Cal’s 17-11 Upset of Stanford Gives Kapp Quite a Lift

Twenty years ago, quarterback Joe Kapp gave Pappy Waldorf a going-away present as coach of the California Bears by engineering a 20-18 upset of Stanford in the Big Game.

Saturday, in the 89th Big Game, Kapp’s kids did the same thing for their coach, overcoming the odds to upset Gator Bowl-bound Stanford, 17-11.

The Bears were 2-7 when the sophomore Kapp won one for Pappy. This year, Kapp’s Bears were even worse, 1-9, as they faced the prospect of being the first Cal team in history to lose 10 games.

They were so bad that they had not scored a touchdown in the three games since Kapp was told by Athletic Director Dave Maggard that he would not return next year.

But on a perfect fall football day, 75,662 spectators in Memorial Stadium and a few thousand more on Tightwad Hill watched in dismay as the Bears first shut down the heavily favored Cardinal and then whipped their rivals (now 7-3) with two big plays.

Mike Ford, a freshman wide receiver from San Pedro, had a hand in both.

After a scoreless first period, Ford caught a 61-yard pass from senior quarterback Kevin Brown behind the Stanford secondary to set up the first Cal touchdown since Oct. 25. Ford would have scored had he not had to stretch so far to catch the ball that he lost his balance and fell on the Stanford 22.

The Bears called time out, after which Wendell Peoples, a flanker from Cerritos, made a leaping catch of a pass in the end zone with a Stanford defender all over him.

The Bears had moved 98 yards to make it 10-0.

Stanford kicker David Sweeney, after missing an earlier field goal try from the 11, booted a 48-yard three-pointer to pull Stanford back to within a touchdown.

Just when Cardinal backers were about to take heart, Ford entered the scene again.

This time the Bears were on the Stanford 47 when Ford took a reverse from Brown, escaped a covey of Stanford defenders and broke into the open. The race to the goal line was no contest as Ford made it 17-3.

“Some recruiting job I did on that one, don’t you think,” a slightly bitter Kapp said later.

For a few moments in the fourth period it looked as if John Paye, Stanford’s talented quarterback, might pull it out.

After spending most of the afternoon dodging Bear rushers and throwing short outlet passes, Paye let go with a deep pass to Jeff James. The wide receiver beat Cal’s Darryl Stallworth to the ball and then beat him to the end zone.

The play was good for 69 yards and, after a two-point conversion, it was 17-11. The fired-up Cardinals stopped Cal cold after the kickoff and forced the Bears to punt.

Left-footed Scott Tabor responded with a 58-yard spiral that sent Alan Grant back to the five-yard-line to field it. Paye marched his team to four first downs and Bears’ hearts were sinking as Stanford reached the Cal 37 with two minutes to play.

Then, with the game, and Joe Kapp’s farewell, on the line, the California defense responded. Natu Tuatagaloa and Ken Harvey sacked Paye on successive plays and after an incomplete pass it was fourth and 26. With David Ortega on his back, Paye tossed underhand to Brian Morris but he was stopped short of the first down and the Bears took over with the game won.

A chant of “We Want Kapp” went up from the screaming Bear rooters, and tears rolled down the crusty old quarterback’s cheeks as his players lifted him on their shoulders at game’s end.

“This has been a nightmarish season,” Kapp said after greeting each of his players with a bear hug in the dressing room. “I have never believed the earthquake was going to happen out here, but I can’t think of many things more that could have happened to our football team than happened his year. Everything that could go wrong went wrong.

“As a teacher, I have to be held accountable. We weren’t getting enough wins in the bank so I understand, but as I was being carried off the field I couldn’t help but think that a lot of men today learned what it takes to be a team.”