TV: ESPN – Jason Benetti (Play-By-Play), Kelly Stouffer (Analyst), Olivia Harlan Dekker (Sideline)
ESPN Radio:  Kevin Brown (Play-By-Play), Andre Ware (Analyst), Shelley Smith (Sideline)
*Cal Radio: KGO 810 AM – Joe Starkey (Play-By-Play), Mike Pawlawski (Analyst), Todd McKim (Sideline)  *Also available on the Cal Bears Sports Network Powered by Learfield, tunein.com and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (Sirius 108, XM 197, Internet 959)
Radio: KALX 90.7 FM – Jesse Ough (Play-By-Play), Nash Soliman (Analyst)

Cal will play in its first bowl game since 2015 when the Golden Bears clash with TCU for the first time in school history at the Cheez-It Bowl. 
This is Cal's third appearance in the bowl game now known as the Cheez-It Bowl. The Bears defeated Wyoming in the 1990 Copper Bowl and Virginia Tech in the 2003 Insight Bowl with the latter also taking place at Chase Field. 
Cal is 11-10-1 all-time in bowl games, most recently defeating Air Force, 55-36, in the 2015 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. The last time Cal played in a Pac-12 affiliated bowl game was in 2011 when the Bears faced Texas in the Holiday Bowl.      
Justin Wilcox has signed a new five-year contract at Cal through the 2023 season. 
Jordan Kunaszyk and Evan Weaver lead all FBS duos in solo tackles per game (13.3) and all Power 5 duos in total tackles per game (23.0). Both have won numerous honors highlighted by second-team All-America recognition with Kunaszyk being selected by Sports Illustrated and Weaver by Pro Football Focus. 
Burlsworth Trophy finalist Patrick Laird needs 68 rushing yards in the Cheez-It Bowl to become the third player in Cal history to rush for 1000 yards in multiple seasons (Marshawn Lynch, Russell White). Laird rushed for 1127 yards in 2017.

Shut-Down Defense
Cal has held opponents to 24 points or less in the last six games (four wins) with a total of 94 points allowed (15.7 ppg) in those contests. 
Cal started the six-game stretch by holding four consecutive opponents to less than 20 points (50 total, 12.5 ppg) for the first time since five consecutive opponents scored under 20 points spanning the final three games of 2008 and first two of 2009.
Cal has held five of its last six opponents to 100 yards or less rushing, including a season-low 79 at Washington State. The Bears have held opponents to 100 yards or less rushing six times this season for the first time since 2010. 
Cal has held its opponents to under 300 yards of total offense five times, including a season-low 241 total yards against Oregon State – the lowest ever under head coach Justin Wilcox and the least by a Cal defense since giving up 224 against Washington State in 2011.
Cal has allowed its opponents to score on only 38-of-162 drives (19.0%). 
The Bears have held opponents to under 200 passing yards in nine of 12 games this season, six of the last eight, including a season-low 137 against North Carolina. 

Dynamic Duo At Inside Linebacker
Evan Weaver and Jordan Kunaszyk are Cal's leading tacklers this season with 143 for Weaver and 133 for Kunaszyk. The duo's 276 tackles are the most ever recorded by a Cal duo in school single-season history. 
Weaver's tackles rank fourth in school single-season history while Kunaszyk's rank tied for eighth. Kunaszyk's 258 career tackles are tied for 10th on Cal's career tackles list while Weaver has 214.
The last time Cal had multiple players with 100 or more tackles was in 2007 (Thomas DeCoud 116, Worrell Williams 105, Anthony Felder 101). 
Both Kunaszyk (Sports Illustrated) and Weaver (Pro Football Focus) have earned second-team All-American and multiple All-Pac-12 honors with detailed info on page 10.
Weaver and Kunaszyk lead all Power 5 duos in total tackles per game (23.0), which is also second among all FBS duos. Their combined average of 13.3 solo tackles per game leads all FBS duos.
Kunaszyk is third in the nation in solo tackles per game (6.9), while Weaver is tied for fifth (6.4). Weaver is eighth in total tackles (11.9) and on pace for 155 over a 13-game season, which would be the most since David Ortega  had 159 in 1989. Kunaszyk is 12th in nationally in total tackles (11.1).
Weaver notched nine and Kunaszyk eight double-digit tackles games in 2018 while combining for over a third of Cal's tackles (34.3%, 276-of-804).
Weaver has added 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions that he has returned 47 yards and a touchdown, six pass breakups and one quarterback hurry. Kunaszyk also has a team-high 11.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, three pass breakups, two quarterback hurries, one fumble recovery and five forced fumbles.
Weaver garnered Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 29 after collecting 11 tackles and returning his first career interception for his first touchdown against Washington.
Kunaszyk boasted a career-best 22 tackles vs. UCLA, which equaled the most by a Cal player since Jerrott Willard collected 22 against USC in 1993. 
Kunaszyk is tied for first nationally and first in the Pac-12 in forced fumbles (5) and forced fumbles per contest (0.42).   
Weaver has other career numbers of 13.0 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, two interceptions and eight pass breakups. Kunaszyk has 18.0 TFL, 7.5 sacks, three interceptions, three pass breakups, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. 

