Quarterback Fernando Mendoza said there would be “no pouting” on the 2,200-mile flight home from Tallahassee to the Bay Area after Cal’s 14-9 loss at Florida State on Saturday night.

“Shoulda, woulda, coulda. ... I feel terrible,” he said after the Bears (3-1) absorbed their first defeat of the season in their first-ever game in the Atlantic Coast Conference. “I could have done a lot more to help us win this game; the offense could have done a lot more. It stings and it (stinks) but we’ve got to make sure we turn the page.”

The Seminoles (1-3) avoided a fourth straight loss after going 13-1 a year ago and beginning this season at No. 10 in the AP Top 25 rankings.

Cal has plenty to focus its attention on during the upcoming bye week before hosting No. 7 Miami on Oct. 5.

The offense was flagged for five pre-snap false start penalties. Placekicker Ryan Coe made three field goals, including a 51-yarder that gave the Bears a 9-7 lead late in the third quarter, but also missed from 36 and 38 yards in the second half.

The defense held a fourth consecutive opponent to no more than 14 points but gave up big plays at key moments. And the offense, despite the return of a healthy Jaydn Ott (16 rushes, 73 yards) didn’t produce a touchdown.

“You’re playing a team like Florida State with that much talent, you’re not going to make those types of mistakes and win,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. “We had plenty of opportunities. We did not capitalize.”

Here are takeaways from Cal’s first loss of the season:

Mendoza’s big numbers >> Playing in front of family and friends in a return to his home state, Mendoza completed 22 of 36 passes for a career-high 303 yards. His 26-yard scramble on third down kept alive a drive late in the game that gave the Bears a chance.

But he threw incomplete to Trond Grizzell on third-and-16 from the 23 in the final minute, then was sacked for the seventh time, ending the Bears’ chances.

“We have to throw the ball. We can’t eat the sack,” Wilcox said.

“I’d rather have the worst stats in the world and win this game,” Mendoza said. “When we got down in the red zone, we shot ourselves in the foot. A big minus on myself.”

Pre-snap woes >> The Bears continue to struggle simply getting the ball snapped without a penalty flag flying.

“Offensively, we have to start the play without getting penalized. That’s bad football,” Wilcox said.

Asked how much crowd noise contributed to the problem, Wilcox said the Bears had practiced with piped-in crowd noise.

“The neighbors hate it,” he said. “And obviously the message is not getting across. We’re not coaching it well enough and we’re not executing it well enough. It’s unacceptable. That will be addressed until we get it right.”

Field goal adventures >> Coe, who came to Cal this season after successful stints at North Carolina, Cincinnati and Delaware, has missed six of his 11 field goal tries.

Wilcox suggested others could be given the chance to compete for the kicker’s job during the bye week.

“We’ll discuss every position,” Wilcox said. “He’s got a lot of talent and he sure has been impressive in practice. He hit the (51)-yarder like it was nothing, then missed from (36 and 38).”

Vatikani’s scary moment >> Junior offensive guard Sioape Vatikani, who missed the first three games with a foot injury, returned to the lineup but went down after colliding with an FSU defender late in the third quarter and stayed on the ground for about 10 minutes.

He was strapped to a board that immobilized his head, loaded onto a cart and driven out of the stadium. Before leaving, Vatikani raised his arm and gave fans a thumbs-up.

Wilcox said Vatikani was being examined at a local hospital and had movement in his extremities. “That’s good news,” he said, “but that’s all I know.”

Up next >> The Bears promise there will be no hangover following the defeat.

“We should have won this game,” said linebacker Cade Uluave, who had 11 tackles. “But it’s over. Now we move forward.”

Mendoza suggested the loss could make the Bears a better team as they prep for Miami.

“We might have taken a jab,” he said. “We’re going to come back and hit ’em with an uppercut.”