conference in rushing yards and is seventh in the FBS in yards per game.
“Well, no, I actually entered the transfer portal this morning, then jumped back in. No, I’m playing. I posted that joke this morning,” Ott said in the pre-game press conference. “I posted on Instagram saying I was leaving, scared some people I guess. Then I posted that I was just joking, just joshing.”
Ott even threw off some reporters, who — albeit for a very brief moment — began reporting that the running back was entering the transfer portal.
The video started out in black and white, as a solemn Ott said he was going to enter the transfer portal — until he said he was just joking, and that he was staying with the program. Cal head coach Justin Wilcox joked that that was “the worst joke he’d ever heard.”
Ott has received plenty of accolades this year, including first-team All-Pac-12 honors. Despite all of this, Ott said he does not pay much attention to the recognition.
“I’m not too worried about it honestly, I really don’t think about those things,” Ott said. “Oftentimes people tell me about certain accolades I’ve achieved before I even know it. Like, last year I didn’t even know what All-American was.”
