I know that Cal fandom always has to follow anything good with "pump the brakes". But it's pretty clear this kid is something different. Fans should enjoy this for now while it lasts, and if we foolishly adored Mendoza and Ott as cult heroes, then JKS love should rightfully reach full on mania.
However, Rivera's got work to do and his primary job now is to keep this kid in Berkeley and ensure he becomes not only a top NFL pick, but a successful NFL star. That's not gonna be easy, but at least it is clear. If he can do that Cal can build something now. Others will be coming to lure him away, and objectively it's going to be hard to stop them. But you have to start building a strong case for staying.
The fact that JKS chose the Bears originally hopefully means the school did connect with him. And being on the west coast makes a lot of sense for his family in Hawaii. You have to open up the checkbook of course, but you have a player in the building that is worth it. He seems like a good kid from a good family, and whatever the circumstances that led to all this, he is HERE. Of course pay him, and pay some supporting players to put around him, but also elevate him. Thereby elevate the program back to national relevance. Make the memorial stadium debt be worth it. This is a dream project for the new GM. He needs to ensure JKS comes to be as synonymous with Cal football glory and NFL stardom as Rodgers, Goff and Marshawn.
I would call you a liar if you told me this was a freshman's first start. JKS looked remarkably polished. Credit to the OL for letting him show what he can do.
Brilliant...true confession, over the last few years I had stopped participating in the live game chat here on WFC. Due to the play on the field, it was soul destroying for my sunshine pumping self, and certainly not the fault of the WFC faithful. But not last night! A great evening spent with my fellow fanatics watching the new Golden Bears. Thanks team!
On worrying about JKS leaving: convert your nervous energy into giving! Whatever amount you think watching JKS gave you joy, consider giving that amount to caliber fund. Doesn’t have to be much. That way, you’ll be really and directly helping to keeping him and helping.
Obviously if he wants to leave he will leave. Keep up this level of play and he’ll have no shortage of suitors I’m sure.
But he did decide to come back to Cal after getting a taste of Oregon, and the thing the national media doesn’t seem to get is that Cal actually has plenty of NIL money. Mendoza and Ott didn’t leave because Cal couldn’t match the money. I’m betting the donors would pony up if it came to that. I would not treat this as a foregone conclusion.
Yup, and JKS can leave if he has a spectacular season, mediocre season, or poor season. There's no sense worrying about it now. If he continues to play like this and gets national attention, that would be great for us.
As a Portland resident I was at the game and THRILLED to watch this coming out party! But had to remember this is Oregon States defense, not VTech, FSU or Clemson. But a great team for a first start to show off his CLEAR talents. Give him time (thank you OL!) and he’ll win us games. Kudos to De Jesus, too!
I am excite!
PS - had at least three drunk guys come up and tell me they HATE Cal fans…. I countered with “I’m here to root FOR my team, not against yours….and don’t you REALLY hate USC fans???” In the end we hugged it out and I got a Thanksgiving dinner invite, so it all worked out…..
The good news: we have a stud at QB. The bad news: If JKS continues to play like this and we win 8+ games he may end up being one of the most coveted and expensive players in college football and it will cost a lot to keep him. The other good news: if we pay him enough to keep him then we will have no problem signing some top receiver talent out of the Portal. Every receiver wants a QB like JKS who can drop dimes on them.
Yep, he's the real deal. The key to the season will be the offensive line. They were very good last night. If they can get better week by week, it could be a very interesting season.
A truly cathartic experience. With nearly unprecedented anticipation and doom fearing the team went and executed a great game plan and soundly beat a hungry Beaver team that is hard to beat at home. In addition to all the love for JKS and Uluave, I have to highlight Masses as a player I’d never heard of who is clearly a baller. I’m going to enjoy this season so very much if we keep playing like this. Aside from wins and losses, not beating ourselves on ST and being bold and smart with our offensive play calling and quarterback play and an offensive line that isn’t offensive to watch. I’ll take all that to add to our always stout defense. Go Bears!
