The Idaho Falls Mustangs had high hopes of upsetting the Cal Bears at home on Saturday, but it was not to be. Despite jumping out to a 17-point lead early in the game, the Mustangs were unable to hold off the Bears, who rallied to score 31 unanswered points and win the game 31-17.
The Mustangs started off strong, with quarterback Ryan Smith connecting with wide receiver Joe Johnson for a touchdown on the opening drive. The Mustangs defense then forced a turnover on downs and Smith threw his second touchdown pass of the game to give Idaho Falls a 17-0 lead.
However, the Bears responded with a touchdown of their own late in the first quarter and then took control of the game in the second quarter. Cal quarterback Joe Brown threw two touchdown passes and running back John Williams added another to give the Bears a 21-17 lead at halftime.
The Mustangs were unable to get anything going in the second half, as the Bears defense held them to just three points. Cal added 10 more points in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
The loss was a tough one for Idaho Falls, who had been hoping to pull off an upset against a much higher-ranked opponent. However, it was not to be, as the Bears proved too strong in the end.
The Mustangs will look to bounce back next week when they face off against the Boise State Broncos. With a win, they could still make a run at a playoff spot in the Mountain West Conference.
