The Big Game: Nothing sweetens a rivalry like the awful taste of losing

I’ve never rushed the field after a Big Game.

These days that does not seem so surprising, I know. But back when I was in school, beating Stanford was the norm, not the anomaly. I—and the many that were members of my cohort—were spoiled.

These were the days of the “Ted Head” tie-dyed t-shirts. These were the days when Stanford was coached by someone called Buddy Teevens or—much worse—Walt Harris. These were the days when Aaron Rodgers was Cal’s quarterback while some guy named T.C. Ostrander quarterbacked the Cards.

I never respected the Cal-Stanford football rivalry while I was a student. There was no need to. I stepped foot on campus at the peak of the football program under Jeff Tedford, while at the same time the Cardinal was facing its worst five-year stretch probably in history. (I did, however, take beating Stanford seriously in all things other than football, in the sports where it truly mattered to Beat Stanfurd—women’s basketball, soccer, water polo, swimming, lacrosse, baseball, etc.) But football, in my time, was not one of them.

The rivalry was an afterthought. I was not even in attendance for the Big Game my freshman year. Failing to get tickets earlier in the semester, I had to watch the Rodgers-led Bears steamroll Stanford from my dorm room with other hapless freshmen. The students rushed the field, the roses came out and I can pretend my way of having been there because I know so many who actually were.

The next year, in 2005, I took BART and then CalTrain down to The Farm for my first in-person Big Game—and the last at the Old Stanford Stadium. There was a fence between the Cal student section and the field—and between the Cal students and everyone else—preventing us from storming the playing surface after fullback-turned-quarterback Steve Levy led the Bears to victory.

In 2006, I could not muster enough emotional support to race down the Memorial Stadium steps and onto the field. That was the year that Cal had two shots of getting to the Rose Bowl. They failed both times, our dreams of playing in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1959 wilting in the desert sun and then finally being crushed in the full glow of the Los Angeles moonlight. I was in no mood to take the field after the Bears beat a team that would win one game all season. Stanford football was so pathetic in 2006 that to inspire their fans, the football team entered Memorial Stadium through the stands, while a huge “I Believe In Stanford Football” banner was unfurled by their students. This win did not call for celebration.

And so I never had the chance to rush the field, and as I entered my senior year at Cal, I wouldn’t. I took over the football beat for the Daily Cal. I was ensured that any victory down at The Farm would end with me in a tunnel somewhere, asking questions and conducting interviews as fans celebrated on the field.

And as that cold November night came to a close, that’s exactly what I did, except it had not turned out the way I imagined it.

Red Zone Issues

As much as I like Vince D'Amato - and boy has he been great this season - I think all Cal fans can agree that we would like to see the Bears punch it into the end zone a little more. For all the positives that the offense has provided (I'm going to pretend the Oregon game didn't happen) the one big concern so far is the lack of execution inside their opponents' 20-yard line.

A lot of that lack of execution should be pinpointed from Cal's lack of a true power running game and a lot of it is still the offense simply getting used to limited space and working off each other. Regardless tough, Cal has to get better once the offense gets down in that area - especially given the defense's up-and-down play.

Statistically, the Bears rank 35th in the country in red zone efficiency. That stat doesn't sound too bad, but considering how well the Bears move the ball everywhere else, that number isn't nearly as high as it should be - especially in the touchdown-to-attempt ratio. With the weapons that Cal puts on the field, converting just 9-of-17 red zone tries into touchdowns is very low.

Chris McCain Dismissed

I have always had high hopes for Chris McCain and the type of player he could've become as a member of the Cal football team.

Unfortunately it appears his demons off the field have finally caught up with him as it was announced that Sonny Dykes kicked him off the team yesterday. Considering how deeply football coaches want to win football games there was obviously something really serious internally that McCain couldn't overcome.

Hopefully the kid finds the help he needs to improve his overall well-being.

GO BEARS!

Now That That's Over ...

the real season can begin.

Four games into the new coaching regime and two things are pretty clear:

1. I completely overrated Cal's ability as a whole.
2. I should've kept in mind that this team went 3-9 for a reason.

It is more obvious than ever that Sonny Dykes has a big task on his hand. Dykes needs to find a way to keep his team motivated and continuing to buy into what he is selling - not an easy task considering how the last two games have gone. If Dykes wondered even the slightest bit how much harder coaching in a BCS conference is from week-to-week, well now I'm sure he knows all too well.

Week 4 Roundtable: Oregon vs. Cal Preview

Flashback to a Better Time

Since us Cal fans love to live in the past, why not keep the trend going by looking back at one of the greatest games in school history. While a Cal victory on Saturday is probably far-fetched, this is why they play the games, right?