What a game! JKS is amazing. He knows when to release the ball, and it is so accurate. Good decision making too. Our WRs could have made a couple more catches. The kicking game didn't kill us. We improved our return game with DeJesus. Our run game can improve, but we now seem to be able to gain at least 1-2 yards when needed. Defense looked fine. It would have been nice to get some more sacks. And we didn't make it close at the end. Great to close it out. I am a morning person, and I live in Texas; it is tough to stay up late, but I am glad I did. Roll on, you BEARS!
This just in from The Athletic's top 20 takeaways from the first week..we made #16! Let's build on this attention!
16. On the first day of 2025, Oregon early enrollee Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele donned a Ducks uniform for the first time as a spectator at the Rose Bowl. Two days later he entered the portal. On Saturday, he returned to the state of Oregon, this time as Cal’s starting quarterback, and led his team to a 34-15 win at Oregon State.Justin Wilcox’s program needed a spark after its roster got picked over, losing star quarterback Fernando Mendoza to Indiana and beloved running back Jaydn Ott to Oklahoma. Sagapolutele, Cal’s first true freshman starter since Jared Goff, gives Bears fans hope. The only caveat: Oregon State is not good. The Beavers went 5-7 in their first season post-Pac-12 breakup and do not appear to be trending upward.
You can tell this person didn't watch the game. Every single JKS throw was NFL-caliber. Doesn't matter how good or bad the opponent is when every single throw fits in an NFL window. His stats would be worse against a better opponent, sure, but if that game was any indication it'd be due to the receiving end of that equation.
This clip from ESPN Week 1 College Football Takeaways:
"When Fernando Mendoza left Cal for Indiana, it was viewed as a blow for a Cal team that struggled with inconsistency this past season. But in watching the Golden Bears' opener against Oregon State on Saturday, it didn't take long to conclude the Bears have upgraded with true freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele -- and maybe by a significant margin. The highly touted prospect from Hawai'i didn't finish with an incredible stat line -- 20 of 30, 234 yards, 3 touchdowns -- but there was something so effortless about his play that made it clear right away he is the real deal."
Mendoza leaving had a dramatic effect on Cal football that led to much despair for Cal fans like me.
When I first saw JKS at the Elite 11 in June, 2024 amongst all the other top-ranked HS QBs there committed to major D-1 POWER football programs, I was excited to see that he was uncommitted. I imagined, what if he came to Cal? However, I did not approach him and talk to him and eventually ask "What about Cal?" I couldn't do that and possibly upset my son, who was running the camp (I could hear him saying "What are you thinking Old Man?").
After the camp, in which he did very well, I then tracked his eventual commitment to Cal and got really excited, only to subsequently feel the despair we all did when he flipped to Oregon. My excitement was rekindled when he entered the portal. Would he return to Cal? He did! I decided to follow him on Instagram!
I then started to hope he could beat out OSU transfer Devin Brown (nothing against Devin except I was already familiar with and excited for JKS). Recently, my excitement grew as he was named the starting QB. I so wanted him to do well, just like I have always wanted our players to do well, win or lose.
All of the sudden I realized I had done what I had said to myself I would not do anymore after the mass exodus since Mendoza left - get emotionally invested in our players.
I approached the OSU game with a lot of apprehension about whether all of my new found excitement would come crashing down to the recent reality of Cal football. The start could not have been more amazing as OSU, not Cal, made the critical mistake on the first drive and JKS connected on his first TD pass and then his second.
Having personally experienced the horror of a 10-9 loss at OSU in 1976, when we were ranked and a 27-point favorite, as well as never being able to forget the 1988 Extra Minute loss and the 2007 loss in Berkeley that prevented us from going into the #1 slot in the polls
(full disclosure - I was in attendance at the 1982 Big Game and witnessed The Play ... as well as the Hunt - Bradley 46-yard Hail Mary TD catch that beat Penn State in 1965, as well as other memorable Cal wins and losses at the gun) I am often anxious until the end and don't celebrate until the game is over. But I have to admit, I am now so excited for this team, JKS, Trond, and all the other players, new and returning, who decided to come and play at a Cal, a place and a university that my life has been so intertwined with since I can remember when at the age of 5 I could hear cheering from stadium on Saturday afternoons where I first lived in Berkeley 5 blocks from the stadium.
