Arizona State Football: 3 takeaways from Pac-12 takedown of Cal

After losing their starting quarterback, Cal was unable to keep pace with Arizona State football. Here are three things we learned from the win.

The Friday-night showdown between Cal and Arizona State in Berkeley offered a key interdivisional test between Pac-12 hopefuls. Through the first half, spectators were treated to a tight defensive battle as the two teams remained deadlocked on the scoreboard.

That trend continued in the second half, as the score remained close to the final whistle. Even as the Golden Bears suffered a key injury that caused their offense to sputter, a stingy defense allowed the hosts to remain in the game.

Christian Zendejas missed two field goals in the first half, but he finally connected late in the fourth quarter as Arizona State pulled away for a 24-17 victory. The defeat eliminated Cal from the rapidly-dwindling list of unbeaten teams around the country, and now the Pac-12 will have to depend on one of its one-loss teams to try to break back into the College Football Playoff.

Justin Wilcox and the Cal coaching staff now has an even taller task ahead of them as they prepare for next week’s trip to Eugene to face Oregon. Arizona State, on the other hand, inserted itself right back into the discussion in the Pac-12 South race.

Often it is foolish to read too much into one loss, but there were some unsettling issues that will not be easily papered over. Keep reading for three takeaways from the Pac-12 After Dark craziness from the Bay Area.