GO BEARS!

Back to Basics

Whenever a team goes through a rough stretch we always read about players and coaches "getting back to the basics." Of course, the entire premise of that statement is slightly flawed given the reality that teams should always be focused on the basics. In Cal's case, however, I actually think there is some truth to that statement given how bad the Bears have been in certain aspects of football.

Although I wasn't surprised to read it, I was very happy to hear that Sonny Dykes and his staff decided to mix things up a little bit during the off week. From various practice reports, the coaching staff inserted Daniel Lasco as the number one back, gave Christian Okafor some time as the starting left tackle, and continued to slowly ease Nick Forbes and some of the other injured players into the rotation mix.

When it is all said and done, I don't think Okafor is a better player than Big Freddie but I really like the fact that Dykes is staying true to his mantra that the best player plays no matter what the circumstance. Tagaloa struggled against Ohio State and I don't think it is far-fetched to insert someone else like an Okafor and see what he can bring to the table. Same goes for the other positions around the field as well.

Unfortunately for Cal, the Bears are tasked with the worst possible opponent to work out their many kinks. Oregon is a juggernaut of a program and playing in Eugene is going to be an extreme challenge for Cal. I have no doubts that the Bears have made improvements on both sides of the ball but given how sharp the Ducks are those improvements probably won't show up come Saturday night (having a night game doesn't help either).

Having said all that, some things I would like to see from Cal:

• Handle the Pressure ... because that crowd is going to be loud. Already regarded as the loudest stadium in the country (per person), I can't imagine what a full day of anticipation and adult beverages would do to the noise meter.
• Start Out Semi-Fast ... because teh Bears have been awful so far in thar regard. No one is truly expecting Cal to win (and in this case that's okay) but Cal should come ready to at least compete for four quarters.
• Stick with Lasco ... because the sophomore Texan ran like how a running back is supposed to against Ohio State. Cal has been searching and searching for a running game this season and maybe Lasco is the option the offense needs. I would like to see Dykes stick with the running game and not go so pass heavy.
• Somewhat Contain the Edges ... because that effort against Ohio State was terrible. I don't know what Andy Buh has to do to teach his guys how to edge contain better but the Bears have to find a way - not just for this game but for the rest of the season. The Ducks are going to score an abundance of points and in all honestly that is fine. What the Bears need to do is take small steps in improvement that will benefit them in future games against opponents more on their level. If that means moving Chris McCain off defensive end, benching Dan Camporeale, and moving Deandre Coleman to end - so be it.
• Red Zone Efficiency ... because the Bears are scoring but could score a whole lot more. Given how good the Cal offense has been at times this season the Bears are actually not super in the red zone - yet. If Cal is to take that next step, Jared Goff and company are going to have to start converting these field goals into touchdowns.

GO BEARS!

Lies, damn lies and scheduling: Cal's cupcake-less schedule dampens mood of new coaching era

Win-loss records only tell half the story.

There is currently only one team in the Pac-12 conference with a losing record. After three weeks and games against two ranked opponents, Cal is where it probably should be—one win and two losses.

At the same time, there are currently two teams with a perfect 3-0 record heading into Week 4 of the 2013 season. One happens to be Oregon, which—as a national title contender—everyone probably expected after three weeks.

The other? Try Arizona. With the sixth-best rushing attack in the country, the Wildcats have run over the opposition. Their defense has been impenetrable, allowing just 8.7 points per game. Obviously, Arizona—after three weeks—has to be in the running for at least the Pac-12 South title, right?

Wrong.

But UofA is 3-0?

Correct.

What gives?

Scheduling.

Week 3 Roundtable: Ohio State vs. Cal

Chris, Gerald and I discuss all things from the Cal-Ohio State game. What should/can Cal do about Andy Buh and the horrific defense? We also talk about our gameday experience with 20,000+ Buckeyes fans.

What Needs to Happen: Ohio State

Surfing my way around the blogosphere this week I've gotten the same feeling about Saturday's contest against Ohio State that we all felt last year. As we learned, however, anything and everything could happen in college football.

With that said, some things I want to see from Cal this week:

1. Play Mentally Tough ... because the Buckeyes aren't going to feel sorry for anybody. Ohio State is ranked in the top-5 for a reason and they have lofty goals of a national title this season. Considering the fact that this game is on national television (hail Gus Johnson and all his Gus-isms) and coincidentally no favorable 5 p.m. ABC game to contend with, all eyes will be on this game.

