I was on the email chain and even I forgot to note Cal WSU 2017 which had Twist losing a million dollar bet and we rushed the field even though there were 15000 people in the stands due to the wildfires.
2. 2018 vs USC. Ending that streak was amazing. And watching all those disappointed USC fans on ESPN was a special treat.
3. 2017 vs WSU. Wazzu was #8 in the country and the Bears D COMPLETELY shut them down. For me, that game was the true arrival of Justin Wilcox and a reinvigorated team.
Honorable mentions: 2018, 2019 vs UW, 2016 vs Utah (goal-line stand to seal it) and 2015 vs Texas.
Being a Bears fan is rough, but these games bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye....
Beating UW a second time in a row in Husky Stadium during the lightning game. UW was ranked 14th at the time and they had their 'superstar' QB from Georgia, Jacob Eason. We shut him down. I was there and UW fans were so cocky early on and the Dawgs had a swagger that ended up being a tail between their legs.
I was there with my boys until the lightning break and had to leave for the last ferry back to Bainbridge Island. On the ferry home, I heard the play by play of the victory. How sweet. As a NW based Bear, I love it when we beat the cocky Fuskies. They are a big deal here locally, and are the biggest fish in a small pond. The fact they get much of their top talent from CA only makes it sweeter when we beat them. Extra disrespectful that the local media doesn't even count Cal as a rival or likely loss. They still count games against us as a "W". All we can say is Go Bears!
For pure fun? I'd add Texas 2016 to the list. Multiple late scores, bizarro fumble-not-recovered on the 1 yard line. Running on the field with my kid, not leaving the stadium until well after midnight? And TEXAS. Plus we were with some friends from Poland who'd never seen an American football game in person (if at all) and they got TOTALLY into it.
How about Cal upsetting #9 Washington 12-10. It was a nail-biting affair the entire way through, and the defense probably played its best game of the decade, scoring the lone TD for Cal and frustrating one of the best coaches of the last 20 years into putting in an unproven back-up QB for a spark which Weaver forced to go haywire.
Although we had seen incremental improvement to that point, this game showed this coaching staff could get the team to beat legitimately good teams.
As a single image, seeing Weaver reaching out for the pylon vs Washington is etched into my mind. I was so pumped up for him, the team, the coaches, the fans, and myself as the recipient of a lot of purple-induced pain. Keeping Cal’s streak going against them would go a long way toward making the upcoming season a good one.
Has to be USC 2018. I ended up in a dive bar in Southern California for my wife's cousin's birthday. We got there in time for the 4th quarter. I just remember Garbers running into the endzone, and I knew that was it. Shed a tear in the bar as the clock struck 0:00.
Shoutout to the 60-59 classic in Pullman. I will forever remember the camera cutting to Goff when they realized the WSU kicker missed the chip shot FG.
Regarding 2010: "The Bears would go onto a successful bowl campaign..." No, not that year. That year ended in a failed goal line stand against U-Dub, when Chris Polk scored the game winning TD. It left us at 5-7 for the year and no bowl bid. That loss to Washington was one of the more depressing Cal losses I've ever experienced (although not as bad as the 2020 Big Game tbh...)
I had to run a miserable personal errand to San Diego that day, and then drive back up while listening in the car to the second half of that game all while perseverating on the stuff I had to do in San Diego that day. Suffice to say, the final 5 minutes of that game--especially the total inability of the Bears to move the ball in their final possession, makes that day memorable for all of the wrong reasons.
Best FOUR hours??? I guess the 2019 UW game doesn't qualify then...... : )
Furd, 2019. But I watched it on delay and knew the outcome (for which my cardiologist thanks me). The USC game I watched in a dive bar while playing pool. No one knew why I was so happy.......
Has to be Nov 10, 2018. Cal 15 - USC 14. Biggest win of the new era for Cal football, staking our claim to be a contender in this conference. And no, no game against WSU can qualify - we've always had at least equivalent talent no matter their ranking. A win over them is never a surprise, (but never assured either).
