Mistakes led to Bears’ demise
Cal blows 14-point halftime lead in 2nd agonizing road defeat
Another late night with the Bear Raid produced another high-scoring, backand-forth affair — and another road loss for Cal.
The Bears built a 14point halftime lead over Arizona State, then unraveled in the second half of what became a 51-41 gut punch in Sun Devil Stadium.
As was the case two weeks earlier at San Diego State, the Bears (2-2, 0-1) made too many mistakes on offense and too few plays on defense to close out a road game over an opponent of comparable talent.
“We’ve played in three games that have been right down to the bitter end,’’ coach Sonny Dykes said. “We made plays and didn’t turn the ball over against Texas. And the games we lost, we turned ball over. That’s the bottom line.’’
Davis Webb threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter, including a Pick 6 with three minutes remaining.
The Sun Devils also returned an on-side kick for a touchdown with 48 seconds left to cap a wild second half in which they scored 41 points.
Here are four
Bears wore down: For extended stretches in the first half, Cal’s play at the line of scrimmage met the standard required to win conference games. But the Bears couldn’t maintain that resolve through the second half as ASU dug in.
For whatever reason — perhaps it was fatigue: the victory over Texas took an emotional and physical toll — they wilted.
“I can’t tell you what happened in the second half,’’ safety Luke Rubenzer said. “Didn’t come out ready, I guess.”
Run game a work in progress: The Bears cannot beat decent teams on the road — much less good teams — without an effective running game.
They had one in the first half (134 yards, mostly from Khalfani Muhammad), and the result was a 24-10 lead.
They did not have one in the second half (25 yards), and control shifted to ASU.
“That put undo pressure on (Webb) and forced him to make a bunch of plays,” Dykes said. “He’s takeaways:
NEXT GAME
Saturday: Utah (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) at Cal (2-2, 0-1), 3 p.m. Pac-12 Networks at his best when he’s executing the offense and not forcing things.”
Bears need dependable No. 2 receiver: Chad Hansen was terrific in the first half, with eight catches for 104 yards and a touchdown.
But ASU paid closer attention to him in the second half, limiting Hansen to two receptions and providing a blueprint for future opponents.
Without Hansen involved, Cal’s aerial game lost its rhythm. Patrick Worstell and Demetris Robertson contributed, but not nearly enough, and Melquise Stovall was quiet.
“We have to get the younger guys to make some plays,” Dykes said. “They made some. As they continue to develop, that will help our offense.”
Loss could haunt Cal: The Bears must go 4-4 over the final two months to become bowl eligible. The stretch, which begins Saturday against undefeated Utah, has just one game in which the Bears will be a substantial favorite (Oregon State).
If they finish one victory short of the six necessary for the postseason, it won’t be difficult to identify the moment the bowl math turned against them:
There’s usually a price to pay for letting 14-point halftime leads slip away.