A True Golden Bear

On this day of remembrance I just wanted to re-share this article written by a good buddy of mine about Mark Bingham.

Gone, But Never Forgotten.

May Mr. Bingham, Betty Ong, and all the victims of 9/11 continue to Rest In Paradise.

Accountability And Motivation

Despite all the negative aspects that came out of Saturday's contest against Portland State, I thought a very intriguing aftereffect of Cal's lackluster play was Sonny Dykes and Andy Buh accepting about as much personal responsibility for the Bears' performance as two coaches could possible take.

"I gotta do a better job of getting them ready to play. It all falls on me," was one of several versions of the same statement that both coaches relayed over and over again.

With #17 out indefinitely, I think everyone agrees that big #91 needs to play like he's capable of. (Cal Athletics)

It was quite refreshing to hear that from the Cal coaches and it speaks to how different this regime truly is from the previous one. What really piqued my interest though was Dykes calling out various units and expressing a desire for said units to play better going forward. This was even more true when it came to Deandre Coleman - who by many readings is considered to be the Bears' most sure-fire NFL prospect at this moment.

Week 2 Roundtable: Portland State vs. Cal

We're back for the second edition of the Roundtable. Chris, Gerald and I talk about Cal's struggling defense and look forward to the game we've all been waiting for--Ohio State. Plus, can Braxton Miller playing on Saturday actually help the Bears?

Head Coaches and One-Sided Specialties

When things aren't going terribly right on the football field, fans have a way of finding topics to complain about. I guess that's just human nature and sports are usually a great avenue for people to inflect their grievances from their personal lives onto the athletic teams that they root for. The majority of the time, most of these complaints are petty, childish, and downright ill-informed.

I even saw a post from a fan on a message board last Saturday that said he/she missed Jeff Tedford because that person was convinced that Cal had hired the wrong coach. Not surprisingly, the fan came to this conclusion after roughly six quarters of football. In general, fans are way over-emotional and it often can and does get irritating to read and observe.

One of the silliest comments I've heard about Sonny Dykes is that he doesn't care about defense and that that is why Cal's defense has been so poor to start the season. Some fans even go as far to say that Dykes only cares about putting up points and making himself look good. Of course, all of that is crap.

Not Pretty, Not Pretty At All

Where to even start?

While the Northwestern loss felt like a win, the 37-30 win over Portland State on Saturday most certainly felt like a loss. Strange how that works out sometimes, eh?

Cal struggled. At times, the Bears struggled mightily. I don't think there is a need to rehash how they struggled because I think by now the majority of fans have watched and read enough about the game to get a good grasp of what happened.

The real question is obviously why? 

• Why did the defense look so confused and slow out of the gate?
• Why did it take Andy Buh an entire half to make adjustments? 
• Why were the Cal corners left in multiple one-on-one scenarios in which they clearly aren't 100 percent ready for? 
• Why did both sides of the lines seem to get minimal push against a much smaller opponent?
• Why did it appear as if the offense started to sputter a little bit late in the second half (for the second game in a row)?

Some random thoughts:

• Buh might just not be that good: Unfortunately, this is something that Sandy Barbour and Sonny Dykes are really going to have to figure out between now and the end of the season.

What Needs to Happen: Portland State

The tough schedule that Cal is faced with is great for the fans but not all that great for a young football team trying to find its way in the CFB world.

Portland State offers one of the few reprieves from the daunting schedule this season (although there really isn't such a thing as a gimme anymore) and the Bears would be best served to get out as many kinks as they can before that other team comes to town on September 14.

With that said, a couple things I would like to see from Cal this Saturday:

• Establish a running game: No surprise here. I think we needed to give more credit to the Northwestern defensive front but overall I think even the offensive linemen themselves would agree that Cal needs to be better in this department. More runs between the tackles and less bouncing out.

Memorial Stadium Stripe-Out

While a lot of people think it's corny and lame, I have always loved the idea of a stadium full of people wearing one color and/or one color scheme. To me it just looks cool and it brings people together both fashionably and symbolically.

A perfect example is the We Believe year and even this past season's playoff run for the Golden State Warriors. Regardless of what color the fans were wearing, Oracle would've been rocking but I honestly believe the noise dial in The O was pushed up a notch or three by those yellow shirts. It's just something about a sold-out crowd wearing the same color that makes people feel like they are all in it together.

As Will Ferrell said once, "it gets the people going."

Two Great Videos

Ran across two excellent clips after the Northwestern game yesterday and wanted to share.

