BERKELEY – Having spent the first year of his return to Berkeley re-establishing a commitment to the defensive side of the football, Cal head coach
Justin Wilcox entered year two of his tenure with those same principles providing the foundation for progress still yet to make.
Those strides forward continue to provide context for the Bears'Â trajectory as a program and the 2018 season opener put an offseason of hard work on full display as Cal's defense forced four turnovers and limited visiting North Carolina well enough early to begin Wilcox's second season with a 24-17 victory over the Tar Heels.
A picturesque day greeted fans as football returned to California Memorial Stadium and a focused defensive effort set a definite tone right away as Cal fought to gain the early upper hand against its visitors from Chapel Hill.
On the stat sheet, the early success was evident. North Carolina struggled to gain positive yardage at all in the first half, failing to pick up even one first down in the first quarter. Cal's first takeaway also set the stage for the first points of the season as an interception by safety
Jaylinn Hawkins put the Bears on the North Carolina 23-yard line. Four plays later,
Patrick Laird darted over the right side of his offensive line for a 4-yard touchdown run that put Cal ahead 7-0.
The second quarter started with the same intensity, only this time the Cal defense took the opportunity to do the scoring itself.
Cameron Goode did the honors, feigning an edge rush before dropping into coverage and grabbing a Nathan Elliott pass for the Bears' second interception. The sophomore took off for a 38-yard return and gave the Bears a 14-0 advantage.
New Cal kicker
Greg Thomas added to the lead with a 35-yard field goal and an interception by
Ashtyn Davis punctuated a half in which Cal held North Carolina to just one first down and 38 yards of total offense.
"The turnovers were huge," Wilcox said. "Taking the ball away, creating some field possession and getting a score was the difference in the game. Turnover ratio is the No. 1 indicator of winning and losing so when you win the turnover battle 4-0, you're going to give yourself a chance to win the game."
The Tar Heels hit the scoreboard first in the second half with a 43-yard field goal by Freeman Jones but Cal re-established command with a lengthy scoring drive of its own. Quarterbacks
Chase Garbers and
Brandon McIlwain both saw time behind center during the drive but it was Garbers who eventually put the Bears in the end zone, connecting with Laird in the right flat for a 4-yard touchdown pass.
North Carolina's first touchdown came on a 3-yard run by Antonio Williams but the 19-play drive burned over six minutes off the clock and left the Tar Heels down 24-10 with 6:31 left to play.
A 14-yard pass from Elliott to Anthony Ratliff-Williams brought UNC to within a touchdown with 1:13 left and the Tar Heels recovered the ensuing onside kick to regain possession only to see that play nullified by an illegal block penalty. Try No. 2 at the kickoff ended with North Carolina touching the ball before it traveled 10 yards and the Bears kneeled to run out the clock.
"We were able to find a way to finish the game," Wilcox said. "We probably didn't finish it as well as we would've liked in every phase – offense, defense, special teams – but we found a way to win the game and guys battled. There's going to be so much to learn from the video, which is encouraging because it's a lot more fun to learn those lessons when you win."
Garbers and McIlwain both saw time at quarterback for the Bears, trading in and out with starter
Ross Bowers throughout the game. Cal's three signal-callers combined to complete 16 passes for 32 yards with one touchdown and did not turn the ball over. On the ground, Laird began his season with the same sort of consistent success that Cal fans have become accustomed to seeing from him as the senior carried 29 times for 95 yards and a touchdown.
Hawkins grabbed another interception in the second half and finished with two of Cal's four total takeaways.
Evan Weaver led the defensive charge when it came to tackles, recording a career-high 13, while
Camryn Bynum led the secondary with four pass breakups.
Cal gets back to work with its first road trip of the season as the Bears head to Provo, Utah for a Saturday showdown against BYU. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m. (PT) and the game will be broadcast live ojn either ESPN2 or ESPNU. Cal returns to Strawberry Canyon on Sept. 15 for a 3 p.m. game against Idaho State.
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