Cal Loses its Fourth-Straight Game, Drops 23-24 Decision to the NC State Wolfpack
The Golden Bears blew another double-digit lead in the second half of the game
The California Golden Bears (3-4, 0-4 ACC) lost its fourth-straight game Saturday, giving up a double-digit lead in the second half to the North Carolina State Wolfpack (4-4, 1-3 ACC). The Wolfpack leave Berkeley, Calif., with their first ACC league victory after besting the Golden Bears 24-23.
California is now only one of two teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference without an in-conference win. The North Carolina Tar Heels, which had a bye this week, lost 34-41 to Georgia Tech last week and is also on the bottom of the conference table.
The Golden Bears' four losses this season have all been one-score decisions. California has lost its games by a combined nine points this season.
"We had a lot of missed opportunities," California head coach Justin Wilcox told reporters in the post-game press conference. "You got to score touchdowns."
Sophomore Jaivian Thomas scored two rushing touchdowns for the Golden Bears. The running back racked up 78 yards on the ground, including a 49-yard run in the first quarter to open up the game's scoring on California's first drive. California's star running back Jaydn Ott did not play against North Carolina State because of an injury.
Thomas' second touchdown extended California's lead to 23-10 with a seven-yard rush with 0:34 remaining in the third quarter.
But the visiting Wolfpack fought back, shutting out the Golden Bears and scoring 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win the game.
North Carolina State first-year quarterback CJ Bailey completed 25 of 36 passes attempted for 306 yards and two touchdowns thrown. The Wolfpack added another 28 passing yards from inside wide receiver KC Concepcion on a trick play at the start of the fourth quarter.
California, which has struggled with its kicking game this season, started first-year Derek Morris against North Carolina State. Morris had four field goal tries, successfully converting three from 41 yards, 26 yards and 24 yards out. The kicker's fourth field goal attempt, a 28-yard try, came with 1:37 remaining in the game and would have given California the lead, as the Golden Bears trailed 23-24. But Morris missed, and North Carolina State held out to close out the contest.
It’s just not even fun to watch. It’s Sonny Dykes results without the offense sugar rush.
Wilcox is such a bad coach. So he decides to go for 2 last week on our first TD, with us in the lead and proceeds to chase points the rest of the game when he doesn’t convert and lost 17-15.
Up 16-10 and scoring a TD, to make it 22-10, he decides to play it safe and kick the PAT, despite going for 2 at that moment makes the most strategic sense. If we convert, the best NC State can do is tie the game, if we don’t, we still need a FG to win.
MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!! Wilcox continues to learn all the wrong lessons. If he were a student at Cal, and his winning percentage was his GPA he would have failed out of Cal 2 years ago.