BERKELEY — Cal senior defensive end Xavier Carlton says there’s nothing quite like the feeling he gets after sacking the quarterback.
“It’s a thrill getting on the corner of those tackles and pushing by and getting the quarterback on the ground. It feels exhilarating,” he explained. “You see me on TV throwing the X up (with his arms) . . . just showing everybody you can’t take me down. You have to put two or three more people on me. It feels awesome.”
At 6-foot-6, 275 pounds, Carlton is third in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a career-high nine sacks. The Bears, as a whole, have taken down the quarterback 29 times through nine games. Not only is that the fourth-most in the ACC, but it’s already five more than they had in 13 games a year ago.
California Golden Bears linebacker Xavier Carlton (44) reacts after tackling Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) during the second quarter of their game at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
The pass rush, also credited with 39 quarterback hurries, has created a symbiotic relationship with the back end of the Bears’ defense, which leads the nation with 17 interceptions. Cal’s 22 forced turnovers are tied with Ken Niumatalolo’s bowl-bound San Jose State tied for third most in FBS.
“To play great pass defense, you have to be able to affect the quarterback and you’ve got to be able to cover,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said.
The Bears (5-4, 1-4 ACC) will put that combination to the ultimate test Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium against Syracuse (6-3, 3-3). Quarterback Kyle McCord, a transfer from Ohio State, leads the nation with 350.3 passing yards per game and has thrown 23 touchdowns.
California Golden Bears defensive lineman Aidan Keanaaina (47) knocks down a pass thrown by UC Davis Aggies quarterback Miles Hastings (7) during the second half of their game at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. Cal defeated UC Davis 31-13. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Cal is seeking a third straight victory and bowl eligibility for a second year in a row. The Bears conclude the regular season with the Big Game against Stanford on Nov. 23, then a road game against No. 14 SMU on Nov. 30.
“This is going to be a really big challenge for our defense,” Wilcox conceded.
Carlton said he and the Bears’ other defensive leaders, including David Reese, Craig Woodson and Nohl Williams, who leads the nation with seven interceptions, huddled last January and made it their goal to field the best defense in the country. They were motivated by a disappointing 2023 season in which they allowed nearly 33 points per game. Cal leads the ACC in scoring defense this season at 19.3 points, and has surrendered more than 17 points just three times in nine games.
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“When we first got into the ACC, a lot of people were expecting us to go down, be an easy team,” Carlton said. Instead, he and his teammates decided, “We’re going to show every team we play it’s going to be a long day.”
In discussing Carlton, Wilcox and Cal defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon both described him as a young man who doesn’t say a lot. But during a visit with reporters this week, Carlton was outgoing and confident. “We want to make sure we instill fear into our opponents.”
The Bears, who had seven sacks last week in a 46-36 win at Wake Forest, need seven more to move onto the program’s top-10 single-season list. That dates back only to 1980, when the NCAA first recognized a sacks as an official stat.
Cal’s season team record is 53 in 1999. Ryan Riddle set the Bears’ individual season standard with 14.5 in 2004, while Andre Carter had 13.5 in 2000.
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 3: California’s Xavier Carlton (44) sacks UC Davis quarterback Miles Hastings (7) during the first half of their game at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Carlton, who had two sacks last week, hopes to break Riddle’s record, which would mean posting six more the rest of the season. His 18 sacks in three years at Cal since transferring from Utah leave him far from Carter’s career program record of 31.
“I’ve been really impressed with Xavier. He’s so consistent . . . every practice, every week it feels like we get his best,” Wilcox said. “He’s had a very productive season and we’re going to need him big this week.”