Golden Nuggets: Remembering Some Guys and Another #1 Ranking
I wouldn't judge you for just watching Jaron to Mason over and over again.
Hello and welcome to Golden Nuggets, our weekly recap article where we try to highlight all the fun, funny, or interesting things you might have missed roughly over the last week across Bear Territory (the whole damn world of course).
Rest In Peace, George Smoot
We start this week with the sad news that Nobel Laureate George Smoot passed away on September 18th. Smoot was a scientist and researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where in 2006 he received a Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking discovery of cosmic background radiation deep in the universe that helped further our understanding of the big bang theory.
To celebrate the accomplishment, Smoot approached the Cal Band back in November 2006 to help create a video for the Nobel Prize ceremony, using their marching abilities to recreate the Big Bang. After cramming band members in the Cyclotron Smoot recruited the band after practice and helped them chart their course. Read more here, or watch the recreation below.
Rest in peace George.
Remembering the 1975 Football Team
Steve Kroner over at the SF Chronicle caught up with members of the 1975 Cal Football Team this week that will be honored at the homecoming game this coming weekend. I highly recommend reading the whole thing and subsequently starting a campaign to co-award the 1975 Heisman award to Chuck Muncie. Read the article here.
Hot Links
Getting Your Degree While Incarcerated
KQED this week profiled “Javier” a student enrolled at UC Berkeley but taking classes from the Alameda County Juvenile Hall. Read the full article about ‘Incarceration to College’ here.
Another #1 Ranking for the Greatest University on Earth
Surprise surprise. The Wall Street Journal ranked Cal #1. Again. Read about it here.
Happy Birthday Oski!
Yeah I’m gonna repost my own post again. Read our love letter to Oski here for his birthday!
Through the Eye Hole: A Special Golden Nuggets Presentation [Part 1]
![Through the Eye Hole: A Special Golden Nuggets Presentation [Part 1]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SchN!,w_1300,h_650,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fabbee535-7e7c-4a26-bcc2-617560cc2f2b_625x441.png)
Nearly two decades ago, Andy Samberg and Bill Hader approached Lorne Michaels on the set of Saturday Night Live with a bold vision for a new cat focused space western movie, fittingly dubbed “Laser C…
Golden Bear Honors
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele got a lot of love for his TD pass to Mason Mini.
You know, that touchdown is worth watching again.
Jaron also found himself atop the Top Ranked Freshman so far this year
Oh and he got named a standout for 2025
Oh and amongst the 68 Power 4 QBs, he got ranked 49th
Gator Robinson (Softball) was spotlighted for Latina Heritage Month
Nieve Courtney (Water Polo) was named ASC Olympic Scholar-Athlete of the Week
Teagan Wy (Soccer) was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week
Frankie Cruz (Track and Field) was spotlighted for Latino Heritage Month
Jeffrey Johnson was named to the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award watch list
Cal Athletics Recap
Mao Mushika and Berta Passola Folch (Tennis) won their singles draw on Wednesday to advance to the Thursday 2nd Round of the ITA All-Americans, then won in the second round on Thursday before getting knocked out on Friday.
Greta Greco Lucchina, Anya Murthy, and Sophie Hernandez (Tennis) competed at the Cal Fall Invitational (Day 1) (Day 2)
Women’s Golf lost to Stanford
Men’s Golf lost to Stanford
Women’s Soccer beat Syracuse (1-0) and tied with Boston College (0-0)
Rugby Beat San Diego State (29-17) but lost to UCLA (5-38), beat Western Washington (27-0), but lost to the University of San Diego (19-24), and beat Long Beach State (36-10), USC (38-0), and UCLA (37-0)
Football beat Boston College (28-24)
Women’s Golf competed in the Molly Invitational (Day 1, Day 2)
Men’s Water Polo beat Pepperdine (14-12)
Men’s Soccer lost to Syracuse (0-2)
Cal Pros Recap
Football
Craig Woodson was on hand to watch Cal beat Boston College. Marshawn Lynch and Randy Johnson hung out. Aaron Rodgers had fun in Dublin. Cam Jordan got a sack. Jared Goff had a day. Craig Woodson locked down. Jake Tonges got a touchdown. And Cam Goode forced a fumble.
Golf
Collin Morikawa repped Team USA in the Ryder Cup.
Baseball
Nathan Martorella and Josh White won the Triple-A National Championship with the Jacksonville Shrimp.
Basketball
Jaylen Brown gets ready for Year 10.
Olympic Sports
Carl Emil Overbeck (Tennis) won his 3rd Double Title of the year and placed 7th at the ITF M25.
Next Week in Bear Territory
Men’s Tennis wraps up the Tiburon Challenger (10/1-10/5) and the Fairfield Challenger (10/5-10/7)
Men’s Soccer plays at SMU (10/3)
Volleyball takes on #6 Louisville (10/3)
Men’s Water Polo plays UCLA (10/4)
Football takes on the Blue Devils (10/4)
Women’s Soccer plays at SMU (10/5)
Men’s Water Polo takes on USC (10/5)
Volleyball takes on Notre Dame (10/5)
And so we find ourselves again at the end of Golden Nuggets. I appreciate you all reading this, and I have a ton of fun writing it. Last week’s most clicked link was the audio clipped from Ron Rivera’s KNBR Segment. Give it another listen. Hope to see you at Oski’s Village on Saturday. Rumor is there’s going to be some stickers, and maybe a flag or two 👀. Speaking of rumors…
Oh man Rest In Piece George Smoot. After he won the Nobel prize, he came out to the student section for a home game and the entire section loudly started chanting "Nobel Prize Nobel Prize!". I think it was Oregon? I was just a freshman and remembered being in awe, especially when some folks around us said they had him as a professor.
Please note that Cal Rugby's "losses" over the weekend were losses by the Cal #2 team. Cal entered two teams into the tournament and the Cal #1 team went undefeated and took the championship.