Las Vegas Bowl
VS 
Game Notes
--- Here we were, the conclusion of Ramius’ fourth season at Utah State. Another outstanding campaign would see the team and Ramius finally reach the Promised Land, finish 7-1 in conference, winning the Mountain Division and getting a chance to play for Mountain West title. Unfortunately a conference title would still elude the Aggies as they ran into the buzz saw that was #3 Fresno State, and despite having a lead for most of the game, was unable to finish the job as the power and skill of the Bulldogs proved to be too much. With those results, that would leave Utah State to end up back in the Las Vegas Bowl for the second year in a row, and while playing another Pac-12 team, this time it would be a new opponent, as Ramius would face the California Golden Bears for the first time in his career.
It’d be a test for our defense as California came into the game with the #15 overall offense and the #3 passing offense in the nation. It appeared the Bears were a pretty much one trick pony on offense however as they ranked a pitiful #117 nationally in rushing, so as long as we could slow down or stop their passing attack, we would be right there with them from start to end. Luckily for our offense, California also had a terrible defense, ranking #124 nationally in overall defense and passing defense, while coming in at #101 in the nation in rushing defense, signaling the possibility of an easy day moving the ball as long as our offense fired on all cylinders.
Glancing at California’s schedule to judge their level of play this year, the Golden Bears opened up their season with a 23-20 win against Nevada, followed by a 56-37 loss at #15 Texas. They pick up a damn good looking 55-45 win over #8 Arizona, but would then go on a bit of a rough stretch, dropping three straight games with a 52-24 loss to Utah, a 42-30 loss at #25 USC and a 31-21 loss at #6 UCLA. They would get it turned around with a four game winning streak that would see them become bowl eligible, picking up a 41-34 win at Washington State, a 45-42 victory against Washington, a 45-38 win over Oregon State and a 48-31 win at Oregon. Despite sitting at 6-4, California would stumble to the finish line in the final weeks with a 35-28 loss at #24 Stanford and a 37-34 defeat to Iowa to wrap up their regular season with .500 record.
To be fair to California, they actually play some good games this year. While they had some close wins (Nevada and Washington) and a close loss (Iowa), they also pulled off some surprising upsets, handing #8 Arizona one of their only two losses all season, they handled a traditionally strong Oregon team, and they lost by only a touchdown against #24 Stanford. On the flipside however, they also had some rough losses, primarily against ranked teams, losing by 19 points to #15 Texas, losing by 12 points to #25 USC and losing by 10 points to #6 UCLA. In all, California struggled to a 1-4 record against ranked teams this season. Going up against teams with 7 wins or more, the Golden Bears were 2-5, while going 4-5 against teams that made it to .500 and made a bowl game. So while California had the talent to play with and surprise top ranked teams, they often underperformed as they limped to a 6-6 record. Whether that trend would continue against a 9 win Utah State squad remained to be seen. California won the coin toss and elected to kick.
The Utah State sideline and fans couldn’t have possibly asked for any better of a start to this ball game, then the one they got on the opening kickoff. Catching the ball four yards into the end zone, David Douglas would bring the ball out, pick up a wall of blockers out to the 25 yard line, bounced outside near the sideline, juked inside to avoid one last man, and with the kicker thrown off balance by a block further up the field, Douglas was off to the races untouched for a 104 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, thrusting us out to an instant 7-0 lead in only 11 seconds of action, 9:49 still remaining on the game clock.
California wouldn’t get a chance to replicate that success as the following kickoff would sail far enough into the end zone for the Golden Bears to take the touchback, starting their drive, technically the first drive of the game, at their own 25 yard line. The Golden Bears would waste no time going into the air as they came out in five wide on first down, Chris Jackson dropping back and firing a pass to Tony Gray for a quick 13 yard gain and a first down. Going no huddle on first, Jackson would attempt to go right back to Gray, but a well timed hit by our cornerback would jar the ball loose and incomplete to bring up second down. We would catch a break on second down as Jackson tossed up a pass to Donny Sherman who was open in between two different defenders for what would have been at least a first down, but he would end up dropping the ball as he attempted to catch it, forcing third and long. Jackson would make a huge mistake on third down, as a blitz by our defense left him under instant pressure. Rolling out to his right to avoid the collapsing pocket, he would try and throw across his body to a receiver back toward the left hash mark, only to have the seriously underthrown and off target pass easily intercepted by safety Kyle Mitchell, who would return the ball 15 yards before being tripped up at the California 38 yard line.
