Modster, Defense Lift Bears Over Cougars
BERKELEY - When you're as high profile as Evan Weaver is, you're always going to be asked to the postgame press conference.
Weaver preferred the experience Saturday much more than in previous weeks.
Weaver led another impressive performance against Washington State's vaunted offense, and quarterback Devon Modster returned from an injury with four touchdowns as the Cal football team upended the Cougars 33-20 at California Memorial Stadium.
"It feels pretty good to sit up here not all cranky and angry," said Weaver, who had 10 tackles for his 15th double-digit total in the past 16 games. "It's a pretty good time to be on the winning side. It's awesome to get a win."
Saturday's victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the Bears (5-4, 2-4 Pac-12) and moved them one win shy of qualifying for a bowl game for the second consecutive season.
Modster threw three touchdown passes and ran for another as Cal scored the most points in a game this season. His 13-yard scoring run with 2:26 to play put the Bears up 33-14.
Modster, who missed Cal's previous game at Utah with an injury, threw a 9-yard scoring pass to tight end Gavin Reinwald, a 13-yard touchdown toss to running back Christopher Brown Jr. and a spectacular 52-yard catch-and-run to wide receiver Makai Polk for another score.
Modster finished 16-for-24 for 230 yards and no interceptions for a passer rating of 188.4.
"I'd say average," Modster said when asked to assess his performance. "I missed a couple of throws that I should have made. But I think it was a great team win. The offensive line played fantastic and the receivers made plays."
Cal's return to the win column coincided with a healthier roster. Center Michael Saffell was back on the field after missing the previous two games because of injury as was wide receiver Kekoa Crawford. And Modster, who was injured against Oregon State and didn't play in the Bears' previous game at Utah, looked sharp in his comeback.
"I love the fact that (Modster) thinks that way," Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. "He's a competitive guy. I think probably he's thinking about a few plays where we had some home runs that we didn't quite connect on and one that we dropped. But I'm proud of how he handled it and competed. He practiced with a chip on his shoulder last week and this week, and it showed up."
In three games against the Cougars since Wilcox became Cal's head coach, the Bears have held the Cougars to an average of 14 points per game. And that number became inflated when Washington State scored an insignificant touchdown with five seconds remaining. Still, Cal still held the Cougars well under their scoring average of 41.8 points per game, continuing a trend of holding WSU well below their season average. In the previous two games before Saturday, Cal held the Cougars to an average of 11 points per game – 24.8 points per game less than their average against all other teams during the same period.
Weaver led the defensive effort and moved into ninth place on Cal's single-season tackles list with 137 (he already is tied for second on the all-time list with 159 last season). Safety Jaylinn Hawkins recorded an interception and forced fumble and nickelback Josh Drayden had a career night six solo tackles.
"(WSU's offense) correlates with our defense very well," Weaver said. "We had dudes who can cover and a D-line that can rush. To have guys like that all over the field is perfect."
The Bears' defense limited Washington State to 423 total yards, 81 of which came on their final drive when Cal enjoyed a significant lead, and only 16 rushing yards. The Cougars entered the game ranked sixth in total offense at 521.9 yards per game.
"We came into the game hungry," Polk said. "We're trying to get to a bowl game. We knew if we won this one, we'd be one win away from a bowl game. That was our motivation going into the game."