California has tied their win record from last season, when they went 1-11. California quarterback Jared Goff threw for 281 yards and 3 touchdowns, Jalen Jefferson pulled in an interception, and Cal survived a late rally by Northwestern.
Cal was clicking right from the start, going 79 yards for a touchdown on the game's opening possession. Goff would then throw a 7-yard touchdown to Kenny Lawler to give the Golden Bears a 14-0 lead.
While leading 31-7, it seemed Cal had the game in the bag. That was not the case. Northwestern went on to score twice in a span of 25 seconds. Justin Jackson scored on a 7-yard run and Trevor Siemian hauled in a 17-yard pass for a touchdown.
As a true freshman, Goff threw for 3,500 yards last season. He went 21 of 34 with 3 touchdowns and an interception against the Wildcats on Saturday.
Cal's up-tempo offense will hopefully continue to work moving forward. It proved to be too much to handle for Northwestern, but the Pac-12 has increasing speed offensively and defensively, so it will be a real test when they play.
Trevor Davis led the Cal receivers with 3 catches for 93 yards and a touchdown.
Northwestern's Trevor Siemian threw for 229 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions on 23 of 43 passing. Tony Jones led Northwestern in receiving with 7 catches for 64 yards. Cameron Dickerson caught 2 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Northwestern struggled to run the ball without Venric Mark. Justin Jackson led the team with 8 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown. Treyvon Green had 13 carries for 37 yards.
California will face FCS Sacramento State next week for a chance to double their win total from a year ago. Northwestern has a tough game against Northern Illinois.