Taking over possession inside Golden Bears territory following the pick, we would show California what a running game can do for you, as Brian Paris would get the ball on first down, fighting his way through a pile of bodies for a gain of 7 yards, followed by a two yard gain that would leave us with third and one. Paris would get the job done on third down as he got the ball and plowed straight ahead for a gain of four yards and a first down at the Cal 25 yard line. Changing things up on first down, we would come out in the shotgun, as Jason Barnes took a quick drop back and fired a pass over the middle to Adam Washington, good for a gain of 10 yards and a new set of downs at the 14. Staying in the shotgun on first down, Barnes would try and air mail a pass to Jon Morris in the front right corner of the end zone, only to have cornerback Jeremy Beard leap up and snatch the ball out of midair for an interception, returning it 24 yards out to the 28 yard line to give the ball right back to California with the turnovers essentially cancelling each other out.
Lining up at their 28 yard line following their own interception, California came out on first down lining up in the shotgun. Jackson dropped back to pass but was having trouble finding an open receiver against our tough man defense. That would prove to be fatal as Jackson proceeded to dance around in the collapsing pocket, only to end up sacked for a loss of 5 yards on the play, leaving second and 15. Incredibly terrible tackling would see a screen pass to Arthur Jones that should have resulted in no gain, instead go for a massive 71 yard dagger to our heart, a last second desperation dive at the ankles saving a guaranteed touchdown and instead leaving California with first and goal at our 6 yard line. Going straight to the no huddle, the Golden Bears would try and run the ball on first down, as Jones would make his first carry of the day for a four yard gain. Staying in the no huddle on second and goal at the two yard line, the Golden Bears would get lined up, but with apparently play calling trouble, they would never get the snap off before the play clock expired, ending up pushed back to the 7 yard line thanks to the delay of game penalty. Michael Green would get the call on the ground on second down, but he would be instantly swallowed up in the backfield for a three yard loss, bringing up third and goal from the 10 yard line. Dropping back to pass on third down, Jackson would be forced to scramble from our four man pass rush and would again attempt a throw back across his body, only to watch the ball this time sail harmlessly into the grass well in front of his intended target. Left with fourth and goal after the incompletion, California would be forced to settle for a 27 yard field goal to cut our lead to 7-3 with 5:52 left in the first quarter.
Despite a kickoff all the way to the back of the end zone, Douglas would try to find greased lightning for the second straight kickoff. He would nearly be successful as another wall of blockers left him with a gaping hole towards the left sideline, but a diving ankle tackle by the last guy to the outside of Douglas would trip him up and limit his return to just 37 yards, leaving us starting our drive from our 28 yard line. Again starting our drive on the ground, Paris would get the call on first down, taking the handoff from Barnes and upon finding the entire middle of the field clogged with bodies, would start sprinting toward the far sideline and up the field, high stepping his way out of an attempted ankle tackle while turning the corner. Paris had a chance to possible take it all the way, but probably the fastest player on the entire California defense would manage to close in on him with a perfect angle pursuit, forcing him out of bound after a 47 yard rush, giving us a first down at the Golden Bears 26 yard line. Remaining with our ground game, Paris would keep plugging along on first down with a 7 yard carry, followed by a 5 yard rush to move the chains to the 14 yard line. Taking a chance with a play action pass on first down, the California defense wouldn’t completely bite on the fake, but their pass coverage was loose enough that Barnes was able to thread a pass to tight end Gerald Woods near the pylon in the front left corner of the end zone, good for a 14 yard touchdown pass to give us a 14-3 lead with 4:39 left in the first quarter.
