Cal Escape Texas With A Win - And A Valuable Learning Experience
After a couple of strong home games to start the year from Cal, with the offense having its way and the defense showing some good signs of progress, it was time to take the show on the road and see what happened in a different environment. Cal went to Texas as a road favorite in Austin, with the Longhorns scuffling early on and already mixing up coaching responsibilities. Cal would be put to the test by a desperate Texas team looking to avoid losing its second game of September, but the Bears found a way to escape with a nice win, 45-44.
This matchup was a good test of Cal's character. The offense continued to play well, with quarterback Jared Goff throwing three touchdowns to add to his season total and running back Khalfani Muhammad going off for 164 rushing yards and a touchdown. Cal's offense was expected to put points on the board though, with Texas really struggling defensively this season. They did, but it was up to Cal's defense to keep Texas down.
The Longhorns pulled out all the stops with their rejuvenated offense showing signs of life not seen in a while around Austin. Cal's defense has played well leading up to the game, but showed holes against the Longhorns. Texas racked up 650 yards of offense, with 364 through the air and 286 on the ground. Sometimes a game turns into an offensive showcase for both teams, but head coach Sonny Dykes will have plenty of film to show the defense this week as the Bears prepare to enter Pac-12 play.
Every team needs a bit of a reality check at one point or another. Maybe this was a good experience for these Bears.
Player of the Game: Khalfani Muhammad, RB
We could probably name Goff the player of the game every week this season, but this time was as good as any to recognize the particularly strong performance from running back Khalfani Muhammad. Muhammad rushed for a game-high 164 yards and a touchdown, providing quite the complimentary performance to Cal's passing game.
Around the Pac-12 North
It was a solid weekend around the Pac-12 North in Week 3. Washington, Washington State, and Oregon State all won their matchups against Mountain West Conference competition. Oregon had no problem with visiting Georgia State, which was no surprise. Stanford scored the big win of the weekend by taking down USC in a key Pac-12 battle down in Los Angeles. The Trojans were a preseason favorite by many to win the Pac-12, but Stanford's offense came alive and gave the Cardinals the edge.
What's Next?
Cal now jumps into Pac-12 play with two straight games against the Pac-12 North. It begins next weekend with a road game at Washington. The bears have not defeated the Huskies since 2008. If Cal can manage to snap that losing streak, it will move Cal to a record of 4-0, inching the Bears one huge step closer to bowl eligibility. After that the Bears have Washington State coming to town in the first weekend of October.
Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sports writer covering the Philadelphia Eagles and college football. McGuire is a member of the FWAA and National Football Foundation. Follow McGuire on Twitter @KevinOnCFB. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