The beauty of sports is not only the game itself but often the pageantry that accompanies it. In the video below, I thought Jim McGill at BearInsider did a very good job of attempting to capture all the excitement of a game day at Cal.


The second video was edited by YouTube user TouchedtheAxein82, who always produces excellent highlights clips. I'd imagine it takes forever to cut and paste all these snippets together into one video so whoever you are TouchedtheAxein82 your work is much appreciated.



GO BEARS!

Week 1 Roundtable: Northwestern vs. Cal

Check out our recap of Cal's Week 1 performance versus Northwestern. Chris, Steven and Gerald join me to discuss the game. Among the topics we address: first impressions of Goff, Cal's depth issues and Chris's bold outlook for USC.

Cal fake field goal hopefully a harbinger of things to come

Chris kinda already stole what I wanted to write about thisweek. But—seeing that Chris has been doing the heavy lifting as of late—I’ll continue the spirit here in this space, offering what might not be anything new, but at least gives our one loyal reader something else to waste his time at work with.

There are a few plays that have stuck with me in my time connected with Cal football (either as a student, a fan, or a “reporter”).

I—and probably other Cal fans—gleefully look back on most of these plays. Some still haunt us as we make that trek to the stadium or sit down to watch a game on TV. Others make is revel in the nostalgia of what was and what could have been. It’s the highlight reel of all the moments that have defined Cal football in the 21^st century.

There’s First and Goal from the Nine Yard Line. There’s DeSean’s Punt Return No. 1 and DeSean’s Punt Return No. 2. And The Hit. And DeSean Punt Return No. 3. Javid’s Run. And let’s not forget about Kevin Riley.

And yet for all the big plays that have happened over the past decade, only a few of them seemed to capture the imagination of Cal fans like the play Sonny Dykes drew up to end his team’s first drive Saturday.

It was the first drive of the Dykes Era. It was the first drive of the Bear Raid offense. And it stalled on Northwestern’s 11-yard line. 

For the Fans

In the grand scheme of things, the fake field goal touchdown was just one play. For the psyche of the Cal fan, however, it meant so much more.

After three years of futility, blowout loss after blowout loss, and a sense of hopelessness surrounding the Cal football program, it was critical for Sonny Dykes to symbolically wake up the fan base and announce that a new day had come. Dykes was presented with that opportunity right away and he took it - resulting in one of the more memorable plays in Memorial Stadium history.


As most have written ten times over, it remains to be seen whether Dykes is truly a great coach. But what can't really be disputed (even through week one of his tenure) is how much Dykes understands the importance of connecting with a home team's fan base. 

Even though the Bears ultimately lost, that first drive to start the Dykes tenure was therapeutic for the Cal fan, especially given all that the faithful had experienced lately. Cal fans desperately needed something to shout for, something to, "hey, did you see that?!" as they turned to their friends and rejoiced together.

At times, there is a poetic justice in athletics and Cal's first drive was very much a symbolic thank you to Memorial Stadium for sticking through some rough times.

After the game, Dykes acknowledged as much:

“I thought we needed to play incredibly aggressive. I thought our players needed to see as coaches we were playing to win, not to not lose. It was important to send that message to our players and, quite frankly, to our fans.”

GO BEARS!

Something to Cheer About

While it would've obviously been nice to walk out of Memorial Stadium with a win Saturday night, I haven't felt the fan base this optimistic in years ... and for good reason.

Some thoughts:

Offense

I had no idea Cal was so proficient until I looked at the stats after the game. Was Cal efficient though? Probably not. But that will come in time.

1. Jared Goff showed tremendous poise considering the position he was in Saturday night. Cal fans were finally treated to why the coaching staff chose Goff over Zack Kline and Austin Hinder and I hope fans truly understand why they made that decision at this point. Outside of the final drive, Goff slowly improved as the game rolled along and I never got the sense that the pressure of the moment was too much for him. 
2. And while there will be a small fraction of the fan base that will clamor for Kline all season long, the one argument they pose that I do agree with is Goff's arm strength. While I don't think his arm strength is nearly as much of an exacerbated problem as some make it out to be, it does bare watching in the coming weeks and years. Besides that, however, I think Goff has a chance to be special in this offense. The kid is poised, knows when to step up in the pocket, and has tremendous touch on his passes. A bright future for sure.