Absolutely. When you watch those highlights you feel the power of it all. Laird, Wharton, Garbers, Weaver, Beck. The whole gang wanted it so bad. And FU$C just killed themselves with the sloppy play of spoiled children. That game meant more to us than any other recently. I watched the 2003 game. I watched the 2018 game. Enough said.
Great game. Had tickets for the game but couldn't go as I was set up in my brother-in-law's backyard in West Hills with the TV blaring, and staring with some firefighters at the wall of flames which stopped about 50 yards away. Those firefighters became Cal fans that night.
Vic basically trash-talked his way into a TD for Cal. Got the guy to commit PI, then had him so heated he blew his assignment and let Vic get behind him.
Let's not forget the relatively commanding lead they had on us through the first half (14–0) until their center snapped the ball over their QB's head into the endzone to give us a safety.
The chop block (outlawed in 1980) won us that game. My enduring memory is of the SC defensive ends hitting the ground play after play. They were huge, but a step slower than our smaller, quicker tackles. The got cut down time after time, giving Roth the time to shine. John McKay lamented after the game something along the lines of "it's tough to rush the passer when you're lying on the ground all game long".
I was on the email chain and even I forgot to note Cal WSU 2017 which had Twist losing a million dollar bet and we rushed the field even though there were 15000 people in the stands due to the wildfires.
My Top 3:
1. 2019 vs Stanfurd. That Big Game was a classic
2. 2018 vs USC. Ending that streak was amazing. And watching all those disappointed USC fans on ESPN was a special treat.
3. 2017 vs WSU. Wazzu was #8 in the country and the Bears D COMPLETELY shut them down. For me, that game was the true arrival of Justin Wilcox and a reinvigorated team.
Honorable mentions: 2018, 2019 vs UW, 2016 vs Utah (goal-line stand to seal it) and 2015 vs Texas.
Being a Bears fan is rough, but these games bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye....
Goal line stand to beat Utah in 2016 was pretty sweet, also the last game I've seen in person.
Beating UW a second time in a row in Husky Stadium during the lightning game. UW was ranked 14th at the time and they had their 'superstar' QB from Georgia, Jacob Eason. We shut him down. I was there and UW fans were so cocky early on and the Dawgs had a swagger that ended up being a tail between their legs.
I was there with my boys until the lightning break and had to leave for the last ferry back to Bainbridge Island. On the ferry home, I heard the play by play of the victory. How sweet. As a NW based Bear, I love it when we beat the cocky Fuskies. They are a big deal here locally, and are the biggest fish in a small pond. The fact they get much of their top talent from CA only makes it sweeter when we beat them. Extra disrespectful that the local media doesn't even count Cal as a rival or likely loss. They still count games against us as a "W". All we can say is Go Bears!
For pure fun? I'd add Texas 2016 to the list. Multiple late scores, bizarro fumble-not-recovered on the 1 yard line. Running on the field with my kid, not leaving the stadium until well after midnight? And TEXAS. Plus we were with some friends from Poland who'd never seen an American football game in person (if at all) and they got TOTALLY into it.
How about Cal upsetting #9 Washington 12-10. It was a nail-biting affair the entire way through, and the defense probably played its best game of the decade, scoring the lone TD for Cal and frustrating one of the best coaches of the last 20 years into putting in an unproven back-up QB for a spark which Weaver forced to go haywire.
Although we had seen incremental improvement to that point, this game showed this coaching staff could get the team to beat legitimately good teams.
As a single image, seeing Weaver reaching out for the pylon vs Washington is etched into my mind. I was so pumped up for him, the team, the coaches, the fans, and myself as the recipient of a lot of purple-induced pain. Keeping Cal’s streak going against them would go a long way toward making the upcoming season a good one.
45-44 victory at Texas in 2015 with a missed PAT.
I'm actually a bit impressed they even knew about the Stanford thing.
Win vs UCLA 2012 in the Memorial Stadium. 43-17 win behind Maynard, Allen, CJ Anderson
Has to be USC 2018. I ended up in a dive bar in Southern California for my wife's cousin's birthday. We got there in time for the 4th quarter. I just remember Garbers running into the endzone, and I knew that was it. Shed a tear in the bar as the clock struck 0:00.