Wilcox Signs New Contract 
Cal announced on December 6 that head coach Justin Wilcox has signed a new five-year contract through the 2023 season. The new package extends an additional two seasons from Wilcox's original agreement signed in 2017 and includes increased compensation, as well as a larger assistant coach salary pool designed to aid with recruitment and retention of the football staff.

Patrick Laird Closing In On Second 1,000-Yard Campaign
Patrick Laird is the Bears' leading rusher in 2018 with a career-high 216 carries for 932 yards and five touchdowns (all team highs), while his 50 receptions and four receiving TDs are tied for the team lead. Against Stanford, Laird set Cal's single-season record for receptions by a running back in a season, surpassing Paul Jones' 49 in 1979. He has 98 career receptions for 611 yards and five TDs.
Laird has an opportunity to become only the third two-time 1000-yard rusher in Cal history with the others Russell White (3) and Marshawn Lynch (2), needing another 68 yards in 2018 to accomplish the feat.  
Laird eclipsed the 2000-yard career rushing mark against Colorado and now has 2124 rushing yards in his career.
Laird rushed for 116 yards vs, Stanford, his seventh career 100-yard rushing performance and second of 2018 (193 at Oregon State). His 62-yard run vs. the Cardinal is Cal's longest play from scrimmage this season and the second longest of his career (73 vs. Weber State, 2017). He became the first Cal running back to rush for 100 yards in the Big Game in back-to-back seasons since Marshawn Lynch in 2004 and 2005.
Laird scored three touchdowns for the second time in his career at Oregon State (two rushing and one receiving). It was the second time in his career that he has scored a rushing and a receiving TD in the same game (North Carolina, 2018). 
Laird has caught at least one pass in each the last 23 games he has played in during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

Davis Does It All
Ashtyn Davis ranks tied for first in the Pac-12 in interceptions (4) and interceptions per game (0.33), checking in at tied for 13th and tied for 15th nationally, respectively.
In addition to starting all 12 games at one safety position, Davis is Cal's primary kick returner and currently stands second in the Pac-12 and 16th in the nation in yards per kick return (26.2). His 629 combined kick return yards rank first in the Pac-12 and 20th in the nation.
Davis was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 26 after securing two interceptions for the first time in his career and returning one for his first career pick-six two days earlier against Colorado. He was also tabbed on the Pro Football Focus National Defensive Team of the Week.  
Davis had his first kick return for a touchdown for 89 yards vs. Idaho State and ranks tied for first in the Pac-12 and tied for sixth in the nation with his one kick return TD. He also rattled off a 55-yard kickoff return against Washington, the second longest of his career. 
Davis shared the nation's lead in kick returns in 2017 with 39 while ranking ninth in kick return yards (826) and 14th in combined kick return yards (826). His total kick returns and kick return yards in 2017 both rank third in Cal's single-season history. 
Davis has 63 career kick returns for 1455 yards and an average of 23.1.

Bynum's Break Ups
Camryn Bynum paces the Bears with nine pass breakups this season, including a career-high four vs. North Carolina. He is also Cal's active career leader with 17.
Cal's 44 pass breakups in 2018 are the most since the Bears posted 50 in 2011.  

Taking It To The House
Cal intercepted three passes against Colorado, returning two for touchdowns. Ashtyn Davis garnered two interceptions for the first time in his career, returning the first for a touchdown. Elijah Hicks returned his interception on the opening drive of the game for a score, which was also the first pick-six of his career and Cal's quickest score to start a game in 2018. 
Davis and Hicks are two of five Bears to have defensive touchdowns this season – Cameron Goode (North Carolina), Josh Drayden (Oregon State) and Evan Weaver (Washington). 
Cal has forced at least one turnover in 11 games this season. 
Davis ranks tied for first in the Pac-12 and tied for 13th nationally in interceptions with four. His 0.30 interceptions per game is tied for 15th. 
The Bears rank first in the Pac-12 and tied for fourth nationally in defensive touchdowns with five, all interceptions.
The Bears now boast 17 interceptions on the season, which are tied for fifth nationally and the most since Cal had 24 in 2008. 

Bowl History
Cal became bowl eligible with its 15-14 victory at USC on Nov. 10. The Bears are bowl eligible for the first time since 2015 when they defeated Air Force in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, 55-36. Thirty players on the 2018 roster were also on the roster in 2015, while seven played in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl – Ray Hudson, Malik McMorris, Patrick Mekari, Kanawai Noa, Evan Rambo, Matt Rockett and Tre Turner III. 
The last time Cal played in a Pac-12 affiliated bowl game was in the 2011 when the Bears were defeated 21-10 by Texas in the Holiday Bowl.
Cal owns an all-time bowl record of 11-10-1. From 2003-11, Cal played in a bowl each year except 2010, compiling a record of 5-3. The Bears have played in the affiliated Cheez-It Bowl twice at the 1990 Copper Bowl vs. Wyoming (W, 17-15, Arizona Stadium, Tucson) and in 2003 at the Insight Bowl vs. Virginia Tech (W, 52-49, Chase Field, then known as Bank One Ballpark).