Goff Leads Cal To Armed Forces Bowl Win

FORT WORTH, Texas — If this was it for Cal quarterback Jared Goff, he went out in style.

Goff threw six touchdown passes in what could be his final collegiate game, leading the Bears past Air Force 55-36 in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Tuesday afternoon.

After the game, as Goff was accepting the bowl’s MVP award, chants of “One more year!” rained down from Cal fans in the stands.

“I was chanting that, too,” Bears coach Sonny Dykes joked.

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Goff plans to sit down with his parents and make a decision on the NFL soon. He did sound as if he is leaning toward pro football.

“I love our fans, and I appreciate all of them and everything they’ve done for me,” Goff said. “And it’s been a lot of fun to have them. I’ve been lucky. They’ve always had my back pretty much through everything, through the lows, through the highs.”

Goff is projected to be a top NFL draft pick, possibly the first quarterback taken in 2016, should he bypass his senior season. The 6-foot-4 junior put on a show for the pro scouts in attendance at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

Goff completed 25 of 37 passes, setting Armed Forces Bowl records for passing yards (467) and touchdown passes. He showed off his arm strength and touch on a variety of throws, with four of his touchdowns coming in the first half.

“I tell you what, they do an awful lot with him, too,” Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said of

Goff. “The amount of amount of protection changes, route changes. He sees leverage of defenders. And then after the ball is snapped, a good number of the run/pass options that they have. Pretty unique skill set.”

The Bears, in a bowl for the first time in four years, finished the season 8-5. Cal, when went 6-18 in Dykes’ first two years as coach, last won a bowl in 2008.

Goff was able to spread the ball around to his deep stable of wideouts, with wide receiver Kenny Lawler snagging three touchdown passes. Receiver Darius Powe caught scoring passes and receiver Bryce Treggs had the other touchdown.

Quarterback Karson Roberts accounted for three touchdowns and 218 yards of offense for Air Force, which lost its last three games to end up 8-6. The Falcons, bowling for the eighth time in Calhoun’s nine years as coach, have played in five Armed Force Bowls during that span.

“We needed to capitalize more on the possessions we had, block a little better, better pitches and keep the ball in our hands, not theirs,” Roberts said. “We turned the ball over a couple times.”

Air Force took a 7-0 lead on the game’s first possession, driving 68 yards and chewing 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. The Bears nearly held the Falcons to a field-goal try, but a facemask penalty negated a third-down stop inside the 10-yard line.

Air Force fullback Jacobi Owens powered over the goal line from 1 yard two plays later.

The Bears came back with two touchdowns to finish out the first quarter. Running back Vic Enwere scored from 1 yard and Goff connected with Treggs on a 30-yard touchdown pass.

The Falcons tied at score 14-14 on running back Tyler Williams’ 16-yard run early in the second quarter before Goff fired two more touchdown passes.

Air Force pulled within 28-21 late in the second quarter, but Goff struck again for a 35-21 advantage at halftime.

Goff added two touchdowns in the second half, giving him a Pac-12 record 43 for the season. Cal’s 55 points set an Armed Forces Bowl record.

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