BERKELEY - A close game at halftime turned in favor of USC thanks to a strong third quarter and the Cal football team got close but couldn't come all the way back as the Bears dropped a 27-21 decision at Kabam Field at Memorial Stadium.
Jared Goff completed 23 of 31 passes for 272 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for Cal (5-3, 2-3 Pac-12).
Daniel Lasco returned to his role as the Bears' primary ball carrier and rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Ronald Jones II led USC offensively with 80 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
After a first half in which neither team found a consistent flow on offense, USC managed to establish some distance on the scoreboard thanks to a strong drive to begin the third quarter and a big play on defense.
The Trojans took the ball to begin the half and moved the ball into the Cal red zone only to see their drive nearly come to an end inside the 5. But, on 4th and goal from the 2, Tre Madden took the handoff and rumbled over left tackle for a touchdown to make the score 17-7 Trojans with just over five minutes elapsed.
It didn't take long for USC to add to that lead. The first play of the ensuing Cal possession brought more points for the Trojans as Adoree' Jackson snatched Goff's pass at the Cal 46 and wove his way all the way to the end zone to make the score 24-7 USC.
Cal wasn't ready to go away just yet, and the Bears' next drive featured the offensive balance that became familiar early in the season. A 10-play, 81-yard drive culminated in a 6-yard touchdown run by Lasco, and after Alex Wood added a 43-yard field goal for USC with 1:42 left in the quarter, Cal trailed 27-14 heading to the fourth.
The score got a little closer with just under four minutes to play. Goff and the Bears engineered a nine-play, 87-yard drive that took just 3:21 off the clock and finished in the end zone when he found
Stephen Anderson with inside position on his defender and the two connected for a 9-yard touchdown pass. The score left Cal within striking distance at 27-21 with 3:52 left.
On USC's next drive, Cal appeared poised to get the ball back after just a few plays but Madden extended the Trojans' series when he bounced off the line on 3rd and 1 and busted loose outside for a 14-yard gain and a first down. That forced the Bears to use the remainder of their timeouts and one more first down closed out the game for the Trojans.
"I thought overall our defensive performance was very good. We had him hemmed in on that 3rd and 1 at the end of the game and I would've liked to have seen what happened if we were able to get him on the ground and tackle him." Cal head coach
Sonny Dykes said. "We had great penetration, stuffed the line of scrimmage and he just bounced out and made a critical first down and ran the clock out. Certainly, I thought we played well enough to win on defense though, without a doubt."
USC carried a 10-7 lead into halftime despite a half where both offenses looked more the methodical sort than a big-play, quick-strike attack. A 22-yard field goal by Wood with 11 seconds left gave the Trojans the lead but certainly nothing had been decided through the first 30 minutes.
Cal found paydirt first Saturday, turning a 4th and 1 play into the first points of the game. After a lengthy drive nearly stalled inside USC's 10, Cal came out of a time out and had the perfect play designed as Goff rolled right,
Bryce Treggs released into open space and the two connected for a 6-yard touchdown with 6:59 left in the first quarter. The score capped a 13-play, 87-yard drive that took over five minutes off the clock.
That's where the score stayed through one quarter but USC didn't take long in the second when it came to tying the score. The Trojans hit the scoreboard courtesy of a 13-yard touchdown bolt straight up the middle by Jones, tying the game at 7 with 13:27 left in the half. From there, the defenses took over until USC forged ahead with the late field goal to lead at intermission.
"I think every time we lose, that's an opportunity that slips away and I think that's kind of the same for every team. You want to go out there and win and today was a great chance to win," Goff said. "Defense played pretty well, special teams played pretty well but unfortunately we couldn't score more points than them. Had we got the ball back there late, we might have had a chance but USC played well and deserved to win the game."
Cal hits the road next week to take on Oregon in a game that will kick off Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Eugene. The game will be televised live by either ESPN or ESPN2. The Bears return to Kabam Field at Memorial Stadium on Nov. 14 when Oregon State visits for the first of two remaining home games this season. Kickoff for that game has not been announced.
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