California storms past Texas Southern 35-3, led by Raphael's stellar performance
California Bears Dominate Texas Southern Tigers in 35-3 Victory
In a one-sided affair, the California Bears defeated the Texas Southern Tigers by a score of 35-3. This was a significant victory for the Bears, as it marked the first time since October 23, 2021, that they have not allowed a touchdown.
The first half of the game was a defensive battle, with the Bears leading 10-0 at halftime. Abram Murray kicked a 44-yard field goal for California, while Kendrick Raphael, a junior transfer from North Carolina State, ran for a career-high 131 yards and a touchdown for the Bears. Raphael averaged 7.3 yards per carry against Texas Southern, a notable improvement over his career average.
Texas Southern struggled on offense, going 3 of 14 on third downs in the game. KJ Cooper, the Tigers' quarterback, made some nice plays running and scrambling, but the offense lacked rhythm. The Bears' defense spent much of the afternoon in Texas Southern's backfield, creating havoc and limiting the Tigers to 194 yards of offense.
California's secondary broke up numerous pass attempts in the game, showcasing their strong defensive performance. L.J. Johnson Jr. also contributed to the Bears' offense with a 12-yard touchdown run.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, California's true freshman quarterback, passed for 259 yards with one interception and scored a touchdown. This was Sagapolutele's first start for the Bears, and he showed promise in leading the team to a convincing victory.
California coach Justin Wilcox stated that there are areas for improvement on defense, despite the dominant performance. The Bears will look to build on this victory as they face Minnesota at home on Saturday.
Texas Southern, on the other hand, will look to bounce back from this loss as they face Lamar University on Saturday. Despite the lopsided score, the Tigers can take solace in the fact that they were able to score a field goal in the fourth quarter, courtesy of Christian Avelar's 39-yard kick. However, they will need to address their offensive struggles if they hope to compete against their upcoming opponents.
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