Austin’s late-game heroics enable Cal to hold off Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels, 21-18

BERKELEY Cal s football season seemed ready to take a turn for the worse late Friday night when defensive back Brent Paco Austin came to the rescue The senior transfer from South Florida punched the ball out of the grasp of North Carolina wide receiver Nathan Leacock just before he was ready to cross the goal line for what would have been a -yard scoring play Austin then recovered the fumble in the end zone with left helping to preserve a - triumph for the Golden Bears The Bears struggled offensively much of the challenge played before at Memorial Stadium and whatever portion of an ESPN audience remained awake before the contest ended at a m Eastern time UNC got one last offensive play and tried a series of laterals to keep the play alive from its own -yard line before the desperation try ended Cal escaped with its triumph over coach Bill Belichick s Tar Heels and improved to - overall - in the ACC The Bears hadn t opened a season - since The Heels who played more competitively than they had in three previous losses fell to - - in conference games Cal scored less than minutes into the tournament after Carolina turned the ball over on its first play of the night The Bears labored much of the rest of the evening Freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele knocked around a couple times finished for for yards He threw a touchdown and ran for one and had no turnovers after being intercepted six times in the Bears previous three games Slot receiver Jacob De Jesus caught passes for yards and a touchdown Running back Kendrick Raphael ran for yards on carries with a touchdown The Bears hurt themselves with nine penalties totaling yards but won the turnover battle - Jacob De Jesus of the California Golden Bears scores a touchdown during the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at California Memorial Stadium on Oct in Berkeley California Photo by Thien-An Truong Getty Images Cal stretched its four-point halftime lead to - when Raphael piled over from the -yard line capping an -play -yard drive that opened the third quarter Carolina matched that with its own -play -yard scoring drive that was aided by unsportsmanlike and defensive holding penalties against the Bears Davion Gause scored on a -yard pitch and run around right end with left in the fourth and Geo Lopez passed to Benjamin Hall for a accomplished two-point conversion pulling UNC within - Cal took a - lead barely minutes into the encounter thanks to a turnover on Carolina s first play from scrimmage Defensive back Cam Sidney got the ball for the Bears by forcing and recovering a fumble at the Related Articles What to know before Cal kicks off vs Bill Belichick and North Carolina The Bill Belichick accident tour provides Cal football weird wonderful opportunity Cal fizzles after hot start as Duke sends Bears to a humbling - loss at home The Cal Bears are - but here is how they can be better Cal holds on for thrilling win over Boston College after Sagapolutele s late TD pass After Raphael ran it three times to the -yard line Sagapolutele scored on a -yard keeper around left and with left in the quarter But the Cal offense struggled to find any rhythm for much of the half and the Tar Heels pulled even at - on the strength of a four-play -yard drive Running back Hall got the TD on an -yard dash knotting the tally with left in the opening period The Bears answered forthwith with their only sustained drive of the half going yards in plays Sagapolutele connected with slot receiver De Jesus four times for yards including the final yards for the touchdown with to play in the quarter The second quarter was nearly a wash with the Heels accounting for the only points on a -yard field goal by Rece Verhoff with before intermission Each crew punted five times in the half and there were three punts in the final before halftime in the end mercifully arrived