Cal is National Team of the Week

November 14, 2018 by Courtesy FWAA

The California Golden Bears rallied from a 14-0 halftime deficit and broke a 14-game losing streak to USC with a 15-14 road win. For winning at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the first time since 2000, and becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2015, Cal (6-4) has earned National Team of the Week honor for games played during the college football week of November 6-10.

The award is sponsored this season by Reveal Suits.

This is the third time for Cal to earn the honor that dates to 2002, but the Golden Bears' first since 2003. The FWAA's All-America Committee selects the weekly winner and all Division I FBS and FCS schools are eligible to be selected.

The game turned when an errant USC snap went into the end zone for a safety, putting Cal on the board at the start of the third quarter. The Bears struck just over a minute later on a 29-yard pass to get within 14-9. A Cal interception on USC's next drive set up the winning score, a five-yard run by quarterback Chase Garbers. The Bears sealed the win by converting a fourth-and-one play at the USC 33-yard line with two minutes remaining.

Cal held USC to 40 total yards in the second half after giving up 237 in the first half. The Bears have allowed only 50 points (12.5 average) in their last four games.

The other National Team of the Week nominees were:

Arizona State (6-4): Manny Wilkins accounted for 259 total yards and three touchdowns to lead the Sun Devils to a 31-28 win over UCLA. This is ASU's first three-game win streak since the start of the 2016 season, and the win marks just the fifth time in school history that the Sun Devils have defeated both USC and UCLA in the same season, following ASU's 38-35 win at The Coliseum earlier this season. This was their third nomination in as many weeks.

Northwestern (6-4): The Wildcats won the Big Ten West Division title for the first time in program history with a 14-10 win at Iowa. Northwestern is 6-1 in Big Ten play for the first time since 1996, has won 10 straight games against Big Ten West foes, has won seven straight games on the road, and has won 12 of its last 13 Big Ten games. Isaiah Bowser posted his third career 100-yard game with 31 carries for a career-high 165 yards for the Wildcats.

Tennessee (5-5): The Volunteers extended their dominance over Kentucky at Neyland Stadium to 17 straight games, taking a 24-7 win over the Wildcats in front of 95,258 fans. Tennessee led 17-0 at the half and scored 24 points against a defense that was eighth nationally, allowing only 15.3 points per game. The Vols defense also surrendered the fewest points to an SEC opponent since 2008. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jarrett Guarantano completed 12 of 20 passes for 197 yards and two scores.

UAB (9-1): Spencer Brown scored on a 17-yard touchdown run in overtime to give UAB a 26-23 win over Southern Miss and its first Conference USA West Division title. UAB held Southern Miss to 29 yards of total offense after halftime while also breaking the school record for sacks in a single season with seven on the night and now 38 on the season. Mar'Sean Diggs intercepted a Southern Miss pass in the end zone with seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime. The Blazers have won eight straight, and 12 straight at Legion Field since resuming the program in 2017.

UNLV (3-7): The Rebels snapped a nine-game losing streak at San Diego State with a come-from-behind 27-24 win. Running back Lexington Thomas broke loose on a 75-yard touchdown run with four minutes left for the winning score. The second of two UNLV interceptions moments later sealed the game.