Momentum from a surprising season-opening win at Arizona. A decent, but beatable Pac-12 opponent that lacked firepower but had a better-than-expected defense. An interested, though somewhat disappointing crowd of 52,602 eager to jump back on the bandwagon after last year’s disaster.
After a stalemate in the first half, Cal made the important plays and better defensive adjustments in the second half and scratched out a 21-18 win at LaVell Edwards Stadium, a win that quite likely will get the Bears back to a bowl game when all is said and done.
BYU, meanwhile, heads back to the drawing board with more questions than answers after that promising start in Tucson.