WATCH: Justin Wilcox postgame press conference following Cal’s win over Oregon State

Justin Wilcox and his Cal squad secured a win in their season opener on Saturday. The Bears leaned on a three-touchdown performance by quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele to take down Oregon State. A lot of things went right for Wilcox’s team to open his ninth season with the Bears.

Cal’s defense had two takeaways to go along with Sagapolutele’s strong showing in his collegiate debut. The end result was a 34-15 road victory for the Bears.

While there were plenty of key contributors, much of the attention Saturday night was on Cal’s freshman signal caller.

“He looks just like he does in practice,” Wilcox said of Sagapolutele’s performance. “That’s what we’ve seen for the past eight or nine months. So, we are not surprised. But it’s also the first time he’s played in a college game. Away at a tough place against a good defense.

“So, what we have seen in practice showed up in the game. And, he’s got the right demeanor for it. Was not at all too big for him. He handled everything very, very well. There’s gonna be a lot to learn. There’s a million things to learn from, especially at that position, but he handled all of it extremely well.”

“It was very meaningful and we will learn a lot from this game,” Wilcox said. “I’m really, really proud of them. I’m proud of how they practiced this fall, and how they care about each other. I mean, genuinely excited on the sidelines when guys were making big plays and excited. Which is what you want. We just gotta be better every week. That’s the truth.”

Justin Wilcox postgame press conference