Late-game defensive stands key Cal's 20-14 win over UNLV

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Jaydn Ott scored two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air, and California’s defense stiffened late to lead the Bears to a 20-14 victory over UNLV on Saturday.

Cal (2-0) made three fourth-down stops in the second half, including a fourth and goal opportunity for the Rebels from the Cal 8 with 2:46 remaining that preserved Cal’s six-point lead.

UNLV got the ball back one more time with 1:03 remaining, but Isaiah Young intercepted UNLV quarterback Doug Brumfield deep in Cal territory on the game’s final play.

Jack Plummer threw for 278 yards and a touchdown as the Golden Bears got off to a fast start on offense. But after taking a 20-7 lead on a Dario Longhetto field goal midway through the third quarter, Cal’s offense stalled and UNLV (1-1) grabbed momentum.

Aidan Robbins rushed for 84 yards for UNLV, including a 31-yard score in the third that brought the Rebels to within 20-14.

Three times Cal drove to UNLV’s 10-yard line or deeper and didn’t get touchdowns. The Bears settled for two field goals and Plummer was intercepted on the third drive.

After being held to minus-1 yard of offense in the first quarter last week against UC Davis, the Bears got off to a fast start Saturday and led 14-0 after the first. Plummer completed his first eight passes and consistently found open receivers against a UNLV secondary that also was called for pass interference three times in the game.

Ott scored on a 2-yard run and added a 12-yard touchdown catch later in the first, taking a short pass in the flat and making a leaping dive into the end zone on a fourth-and-2 play to give Cal a 14-0 lead.

Kyle Williams got UNLV on the board with an 11-yard touchdown catch on the first play of the second quarter, but Dario Longhetto’s 20-yard field goal gave Cal a 17-7 lead at halftime.

THE TAKEAWAY

UNLV: The Rebels showed heart in battling back from a 13-point deficit against a Power-5 opponent, but when they had a chance to score the go-ahead touchdown, they had no answer for Cal’s pass rush.

California: Plummer had the Bears rolling early, but they failed to put the game out of reach when their offense began bogging down in the second half. Still, the Bears are 2-0 for the first time since 2019.

UP NEXT

UNLV: Hosts North Texas on Saturday.

California: Visits No. 8 Notre Dame on Saturday.

___

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://bit.ly/3pqZVaF