BERKELEY, Ca. – J’Mari Taylor ran for two touchdowns and No. 15 Virginia extended its winning streak to seven straight games for the first time since 2007 by beating California 31-21 on Saturday.
Taylor scored on two of the first three drives of the game for the Cavaliers (8-1, 5-0 ACC) in their first meeting with the Golden Bears (5-4, 2-3).
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Virginia held on from there, getting a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown by Kam Robinson with 34 seconds left to seal its first win as a top-15 team since 2004.
Kendrick Raphael scored three TDs for the Bears, who have lost 14 straight games against ranked opponents since beating No. 21 Oregon in 2020.
Cal had gotten back into the game with a trick play midway through the third quarter. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw a lateral to tight end Mason Mini, who then passed to Raphael open down the field for a 42-yard score that cut Virginia’s lead to 17-14.
But Chandler Morris and the Cavaliers responded with a 75-yard drive capped by Eli Wood’s 3-yard touchdown run.
Raphael scored again on a 1-yard run after a shanked punt gave Cal the ball at the Virginia 25, making it a three-point game early in the fourth quarter.
The Bears failed to move the ball on their next two drives and then Sagapolutele’s late interception ended any comeback hopes.
Virginia: After two overtime wins and two more wins by a combined three points in the past four games, the Cavaliers had a slightly easier time of it against Cal. They could have won by even more if not for Will Bettridge missing a 48-yard field goal on the final play of the first half and a fake field goal getting stopped on the opening possession of the third quarter.
California: After getting off to a promising 5-2 start, the Bears have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season and now need one win in the final three games - including tough matchups against No. 16 Louisville and SMU - just to get bowl-eligible.
Virginia: Hosts Wake Forest on Saturday.
California: Visits Louisville on Saturday.