Costly Mistakes, OL Play Dooms Bears in 17-15 Loss at #22 Pitt

PITTSBURGH, PA - More heartbreak and frustration was the fate of Cal fans today in the Bears’ 17-15 loss at #22 Pittsburgh in a game that was more than winnable but was ultimately derailed by costly mistakes throughout the game as well as an offensive line that was a sieve against the aggressive Pitt defense.

When QB Fernando Mendoza wasn’t being sacked six times, he was often pressured and hit. The Bears gave up 11 tackles for loss to a team that came into the game with just 12 sacks. Overall, Mendoza went 27-for-37 for 272 yards and a touchdown and no turnovers. TE Jack Endries was the star for the Bears, hauling in 8 receptions for 119 yards and a TD in the loss.

In all, the Bears were whistled for 12 penalties for 110 yards and it would’ve been more if several penalties weren’t declined.

“Penalties were a major issue,” head coach Justin Wilcox said after the game. “Four 15 yarders. We had an unsportsmanlike right before half that cost us big...we had two PI’s on one drive for 30 yards of field position. We had a facemask for 15. Receivers had an illegal substitution, really bad. False start..delay, three holding penalties. 

“It’s bad. You just have to focus. It takes physical toughness, mental toughness, emotional toughness.”

In the last four years, the team has been 5-20 in one score games including tonight’s disappointing loss.

“How do you win a one-score game today?” Wilcox asked rhetorically. “You cut the penalties in half. Start there...Let’s go to 4th-and-1. Everyone’s doing their job - 10 out of 11 guys. One guy makes kind of a selfish decision, gets out of his gap. I think we had a great chance to stop them and get the ball in their territory. A guy gets out of his gap and they run 72 yards for a touchdown.”

The Bears were unable to generate much offense on the ground, with running back Jaivian Thomas, starting in place of injured starter Jadyn Ott, gaining 72 yards on 17 carries.

The game got off to a good start for the Bears after stuffing the Pitt offense with a 3-and-out and following up with an opening TD drive.

Facing 3rd-and-17 on the drive at the Cal 44, Mendoza came up with a clutch completion to WR Jonathan Brady for 23 yards, bringing the ball to the Pitt 33. Three plays later, Thomas turned on the jets for a 21-yard TD run to give the Bears a 6-0 lead after a failed 2-point conversion attempt failed.

The Panthers immediately responded with a scoring drive of their own, aided by a pair of facemask and hands-to-the-face penalties and a 4th-and-5 conversion from midfield. Pitt took the lead on a 5-yard Desmond Reid burst up the middle for the score and the Ben Sauls PAT to go up 7-6 with 5:07 left in the quarter.

After a pair of penalties cut short the Bears’ next possession, Cal’s run of 4th-down defensive futility burned them in a big way.

Showing either complete confidence in their offense or in the Cal defense’s recent fourth down struggles, the Panthers went for it with an unusual 4th-and-1 situation from their own 28. Seemingly confused by Pitt’s misdirection, Reid bounced the ball off tackle and found nothing but green grass ahead of him, pulling away for the surprisingly easy 72-yard TD run to put Pitt up 14-6 to start the second quarter.

The Panthers extended their lead after the Bears were forced to abandon going for it on 4th-and-1 at midfield after an illegal substitution penalty. Pitt responded with a 58-yard field goal on the ensuing drive to go up 17-6 with 10:04 left in the half.

The Bears finally stemmed the tide of 17 straight Pitt points, putting together a 9-play, 54-yard drive ending in a 39-yard Ryan Coe field goal to make it 17-9 with 5:57 left in the half to close out the scoring in the half.

The Bears’ 20:43 to 9:17 first-half time of possession advantage yielded little, with 8 penalties for 90 yards derailing any drive continuity in the half.

The third quarter was a stalemate, with either team failing to score, despite two Cal interceptions by cornerback Nohl Williams and nickel back Cam Sidney. Sidney’s return gave the Bears the ball on the Pitt 40 but they only managed to move backward on two sacks and an incompletion.

The Bears finally got things going after taking over at their 22 on their next possession. Tight end Jack Endries put the team on his back on the drive, hauling in catches for 20 and 27 yards with plenty of yards after catch before grabbing a pass up the middle and bulling his way in for the 19-yard TD.

Cal’s special teams woes continued as they failed on their second straight 2-point conversion attempt and trailed 17-15 with 10:30 remaining.

The Bears had a golden opportunity to milk the clock and take the lead after taking over at their 20 with 8:22 left in the game and methodically moving it to the Pitt 22 where they faced 3rd-and-9. Rather than trying to pass for a first down, backup QB Chandler Rogers had a short run that positioned the Bears for the potential game-winning field goal, though there was still 1:50 left on the clock.

Set up for a 40-yard field goal in the center of the field, well within Coe’s range, the senior kicker missed wide right, crushing the Bears’ hopes for victory.

The Bears still had a chance for a late comeback after forcing a 3-and-out and getting the ball back at their 20 with :52 left but three straight incompletions sandwiched around another false start penalty found the Bears in 4th-and-15. Finally hitting on a completion to WR Mason Starling, it was again short of the sticks as was the case so often all game and the Bears turned over the ball on downs, leaving Pitt to kneel down and run out the clock.

The Bears fell to 3-3 (0-3) after the loss. Pitt runs their record to 6-0 (2-0) after their victory.