Another kickoff would result in another touchback, California lining up from their 25 yard line. Coming out passing on first down, Jackson was able to complete a short pass to Ron Nash for a gain of 5 yards, before throwing a perfect spiral at the left sideline to Travis Sanders, who would catch the ball while falling out of bounds for a 21 yard completion and a first down at our 49 yard line. The Golden Bears would end up going backwards on first down as our left defensive end, All-American Steve Jones would basically straight bull rush Cal’s right tackle right off the line and straight back into Jackson, resulting in a sack for a loss of four yards, leaving second and 14. Calling a surprise run on second down, it would pay off as more piss poor tackling by our defense would see Jones break his way through six different defenders on his way to a 22 yard rush and a first down at our 32 yard line. Going no huddle on the ground, the Golden Bears would keep plugging away as Jones rushed for another 5 yards on first down, followed by a four yard gain to leave third and one. Anticipating another rush on third down, our defense would call for an all out blitz, which would pay dividends as Jones took the handoff from Jackson, only to be trapped in the backfield for a one yard loss on the play, leaving fourth and two and again forcing California to settle for three points, the 41 yard field goal splitting the uprights to cut our lead to 14-6 with 2:29 left in the first quarter.
Despite California’s kicker learning his lesson and kicking away from Douglas this time, our return team would still drive the Golden Bears sideline bonkers as Leonard Hart received the kickoff in the end zone, bringing it out behind another solid wall of blockers and racing up the field for a 39 yard return, giving us the ball at our 35 yard line. Lining up under center on first down, we would change it up on first down as Barnes dropped back to pass, hurling a quick pass over the middle to tight end Sam Livingston, good for a quick strike gain of 22 yards and a fast first down at the Cal 43 yard line. Staying in the air on first down, we would come out in the shotgun this time, but the pass intended for Washington was broken up by the middle linebacker, bringing up second down. Another pass out of the shotgun would see Tristan Muhammad pull in a pass from Barnes for a gain of 6 yards to leave third and four, before a pass to Aaron Allen would pick up 16 yards and give us a new first down at the 22 yard line. Switching it up again and returning to the ground game, Paris would take the ball on first down and fight forward for a gain of 5 yards, followed by a big 11 yard rush that would set up first and goal at the 6 yard line. Paris would only be able to pick up two yards on the first down play, before receiving the ball on second down, bouncing outside and racing for the far corner over the end zone for a four yard touchdown with no time remaining on the clock, increasing our lead to 21-6 as the first quarter came to an end.
Opening up the second quarter, another touchback on the kickoff would see California line up from their 25 yard line for their next drive. The drive would get off to a poor start as the Golden Bears offensive line continued to be overpowered, resulting in another sack, this time for a loss of 5 yard to immediately leaving Cal facing second and 15. That wouldn’t faze the Bears at all, as Jackson would drop back to pass on second down, finding the pocket collapsing, take off scrambling, and after breaking through three tackles, he would break free into open space and was off to the races untouched for an 80 yard touchdown rush/scramble, instantly cutting our lead to 21-13 with 9:22 left in the second quarter.
The California kicker would screw up and kickoff at Douglas on the ensuing kickoff, and boy would Douglas make him regret that, as a perfectly blocked wall would take out any defenders in front of Douglas, allowing him to break open along the left sideline and out sprint three different Golden Bears players on his way to his second special teams touchdown of the game, this time a 106 yard kickoff return for a touchdown to instantly increase our lead to 28-13 with 9:11 left in the second quarter.
Another touchback on the kickoff would see California starting from their 25 yard line. Coming out in the shotgun on first down, Jackson would fire a quick dump pass to Jones, good for a gain of 15 yards and a quick first down at the 40 yard line. On the next play, we would catch a massive break as Jackson heaved a pass toward the left sideline and streaking Sanders, who had gotten behind our coverage and would have had either a 30+ yard reception or a touchdown. Instead, Sanders would end up bobbling and dropping the pass as he tried to catch it in the middle of a full sprint, saving us on the that play and leaving second and 10. Shockingly running an option play on first down, a late pitch from Jackson to Jones would pick up two yards on the play, before returning to the air and again continuing to torch our defense, as a pass from Jackson connected with Brent Moore over the middle, going for a gain of 45 yard before he could finally be chased down from behind, giving California first and 10 at our 13 yard line. Aiming for the end zone on first down, Jackson tried to thread a pass over the middle to Sanders, but it would be broken up to force second down. Another pass into the end zone, this time intended for Dan Sims in the far corner would just barely be swatted away at the last second, forcing the Golden Bears into third and 10. Jackson would finally be able to complete a pass on third down, but the completion to William Vaughn would only gain a single yard, leaving fourth and 9 and again forcing the Golden Bears to settle for only three points on the drive, the 29 yard field goal sailing through the uprights to cut our lead to 28-16 with 7:59 left in the second quarter.
