Grizzell Leads Bears Past Stanford In 126th Big Game

Saturday, November 18

Stanford, CA

3:30 PM

California

5-6 , 3-5

Stanford

3-8 , 2-7

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
California	7	7	7	6	27
Stanford	3	3	9	0	15

Trond Grizzell had career-highs of seven catches, 136 yards and two touchdowns.

Photo by: Al Sermeno/KLC fotos

11/18/2023 8:43 PM | Football

Box Score Highlights Stats (XML)Stats (PDF)Postgame Notes Postgame Pressers (Mendoza, Miller, Ott, Wilcox, Woodson)

Wide Reciever Catches Two Touchdown Passes As Cal Remains Bowl-Eligible

By: Cal Athletics

STANFORD - It may not have been quite as dramatic as Chase Garbers' game-winning touchdown run in 2019, but Trond Grizzell - a walk-on who had played a grand total of one career snap heading into this season - added "Big Game Hero" to his growing resume on Saturday.

The Cal wide receiver caught two touchdown passes - part of a career-defining performance - and the California football team won its third Big Game in a row with a 27-15 triumph over Stanford at Stanford Stadium.

Grizzell caught scoring passes of 9 and 54 yards and finished with career-highs of seven catches and 136 receiving yards, as the Golden Bears won the Big Game for the fourth time in five years and remained bowl-eligible in the process.

"It was a big day - dare you say, 'Big Game Hero'," Travers Family Head Coach Justin Wilcox said. "He's going to be in the conversation. From a year ago, Trond has made as big a jump as anybody. He cares deeply about football and the team. It matters to him, and it's great to see a guy like that that puts in the work."

Grizzell's touchdown grabs helped the Bears (5-6, 3-5 Pac-12) establish a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter. He also caught a 21-yard pass from quarterback Fernando Mendoza on a 4th-and-7 play in the fourth quarter that helped sustain a game-clinching scoring drive.

"Trond is a special player," said Mendoza, who won his first Big Game as Cal's starting quarterback. "He's a vertical threat, so we had a couple of plays drawn up for him. I regard Trond as one of my best friends. We built amazing chemistry together. So when he's out there, I trust that I know what he's going to do."

Mendoza also set career-highs with 294 passing yards and three touchdowns, while running back Jaydn Ott was a workhorse with 166 rushing yards on a career-high 36 carries. Ott also went over the 2,000-yard rushing mark for his career (2,079).

"There are a lot of people who are part of this game. I've seen grown men on the field crying real tears," Ott said. "It means a lot. I got to see it last year, so I knew coming into this game how much it meant to people. I'm glad we came out on top."

Ott scored on a 1-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter to help Cal build a 21-6 lead, but the Cardinal answered right back with its only touchdown of the game to cut it to 21-12 after a failed two-point conversion. Stanford moved to within 21-15 after a field goal near the end of the third quarter.

The Bears then put together the pivotal drive of the game, marching 75 yards on 13 plays and scoring the game-clinching touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Mendoza to Jeremiah Hunter early in the fourth quarter.

"It's a huge win - obviously for the team's goals but also the Cal community, the players, the student body," Wilcox said. "I don't know there's a better 30 minutes to an hour in the year than when you win the Big Game and retain the Axe. It's a great feeling and I want the guys to enjoy it."

The Bears close out the regular season next Saturday at UCLA at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. Cal will become bowl-eligible with a victory.