Lupoi Records First Career Win After Gritty Performance

Saturday, September 12

Syracuse, N.Y.

12:30 PM

California

1-1 , 1-0

Syracuse

1-1 , 0-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
California	0	7	7	7	21
Syracuse	3	9	6	0	18

Travers Family Head Football Coach Tosh Lupoi celebrated his first career win on Saturday.

Photo by: Max Wood

Lupoi Records First Career Win After Gritty Performance

9/12/2026 7:14 PM | Football

Box Score Postgame Notes

Lopa's 3 Interceptions Fuels 21-18 Victory At Syracuse

By: Steve Kroner

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The California football team assuredly will have prettier wins under Travis Family Head Football Coach Tosh Lupoi, but the Golden Bears might not have many grittier victories than the one they earned at Syracuse on Saturday.

Though Syracuse outgained the Bears by nearly 200 yards and ran 26 more plays, the Bears – especially defensive back Kingston Lopa – made the plays when they mattered most.

Lupoi earned his first win as a college head coach and Cal opened ACC play 1-0 as the Bears outlasted the Orange 21-18.

"No matter what occurred in that game, our guys had that belief," Lupoi said in his postgame news conference. "I'm really proud of our guys' resiliency throughout this game. (It was) a great team win."

Syracuse gained 436 yards on its 86 plays and Cal gained 249 yards on its 60 plays.

The Bears trailed 18-14 with just more than five minutes remaining and Syracuse had a 3rd-and-9 at its 11. Quarterback Steve Angeli lofted a pass over the middle and Lopa grabbed it at the 24 and bolted to the end zone.

Just like that, the Bears were in front 21-18. It was the second of three interceptions in the game for Lopa, a redshirt sophomore who spent the past two seasons at Oregon - learning from Lupoi, who was the Ducks' defensive coordinator.

Lopa became the first Cal player to register three interceptions in a game since Jaylinn Hawkins picked off three passes in the 2018 Cheez-It Bowl.

Lopa is listed at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds. He said people have compared him to Kyle Hamilton, the Baltimore Ravens' Pro Bowl defensive back who's listed at 6-4, 220.

"Kingston is a leader on our defense," Lupoi said. "That's what he does in practice; he consistently attacks the ball. Love seeing a guy get the reward for the work throughout the body of the week."

The Orange still had two more possessions. On the first, Tripp Woody missed a field-goal attempt of 46 yards, his second missed field-goal try of the fourth quarter.

Then with a minute to go and Syracuse at its 47, the Bears put pressure on Angeli and his inaccurate throw was swiped by Lopa, sealing the victory for the Bears.

The Bears recorded three sacks and often harassed Angeli.

Lopa also had an interception in Cal's season-opening loss to UCLA. After the Bruins ran for 277 yards and averaged 8.7 per carry, the Bears held Syracuse to 118 yards rushing and 3.3 per carry.

"One thing that was evident - (Cal) was an improved tackling team from a week ago," Lupoi sad. "That was a huge commitment; the drills we did, the extra preparation and the emphasis on tackling. That showed up tonight."

After Angeli hit Daunte Bacheyie for a 23-yard touchdown, Cal trailed 12-o with 8:50 left in the first half. The Orange had outgained the Bears 199 yards to 35 to that point.

Lupoi noted that his team could have been in much worse shape had the defense not held Syracuse to field goals on two trips into the red zone.

"You could be looking at a 21-0 or 28-0 game," Lupoi said. "Because of those stops, you're sitting at 12."

The game changed after the TD as Solomon Williams stopped Angeli on a two-point-conversion attempt.

Cal responded with a four-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. The key play was a 43-yard connection from Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele to Ian Strong to the Syracuse 33.

Moments later, Sagapolutele found Chase Hendricks for a 14-yard touchdown pass. The Bears closed their deficit to 12-7.

Early in the third quarter, Lopa cut in front of an Angeli pass and motored 53 yards to the Syracuse 29. The Bears converted the turnover into points as Sagapolutele rolled to his left and flipped a 2-yard TD pass to Jordan King. The Bears were on top 14-12.

Sagapolutele finished 21-for-34 for 182 yards and those two scores. His career-opening streak of 200-yard passing games ended at 14, but the Bears did not commit a turnover after committing three against the Bruins.

In the postgame locker room, Cal football general manager/athletic director Ron Rivera gave a game ball to Lupoi.

"It was flattering that Coach Rivera presented a game ball," Lupoi said. "I took that ball and spun it right to the guys. We did this together as an organization."