   

   Despite the loss, the play of Bryce Treggs was just one of several reasons to be excited about. (Getty)

3. The offensive line performed better than I expected, but there is no doubt growing pains will continue. Big Freddie and Steven Moore held the edges well (although both did get beat at times - expected considering their inexperience) and I thought the guards did a decent job. I think Cal's lack of a high yards-per-average running game had more to do with the play-calling than the Bears' inability to open up holes for their 'backs.
4. We came into the season expecting the receiving corps to be the best unit of the team and nothing happened Saturday night to change that thinking. Chris Harper and Bryce Treggs were above average and Kenny Lawler and Jackson Bouza had their moments as well. I felt really bad for Powe Jr. for dropping that ball but like Robert Jordan in 2004, that stuff only helps young players as their careers tread along. I have very little concerns about this group.
5. I would like to see the Bears find a way to implement Richard Rogers a little more (which I think they will eventually). Rogers obviously isn't a burner by any stretch of the imagination but it'll be really nice if Goff could start to develop a better rapport with Rogers, giving Goff yet another potential outlet to help move the chains.
6. The running backs had a up-and-down night but again that was probably to be expected considering the age of these guys. Brendan Bigelow is outstanding and I love how he never gives up on plays, but his vision is a lacking (something unfortunately you can't teach a player). There are times when Bigelow takes a straight shot hit from a defender that truly special collegiate 'backs like Jahvid Best or Shane Vereen would see coming from a mile away. Bigelow's shot when he suffered his concussion was a perfect example - no way in a million years Best ever would've let a defender line him up like that. Meanwhile, I thought Khalfani Muhammad was decent for his first game and Daniel Lasco will be an asset as well. Unless Lasco learns how to run a little lower though, I think by midseason Muhammad is going to establish himself as the clear #2 back.

Defense

Considering Saturday was essentially Andy Buh's first game as a true solo-bolo defensive coordinator in a big-time conference, I'll wait a couple games to get a better sense of what he like and doesn't like to call against certain offenses and situations.

With that said, some initial thoughts:

1. Depth is a huge, huge, concern for all three units. Even if everyone was healthy, I think Cal still plays like a slightly above average defense so having guys hurt is bad news.
2. Schematically, Cal's defense looked very plain and vanilla last night.
3. It's clear the Bears are going to have to figure out a better way to create a pass rush.
4. The defensive tackles (Deandre Coleman and Tiny Moala) were outstanding.
5. Not so much the defensive ends though. Chris McCain and whoever else lines up on the opposite side can and have to be better. Ditto for the linebacking crew.

   

   Unfortunately, it might take a while for Cal's secondary to get going. (Getty)

6. After the first drive where NU simply ran right through the Cal defense, I felt the coaching staff did a very good job of re-adjusting and getting guys lined up better.
7.  Unfortunately, I think the secondary is going to struggle all season. Stefan McClure and Kam Jackson are slightly above average corners in coverage but besides that everyone else (coverage wise) is a little below to very sub-par in coverage. Some of the guys back there just don't possess good coverage skills. With that said though, Avery Sebastian, Michael Lowe, and Alex Logan can all lay the wood. I was especially happy for Logan last night, especially considering the so-so season he had last year.
8. Again depth is a major problem for Cal's defense and unfortunately it is not going to be solved this season. Guys are already hurt, more guys will get hurt, and more guys who shouldn't play will play. A perfect example was NU's final dagger when Venric Mark sliced right through Todd Barr and Lucas King for a critical big gain late in the contest. It's obviously not King or Barr's fault per se, they were forced into a position they weren't capable of succeeding in due to injuries.

Special Teams

I cannot express how happy I am to root for a team that actually performs well on specials. The fake field goal will go down right along side Williams to Gray as one of the all-time great moments in Memorial Stadium history.

1. Cal actually has a placekicker.
2. Cal has another NFL punter.
3. Cal has a coach that is willing to keep the defense honest once in a while.
4.  Muhammad is going to break 2-3 kickoffs for TDs this year.

 Other thoughts

1. Absolute horse crap call by the officials to eject Chris McCain. 15 yard penalty? Sure. Ejection at that point of the game? C'mon man. I know what the rule says but every rule in athletics is left to be interpreted on a per situation basis. Absolutely ridiculous.
2.  Also ridiculous was NU's fake injury ploy. I didn't like it when Cal did it and I definitely didn't like it when Fitzgerald told his boys to do it last night. I agree with Dykes in that it makes a mockery of the game. Unfortunately, until the rules are changed Cal is going to see this more and more.
3. Young team or not Dykes better get a hold of all these dumb penalties his team committed last night. This is the one area of the game that I personally feel should never be an issue, regardless of whether the team is full of seniors or full of freshmen.
4. Great atmosphere at Memorial Stadium at it was great to see friendly faces old and new.

