5 Cal’s pass game dominates the Louisville secondary
Freshman California quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (JKS) had himself a first half for the Golden Bears. He consistently made key plays after key plays, extending drives and finding wide-open holes within the Louisville secondary. He masterfully exposed one of the strong suits of this Louisville team most of the season with his ability to read Ron English’s defense and make the right play. He finished the first half with 15 completions on 22 attempts, 202 passing yards, and one touchdown.
Each play or read was consistently the right one. JKS and Cal wide receiver Jacob De Jesus carved up the secondary all night, with De Jesus finishing with 15 receptions, 155 receiving yards, and one touchdown, which was the winner in overtime. Louisville had absolutely no answer for these two breakout performers, a startling realization for a position group that has been solid for the Cardinals all year long. There are definitely some learning lessons for the Cardinals to take into their final three games, with hopefully better results in the games that follow for the secondary.