3 INTs and 2 Ott TDs Lead Bears to 31-13 Win over UC Davis in Season Opener

BERKELEY - The Bears’ inaugural season in the ACC got off to a less than auspicious start with a lackluster first half against a game UC Davis squad at Memorial Stadium Saturday. In the end, the Bears pulled out a 31-13 victory but it wasn’t always pretty.

Running back Jaydn Ott had a pair of TDs but was held to just 49 yards on 14 carries behind a patchwork line missing starting RG Sioape Vatikani and center Will McDonald‍ with both out with injuries. They didn’t fare much better at QB with starter Fernando Mendoza going a pedestrian 15-for-22 for 158 yards and 1 TD and backup Chandler Rogers‍ going 3-for-6 for 21 yards in the win. Overall, the Bears put up just 281 yards of offense in the win, with the defense generating 3 interceptions to give the Bears several short fields to work with.

"In the first half, we had good effort but our execution was lacking," Wilcox said after the game. "We weren't in any type of rhythm as a team. I'm really proud of the way the guys persevered through that. Once you get out there and you trust your training. … all of the sudden things start going your way. It was really a tale of two halves."

The Bears came into the game with the intention of being aggressive right out the gate and opted to receive the kickoff after winning the pregame coin flip. They promptly went nowhere, managing only a 5-yard Ott gain along with a Fernando Mendoza incompletion and 1-yard pass to Ott on a 3-and-out possession.

The Aggies started strong with QB Miles Hastings hitting WR Chaz Davis for a 15-yard gain on their first play from scrimmage. A 12-yard run by All-Conference RB Lan Larrison and a 17-yard completion to WR CJ Hutton helped put the Aggies in field goal range but UCD kicker Hunter Ridley missed wide right from 46.

The Bears got on the scoreboard first, with a 19-yard Mendoza to WR Mavin Anderson reception on the first play of the drive pushing the Bears to their 48 to get the drive rolling. Two plays later, the Bears came back with three consecutive first downs on Mendoza completions to Anderson for 15, TE Corey Dyches‍ for 17 and Ott for 23 that got the ball down to the Aggies’ 22. 

Two plays later, WR Jonathan Brady‍ almost had his first TD as a Bear, hauling in a Mendoza pass for 16 yards and bulling his way into the end zone but was ruled down on review. Two plays later, Ott picked up his first TD of his hopeful Heisman campaign to put the Bear up 7-0 after the Ryan Coe‍ extra point with 6:23 left in the quarter on an 8-play, 71-yard drive.Ott took possession of ninth place on the Cal all-time rushing TD list with 21 on the carry.

The Aggies came back on the next possession, driving inside the 10 but after they had 1st-and-goal at the 4, UCD could only manage two more yards, turning the ball over on downs.

The Bears’ impressive goal line stop was all for naught however as RB Kadarius Calloway‍ coughed up the ball on his first carry as a Bear with LB Porter Connors picking up the scoop and score for an easy Aggie TD. A missed extra point by Ridley kept the Bears in front 7-6 heading into the second quarter.

A short 3-and-out possession and a quick Aggie series gave the ball back to the Bears at their 26 with QB Chandler Rogers‍ coming on for his first drive as a Bear but the senior was unable to pick up a first down and get the offense going.

Taking over at their 34 after a 42-yard Lachlan Wilson punt and an 11-yard Matteo Perez return, UCD put together an impressive 9-play, 66-yard scoring drive, with Larison punching the ball in from 1 to give the Aggies a 13-7 lead with 4:31 left in the clock in the half.

With their offense going nowhere, CB Nohl Williams fielded the short kickoff at the 20 and raced down the sideline for an impressive 80-yard touchdown return to give the Bears the jolt of energy they needed as they went up 14-13. They had to hold off a late-half Aggie charge as UCD drove down to the Cal 30 but the Bears forced a turnover on downs and went into the locker room with a slim 1-point lead.

The Bears got a big play from much-heralded portal transfer CB Marcus Harris‍ in the third quarter as the senior jumped a Hasting pass for a leaping INT, returning the ball to the Aggies 42 but again were unable to generate any offense, going 3-and-out.

It wasn’t until the fifth possession of the quarter that either team generated a first down but on the Bears’ third possession of the quarter, WR Mikey Matthews‍ hauled in a 7-yard fourth down pass from Mendoza at the Aggies’ 42. Six plays later, Ott showed the country why he’s one of the top backs in the the land, patiently bouncing the ball outside and getting the edge for his second TD of the game, giving the Bears a 21-13 lead with 7:13 left in the quarter. 5 minutes later, the Bears extended their lead to 24-13 with a 25-yard Coe field goal heading into the fourth quarter.

Ott left the game late, limping off the field with an injury. Wilcox deferred to the medical team for any future updates on Ott’s health and availability.

In the Aggies’ next possession, talented MLB Cade Uluave hauled in the Bears’ second INT of the day, giving the Bears the ball at the UCD 29. Five plays later, the Bears hit paydirt again as WR Nyziah Hunter grabbed a shoestring catch on a 4th-and-3 Mendoza pass to go up 31-13 less than a minute into the final stanza.

"I didn't really expect to play this game. I just came in ready," Hunter said. "I kind of blacked out when I scored that touchdown. There was so much emotion going through my body."

With 7:28 left, the Aggies tried to get things going again, connecting on a drive-opening pass to WR Samuel Gbatu for 25 yards, tacking on another 15 after a roughing the passer call on the play to move to the Cal 40 but Williams came up with his second interception of the game, giving the Bears the ball back at the Cal 22 with 5:49 remaining. 

The Bears effectively churned the clock from there, as the clock ran down to zero midfield on a final 10-play drive.

The Bears will take to the road for their first road contest next week, facing Auburn in the heart of SEC territory.