GO BEARS!

The devil that you don't know

Sonny Dykes isn't Jeff Tedford. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Epigraph /ˈɛpɪgrɑːf/

noun

1 an inscription on a building, statue, or coin.

2 a short quotation or saying at the beginning of a book or chapter, intended to suggest its theme. (Thanks oxforddictionaries.com)

Epigraphs are a ball and chain. They often shackle a reader, viewer or listener into one interpretation of a piece literature, art or music. They tell you “the theme” and that theme hangs around your ankles even after you’ve left the library, museum or concert hall. Epigraphs are like eating a side of garlic fries; all you can taste for a couple of hours afterwards are garlic fries.

Now, if you think that the above is a negative descriptor of what an epigraph is, let me share this, which—by the way—would have been the epigraph that started this piece if I had decided to start the piece with an epigraph:

Prediction Time!

This is the most unpredictable season in a long, long, time and I think our predictions reflect that:

• Chris went from the most pessimistic fan to the most optimistic in one year's time
• Meanwhile, Finn has become the ultimate pessimist
• Gerald is ever the poet
• Stephen wishes for injuries to Cal players
• Brian is going to be in attendance to watch the Bears lose in the Rose Bowl ... again

Have a look, get a taste, and feel free to confront one of us in the bathroom stall at In-N-Out for hatin' on Cal. (whaaaat?!)

See you guys at Memorial Stadium.

Let's rush this field once or thrice this season. (berkeleyside.com)

GERALD	STEPHEN	BRIAN	FINN	CHRIS
Cal def. Northwestern 45-35: Ghosts of Tedford’s Past show up early in Cal’s three-touchdown deficit before halftime, but Dykes rights the ship and Goff rallies the troops.	Cal def. Northwestern 35-30: Goff impresses; offense as advertised. Cal sells a few more ESP seats.	Cal def. Northwestern 34-20: Big 10 opponents don't scare me, especially at home.	Northwestern def. Cal 30-20: Good game, but inexperience proves fatal down the stretch.	Cal def. Northwestern 31-17: Three years of pent-up frustration explodes in the season opener.
Cal def. Portland State 52-10: Athletic Department is still trying to hand tickets out on the corner of Bancroft and Piedmont before kickoff.	Cal def. Portland State 42-13: Easy win in a half empty Memorial Stadium.	Cal def. Portland State 38-17: Jerry Glanville coached the Vikings once.	Cal def. Portland State 50-10: Fans get excited about the Dykes era.	Cal def. Portland State 38-13: Great time to get extra snaps for young'ns.
Ohio State def. Cal 42-35: Bigelow has his coming out party with over 200 yards rushing, but the Buckeyes continue their march to most overrated team in 2013 when 1-loss Alabama jumps them to get into the BCS title game.	Ohio State def. Cal 24-21: Two undefeated teams meet in Berkeley. Cal falls just short for second year in a row.	Ohio State def. Cal 41-28: Braxton will be hard to slow down.	Ohio State def. Cal 45-3: Back to reality.	Ohio State def. Cal 35-16: Ohio State doesn't mess around this time and puts Bears away early.
Oregon def. Cal 48-42: A shootout at Autzen, but the Ducks brought better guns.	Oregon def. Cal 48-21: A reminder just how far there is to go.	Oregon def. Cal 55-25: No contest in Eugene.	Oregon def. Cal 52-6: Oh boy.	Oregon def. Cal 35-31: First real sign that Dykes has Cal program going in the right direction.
Cal def. Wazzu 56-45: Sonny Dykes to Mike Leach after the game: "The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master."	Cal def. Wazzu 40-35: Bear Raid reigns supreme in this one.	Cal def Wazzu 38-10: Sonny's offense stretches its legs in 2nd half to open it up.	Wazzu def. Cal 35-28: Mike Leach is turning it around in Pullman.	Cal def. Wazzu 27-20: What is primed as a shootout turns into somewhat of a dud.
UCLA def. Cal 42-31: Bruins defense slows the Bear Raid, but late fourth quarter field goal by D’Amato continues Cal’s streak of scoring over 30 points per game.	UCLA def. Cal 38-35: Offense shines again, but problems on defense make this a familiar result for Bears in Pasadena.	UCLA def. Cal 31-21: Always sucks to lose at the Rose Bowl.	UCLA def. Cal 30-27 : Nice effort in LA, but FG for the tie is shanked.	Cal def. UCLA 31-28: No way I can pick against Cal in this one.
Cal def. Oregon State 45-42: D’Amato’s the hero again. And Goff remembers to throw the ball away at the end of the game to set up the game-winning field goal.	Cal def Oregon State 28-21: Cal pins first loss of the season on top-15 ranked Oregon State, who are heavily overrated after easy first-half schedule.	Oregon State def Cal 30-17: It's Oregon State. We don't beat them.	Oregon State def. cal 45-35: Beavs still own the Bears.	Cal def. Oregon State 21-17: Cal has to start beating OSU sometime right?
Washington def. Cal 35-34: Shaq Thompson interception ends Cal comeback.	Washington def Cal 30-17: Just when there's a shade of optimism, Washington gets by Cal easily. Goff hurt. Kline in.	Washington def Cal 35-31: Who predicts an injury? Chen does.	Washington def. Cal 24-10: Is Dykes on the hot seat already?	Washington def. Cal 38-13: One of those weird games that just gets away from the Bears really, really quickly for no apparent reason.
Arizona def. Cal 49-38: Bears out-gunned by another Pac-12 spread offense.	Arizona def. Cal 35-24: Fans excited to see Kline in person, but a couple interceptions turn game in the Wildcats' favor.	Cal def. Arizona 42-28: Big plays turn the tide in this one.	Arizona def. 40-20: A win! Finally!	Arizona def. Cal 35-34 - Carry over from weird Washington game haunts Cal.
Cal def. USC 42-28: It only took 10 years.	USC def. Cal 30-17: New offense does little to generate more points against USC.	USC def. Cal 30-29: Last minute FG leads to typi-CAL heartbreak loss.	USC def. Cal 52-6: Oregon all over again.	Cal def. USC 34-31: We beat USC!
Cal def. Colorado 56-21: And this is why Sandy Barbour hired Dykes over Mike MacIntyre.	Cal def. Colorado 30-10: Bears back on winning track. Bowl eligibility in play.	Cal def. Colorado 48-20: Can we rescind our offer of conference membership to these guys yet?	Colorado def. Cal 38-35 (OT): Bears fall short in best game of the season.	Cal def. Colorado 48-12: By far the easiest game of the year.
Stanford def. Cal 28-24: Had to be the one team on the west coast that plays SEC-style football to hold the Bear Raid offense to under 30 points.	Stanford def Cal 32-20: Maybe next year....	Stanford def Cal 30-10: Fundamental defense shuts down "gimmick" offense.	Stanford def. Cal 45-14: Ugh.	Stanford def. Cal 25-17: Hurts to write this one but Cal plays tough until the end.
Final Record: 6-6 (4-5 in the Pac-12)	Final Record: 5-7 (3-6 in the Pac-12)	Final Record: 5-7 (3-6 in the Pac-12)	Final Record: 3-9 (1-8 in the Pac-12)	Final Record: 7-5 (5-4 in the Pac-12)