Thanks for the hard work by the players and staff. Now let's continue working hard, gather momentum, and keep the Bears Rolling On.
No, on playing for Cal, and no on Rugbear. Up until 2001 I had probably only missed a handful of home games since the late 50's ( I was at the Big Game in 58 that sent us to the Rose Bowl!) Most games I missed were in 1969 when I went to UC Riverside and as a freshmen played on the JV squad (freshmen could not play varsity at that time). I then transferred spring of 70 to Cal and got my BS in 1973 and MF in 1975 before heading north to Arcata where we lived since leaving Berkeley. I've been to games as far away as Morgantown, WV, Citrus Bowl in Orlando, and visited many Pac-12 venues during the time my son was on the team 95-99 and on subsequent recruiting trips with my youngest son. I've had a lot of out of town adventures following Cal, like in 1997 driving into Pullman before the game I turned right onto the main drag heading toward the campus and found myself in my Cal attire smack dab in the middle of their Homecoming Parade! I learned a lot when I got to know many of the players my son played with and it greatly helped temper my feelings when things didn't work out.
Sometime I'll have to write about my experiences at the Fall Camp in Turlock when my son was trying to play again after a serious hip injury, as well as the whole process involved in how he ended up at Cal instead or Oregon, Washington, or Stanford. It was all pretty unbelievable and unreal for a Cal fan to finally have their kid offered a scholarship at Cal.
Since 2001 I sometimes get back to Berkeley, but I had a lot of issues that caused me to stay away, until my son got me going again in the later Goff years. Now we try to always go to the Big Game (either venue) and at least one other home game.
I know my blood is red, but I truly bleed Blue and Gold. We show up at Sproul Plaza now with kids and grandchildren (all Cal fans) to hear the band and then follow them up to the stadium. I've experienced being in the North Tunnel when the band comes out on the field! I have so many tremendous experiences being a Cal fan (My first two dates with my wife were to Cal shutouts over Colorado and San Jose State in 1968). I know I'm 74 but with Cal Football I still feel like I'm 12 years old and going to watch the Spring Game in 1963 with Craig Morton at QB!
I'd love to know if fans here who read Write For California ever tailgate before games. I think it would be a great experience to rub elbows at tailgates with fellow Bear Backers. Let me know when and where!
Beating Oregon State in Corvallis has always been tough. Their stadium with the crowd so close and loud has always seemed to intimidate Cal players. Last night it didn't. The Bears played great considering it was the season opener and most of the players were new Bears and have had little time to "jell" as a team. Can't wait til next Saturday at 3:30 PM Go BEARS!
Jks was very good. The thing that impressed me the most was the OL and DL (particularly against the run) and the offensive formations and play calling from Harsin. After so many years of subpar O-line play and offensive planning and execution that was awesome to see!
JKS operating like a 3-year CFB starter. So impressive! Masses also going to have an impact. Two near pick sixes no accident, he will make opposing QBs pay for poorly thrown or mistimed balls. Uluave doing what we thought he would. Then the Oline holding it down! Go Bears!!!
I know that Cal fandom always has to follow anything good with "pump the brakes". But it's pretty clear this kid is something different. Fans should enjoy this for now while it lasts, and if we foolishly adored Mendoza and Ott as cult heroes, then JKS love should rightfully reach full on mania.
However, Rivera's got work to do and his primary job now is to keep this kid in Berkeley and ensure he becomes not only a top NFL pick, but a successful NFL star. That's not gonna be easy, but at least it is clear. If he can do that Cal can build something now. Others will be coming to lure him away, and objectively it's going to be hard to stop them. But you have to start building a strong case for staying.
