Offense sputters as BYU falls to Cal in home opener

Provo, Utah— Well, that was deflating.

After a promising season opening victory versus Arizona, BYU fell 21-18 to Cal Saturday night. BYU’s defense came up with three second half turnovers, including a scoop and score, but the offense didn’t return the favor as Cal shut down the BYU offense in the second half.

After BYU controlled the clock and the ran the ball nicely in the first half, Cal loaded the box in the second half and dared Tanner Mangum to beat them with his arm. BYU responded with multiple three-and-outs and picks on consecutive drives before a late TD in the final minute gave BYU a onside kick chance.

BYU had a couple solid drives in the first half, but a lack of big plays made getting into the red zone difficult. For the night, BYU finished with 287 yards of offense and gave up 398 yards to Cal. BYU won the turnover battle 3-2, but the offense couldn’t convert either of their two chances into points.

BYU next travels to Wisconsin on Saturday to face the fifth-ranked Badgers.