Cal Football: Three Steps Forward, One Step Back

Some thoughts on Cal's home opener

Cal football opened the 2025 season at Memorial Stadium with a 35-3 win over Texas Southern. For those in attendance, the game might have felt closer than the final score suggests, but looking at the numbers post-game paints a more encouraging picture.

The Golden Bears showed defensive resilience and flashes of offensive efficiency, but also suffered from some of the persistent issues that have dogged the program in recent years.

Here are three things to build on and one to fix from Saturday’s home opener.

Build On: Playcalling Adjustments

The first quarter saw a disjointed Cal offense—short gains on second and third down, too many incompletions, and too many possessions ending without points. But the second half was a different story. The tempo improved, play design opened up, and the passing game finally began to stretch the field.

The average yards gained on completions improved dramatically in the second half. And, with more consistent gains from the running game, there was perhaps more willingness to test a mix of more ambitious throws, particularly in the fourth quarter. The result was an offense that looked much more in sync.

Build On: Poise in the Pocket

In his second start as Cal’s quarterback, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele demonstrated discipline by largely resisted the temptation to scramble for yards. He stayed in the pocket, focused on his receivers downfield, and by the second half turned potential scrambles into completions.

By the end of the game, he had completed nearly 70% of his passes. He kept the offense on schedule and improved on second and third down. This is the discipline you want from a young quarterback finding his footing.

Build On: The Defense—and the Stadium—Had the Offense’s Back

The defense more than did its part, holding Texas Southern scoreless in the first half and limiting their success rates to around 35%. That pressure kept the visitors constantly behind schedule which allowed Cal’s offense time to find its rhythm.

The Memorial Stadium crowd also deserves a special mention. The student section was full and energetic. In a game where Cal’s offense needed time to rev up, the atmosphere and support of the home crowd provided a real boost.

Fix: Penalties

One thing that hasn’t changed: penalties. Cal once again piled up penalties that stalled drives and delivered manageable situations to the Texas Southern offense. In total, Cal racked up 81 yards of penalties. Against an opponent like Minnesota, that lack of discipline could prove far more costly.

Looking Ahead

Cal did what it needed to do: win comfortably and maintain defensive pressure to let the offense find its rhythm. The second-half adjustments on offense and Sagapolutele’s poise in the pocket are promising signs. But until the Bears solve their penalty problem, they'll be leaving opportunities (let’s hope not wins) on the field.