BERKELEY — Cam Sidney swatted an Ethan Grunkemeyer pass intended for Luke Reynolds as regulation expired, and pandemonium ensued as California shut the door on Virginia Tech in a 25-20 win.
“The game ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” Golden Bears defensive tackle Jericho Johnson said about the defense’s game-winning stop from its own seven-yard line. “Just making sure everybody stayed locked in and making sure everybody was doing their job [were] the biggest key[s].”
Cal, enjoying a crowded homecoming at Memorial Stadium, needed everyone and every second with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Kingston Lopa sidelined.
And coach Tosh Lupoi’s bunch met the moment.
“Ultimately, our preparation is our separation, and our connection is our weapon,” Lupoi said of his team’s late heroics.
Sidney made the play.
But several Golden Bears contributed.
Defensive backs Daniel Harris and Isaiah Crosby each had eight tackles to steer the secondary while Johnson had five tackles to anchor the trenches. Overall, defensive coordinator Michael Hutchings’ unit bent but rarely broke — once again.
Offensively, backup quarterback Jackson Brousseau thrived, completing 29 of 43 passes for 321 yards, one touchdown and zero turnovers. He consistently made the right reads, particularly over the middle, and looked very comfortable in Pat McCann’s offense despite not knowing he’d start until Friday.
“I thought it was great,” Brousseau said of working with McCann. “It really wasn’t nothing different for us. We were just sticking to the process and doing what we’re told.”
Brousseau connected with wideouts Chase Hendricks and Ian Strong, hitting the tandem for 12 completions and 191 yards.
But Brousseau’s marquee moment came with a lesser-known weapon as 4:06 remained in the fourth quarter.
Not his deepest throw, the Colorado State transfer found hybrid running back Carson Perry-Smith for an unforgettable circus touchdown from three yards out, capping a lengthy drive.
“It was an amazing throw by Jackson,” Perry-Smith laughed. “He put it exactly where only I can catch it. … I saw it up there, and I just had to get vertical and go up and make a play.”
Running back Ashten Emory remained a timely bulldozer in place of Adam Mohammed and Carter Vargas.
Emory had two touchdowns, including a go-ahead direct-snap score from two yards out with 18 seconds left, and finished with 23 touches for 76 yards.
"I used to call him Auntie because he wears something silly on his head to preserve his beautiful hair,” Lupoi spontaneously said of Emory. “I changed his nickname to Uncle.
“He's been a physical individual. He's been a guy that's inspiring, as far as the next-man-up attitude.”
Despite 10 penalties for 99 yards, including a pivotal targeting call on linebacker AJ Tuitele, Cal played a controlled and confident game.
The Golden Bears never wavered despite facing an early deficit. In fact, Lupoi and Co. converted a gutsy 29-yard fake punt with Dorian Thomas, while trailing, on a drive that ended in a crucial field goal.
Perhaps the stat of the game, though, is that Cal limited the Hokies — a sound offensive team that entered averaging north of 40 points per game — to 4-for-11 on third downs.
Cal will host Wake Forest under the lights next week and is hopeful to have some injured players back. Nonetheless, the Golden Bears earned a hard-fought win, one that can spark a mid-season turnaround.
“We’re the furthest thing from pressing the panic button,” Lupoi said. “We’re learning as a team [how] to finish, as you just saw. … That’s a really good football team that we just beat. I’m most proud of how these guys have responded to me, the staff and just rolled up the sleeves, ignored all noise, gone to work …”
