With a captivating climax, the California Golden Bears secured a thrilling 28-24 victory over the Boston College Eagles this Saturday; a success that bore the hallmark of the true freshman quarterback’s poise. The moment of glory was attributed to Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele for putting his last-minute magic to seal an elusive away victory for Cal (4-1, 1-0 ACC).
Trailing into the final four minutes of their contest after a go-ahead 71-yard touchdown run from BC’s Turbo Richard, Sagapolutele lifted the Golden Bears offense onto an even higher rung. Down to just 1:30 on the clock, the freshman quarterback found tight end Mason Mini deep for a 51-yard touchdown hit. Rolling out and improvising after the play broke down, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele lofted a deep pass that Mini hauled in for the game-winning score.
“It’s just what he’s all about,” said Cal coach Justin Wilcox when asked about the quarterback’s spirit. He added, “That’s how poised he is. For a freshman to go out and make the plays he’s made throughout the year and the throws he’s made is really impressive.”
Sagapolutele completed the day as the team’s quarterback, making 22 of 34 attempt for 254 yards and recording one touchdown pass. His toughness was especially highlighted because Cal had already fallen to an early and wide score of 14-0.
Boston College (1-3, 0-2 ACC) orchestrated one last effort, pushing forward to the Golden Bears’ 5-yard line. But the comeback effort turned awry for BC as Cal defender Luke Ferrelli intercepted a pass within the end zone and secured victory for California at 28-24, leaving just 15 seconds on the clock.
Running back Turbo Richard was a highlight for the Eagles, rushing for 171 yards on 15 attempts. However, quarterback Dylan Lonergan struggled for connectivity when most needed, throwing two critical interceptions. BC coach Bill O’Brien lamented the breakdown in the final minutes, saying, “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.”
Thus, the Golden Bears are buoyed into welcoming Duke, while the Eagles would cross the next hurdle at Pittsburgh.