Kicking off to Hart this time, he would still make the Golden Bears kickoff unit pay, as he would return the kickoff from the back of the end zone and out 41 yards to our own 35 yard line. Unfortunately for California, a flag would be thrown during the tackle, as Sims would be hammered with a 15 yard facemask penalty during the play, instead giving us a first down right at the 50 yard line. Starting things off on the ground, Paris would try to run outside after finding a no openings inside, but he would end up quickly tackled by an alert defender for no gain on the play. Coming out on second down and 10, Paris would again take the handoff, this time finding an opening for a gain of 7 yards, followed by a very close four yard rush that would be just enough to get the first down. Another four yard carry on first down would be followed with a two yard gain, leaving us facing third and four. Paris would fight and drive toward the first down marker, but he would come up just short as he would be tackled for gain of just three yards, leaving us sitting with fourth and one from the 31 yard line. Settling for three points of our own, the 48 yard field goal by Doug Marcus would easily clear the goal posts, increasing our lead to 31-16 with 4:56 left in the second quarter.
Another touchback would again see California start from their 25 yard line. The Golden Bears would come out running to start the drive, but Jones would only be able to pick up a single yard on the play. Going into the air on second and 9, Jackson would throw up a very poor pass into the left flats, only to have the pass very nearly intercepted by cornerback Jesse Breedlove, leaving third and long for Cal. The Golden Bears would run a third down screen pass to perfection, as Jackson would hit Green for a 10 yard completion, all the while our defense completely biting on the screen, to give the Golden Bears a first down at the 36 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, our defense would be left in shambles as Green would then run for a 15 yard gain straight up the middle through the heart of our defense. But we would put a momentary damper in his stats on first down as a blitz would leave Green stuck in the backfield and tackled for a two yard loss to leave second and 12. Jackson would come out in the shotgun on third down, but he ultimately was forced to throw the pass away when no receivers could get open to bring up third and long. Jackson would launch up a pass intended for Sherman toward the far left sideline, but this time, Breedlove would make sure he held onto the ball, intercepting the pass to give us possession at our 35 yard line.
Lining up under center, following the interception, we decided to come out passing this time around, as Barnes dropped back in the pocket and hurled a quick pass to tight end Jack Long, goo for a gain of 10 yards and a quick first down. Coming out in the shotgun on the next play, a pass to Douglas on a comeback route would be perfectly timed to see the cornerback fail to react, allowing Douglas to pull in the pass for a 21 yard completion and a new set of downs at the California 33 yard line. Continuing to push it through the air, Morris would keep us moving with a 10 yard reception of his own to pick up another first down at the 23. A mistake by the cornerback on first down would allow Douglas to slip past his defender and into open space completely uncovered, where Barnes would launch a perfect pass at the front corner of the end zone, completed to Douglas for a 23 yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 38-16 with 2:35 left until halftime.
Another kickoff would see another touchback and the Golden Bears starting at their 25 yard line. Running the ball on first down, Jones would take the handoff for a gain of a 15 yards and a quick first down at the 40 yard line. Dropping back to pass on the next play, Jackson tried to connect with Sanders over the middle, only to have the pass batted away and incomplete to bring up second down. Getting the ball on second down, followed by a 19 yard completion from Jackson to Gray, good for a new set of downs at our 35 yard line. After being forced to throw the ball away on first down, Jackson would try to connect with Jones along the near sideline, only to overthrow the ball out of bounds to bring up third and 10. Another screen pass to Green would again save a California drive, this time picking up 11 yards on the play to move the chains to the 24 yard line. After a first down pass to Sherman picked up 9 yards, Jackson would hurl a fast throw to Vaughn at the line of scrimmage, good for a gain of two yards and a first down at the 13 yard line. Jones would get the call on first down, rushing for one yard on the play, before being lit up on second down for a loss of two yards, leaving Cal facing third and 11. Once again, a great drive that saw plenty of advances and ball movement would come crashing to a halt for the Golden Bears, as Jackson’s third down pass intended for Moore was underthrown and would sail into the turf in the end zone, forcing California to settle for another three points. The Golden Bears would watch yet another drive end with a kick, as the 31 yard field goal sailed through the uprights to cut our lead to 38-19 with exactly 1:00 left in the second quarter.
