WATCH: Hezekiah Masses, Cade Uluave reflect on Cal’s win over Oregon State

Hezekiah Masses had quite the debut for Cal on Saturday night. The cornerback transfer from Florida International had a key interception and had another one called back against Oregon State. He wasn’t the only standout performer for the Bears in their 34-15 win over the Beavers, however.

Masses is one of the newcomers to Cal’s squad this year, and many of the new players were able to contribute in Week 1. In all, the Bears had 29 players take the field for the first time with the team in the opener.

Defensively, Cal held the Beavers to 313 yards of total offense and kept OSU out of the end zone in the first half. Masses, who also had five tackles and two pass breakups, played a part in helping the Bears keep the Beavers in check.

“This is like our first time really playing with each other live, full game,” Masses said. “So, it felt good. We all connecting with each other.”

Hezekiah Masses postgame press conference

One of the top returners on the team is Cal’s team captain Cade Uluave. The inside linebacker is now into his junior year, and he opened the season on a positive note. Uluave led the team with 10 tackles and 2.5 tackle for loss keeping the momentum going at his position.

The Bears limited Oregon State to 65 yards on the ground. Slowing down the Beavers’ rushing attack was an emphasis on defense heading into the matchup. That was especially important for the defensive front that Uluave is part of for the Bears.

“If you see a running back get less than three yards a carry, that’s awesome,” he said. “So, shoutout to the guys. We just continue to build, and just keep going forward.”

The Beavers averaged just 2.4 yards per carry as a team in Saturday’s loss to Cal.

Cade Uluave postgame press conference