The fact that JKS chose the Bears originally hopefully means the school did connect with him. And being on the west coast makes a lot of sense for his family in Hawaii. You have to open up the checkbook of course, but you have a player in the building that is worth it. He seems like a good kid from a good family, and whatever the circumstances that led to all this, he is HERE. Of course pay him, and pay some supporting players to put around him, but also elevate him. Thereby elevate the program back to national relevance. Make the memorial stadium debt be worth it. This is a dream project for the new GM. He needs to ensure JKS comes to be as synonymous with Cal football glory and NFL stardom as Rodgers, Goff and Marshawn.
I would call you a liar if you told me this was a freshman's first start. JKS looked remarkably polished. Credit to the OL for letting him show what he can do.
Brilliant...true confession, over the last few years I had stopped participating in the live game chat here on WFC. Due to the play on the field, it was soul destroying for my sunshine pumping self, and certainly not the fault of the WFC faithful. But not last night! A great evening spent with my fellow fanatics watching the new Golden Bears. Thanks team!
On worrying about JKS leaving: convert your nervous energy into giving! Whatever amount you think watching JKS gave you joy, consider giving that amount to caliber fund. Doesn’t have to be much. That way, you’ll be really and directly helping to keeping him and helping.
On keeping JKS:
Obviously if he wants to leave he will leave. Keep up this level of play and he’ll have no shortage of suitors I’m sure.
But he did decide to come back to Cal after getting a taste of Oregon, and the thing the national media doesn’t seem to get is that Cal actually has plenty of NIL money. Mendoza and Ott didn’t leave because Cal couldn’t match the money. I’m betting the donors would pony up if it came to that. I would not treat this as a foregone conclusion.
Yup, and JKS can leave if he has a spectacular season, mediocre season, or poor season. There's no sense worrying about it now. If he continues to play like this and gets national attention, that would be great for us.
As a Portland resident I was at the game and THRILLED to watch this coming out party! But had to remember this is Oregon States defense, not VTech, FSU or Clemson. But a great team for a first start to show off his CLEAR talents. Give him time (thank you OL!) and he’ll win us games. Kudos to De Jesus, too!
I am excite!
PS - had at least three drunk guys come up and tell me they HATE Cal fans…. I countered with “I’m here to root FOR my team, not against yours….and don’t you REALLY hate USC fans???” In the end we hugged it out and I got a Thanksgiving dinner invite, so it all worked out…..
The good news: we have a stud at QB. The bad news: If JKS continues to play like this and we win 8+ games he may end up being one of the most coveted and expensive players in college football and it will cost a lot to keep him. The other good news: if we pay him enough to keep him then we will have no problem signing some top receiver talent out of the Portal. Every receiver wants a QB like JKS who can drop dimes on them.
I agree with JKS we can attract more talent. Dishing out the dimes!!!!
I’ll make him chocolate chip cookies every week in addition to my NIL contributions, if that’ll help….
Fernando who?
Inidana beat ODU by 13 points. Whoopee fucking doo! I like Nando, but now I know why he left.
If he continues like this, JKS will surpass Nando.
Fernandwho
Yep, he's the real deal. The key to the season will be the offensive line. They were very good last night. If they can get better week by week, it could be a very interesting season.
Get better *and stay healthy
A truly cathartic experience. With nearly unprecedented anticipation and doom fearing the team went and executed a great game plan and soundly beat a hungry Beaver team that is hard to beat at home. In addition to all the love for JKS and Uluave, I have to highlight Masses as a player I’d never heard of who is clearly a baller. I’m going to enjoy this season so very much if we keep playing like this. Aside from wins and losses, not beating ourselves on ST and being bold and smart with our offensive play calling and quarterback play and an offensive line that isn’t offensive to watch. I’ll take all that to add to our always stout defense. Go Bears!
What a game! JKS is amazing. He knows when to release the ball, and it is so accurate. Good decision making too. Our WRs could have made a couple more catches. The kicking game didn't kill us. We improved our return game with DeJesus. Our run game can improve, but we now seem to be able to gain at least 1-2 yards when needed. Defense looked fine. It would have been nice to get some more sacks. And we didn't make it close at the end. Great to close it out. I am a morning person, and I live in Texas; it is tough to stay up late, but I am glad I did. Roll on, you BEARS!
