TEAM NOTES
BYU defeated U.C. Berkeley 42-35 at Cal Memorial Stadium. The Cougars are 8-4 on the season and 546-397-26 all time.
Keanu Nelson and Kavika Fonua carried the team and special teams flags, respectively. Former running back Mike Salido (1986-90) carried the alumni flag.
Official attendance for the game was 47,856.
BYU’s 99-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter is the longest of the season and included the longest play from scrimmage this year–an 83-yard touchdown pass from Christian Stewart to Jordan Leslie.
After going 1 for 6 on 3rd downs in the first half, BYU went 6 of 8 over the final two quarters.
Three players registered double-digits in total tackles: Kai Nacua (14), Skye PoVey (11) and Harvey Jackson (10). The last time three players each had at least 10 tackles was in a 2013 win against Boise State.
The BYU defense collectively totaled over 90 tackles for the first time since the 2013 Boise State win, finishing with 94 in the win over Cal.
The 77 combined points is the highest combined score total between BYU and a Pac-12 team in Bronco Mendenhall’s tenure.
PLAYER NOTES
Senior quarterback Christian Stewart threw 23 for 38 with 433 yards and five touchdowns and one interception. It is the second time he has thrown for over 400 yards this season. He finishes the regular season with 22 passing touchdowns and 2,260 passing yards.
Senior running back Paul Lasike’s 1-yard TD run was the first score of the game and his fifth TD on the ground this year. His career-long 28-yard reception set the Cougars up for their fourth TD to tie the game at 28. He ended the game with 63 yards rushing on 12 attempts and a touchdown with 28 yards receiving.
Sophomore receiver Mitchell Juergens went over the century mark in receiving for the first time in his career as he accumulated career highs with 107 yards on seven receptions and two touchdowns. He caught his second touchdown of the season – a 47-yarder – as BYU went up 14-7 in the first quarter.
Senior wide receiver Jordan Leslie ended the game with two touchdowns, 155 yards and five receptions. He caught a career-long 83-yard touchdown pass with 11:49 left in the fourth quarter to put the Cougars up 35-28. It is the longest play from scrimmage this season for BYU. His 38-yard touchdown catch with 2:39 left in the game helped the Cougars regain the lead, 42-35.
Senior defensive back Harvey Jackson recorded a career-high 10 tackles, including a half tackle for loss.
Sophomore defensive back Kai Nacua recorded a career-high and team season-high 14 tackles with nine solo and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Senior defensive back Skye PoVey intercepted Cal on its second drive of the third quarter and returned it 27 yards to the Cal 33-yard line. He ended the game with 11 tackles and two pass breakups in addition to his second interception of the year.
Senior punter Scott Arellano recorded a 47.2 average on four punts with three punts downed inside the 20-yard line and two punts of 50 or more yards.
Junior receiver Devon Blackmon had career highs in receptions and yards with six and 60, respectively.
Sophomore running back Algernon Brown caught a third-down pass from Christian Stewart and ran it into the end zone to tie the game at 21 apiece with 9:12 left in the third quarter. It was Brown’s first-career receiving touchdown. He ended the game with 38 yards rushing and 31 yards receiving.
Freshman linebacker Sione Takitaki came up with his third sack on the season on a Cal third-down attempt from its own 20-yard line early on the second quarter.