Golden Bears Whip UC Davis With a Sturdy Second Half

© Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

After a slow start, the Cal Golden Bears (1-0) cruised to a 31-13 victory over the upstart UC Davis Aggies (0-1) on Aug. 31. Cal's all-time record against UC Davis is now 12-0. Newly ensconced in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Golden Bears ultimately proved too strong and too talented for the determined and resilient Aggies of the Big Sky Conference.

Game Summary

Standout Cal running back Jadyn Ott registered the game's first score on a 1-yard touchdown run in the middle of the first quarter. However, the Aggies responded at the end of the quarter with a scoop and score by linebacker Porter Connors. UC Davis failed to convert the extra point, leaving the Golden Bears ahead 7-6.

The Aggies then took the lead on a 1-yard TD run by Lan Larison. However, the lead was short-lived. Speedy Golden Bears defensive back Nohl Williams returned the ensuing kickoff all the way for a score, giving Cal a 14-13 lead.

The superstar, Ott, commenced the scoring in the second half with a 6-yard run in the middle of the fourth quarter, giving Cal a 21-13 lead. Toward the end of the quarter, the Golden Bears extended the lead to 24-13 on a 25-yeard field goal.

In the fourth quarter, Cal held the UC Davis offense in check and added one more touchdown, cruising comfortably to an 18-point triumph.

Golden Bears Turning Point

Halftime was the turning point in this season opener along the shores of the beautiful San Francisco Bay. FCS stalwart UC Davis went into intermission trailing only 14-13, but the Golden Bears flipped the switch. Maybe it was something coach Justin Wilcox said. Maybe it was something else. But, Cal came out like a different team in the second half.

© Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Upshot

The road gets tougher for Cal. First, they travel to Alabama for their next game to face off against the Auburn Tigers of the Southeastern Conference. Thereafter, Cal will be traveling extensively in the fall. In its inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Cal is slated to log more mileage on the road than all teams in the country save one. Indeed, as Sports Illustrated observed in a recent article, the amount of travel the Golden Bears will accumulate this season amounts to 83 percent of the Earth's circumference, with four round-trips of over 4,000 miles (Auburn, Wake Forest, Pitt and Florida State).

Next up for the Aggies is a home matchup with Texas A&M-Commerce.