Cal’s offense did something few expected in the second half against UNLV: it suddenly looked alive with backup quarterback Jackson Brousseau running the show.
That doesn’t mean the Bears are better offensively with Brousseau than with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. Sagapolutele showed his talent during his freshman season in 2025, and he is expected back as Cal’s starter against Virginia Tech on Saturday if he has recovered enough from the head injury he suffered in the second quarter of Cal’s 39-31 loss.
Brousseau’s path to this moment was hardly the stuff of a preseason depth-chart favorite. He started last season as a backup at Colorado State, then made eight starts for a Rams team that finished 2-10. He wasn’t even named Cal’s No. 2 quarterback until late in preseason camp.
That’s why the way the Bears’ offense responded after he entered against UNLV was so strange.
Over the previous five halves, counting everything except the game against overmatched FCS opponent Wagner, Cal had scored just 21 points with Sagapolutele at quarterback. Then Brousseau came in and the Bears put up 24 points in one half, looking far more comfortable along the way. Cal even moved ahead 25-24 after being down 24-7 at halftime, though UNLV rallied to win.
There are a few possible reasons for the change in tempo and production.
One is the simple jolt that often comes when a new quarterback takes over. Defenses can be caught off guard by the different look, while the offense gets a mental reset and a fresh burst of energy.
Another factor may have been the timing of Brousseau’s first snaps. He entered with less than a minute left in the first half, right as Cal was in its two-minute hurry-up package.
He completed three quick passes while UNLV sat in a soft defense and allowed short throws. That sequence may have helped him settle in and gave the offense some rhythm before halftime.
The second-half swing also got a push from the other side of the ball and from special teams. Cal opened the half with a successful onside kick, and even though the Bears didn’t score on that drive, it clearly provided a spark.
Then UNLV helped Cal out with a defensive bust, leaving Carson Perry-Smith wide open for a 53-yard touchdown that cut the margin to 24-15. Right after that, the Rebels fumbled on the kickoff, giving Cal the ball at the 16-yard line and setting up a field goal.
A poor UNLV punt later in the fourth quarter handed Cal the ball at the Rebels’ 46 with the Bears down six, and Cal cashed that in for the go-ahead touchdown.
UNLV’s defense also softened late. The Rebels were playing contain when they led by 14 points in the final minute, and Cal scored again on its last touchdown.
The Bears also found a running threat they had not had in the first half. Third-team back Ashten Emory gave the offense some juice early in the third quarter, rushing for 35 yards on five carries in the first 10 minutes.
He finished the second half with 44 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on seven carries. That mattered because Cal had managed only 26 rushing yards in the entire first half, and leading rusher Adam Mohammed was out after an injury the previous week.
It’s also possible Cal’s coaches adjusted the game plan to fit Brousseau better, and that the changes paid off.
The backup finished 19-for-32 for 200 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, good for a 132.5 passer rating. By any standard, it was a strong outing.
"Just an awesome job by him," Cal coach Tosh Lupoi said afterword
Whatever the explanation, Cal now knows it has a dependable backup if it needs one again. The bigger question is whether the Bears’ coaches can take what worked against UNLV and build on it, and whether that momentum can carry into the next game.
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Cals first look under new coach Tosh Lupoi came with some real energy, especially after the Bears unveiled a new offense and battled back against UNLV before falling 39-31. The second-half push gave the afternoon some bite, with backup quarterback Jackson Brousseau helping spark the rally, but the early-season opener still left Cal searching for cleaner execution and a better finish as the new staff gets its footing.
The bigger concern, though, was what happened to the lineup along the way. Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and safety Kingston Lopa both left with injuries, turning what had been a promising debut into a far more complicated day for a team trying to establish momentum. Lupoi now has to sort out not just what worked against UNLV, but how quickly Cal can recover if those absences linger. [Read more 🡒]
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The Bears even pulled in front briefly in the fourth quarter before the Rebels answered and regained control, turning a winnable game into a frustrating one for Cal. By the time UNLV was protecting a 39-31 lead late, the Bears were left trying to recover from too many self-inflicted swings and too few stops when they needed them most. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Heads Home With A Bigger Question Than The UNLV Loss
California left Las Vegas with a loss, but the bigger immediate concern was what happened under center. After starter Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele went down, the Bears turned to backup Jackson Brousseau and suddenly had enough offense to make things interesting late in a 39-31 defeat to UNLV, a game in which the Rebels got a strong dual-threat effort from quarterback Jackson Arnold.
Brousseau helped fuel the rally and gave Cal something to build on as it heads home to face Virginia Tech, but the quarterback situation is still the story hanging over the Bears. Sagapoluteles injury changed the feel of the night, and how Cal handles that spot going forward will loom larger than the result itself if the starters status becomes a concern again. [Read more 🡒]