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College football world reacts to Cal’s fake field goal turning into a 100-yard pick-six

Cal’s fourth-and-goal fake field goal against Virginia went 100 yards the other way, and reporters could not believe it.

Ball Exclusives Staff

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Cal had a chance to get on the board against Virginia on Saturday. Trailing 9-0, the Golden Bears drove 71 yards to the Virginia 4 and faced fourth-and-goal with just over two minutes left in the first half. They lined up for a field goal and tried a fake, and Brandyn Hillman intercepted the pass at the goal line and went 100 yards the other way for a touchdown.

BRANDYN HILLMAN RETURNS THE INTERCEPTION 100 YARDS FOR A VIRGINIA TOUCHDOWN 😱

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pic.twitter.com/Le8Fpg2gIH

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 14, 2026

Naturally, the people covering the game could not believe what they had just seen.

Cal tries maybe the worst fake field goal I've ever seen and it is intercepted by Brandyn Hillman and returned 99 yards for a touchdown. It's a single-game interception distance record in #UVA program history.

16-0 Virginia.

— Preferred Walk Ons (@PWOPod) November 14, 2026

Wow. Cal goes for it and it's a disaster: Brandyn Hillman picks off the pass and goes 100 yards for the TD return. #gracious

(It'll go down as 99 yards but dude caught it on the goal line. Give him the 100!)

— Brad Franklin (@Cavs_Corner) November 14, 2026

Brandyn Hillman intercepts Cal on a trick play and returns it 100 yards for a touchdown. 2:02. Virginia leads Bears 16-0.

— Jerry Ratcliffe (@JerryRatcliffe) November 14, 2026

Whoa. #UVa 16, Cal 0 w/2 minutes left in the 2nd.
Brandyn Hillman scores on a 100-yard interception return. The Bears tried a trick play with a scrambled formation, and Hillman wasn't fooled. Picked off the pass and had a convoy to run alongside.

— Greg Madia (@GregMadia) November 14, 2026

After the game, Cal coach Tosh Lupoi was asked about the call.

Cal coach Tosh Lupoi on the faked field goal against UVA that Brandyn Hillman intercepted and returned 100 yards for a Virginia touchdown: pic.twitter.com/Sa7RUD0jPr

— Mike Barber (@StillMikeBarber) November 15, 2026

Virginia added a second pick-six, Kam Robinson’s 33-yard return at the end of the third quarter, and won 36-7. It was a rare double for the Cavaliers.

Brandyn Hillman and Kam Robinson became the first pair of Hoos to record pick-6s in the same game since 2003. Those TDs fueled #UVa in its win over Cal to end a three-game losing streak.
“It was just good to see the guys smile,” Tony Elliott said.https://t.co/Jy0JvBbLd7 pic.twitter.com/X0CDb1IgEE

— Greg Madia (@GregMadia) November 15, 2026

Cal fell to 3-7 with the loss, while Virginia improved to 5-5 and snapped a three-game losing streak.

The Ball Exclusives take

It is the kind of play that ends up on every blooper reel of the season, but for Cal it was also the turning point of the game. A 14-point swing on one snap against a team that came in on a three-game skid is a mistake the Bears will be talking about all week.

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