Bears Fail To Finish Off Comeback At UNLV

Saturday, October 3

Las Vegas, Nev.

12:30 PM

California

2-3 , 1-1

UNLV

3-2 , 1-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
California	7	0	11	13	31
UNLV	7	17	0	15	39

Tight end Taimane Purcell caught a 91-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.

Photo by: Max Wood/Cal Football

10/3/2026 4:44 PM | Football

Box Score Postgame Notes

Cal Falls To Rebels, 39-31

By: Cal Athletics

LAS VEGAS – Down by 17 points late in the third quarter, the California football team responded to take a fourth-quarter lead before UNLV regained control Saturday afternoon.

Behind the running and passing of Rebels quarterback Jackson Arnold, the Rebels knocked off the Bears, 39-31.

UNLV led 24-7 late in the third quarter before Cal mounted its rally.

"The fact that those guys came out there (after) halftime after a really poor performance and to fight like they did, it was awesome," Travers Family Head Football coach Tosh Lupoi said. "And it told me I've got a team (that) still believes in me as I believe in them."

Junior quarterback Jackson Brousseau, a transfer from Colorado State who subbed in after Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was injured late in the first half, found Carson Perry-Smith out of the backfield wide open in the left flat on 3rd-and-5 from the Cal 47. Perry-Smith made the catch at the UNLV 40 and motored to the end zone. Brousseau hit Cooper Perry for a two-point conversion and the Bears had cut the deficit to 24-15.

Cal got a break on the ensuing kickoff when the Rebels' Peyton Zachary bumped into a teammate and fumbled. Cal's Niles Davis recovered the loose ball at the UNLV 16. The Bears converted that turnover into three points as Towns McGough nailed a 38-yard field-goal attempt, and Cal had closed the deficit to 24-18.

The Bears went in front early in the fourth quarter, moving.46 yards in four plays. Brousseau and Perry had a key 21-yard connection, and Ashten Emory capped the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run to give Cal a 25-24 lead.

UNLV answered on its ensuing possession, going 80 yards in five plays. Arnold had a 42-yard run on the drive and put the Rebels ahead to stay with a 10-yard TD pass to Keyan Burnett. After a two-point conversion, UNLV (3-2) was back up 32-25.

Arnold, who passed for 177 yards and ran for 110, put the game effectively out of reach with a 2-yard burst up the middle with 3:25 left.

Cal did get one more TD on Brousseau's 10-yard pass to Ian Strong with 28 seconds remaining.

For the game, Brousseau completed 19 of 32 passes for 200 yards with two scores and no interceptions.

"It was an inspiring performance to have our backup quarterback come in and do what he did, lead the team," Lupoi said.

The Bears (2-3) got on the board first. On 1st-and-10 from the Cal 9, Sagapolutele connected with tight end Taimane Purcell on the right sideline near the Bears' 25. The freshman broke one tackle and was gone. With 11:30 left in the first quarter, Cal led 7-0.

Lupoi said Sagapolutele was medically cleared to return to the game in the second half, but Lupoi opted to take a prudent approach.

"I personally just was not comfortable the way he came off the field, literally wobbling," Lupoi said. "I was not going to jeopardize him. Much more important than any game (are) his health, his life, his career."

The 91-yard touchdown accounted for the second-longest pass play in Cal history. The longest was a 92-yarder from Jared Goff to Daniel Lasco in the Bears' 59-56 double-overtime win over Colorado on Sept. 27, 2014.

The Bears are back home next Saturday for their homecoming game against Virginia Tech. The game begins at 12:30 p.m. at Databricks Field At California Memorial Stadium and will air either on ESPN2 or the ACC Network.