Minnesota game will be telling...
The real test of the out of conference games. They are solid and can usually run.
Good point, glad we have them at home!
This just in from The Athletic's top 20 takeaways from the first week..we made #16! Let's build on this attention!
16. On the first day of 2025, Oregon early enrollee Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele donned a Ducks uniform for the first time as a spectator at the Rose Bowl. Two days later he entered the portal. On Saturday, he returned to the state of Oregon, this time as Cal’s starting quarterback, and led his team to a 34-15 win at Oregon State.Justin Wilcox’s program needed a spark after its roster got picked over, losing star quarterback Fernando Mendoza to Indiana and beloved running back Jaydn Ott to Oklahoma. Sagapolutele, Cal’s first true freshman starter since Jared Goff, gives Bears fans hope. The only caveat: Oregon State is not good. The Beavers went 5-7 in their first season post-Pac-12 breakup and do not appear to be trending upward.
"only caveat: Oregon State is not good"
You can tell this person didn't watch the game. Every single JKS throw was NFL-caliber. Doesn't matter how good or bad the opponent is when every single throw fits in an NFL window. His stats would be worse against a better opponent, sure, but if that game was any indication it'd be due to the receiving end of that equation.
Just in from PFF. No1 rated so far this week (with a lot of P4 playing FCS or lower G5s) @ 95.5 grade
QB Position Upgraded at Cal!!
This clip from ESPN Week 1 College Football Takeaways:
"When Fernando Mendoza left Cal for Indiana, it was viewed as a blow for a Cal team that struggled with inconsistency this past season. But in watching the Golden Bears' opener against Oregon State on Saturday, it didn't take long to conclude the Bears have upgraded with true freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele -- and maybe by a significant margin. The highly touted prospect from Hawai'i didn't finish with an incredible stat line -- 20 of 30, 234 yards, 3 touchdowns -- but there was something so effortless about his play that made it clear right away he is the real deal."
Mendoza leaving had a dramatic effect on Cal football that led to much despair for Cal fans like me.
When I first saw JKS at the Elite 11 in June, 2024 amongst all the other top-ranked HS QBs there committed to major D-1 POWER football programs, I was excited to see that he was uncommitted. I imagined, what if he came to Cal? However, I did not approach him and talk to him and eventually ask "What about Cal?" I couldn't do that and possibly upset my son, who was running the camp (I could hear him saying "What are you thinking Old Man?").
After the camp, in which he did very well, I then tracked his eventual commitment to Cal and got really excited, only to subsequently feel the despair we all did when he flipped to Oregon. My excitement was rekindled when he entered the portal. Would he return to Cal? He did! I decided to follow him on Instagram!
I then started to hope he could beat out OSU transfer Devin Brown (nothing against Devin except I was already familiar with and excited for JKS). Recently, my excitement grew as he was named the starting QB. I so wanted him to do well, just like I have always wanted our players to do well, win or lose.
All of the sudden I realized I had done what I had said to myself I would not do anymore after the mass exodus since Mendoza left - get emotionally invested in our players.
I approached the OSU game with a lot of apprehension about whether all of my new found excitement would come crashing down to the recent reality of Cal football. The start could not have been more amazing as OSU, not Cal, made the critical mistake on the first drive and JKS connected on his first TD pass and then his second.
Having personally experienced the horror of a 10-9 loss at OSU in 1976, when we were ranked and a 27-point favorite, as well as never being able to forget the 1988 Extra Minute loss and the 2007 loss in Berkeley that prevented us from going into the #1 slot in the polls
(full disclosure - I was in attendance at the 1982 Big Game and witnessed The Play ... as well as the Hunt - Bradley 46-yard Hail Mary TD catch that beat Penn State in 1965, as well as other memorable Cal wins and losses at the gun) I am often anxious until the end and don't celebrate until the game is over. But I have to admit, I am now so excited for this team, JKS, Trond, and all the other players, new and returning, who decided to come and play at a Cal, a place and a university that my life has been so intertwined with since I can remember when at the age of 5 I could hear cheering from stadium on Saturday afternoons where I first lived in Berkeley 5 blocks from the stadium.
