But Webb, a graduate transfer from Texas Tech replacing Jared Goff – the No. 1 overall National Football League draft pick by the Los Angeles Rams – helped move Cal into control in the second quarter.
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The California Golden Bears, who pretty much missed out on Sunday when they crossed the global date line, will oppose the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, who pretty much missed out on Saturday, in Sydney at ANZ Stadium, the 2000 Olympic stadium. He amassed 5,577 passing yards, 46 touchdowns and 22 interceptions while in Lubbock, Texas. Hawaii, on the other hand, has to play at MI just a week later.
“Phenomenal, I was energetic”, Muhammad said of his 34-yard TD run in the second minute of the game. Cal will be breaking in a lot of new faces, and this game will be the first opportunity for people to see how they perform. Still, it is important to know the components of a team, and besides, who isn’t going to watch the first game of the new season? “I think being together, day in and day out, really helps that quarterback-wide receiver connection”. Hawaii doesn’t have a preseason all-Mountain West selection, and its best player – defensive tackle Kennedy Tulimasealii – was dismissed from the team in June. Hawaii is coming off a 3-10 season and has a new head coach in Nick Rolovich. Coach Rolovich and his staff are hoping the return of the team’s top two receivers from a year ago, Marcus Kemp and Devan Stubblefield, can help Woolsey settle in.
And in the fourth quarter, Glover showed Cal what he could do as a quarterback, scrambling for 54 yards on a single play that brought Hawaii to the red zone.
Cal defeated Hawaii 51-31 in front of 61,247 fans in the inaugural Sydney Cup in Australia, which marked the official start to the college football season.
California head coach Sonny Dykes is looking for his team to get off to hot start against the Rainbow Warriors, and despite being heavily favored in their season opener, Dykes is not taking this matchup lightly.
Michelle Hubbard of Melbourne was an early arrival for another reason – her son, Ben Scruton, is a walk-on player for Hawaii and will travel back with the team when the Rainbow Warriors leave for Honolulu right after the game.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to beat Cal here, ” said Hawaii’s quarterback Rodney Glover to Bergman, “because they didn’t recruit me as a quarterback, but as a defensive back”. The game ended just as this edition went to press.
While many years have passed since this game, fans may still wonder what the rematch will look like. Foot-long hot dogs were big sellers at the outdoor booths, but in keeping with the multicultural nature of western Sydney where the stadium is located, Asian and middle Eastern goods also featured prominently on the menus. Dykes will look to senior transfer quarterback Davis Webb to lead the Golden Bears to their first victory, but the former Texas Tech quarterback has big shoes to fill, replacing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Jared Goff.
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Briefly on Hawaii: Much has changed since June Jones guided the Rainbow Warriors to a berth in the 2008 Sugar Bowl.