The Golden Bears would finally start to find some success on kickoffs, as Hart would be limited to a pedestrian 22 yard return, leaving us starting from our 17 yard line. With only 58 seconds on the clock, we would come out passing right away on first down. Lining up in the shotgun, Barnes dropped back and found a wide open Douglas over the middle for a gain of 18 yards and a first down at the 36 yard line. Another pass would find Allen for a 9 yard pickup, forcing us to use our first timeout to stop the ticking clock with 36 seconds remaining. Staying in the shotgun, Barnes would connect with Allen this time around as a pass over the middle was completed for a 12 yard gain and a new set of downs at the Cal 43 yard line. Barnes would attempt a risky first down pass intended for Morris, but the ball would be broken up, very nearly intercepted, to leave us with second and 10. With the pocket collapsing on second down, Barnes would be forced to try and throw on the run, resulting in a poor pass that instead of finding the target of a streaking Morris would had gotten past his coverage, it would instead be nearly throw right into the hands of the very coverage that was left trailing Morris, the incompletion resulting in third and long. Going back to Allen on third down, the pass would pay off as he was able to pull in the throw from Barnes for completion of 21 yards and a first down at the 22 yard line. Going no huddle on first down, with just 17 seconds remaining, Barnes would try to go right back to Allen, and the pass was initially completed, only to see Allen fumble the ball while being tackled, the fumble immediately picked up by cornerback Victor Kearney to give Cal the ball at their 6 yard line with 10 seconds left until halftime. It was a no brainer to instantly throw the red flag on the field and challenge the fumble. After viewing the replays, it was determined that Allen actually had been down at the time of the fumble, and that the fumble was caused by the ground, causing the play to be reversed and credited to Allen with a 13 yard gain, giving us first and goal from the 9 yard line, our second timeout forced to be called to stop the now ticking clock at 9 seconds remaining. Barnes would try to hook up with fullback Raymond Watson on first down, only to have the low pass deflected by the ass of one of our offensive lineman, leaving second and goal and just 5 seconds remaining. With time for one very, very fast heave into the end zone, we came out lining up under center on second down, Barnes taking a quick three step drop back and rifling a pass over the middle to tight end Long in the end zone, good for a 9 yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 45-19 with three seconds left until halftime.
A 13 yard kickoff return by Gray on the squibbed kickoff would kill the final seconds on the clock, sending us into halftime with a 45-19 lead.
Opening up the second half, a touchback on the kickoff would give California the ball at their 25 yard line to start the third quarter. As if anything could possibly go any worse for the Golden Bears, that question would be answered on first down as Jackson lined up in the shotgun with three receivers out wide. Jackson dropped back to pass and threw a quick toss over the middle to Jones, who had come out of the backfield after a few seconds delay. Jones would fail to catch the ball, instead bobbling it for a moment, only to see the falling ball snatched up just inches off the ground by outside linebacker Derrick Perez to intercept the dropped pass, immediately giving us possession at the California 23 yard line, this blowout now in danger of turning into a rout.
Lining up well in California territory after the interception, we turned to our run game on this drive as Paris took the handoff from Barnes and plowed his way forward around the right tackle, picking up 8 yards on the carry. Paris would then follow that up with a four yard carry, moving the chains to the Cal 11 yard line. Keeping at it with the ground game, a first down carry by Paris would end up going for no gain on the play, followed by a tough grinding 6 yard rush that would leave us facing third and four. Staying on the ground on third down, Paris would bounce outside on the play and just get across the first down marker for a four yard gain, giving us first and goal from the California one yard line. Paris would end the drive on the very next play as he drove into the end zone for a one yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 52-19 with 7:03 left in the third quarter.
