Cal-North Carolina Postgame Notes
Patrick Laird Scored Twice on Saturday

FB9/1/2018 4:50 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Cal-North Carolina Postgame Notes

  • California won its fifth consecutive season opener with a 24-17 victory over North Carolina, and is now 78-42-2 all-time in season openers including a 12-3 mark since 2004.
  • Today's game marked the second meeting between Cal and North Carolina with Cal now leading the all-time series, 2-0, including a 35-30 victory in Chapel Hill in the 2017 season opener.
  • The Bears improved to 5-2-1 all-time vs. the ACC.
  • Cal used three quarterbacks (Ross Bowers, Chase Garbers and Brandon McIlwain) in the same game for the first time since 2014 vs. Sacramento State – Jared Goff, Luke Rubenzer and Austin Hinder.
  • Garbers made his debut in the first quarter, and led the Bears on their first scoring drive of the season (Patrick Laird three-yd TD run) after the first of two interceptions by Jaylinn Hawkins. Garbers threw his first career touchdown pass of four yards to Laird in the third quarter.
  • McIlwain made his Cal debut in the second quarter.
  • Cal collected three first-half interceptions and finished with a total four. Hawkins came up with his second and career interceptions in the second and fourth quarters (Ole Miss, 2017) for his first career multi-interception game. The last time a Cal player intercepted two passes in a game was Camryn Bynum vs. Washington State in 2017.
  • Cameron Goode had an interception and returned it for a career-long 38-yard touchdown. It was his second career interception, both returned for touchdowns after he brought one back for 32 yards against Ole Miss in 2017)
  • Ashtyn Davis recorded Cal's third interception of the day in the second quarter. It was the second of his career (Arizona, 2017). He also notched his fourth career pass breakup in the third quarter.
  • Bynum registered a career-high and game-high four pass breakups.
  • Cal scored 14 points off of turnovers, and finished with a plus-four turnover margin (4-0). The turnover margin, takeaways and turnovers allowed were all Cal's best since a 7-0 turnover margin against Washington State in 2017.
  • Cal led at halftime, 17-0. The previous biggest halftime lead in the Justin Wilcox era was 17-3 vs. Washington State in 2017. This was also the first halftime shutout in the Wilcox era.
  • UNC went seven drives without earning a first down. Five of those drives were three-and-outs and two ended with turnovers. The Tar Heels earned their first first down on their eighth drive, but threw their third interception of the game on the next play.
  • Laird logged 95 rushing yards on 29 carries with one rushing touchdown. It was Laird's 10th career rushing touchdown after collecting eight in 2017 and one in 2015. In the third quarter, Laird hauled in his second career receiving TD, marking his first career game with both a rushing and a receiving TD.
  • Bynum reistered a career-high and game-high four pass breakups
  • Evan Weaver set a new career high with his game-high 13 tackles.
  • Making his collegiate debut, placekicker Greg Thomas was good on 1-of-2 field goal attempts and made both of his extra-point tries. Thomas was good on his first career attempt from 35 yards in the second quarter before missing from 47 yards in the third period.
  • Addison Ooms has now started the last 25 consecutive games, the only member of the Cal offense to do so.
  • Both teams were 4-for-17 on third downs.
  • Tevin Paul made his first career start
  • 13 Golden Bears participated in first game for Cal Saturday in Chigozie Anusiem, Christopher Brown Jr., Ian Bunting, Colt Doughty, Garbers, Chris Landgrebe, McIlwain, Ben Moos, Joseph Ogunbanjo, Branden Smith, Thomas, Moe Ways and Deon White
  • Today's attendance was 42,168.
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