Freshman QB Sagapolutele Leads Cal Past Minnesota for Third Straight Win

BERKELEY, CA — Freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele tossed three touchdown passes as California defeated Minnesota 27-14 on Saturday night, giving the Golden Bears a 3-0 start to the season.

“It was a big win for us,” Sagapolutele said. “We knew it would be a test. We prepared all week, and the guys were fired up. We came out swinging—much better than last week.”

After two comfortable wins to open the season, Cal faced its toughest challenge yet against a Big Ten opponent. But Sagapolutele once again showed poise beyond his years, completing 24 of 38 passes for 279 yards and three short touchdown throws.

Minnesota (2-1) kept the game close until late in the fourth quarter when special teams errors proved costly. Brady Denaburg missed a potential game-tying 51-yard field goal with under 10 minutes left, and on the next Gophers possession, Koi Perich muffed a punt at his own 8-yard line.

Cal quickly capitalized, as Sagapolutele connected with Jordan King on a 2-yard touchdown to extend the Bears’ lead to 24-14 with 6:55 remaining.

Sagapolutele got the Bears on the board early with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jacob De Jesus in the first quarter. Minnesota responded just before halftime with a 1-yard touchdown run by Cam Davis, but Cal managed to retake the lead before the break. The Bears drove 48 yards in the final seconds of the half, setting up a 45-yard field goal by Abram Murray to go into the locker room up 10-7.

Both teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter. Minnesota briefly took the lead on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Drake Lindsey to Jameson Geers. Cal answered with a 9-yard scoring strike from Sagapolutele to Mason Mini, giving the Bears a 17-14 advantage heading into the fourth.

The Gophers, who cruised in wins over Buffalo and Northwestern State, struggled without star running back Darius Taylor, sidelined with a leg injury.

The victory marks Cal’s second consecutive 3-0 start and the fifth such start in nine seasons under head coach Justin Wilcox. The Bears will now aim to sustain this early momentum as they seek their first winning season since 2019.

Up Next
Minnesota: Hosts Rutgers on Sept. 27 to open Big Ten play.
California: Travels to San Diego State on Saturday night.