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An Atlantic Coast Conference clash contested in the San Francisco Bay Area was not decided until the witching hour, and its outcome is shrouded in controversy. Midway through the third quarter of a game that began at 10:30 p.m. EST on Oct. 5, the Cal Golden Bears (3-2, 0-2) led the No. 8 Miami Hurricanes (6-0, 2-0) by 25 points. However, the Canes mounted a furious rally against the vaunted Cal defense, securing a 39-38 victory capped by a touchdown pass from quarterback Cam Ward to tight end Elijah Arroyo with 26 seconds remaining in the game. A controversial non-call played a pivotal role in the game.
Legendary Cal and Miami alumni supported their respective teams in Berkeley, Calif. The "Playmaker," Michael Irvin, was on the sidelines for the Hurricanes, and "Beast Mode," Marshawn Lynch was the guest picker for ESPN's College GameDay, which made its first-ever appearance in Berkeley.
Game Summary
The scoring in the game commenced with a 3-yard touchdown run by Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. However, led by star running back Jadyn Ott, the Golden Bears took a 21-10 lead into the locker room at halftime. Ott scored 2 first-half touchdowns, one on the ground and another through the air.
Cal struck first on the scoreboard in the second half with a pick-six by elite defensive back Nohl Williams. It was Williams' fifth interception this year.
After Cal scored one more TD on a 9-yard run by backup quarterback Chandler Rogers, Miami's dramatic comeback began. Ward, a leading contender for the Heisman Trophy, guided the Hurricanes on four consecutive TD drives, interrupted only by a lone Cal field goal.
Miami gained 277 yards in the fourth quarter en route to the victory. Ward completed 35-of-53 passes for 457 yards and 2 TDs. Miami wide receiver Xavier Restrepo reeled in 7 receptions for 163 yards.
Before this dramatic contest, the 2024 Cal defense had not yielded more than 14 points in a game.
Hurricanes Benefit From Critical Blown Call
Oct. 5 was a fantastic day of college football, filled with multiple upsets and drama. However, the day was also marred by poor officiating that impacted the outcomes of big games, including the Cal-Miami contest.
Before Miami's game-winning drive, Cal's QB Fernando Mendoza took a brutal hit from Miami linebacker Wesley Bissainthe. As revealed by video footage of the play and as reported by 247Sports, Bissainthe "launch[ed] himself into Mendoza's head and neck area." No penalty was called on the field, but the non-call was reviewed. When the ACC replay crew upheld the non-call, ESPN announcers Brock Osweiler and Rece Davis unleashed a torrent of criticism.
Osweiler said: "Back-to-back weeks Miami is in a situation where it comes down to replay and you question if the officials are getting the calls correct. I do not know, by the definition of the rulebook, how that is not targeting."
The controversial non-call impacted the outcome of the game. In the words of On3, "If targeting had been called in this instance, the Hurricanes’ historic comeback likely would have fallen just short. Indeed, had the penalty been called, Cal would have likely been able to run out the clock and win 38-32.
Elsewhere, officials made game-altering botched/controversial replay rulings on Oct. 5 in the SMU-Louisville and USC-Minnesota games.
ESPN rules analyst Matt Austin condemned the controversial replay ruling in the SMU-Louisville game, explaining that it was not supported by "indisputable video evidence," which is supposed to be the standard applied by replay officials. Increasingly, however, replay officials are coming under fire for making subjective determinations rather than applying the objective standard they are charged with enforcing.
Up Next
The Golden Bears take on the Pitt Panthers (5-0, 1-0) on Oct. 12 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. The Hurricanes have a bye next week. Their next game is on Oct. 19, when they travel to Louisville, Ky. for a matchup with the Louisville Cardinals (3-2, 1-1).
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#GoBears 🐻