California Golden Bears vs Northwestern Wildcats Match Player Stats On Aug 30, 2014

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Aug 30, 2014

California 31, Northwestern 24: Sophomore Jared Goff passed for 281 yards and three touchdowns as the visiting Bears held off the late-charging Wildcats.

Cal (1-0) got its revenge for the 2013 season-opening loss at home to Northwestern as Goff was 21-of-34 to lead the Bears to their first victory over an FBS opponent since defeating Washington State on Oct. 13, 2012. Goff threw touchdown passes to Bryce Treggs, Kenny Lawler and Trevor Davis as the Bears built a 31-7 lead.

Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian, who was 23-of-43 for 229 yards and a touchdown, led a furious Wildcats comeback. Northwestern (0-1) trailed by 24 points in the third quarter but found life with two touchdowns – a 7-yard score by freshman Justin Jackson and a double-pass from Siemian to Jayme Taylor and back to Siemian, who scored from 17 yards out.

Jack Mitchell hit a 24-yard field goal with 5:18 left to trim Cal’s lead to seven points. But the Wildcats' threat ended when Siemian threw into a crowd of Cal defenders and was intercepted by Jalen Jefferson with 1:38 to play, the second of two interceptions by the Northwestern quarterback.

The Bears raced to a 17-0 lead after Goff tossed touchdowns to Treggs for a 1-yard TD and a 7-yarder to Lawler before James Langford tacked on a 20-yard field goal early in the second quarter. The Wildcats enjoyed one pulsating play in the first half, a 54-yard touchdown pass from Siemian to Cam Dickerson, but the Bears managed to top that on the ensuing possession when Davis scored on a 76-yard reception.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Bears compiled 275 yards of total offense in the first 30 minutes. … Jefferson’s interception was the second of his career. … Neither team did much in the run game with Northwestern averaging three yards per carry and Cal averaging 2.5.