BERKELEY — Cal probably didn’t send shivers through the Atlantic Coast Conference after clinging to a one-point halftime lead against FCS-level UC Davis in its season-opening game on Saturday.
But the Golden Bears, embarking on their first season in the ACC, dominated the second half to claim a 31-13 non-conference victory in front of 32,275 fans at sunny Memorial Stadium.
Cal, now 12-0 all-time against the Aggies, led 14-13 at the break before outscoring them 17-0 in the second half.
The Bears coaching staff will have all sorts of Week 1 wrinkles to iron out, but another concern may be the status of star running back Jadyn Ott, who scored two touchdowns but limped off the field under his own power with 3:58 left in the third quarter.
Ott, a preseason All-ACC selection who rushed for 1,315 yards a year ago, did not return. He finished the game with 49 rushing yards on 14 carries and four receptions for 34 yards.
This shouldn’t have been nearly the road test Auburn will provide next week when the Bears venture into SEC country. But they had their hands full with Davis.
Coach Justin Wilcox was coy all week about who would start at quarterback, and redshirt sophomore Fernando Mendoza, who started the final eight games a year ago, got the nod.
He played the first and third quarters and a portion of the fourth, completing 15 of 22 pass attempts for 158 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown to redshirt freshman wide receiver Nyziah Hunter of Salinas, pushing the Bears’ lead to 31-13 just 45 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Chandler Rogers, a transfer from North Texas, played the second quarter and parts of the fourth and got far less accomplished. He was 3 for 6 for 21 yards. The Bears did not score on any of Rogers’ series on the field.
Cal’s defense, which had trouble getting off the field in the first half, was more effective over the final two periods. Linebacker Teddye Buchanan, a transfer from Davis after four seasons with the Aggies, had nine tackles, and sophomore Cade Uluave had eight stops and an interception.
Cornerback Nohl Williams had two pass breakups, a fourth-quarter interception returned a short kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown that gave Cal a 14-13 lead with 4:32 left in the second quarter. Defensive tackle TJ Bollers, a transfer from Wisconsin, batted down two passes.
Cal somehow led at halftime despite the Aggies largely controlling the football.
Each team scored once without its offense, but Davis ran 48 offensive plays to just 21 for the Bears. The yardage (234 to 109) and first-down totals (16 to 4) favored the visitors.
While Ott scored the game’s first touchdown on a 1-run run with 6:23 left in the first quarter, the Aggies largely kept him under wraps. A 1,315-yard rusher last season, Ott managed just 11 yards on six carries.
The Cal offense found no rhythm in the half, regardless of who played quarterback. Mendoza, in his four possessions to open the game, was 7 for 8 for 79 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. The Bears scored once with Mendoza at the helm.
Rogers took over early in the second quarter and was 1 for 3 for zero yards with three rushes, netting 15 yards during his three series.
Davis pulled with 7-6 after Cal reserve running back Kadarius Calloway fumbled on a first-down play from the Bears’ 2-yard line, and linebacker Porter Connors ran it in from the 6 with 16 seconds left in the quarter. Davis missed the PAT.
The Aggies went in front 13-7 on a 1-yard run by Lan Larson, capping a nine-play, 66-yard drive, with 4:42 to play in the second quarter.
Their lead lasted 10 seconds. The Aggies kicked off short to avoid giving Ott a chance to touch the ball, and Williams grabbed it at the 20 before racing down the east sideline for an 80-yard TD return.
The PAT gave Cal a 14-13 lead with 4:32 left in the half.