The headline above was almost “Colorado Shocks Cal 34 – 30,” as the Colorado Buffalo’s, under a well-called final drive in regulation, use a combination of reverses, passes, and runs, to almost score a touchdown, but got close enough to set up a field goal to tie. Cal ran out the clock, talking the game into overtime.
That’s when an already interesting game, got more interesting.
Thinking that they could gash Cal’s defense with the run, Colorado called four straight running plays, but while the first two gained 21 yards, the next two gained only three yards total. That set up Colorado’s field goal to put them ahead 33 to 30 – but then it was Cal’s turn.
Cal’s drive to score went from bad to good in a moment. After an Isi Sofele and C.J. Anderson runs gained just a yard, and Cal Quarterback Zack Maynard hit Marvin Jones for 8 yards, Cal went backwards, losing a total of 20 yards on penalties, and pushing them all the way back to the Colorago 35.
But just when Cal looked like it was finished, on the next play, Zack Maynard threw a needle-thread-fine pass to fellow traveler, wide receiver Keenan Allen to the 3 yard line. Then, two plays later, Zack connected with Allen on a beautiful rainbow of a six yard pass to score the touchdown that rendered the Colorado crowd silent, and the visiting Golden Bears fans and alumni totally delirious.
It was one of the greatest wins for Cal in the last five years.
Look, Cal won a game where it was out played by team that rolled up almost 600 total yards against them – 582 to be exact. Colorado had over 9 yards per pass play and threw 50 times. But, arguably, Colorado beat itself as much as the Golden Bears beat them.
What saved Cal during the course of the game was Colorado’s whopping 12 penalties for 98 yards. That and Cal Defensive Back Steve Williams.
Game ball to Mr. Williams, who I will call “Mr. Swat” for the way he bats down passes to wide receivers he’s covering. Williams did that twice when it counted the most: breaking up what would have been a 29 yard touchdown to Paul Richardson in the 4th quarter, and then swatting down another pass for Richardson at 3rd and Goal at the Cal 5.
Game balls to Williams, Allen, and Maynard.
GO BEARS! 2 and 0!
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