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Football

Stanford Falls to California in 127th Big Game

Cardinal drops 24-21 contest to fall to 3-8 on the season

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Fernando Mendoza threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, Jonathan Brady had two touchdown catches and the go-ahead score and California rallied to beat Stanford 24-21 on Saturday in the first Big Game as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Mendoza was under pressure on 3rd and 11 with under three minutes to play, but found a streaking Brady for a 22-yard touchdown, and Cal (6-5, 2-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) took a 24-21 lead after a two-point conversion.

Cal became bowl eligible with the win and has won four straight games in the rivalry, which began in 1892. The Bears will play in a bowl game in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2018 and 2019.

The Bears came back from a 21-7 second half deficit. Brady’s first touchdown came on a 30-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth to cut the lead to 21-16. Stanford (3-8, 2-6 ACC) stalled on its next drive, and Mendoza led the Bears on an 11-play, 98-yard drive for the lead. Stanford failed to get a first down on its final drive.

Justin Lamson – Stanford’s backup quarterback who typically enters the game in short-yardage situations – ran for two touchdowns in the first quarter, both from two yards out to give the Cardinal a 14-0 lead after one. He has seven rushing touchdowns this season, setting the Stanford record by a quarterback.

Mendoza threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Trond Grizzell in the second quarter to cut the lead to 14-7 after he had a 50-yard run earlier in the drive. Stanford took a 21-7 lead in the third quarter when running back Micah Ford took a pitch from Lamson and threw a two-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal to Emmett Mosley V. The touchdown toss by Ford is his second of the season, becoming the first non-QB at Stanford with multiple touchdown passes in a season since Christian McCaffrey in 2015.

Stanford starting quarterback Ashton Daniels was 14 of 26 for 139 yards. He also had 21 carries for 63 yards. While the offense stalled at times in the second half, it was the first game in 2024 for the Cardinal without a turnover.

Stanford's defense showed a strong pass rush all afternoon long, with a season-high six sacks. Three of those came from Zach Buckey, who entered the game with just one-half sack in his career. Tobin Phillips, Gaethan Bernadel, and Tristan Sinclair each added a sack of their own.

The Cardinal travels to San Jose State on Friday to wrap up the season.