BOSTON (AP) — Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele hit tight finish Mason Mini on 51-yard TD with 1:30 to play and Luke Ferrelli picked off a move ultimately zone with 15 seconds left, sending California to a 28-24 victory over Boston Faculty on Saturday.
Sagapolutele accomplished 22 of 34 passes for 254 yards and a rating for Cal (4-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Convention). Kendrick Raphael rushed for 113 yards and a TD.
“I think that was the most positive lesson we’ll learn from this game: We don’t have to be perfect to win,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox mentioned. “We certainly weren’t, but they played the entire game, literally down to the last play.”
Dylan Lonergan, who entered the weekend main the nation in completions per recreation (30), was 21 of 37 with 197 yards however threw two interceptions for BC (1-3, 0-2 ACC). He did run for a 7-yard TD.
Sagapolutele rolled across the left finish and lofted a move to Mini, who made a leaping seize behind a defender and raced in for the game-winner after Turbo Richard broke free for a go-ahead 71-yard landing run early within the fourth quarter that had pushed BC forward.
“That’s just who he is,” Wilcox mentioned of his QB. “He’s a poised guy. He walked onto campus that way. For a freshman to go out and make the plays he’s made throughout the year and the throws he’s made is very impressive. He’s got so much great football in front of him.”
Sagapolutele mentioned the play broke down and he was compelled to create one thing.
“I just had to improvise, just make a play happen,” he mentioned. “Glad my teammates trusted in me to be able to make that throw.”
Lonergan drove BC from its personal 25 to the Golden Bears’ 5 and appeared to have a go-ahead TD, however receiver Reed Harris dropped the ball when he hit the bottom.
On the following play, Ferrelli made the game-saving play.
“You just can’t do that,” BC coach Invoice O’Brien mentioned of the late breakdowns. “Like I just told the team, I haven’t been able to get it done in this program at this point, these guys learning not how to lose before they can learn to win.”
Richard carried for 171 yards on 15 makes an attempt.
On the primary play from scrimmage after Cal took the lead, Richard burst via and outraced the secondary down the left sideline.
Trailing by 3 after being stopped on a fourth-and-1 at BC’s 3, Golden Bears nook Hezekiah Plenty picked Lonergan off on the 24-yard line and returned it to the two.
Raphael scored on a run up-the-middle the following play, pushing Cal forward 21-17.
The Eagles went into halftime with a 17-14 edge after Luca Lombardo kicked a career-best 52-yard discipline aim.