Thanks for the hard work by the players and staff. Now let's continue working hard, gather momentum, and keep the Bears Rolling On.
One thing I can thank Fernando for -
I will always "Go Bears Forever"
Thanks Ken...and I thought I bled Blue and Gold! Wow! Did you play on the late 70"s teams? Do you know Rugbear?
No, on playing for Cal, and no on Rugbear. Up until 2001 I had probably only missed a handful of home games since the late 50's ( I was at the Big Game in 58 that sent us to the Rose Bowl!) Most games I missed were in 1969 when I went to UC Riverside and as a freshmen played on the JV squad (freshmen could not play varsity at that time). I then transferred spring of 70 to Cal and got my BS in 1973 and MF in 1975 before heading north to Arcata where we lived since leaving Berkeley. I've been to games as far away as Morgantown, WV, Citrus Bowl in Orlando, and visited many Pac-12 venues during the time my son was on the team 95-99 and on subsequent recruiting trips with my youngest son. I've had a lot of out of town adventures following Cal, like in 1997 driving into Pullman before the game I turned right onto the main drag heading toward the campus and found myself in my Cal attire smack dab in the middle of their Homecoming Parade! I learned a lot when I got to know many of the players my son played with and it greatly helped temper my feelings when things didn't work out.
Sometime I'll have to write about my experiences at the Fall Camp in Turlock when my son was trying to play again after a serious hip injury, as well as the whole process involved in how he ended up at Cal instead or Oregon, Washington, or Stanford. It was all pretty unbelievable and unreal for a Cal fan to finally have their kid offered a scholarship at Cal.
Since 2001 I sometimes get back to Berkeley, but I had a lot of issues that caused me to stay away, until my son got me going again in the later Goff years. Now we try to always go to the Big Game (either venue) and at least one other home game.
I know my blood is red, but I truly bleed Blue and Gold. We show up at Sproul Plaza now with kids and grandchildren (all Cal fans) to hear the band and then follow them up to the stadium. I've experienced being in the North Tunnel when the band comes out on the field! I have so many tremendous experiences being a Cal fan (My first two dates with my wife were to Cal shutouts over Colorado and San Jose State in 1968). I know I'm 74 but with Cal Football I still feel like I'm 12 years old and going to watch the Spring Game in 1963 with Craig Morton at QB!
I'd love to know if fans here who read Write For California ever tailgate before games. I think it would be a great experience to rub elbows at tailgates with fellow Bear Backers. Let me know when and where!
Beating Oregon State in Corvallis has always been tough. Their stadium with the crowd so close and loud has always seemed to intimidate Cal players. Last night it didn't. The Bears played great considering it was the season opener and most of the players were new Bears and have had little time to "jell" as a team. Can't wait til next Saturday at 3:30 PM Go BEARS!
I was so happy that we got them before October when weather becomes the twelfth man on the field for Oregon teams
Oregon State had only lost five games at home in the past four years. It’s tough to win there, even in years when they don’t have the strongest teams
3 PM Kickoff. Don't be late. lol. Go Bears!!!
If Wilcox and Harsin can recreate the peak Boise State era at Cal, then I'm here for it.
Jks was very good. The thing that impressed me the most was the OL and DL (particularly against the run) and the offensive formations and play calling from Harsin. After so many years of subpar O-line play and offensive planning and execution that was awesome to see!
Yep, the play calling and execution were terrific, excellent point. What a good change.
JKS operating like a 3-year CFB starter. So impressive! Masses also going to have an impact. Two near pick sixes no accident, he will make opposing QBs pay for poorly thrown or mistimed balls. Uluave doing what we thought he would. Then the Oline holding it down! Go Bears!!!