Stanford vs. California – Game Recap – November 19, 2022 – ESPN

BERKELEY, Calif. — — Jackson Sirmon scored on a 37-yard return following a wild play with two fumbles and California rallied from a double-digit deficit within the fourth quarter to beat Stanford 27-20 within the Large Sport on Saturday.

“It’s actually neat… as a defensive participant, you don’t get loads of alternatives to attain touchdowns and you need to take pleasure in them while you get them. It was very neat particularly contemplating the timing of all of it.”

The Golden Bears (4-7, 2-6 Pac-12) trailed 17-6 within the fourth quarter when Jack Plummer began the comeback with a 1-yard landing cross to Monroe Younger.

Then issues actually went loopy on the following possession for Stanford (3-8, 1-8).

Backup quarterback Ashton Daniels took a direct snap and ran to his left. He was stripped of the ball by Daniel Scott and Cal’s Jeremiah Earby recovered. However Daniels then knocked the ball unfastened from Earby for a second fumble on the play solely to have Sirmon scoop it up and run in to present Cal a 20-17 lead with 9:54 to play.

“It bounced proper to me,” Sirmon mentioned. “I used to be in the precise place on the proper time. All I did that play is I didn’t mess it up. The ball got here proper to me and I ran with it.”

Stanford had three extra drives to rally. However the Cardinal punted twice after which McKee was intercepted by Scott with simply greater than two minutes to play, establishing Jaydn Ott’s 1-yard run that sealed the win.

“Backside line for us is we had the lead,” coach David Shaw mentioned. “We knew it was going to be a backwards and forwards sport. We had a lead within the fourth quarter and we didn’t hold it. Turnovers have been one of many largest points for us all 12 months.”

There was little at stake within the one hundred and twenty fifth model of the Large Sport apart from pleasure and the Axe that goes to the victorious group. Each groups have been eradicated from bowl rivalry with blowout losses final week making this the primary assembly when neither group had an opportunity at a bowl since 2000.

That is additionally the primary time since 1997-98 that Cal and Stanford will each have dropping information in back-to-back seasons.

That did not fully dampen the passion as Cal had its first residence sellout since a 2013 sport towards Ohio State with a crowd of 51,892 and its first residence win within the rivalry since 2008.

“It means lots,” Scott mentioned. “I believe for us we wished to maintain the Axe right here. It deserves to be right here. We put in loads of exhausting work. To get that win not just for the group however the entire Cal group was enormous.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Stanford: The Cardinal scored TDs on their opening drives of each halves however did not do a lot else. Mitch Leigber had a 1-yard run on the opening drive and McKee threw a 9-yard TD to Elijah Higgins within the third quarter. They didn’t rating once more till Joshua Karty kicked a 61-yard discipline objective on the ultimate play.

“We would have liked a pair extra performs on the offensive facet,” Shaw mentioned. “Protection gave us loads of alternatives.”

California: The Bears offense wasn’t way more productive after firing OC Invoice Musgrave and OL coach Angus McClure final week following a 38-10 loss to Oregon State. Cal managed simply six factors on their first six journeys throughout midfield however managed to do sufficient within the fourth quarter to beat Stanford at residence for the primary time since 2008.

THE PLAY

This 12 months marked the fortieth anniversary of “The Play” when Cal shocked Stanford with a kick return TD on the ultimate play of a 25-20 win that featured 5 laterals and the Stanford band on the sphere.

Cal unveiled a 1,500-pound statue this week of Kevin Moen, who scored the TD and collided with a Stanford trombone participant in the long run zone.

This additionally marks the ultimate Large Sport for Cal radio announcer Joe Starkey, whose name “the band is out on the sphere!” was probably the most memorable of his 48-year profession.

On a tragic notice, one of many gamers who made a lateral on that play, operating again Dwight Garner, died Friday at age 58 of prostate most cancers.

UP NEXT

Stanford: Hosts BYU on Saturday evening.

California: Hosts No. 16 UCLA on Friday.

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