Freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jacob De Jesus on fourth down in the first overtime and Cal stunned host No. 15 Louisville 29-26 on Saturday night.
“That was our moment, that was our time to shine,” Sagpolutele said. “I had so much confidence in Jacob that he was going to make a play. He got open and he scored.”
Sagapolutele threw for a career-high 323 yards and two touchdowns and De Jesus caught 16 passes for 158 yards as the Bears (6-4, 3-3 ACC) snapped a two-game losing streak, and earned bowl eligibility for the third straight year.
Sagapoutele completed passes of 8 and 9 yards to running back Kendrick Raphael in overtime, to reach the 8-yard line. Raphael then ran the ball twice to the 3-yard line before a trick play on third down went nowhere.
Louisville (7-2, 4-2) got the ball first in overtime but settled for a 49-yard field goal from Cooper Ranvier for a 26-23 lead. The loss drops the Cardinals out of what would have been a five-way tie for first place in the ACC.
The game went into overtime at 23-all after neither team could score on its final four possessions of regulation.
Cal quickly added to its four-point halftime lead when cornerback Hezekiah Masses made his fifth interception of the season, setting up a career-long 45-yard field goal by Chase Meyer for a 20-17 margin with 11:34 left in the third quarter.
Louisville responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that was fueled by two 15-yard penalties against the Bears — a flag for roughing and one for a facemask. Miller Moss scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to tie the score at 20-20 with 7:43 left in the third.
Cal went back in front 23-20 when Meyer made his third field goal of the game — a 26-yarder with 23 seconds left in the third period. But the drive could have provided the Bears with more, except for three false start penalties.
Louisville tied the game for the fourth time, at 23-all, when Randvier delivered on a 39-yard field goal with 11:08 left in the fourth quarter.
Cal played one of its best halves of the season to forge a 17-13 lead at the break.
The Bears took their first lead on Raphael’s 2-yard TD run with 7 seconds left in the second quarter, which capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive. It was Raphael’s 12th touchdown of the season, his 11th on the ground.
Cal gained 272 yards in the half against a Louisville squad that was leading the ACC in total defense, allowing just 280 yards per game. The Bears had seven plays of at least 20 yards in the half.
The Bears made changes on the offensive line, with Bastian Swinney taking over at at the troubled center position.
Sagapolutele was 15 for 22 for 202 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers in the first two quarters. De Jesus caught eight of those passes for 95 yards and also completed a 23-yard pass to Trond Grizzell on a trick play to open the game. That promising drive ended with a missed 40-yard field goal try by Meyer.
Louisville answered immediately with a touchdown drive before Cal tied the score when Sagapolutele delivered a perfect 20-yard back-shoulder TD pass to tight end Landon Morris with 40 seconds left in the first quarter.
The teams then traded field goals — Meyer converting this time from 27 yards with 5:59 left in the half — for a 10-10 score. Louisville crept back in front, 13-10, on Ranvier’s 49-yard field goal with 2:34 left in the half.
With limited time but three timeouts in his back pocket, Sagpaolutele calmly took the Bears down the field. He hit De Jesus for a 21-yard gain and Raphael for a 23-yard pickup to get into the red zone. On third-and-goal from the 2, Raphael plowed across to put Cal in front.