GO BEARS!

Highlights of the TFS

If you want to get a peak of what the Tony Franklin System looks like at its highest level and how the Cal offense might look like by the end of the season, check out the video below.


I think a big misconception, even among educated Cal fans, is that the TFS is a complex offense too complicated for the average person to comprehend. In reality, however, the video above shows exactly what the TFS is about: KISS.

At its core, the main goal of the TFS is to keep it simple stupid. Of course, having a guy like Quinton Patton doesn't hurt, but the TFS is all about creating favorable one-on-one matchups to exploit (over and over again if need be). It'll obviously take some time for the Bears to gel, but I think if you sat down with Sonny Dykes and had a couple whiskeys, even he would admit this is the most talent he's ever had at his disposal.

If Louisiana Tech could average (AVERAGE!) 50 points a game, then I can't wait to see what Cal will be able to do once things start clicking the way Tony Franklin himself has intended his system to work.

Saturday can't come soon enough.

Go Bears!

Four More Days!

Who else is fired up for Saturday?!

I love these Hard Knocks-type videos because we fans truly learn a lot about the personalities of the team we cheer for.

What I learned from this one:

1. The videos produced by Cal Athletics have gotten a lot better.
2. This coaching staff has a ton of personality.
3. Chris McCain is definitely from the country.

Can't wait.


Go Bears!

Sonny Dykes and Tradition

Ran across this article not to long ago about the extra funding The Ohio State band garnered this off-season and the extra road trips they will now take (including one to Berkeley) because of the boost in their budget.

I think I can speak for all of my friends that seeing the band in action last year in Columbus was very cool. To be able to watch a true college football tradition live-and-direct was excellent and something we won't forget anytime soon.