Shoutout to the 60-59 classic in Pullman. I will forever remember the camera cutting to Goff when they realized the WSU kicker missed the chip shot FG.
Goff had a few face moments! He freaked out in the Texas missed xtra point too haha
Week before 60-59 in Pullman, we beat Colorado 59-56 in Berkeley in 2OT, but I can't recall that Colorado game... I do remember 60-59 game very well.
My vote is the win at USC but a close second is Goffs 2015 comeback against ASU in his last game at Memorial.
Is this where I chime in with the Cheez-It Bowl? Most entertaining Cal loss since Cal @ USC 2004.
It was def our most nationally relevant game in recent memory, unfortunate as that is.
Regarding 2010: "The Bears would go onto a successful bowl campaign..." No, not that year. That year ended in a failed goal line stand against U-Dub, when Chris Polk scored the game winning TD. It left us at 5-7 for the year and no bowl bid. That loss to Washington was one of the more depressing Cal losses I've ever experienced (although not as bad as the 2020 Big Game tbh...)
I'll never forget the rain that day at Memorial Stadium, with the bulldozers sitting outside for the renovation that started after the game ended.
I had to run a miserable personal errand to San Diego that day, and then drive back up while listening in the car to the second half of that game all while perseverating on the stuff I had to do in San Diego that day. Suffice to say, the final 5 minutes of that game--especially the total inability of the Bears to move the ball in their final possession, makes that day memorable for all of the wrong reasons.
Best FOUR hours??? I guess the 2019 UW game doesn't qualify then...... : )
Furd, 2019. But I watched it on delay and knew the outcome (for which my cardiologist thanks me). The USC game I watched in a dive bar while playing pool. No one knew why I was so happy.......
“No one knew why I was so happy”
Cal football in a nutshell.
3rd place: Cal victory over Oregon in double OT at Memorial, Jordan Kunashyk gets interception to seal the win
2nd place: Cal victory over Stanford in 2019
1st place: Cal victory over USC in 2018. Patrick Laird seals the win with a 12 yard scamper on 4th-and-1.
No love for that win in Evanston and Jalen Jefferson reaching up for the pick to seal the game?
Has to be Nov 10, 2018. Cal 15 - USC 14. Biggest win of the new era for Cal football, staking our claim to be a contender in this conference. And no, no game against WSU can qualify - we've always had at least equivalent talent no matter their ranking. A win over them is never a surprise, (but never assured either).
Absolutely. When you watch those highlights you feel the power of it all. Laird, Wharton, Garbers, Weaver, Beck. The whole gang wanted it so bad. And FU$C just killed themselves with the sloppy play of spoiled children. That game meant more to us than any other recently. I watched the 2003 game. I watched the 2018 game. Enough said.
Great game. Had tickets for the game but couldn't go as I was set up in my brother-in-law's backyard in West Hills with the TV blaring, and staring with some firefighters at the wall of flames which stopped about 50 yards away. Those firefighters became Cal fans that night.
I loved that win. I went crazy. But I can't remember specifics of that game other than Vic Wharton vs USC DB.
Vic basically trash-talked his way into a TD for Cal. Got the guy to commit PI, then had him so heated he blew his assignment and let Vic get behind him.
Also the SC corner getting flagged for roughness with about 2:30 minutes left, giving us a first down.
How about Garbers breaking an 85 yard rushing TD that got called back by a questionable hold. Garbers outran USC’s DBs!
Let's not forget the relatively commanding lead they had on us through the first half (14–0) until their center snapped the ball over their QB's head into the endzone to give us a safety.
That was impressive. Don't know if he could do that now, though - he's put on about 20 pounds of muscle since then.
I don't remember. lol
The chop block (outlawed in 1980) won us that game. My enduring memory is of the SC defensive ends hitting the ground play after play. They were huge, but a step slower than our smaller, quicker tackles. The got cut down time after time, giving Roth the time to shine. John McKay lamented after the game something along the lines of "it's tough to rush the passer when you're lying on the ground all game long".