California would take over at their 25 yard line for their next drive following a touchback on the kickoff. Jackson would come out in the shotgun on first down and was able to toss a quick pass to Brown for a short four yard completion. You had to admire California’s refusal to give up, even in the face of a 33 point deficit, as they went right back to the no huddle, where Jackson would throw probably his most perfect pass of the game, down the left sideline, over the shoulder and right into the hands of a streaking Moore, good for a gain of 67 yards, a desperation ankle tackle the only thing saving a touchdown and leaving the Golden Bears with first and goal from our four yard line. Turning to the ground game, Jones would get the ball on first down, nearly getting into the end zone as he fought up the middle for a three yard gain. Lining up on second down from the one yard line, our defense would prevail this time as Jones was trapped and tackled in the backfield for a loss of two yards, leaving California facing third and goal at the three yard line. Despite showing pass, the Golden Bears would stick to their guns with their run game, as Green received the handoff from Jackson and punched it into the end zone for a three yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 52-26 with 5:52 left in the third quarter.
A deep, booming kickoff would be fielded by Douglas in the back of the end zone. While he would return the kickoff 38 yards, this time the kickoff team would keep him contained inside and eventually tackle him, leaving us starting our next drive at our 29 yard line. We would go right back to our running game on first down, as Paris took the ball for a gain of 7 yards on the play, followed by a second 7 yard rush to give us a first down at the 43 yard line. Paris would keep plugging along on first down as he fought his way for a gain of three yards, followed by a 6 yard dash that would leave us facing third and one. Remaining on the ground on third down, Paris would fight his way across the first down marker and then some as a four yard carry would keep our drive moving with a new set of downs at the California 44 yard line. A 5 yard first down rush by Paris would come before three yard carry, setting up third and two. Another third down carry by Paris would keep the drive going as he fought his way to a four yard gain, moving the chains to the 31 yard line. Continuing to keep the clock running with our ground game, after all, we’re not animals, we’re civil and can keep from intentionally running up the score, Paris would get the ball on first down for a gain of 5 yards, with some dirty laundry thrown after the play. Cal safety Brian Rust would get flagged for a facemask penalty during the tackle, moving us 13 yards half the distance to the goal to give us a first down at the 13 yard line. Paris would keep moving right along on first down with a four yard gain that he would get almost exclusively while driving backwards after getting turned around during the play. The second down play would see Paris plow straight up the middle for gain of 7 yards, giving us first and goal from the two yard line. Paris would finish off the drive on the very next play as he took the handoff and drove straight into the end zone for a two yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 59-26 with 55 seconds left in the third quarter.
Another kickoff would result in another touchback, California lining up from their 25 yard line. Coming out in the shotgun from the start, Jackson hurled a pass toward the sideline to Eddie Brown for a quick completion of 17 yards and a first down at the 42 yard line. Running a screen pass on first down, Jones would manage to gain 6 yards on the reception, followed by a quick pass to Brown right at the first down marker for a 5 yard gain and a first down at our 48 yard line. Another well executed screen pass would see Jones gain 6 more yards through the air. Snapping the ball as time expired, Jackson would be forced to throw the ball away as no receivers could get open, taking us into the end of the third quarter holding a 59-26 lead.
Opening up the fourth quarter, California got lined up on third and four from our 43 yard line, Jackson would hit Vaughn in the hands with a pass at the first down line, but a well timed hit by our secondary would knock the ball loose and incomplete, forcing the Golden Bears to go for it on fourth down. California would attempt a screen pass on fourth down, but with our zone coverage sitting right in the middle of the screen, Jackson attempted to take off running to avoid our quickly approaching defensive line, only to end up running right into the path of our defensive tackle, ending up sacked for a 6 yard loss and turning the ball over on downs at our 49 yard line.
Taking over after the turnover on downs, we would again come out running the ball as we took over with 9:53 left on the clock to chew. Paris would get us started on first down with a 6 yard carry up the middle, followed by a big 11 yard carry around the right side to move the chains to the Cal 34 yard line. Paris would end up on his back on first down, as the senior outside linebacker blitzed into the backfield completely untouched and leveled Paris for no gain on the play. Paris would make up for the lack of yards with his second down carry, finding a hole up the middle and racing for a pickup of 8 yards on the play, followed by a 5 yard rush on third and two to pick up a new first down at the 21 yard line. Paris would continue to pound the rock on first down, fighting his way up the middle for a 6 yard gain, followed by a 7 yard rush that would set us up with first and goal from the 8 yard line. Benjamin Silva would make an appearance in the backfield on first down, rushing forward for a 5 yard carry. Paris would return to the field on second and goal, and would make sure to finish the job then and there, powering his way into the end zone for a 3 yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 66-26 with 6:05 left in the game.
