Cal continued its downward spiral, falling, 24-23, to NC State after holding a 13-point lead going into the fourth quarter last weekend. The Bears (3-4 0-4 ACC) looked poised to claim their first ACC victory, but late-game struggles allowed the Wolfpack to rally. Jaivian Thomas had two rushing touchdowns, and freshman kicker Derek Morris contributed three field goals, but missed a critical 28-yard attempt in the final minutes. Cal's defense, which had performed admirably, forced a three-and-out after the miss, giving the Bears one last chance, but they couldn't convert and stalled out at midfield. As Cal searches for answers after its fourth straight close loss, the team’s bowl aspirations are now in jeopardy.
Here are five things we learned in the NC State loss as the Bears now look ahead to Saturday’s matchup with Oregon State.
Cal football and its broken record
As every Cal fan painfully knows, just nine points stand between the Bears’ current 3-4 record and a potential 7-0 season, with a likely top-10 ranking for the first time in over two decades. In more agonizing detail, a few missed kicks and an obvious missed targeting call mark this separation. If one believes in the “football gods,” it seems they’ve been playing with Cal's fate, crafting each loss into an even more gut-wrenching disappointment than the last — a cruel series of inventing new ways to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.
After Cal’s latest heartbreaking loss, head coach Justin Wilcox faced the postgame media with a familiar refrain in what’s beginning to feel like Groundhog Day for the past four games.