It would take until almost the end of the game, but the Golden Bears would finally find an answer for our special teams success earlier in the game, as Moore received the short kickoff at the 10 yard line, would find a hole in our kickoff coverage and proceeded to race 90 yards untouched for a kickoff return for a touchdown, instantly cutting our lead to 66-33 with 5:53 left in the game.
California would attempt an onside kick, despite the 33 point deficit, but it would be unsuccessful as Woods was able to quickly jump on the football, recovering the onside kick and giving us the ball at the Cal 45 yard line. Coming out running the ball on first down, Paris would pick right up where he left off with a 7 yard carry, followed by a two yard rush that would leave third and one. Paris would get the ball on third down, fighting his way through a pair of defensive bodies for a two yard gain and a new set of downs at the 34 yard line. Paris would keep rolling on first down with a 5 yard gain on the play, before a 5 yard rush would leave us just shy of the first down marker, left facing third and inches. Paris would again extend our drive on third down with a three yard carry to move the chains at the 21 yard line. A 5 yard first down carry by Paris would be followed by a 6 yard dash on second down, giving us first and goal from the 10 yard line. Paris would get the ball on first down, finding a hole of the middle and plunging through it for a gain of 7 yards, leaving second and goal from the three yard line. Unfortunately, despite our attempt to run out the remainder of the clock, we would end up running out of field first, as Paris would end up driving into the end zone on second down for a three yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 73-33 with 1:12 left in the game.
Despite fielding the kickoff just a yard or two inside the end zone, the Golden Bears would instead drop to a knee and take the touchback, lining up from their 25 yard line for their final drive of the game. California, god bless them, still refused to go down without a fight, coming out in the shotgun on first and passing just as hard as ever, as Jackson tried to muscle a pass along the right sideline into the hands of Sherman, only to have it nearly intercepted by our cornerback. A second down screen pass to Jones would end up blown up by our defense as Jones caught the pass right in front of a linebacker, only to be instantly tackled for a loss of 5 yards to leave third and 15. It wouldn’t get any better on third down as Jones would try to run the ball, ending up tackled in the backfield for a two yard loss, leaving California punting the ball on fourth and 17. An 8 yard return by Breedlove on the 34 yard punt would give us the ball at the California 44 yard line with 32 seconds left.
Calling the favorite play of every offense in the nation, we came out in the victory formation on first down, as Barnes would take a single drop to a knee to kill the final 32 seconds off the clock and wrap up one of the most impressive offensive and special teams performances in Utah State football history with a 73-33 victory over the California Golden Bears, as well as bringing home the Las Vegas Bowl trophy for the second straight year.
With the dominating win, we end our 2023 season at 10-4, 7-2 in Mountain West action. With the loss, California’s year comes to a close at 6-7, 5-4 in Pac-12 play.
Final Score
73,
33
Stat(s) of the Game:
Utah State Offense – A near career best day as Barnes ends his career, going 15-20 for 213 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Rushing, a career day for Paris as he too closes his career, rushing for 286 yards and 5 touchdowns on 52 carries. Silva would only see the field once, gaining 5 yards on a single carry. Receiving, Allen led the way with 70 yards on five catches. Douglas, Long and Woods all finished with one touchdown catch. In all, eight receivers caught at least one pass today, seven of them ended with double digit yards.
Utah State Defense/Special Teams – A good day in terms of three interceptions. A terrible day in terms of giving up 452 yard of offense.
Special teams had a historical day, as Douglas returned two kickoffs 104 and 106 yards for touchdowns, as well as picking up another 178 yards on kickoff returns the rest of the game.
Utah State Kicking – It was a perfect day for Marcus, who proceeded to go 1 for 1 in field goals, making a 48 yard shot. He would also end 10 for 10 on PATs.
Scoring Summary
| Team |
1st Quarter |
2nd Quarter |
3rd Quarter |
4th Quarter |
Final Score |
|
6 |
13 |
7 |
7 |
33 |
|
21 |
24 |
14 |
14 |
73 |
| Time |
Team |
Result |
Play |
Score |
| First Quarter |
| 9:49 |
|
Touchdown |
D. Douglas, returned kickoff 104 yards (D. Marcus kick) |
7-0 |
| 5:52 |
|
Field Goal |
J. Grigsby, 27 yard field goal |
7-3 |
| 4:39 |
|
Touchdown |
G. Woods, 14 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick) |
14-3 |
| 2:29 |
|
Field Goal |
J. Grigsby, 41 yard field goal |
14-6 |
| 0:00 |
|
Touchdown |
B. Paris, 5 yard run (D. Marcus kick) |
21-6 |
|
| Second Quarter |
| 9:22 |
|
Touchdown |
C. Jackson, 80 yard run (J. Grigsby kick) |
21-13 |
| 9:11 |
|
Touchdown |
D. Douglas, returned kickoff 106 yards (D. Marcus kick) |
28-13 |
| 7:59 |
|
Field Goal |
J. Grigsby, 29 yard field goal |
28-16 |
| 4:56 |
|
Field Goal |
D. Marcus, 48 yard field goal |
31-16 |
| 2:35 |
|
Touchdown |
D. Douglas, 23 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick) |
38-16 |
| 1:00 |
|
Field Goal |
J. Grigsby, 31 yard field goal |
38-19 |
| 0:03 |
|
Touchdown |
J. Long, 9 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick) |
45-19 |
|
| Third Quarter |
| 7:03 |
|
Touchdown |
B. Paris, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick) |
52-19 |
| 5:52 |
|
Touchdown |
M. Green, 3 yard run (J. Grigsby kick) |
52-26 |
| 0:55 |
|
Touchdown |
B. Paris, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick) |
59-26 |
|
| Fourth Quarter |
| 6:05 |
|
Touchdown |
B. Paris, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick) |
66-26 |
| 5:53 |
|
Touchdown |
B. Moore, returned kickoff 90 yards (J. Grigsby kick) |
66-33 |
| 1:12 |
|
Touchdown |
B. Paris, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick) |
73-33 |
| California |
Stat |
Utah State |
| 33 |
Score |
73 |
| 15 |
First Downs |
28 |
| 452 |
Total Offense |
502 |
| 23 - 130 - 2 |
Rushes - Yards - TD |
54 - 289 - 5 |
| 19 - 37 - 0 |
Comp - Att - TD |
15 - 20 - 3 |
| 322 |
Passing Yards |
213 |
| 4 |
Times Sacked |
0 |
| 5 - 13 (38%) |
3rd Down Conversion |
11 - 12 (91%) |
| 0 - 1 (0%) |
4th Down Conversion |
0 - 0 (0%) |
| 0 - 0 (0%) |
2-Point Conv |
0 - 0 (0%) |
| 5 - 1 - 3 (80%) |
Red Zone - TD - FG |
8 - 7 - 0 (87%) |
| 3 |
Turnovers |
1 |
| 0 |
Fumbles Lost |
0 |
| 3 |
Intercepted |
1 |
| 0 |
Punt Return Yards |
8 |
| 102 |
Kick Return Yards |
388 |
| 554 |
Total Yards |
898 |
| 1 – 34.0 |
Punts - Average |
0 – 0.0 |
| 3 - 33 |
Penalties |
0 - 0 |
| 12:18 |
Time of Possession |
27:42 |
| Goal |
XP Reward |
Completed |
| Win a Game |
100 |
x1 |
| Score a Touchdown |
25 |
x10 |
| Kick/Punt Return Touchdown |
50 |
x2 |
| Force a Turnover |
25 |
x3 |
| 45+ Yard Field Goal |
10 |
x1 |
| Rush for 100 Yards |
25 |
x1 |
| NCAA Record: Longest Kick Return (106 Yards) |
300 |
x1 |
| Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead |
10 |
x1 |
| 3+ Sacks |
50 |
x1 |
| Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards |
50 |
x1 |
| Pass Completion Over 50% |
30 |
x1 |
| 350+ Offensive Yards |
50 |
x1 |
| 10+ First Downs |
50 |
x1 |
| 4+ 3rd Down Conversions |
25 |
x1 |
| School Record: Rush TD/Game (5) |
200 |
x1 |
| School Record: Rush TD/Season (23) |
300 |
x1 |
| Goal |
Expectations |
Progress |
| Target Wins Per Season |
8 |
10 |
100%
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Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes
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