Reading the article also reminded me of something Dykes said shortly after he was hired about bringing "college football tradition" back to Berkeley. For all intents and purposes, Dykes is college football through-and-through. His father was a long-time collegiate coach and Dykes, in more ways than one, was raised to become a football coach himself. When you add on to the fact that Dykes spent a bevy of time in Texas and you quickly understand how entrenched college football tradition is in his blood and what all that stuff means to him.

Sonny Dykes is bringing tradition back to Cal football. (Golden Bear Sports.com)

With that said, I wasn't surprised one bit when Dykes mentioned (albeit briefly) about creating more of an old-school traditional feel to the Cal football program. I don't think Dykes was talking about major changes when he said that but rather subtle tweaks - including implementing a post-game fight song sing along between the entire team and the student section. Other fanbases probably read that last point said thought what, Cal doesn't do that? as numerous programs around the country have done the post-game sing for a very, very, long time.

I also really liked when I read earlier this week that Dykes sat down with former Cal quarterbacks Troy Taylor, Mike Pawlawski, Dave Barr and Pat Barnes to pick their brains about Cal football and all things associated with it. Since the moment Dykes has been hired and his staff has been put together, they have said, done, and performed in a way that most Cal fans envisioned post-Jeff Tedford era.

In a way, it really does feel like Dykes is purposely doing everything edford would never do (publicly connecting with old alumni, open practices, smiling and laughing, etc ...). Initially, I was lukewarm on the Dykes hire but after hearing him in interviews and watching how he coaches and interacts with his guys in practice, I am now very confident that Sandy Barbour hired the right guy (or at least as confident as I can be considering no one has played a game yet).

Only time will tell if Dykes does indeed prove himself to be a great football coach in a BCS-level conference. What I can say though is that I am happy he's coaching the Bears right now ... and I'll probably be singing along right with him win-or-lose come Saturday night.

Go Bears!

Injury Bug Already Major Factor

The news that came out of the weekly press conference Tuesday wasn't great.

According to Sonny Dykes, middle linebacker Nick Forbes is out for Saturday's game due to a disc issue and defensive end Brennan Scarlett is also likely out due to a slower-than-expected recovery from hand surgery.

Although the news wasn't surprising, especially given the fact that neither Forbes nor Scarlett has really practiced yet, it is still a huge blow to a Cal defense already steeped in several question marks. I believe that the defensive line will be just fine in the long run, but given the pace that Northwestern plays at, having Scarlett opposite Chris McCain would've been a huge bonus.

With Forbes out, freshman Hardy Nickerson Jr. steps right to the forefront. (thebaymode.com)

The greater issue, however, is the health of Forbes's back. As many people will attest to (athlete or not), disc issues don't exactly just go away by themselves. Not having Forbes in the lineup for one game isn't that big of a deal but the concern is that Forbes might very well be out for a much longer period of time - which will hurt the Bears.

It does make sense now why Hardy Nickerson Jr. was listed as the starter coming out of Fall Camp. Although I think Junior will eventually be a pretty good player for Cal (he exhibits a lot of positive attributes that his Pops did), I just don't know if Nickerson is ready for be an on-field leader for Andy Buh's scheme. And even if Nickerson is ready, which I'm sure the coaches certainly feel he is, the depth behind him is scary bad.

Jalen Jefferson proved to be a functional contributor as a freshman last year and he has made tremendous strides so far this year. I have no doubt Jefferson is going to be a really good player for the Bears. Besides him, however, there are question marks all over the place for the Cal linebacking crew:

• Nick Forbes: Who knows when he will be 100 percent.
• Khairi Fortt: Hasn't played in two years. Injury concerns.
• Johnny Ragin III: This kid has gotten a lot of pub from coaches but he's a true freshman.
• Chad Whitener: Same as Ragin III.
• Michael Barton: Decent player but nothing special.
• Jason Gibson: Definitely intriguing but I think even coaches would agree it's going to take a while for Gibson to adjust.

Given how much the Cal defense will be on the field this season (in theory) depth is going to be a major issue to watch throughout the season. The Bears are going to need as many capable bodies as they can find and having your veteran middle linebacker out of the lineup isn't exactly a great start.

On another note, it does sound like Avery Sebastian (concussion) will play.

Go Bears!

Backfield Rotation

The word "potential" is overused and abused in sports but that term best describes Cal's backfield this season.

Between Brendan Bigelow, Daniel Lasco and Khalfani Muhammad, no one truly knows how good they will be or if they will even produce. One thing that probably can't be disputed, however, is the talent level all three guys exhibit. We were able to see a brief taste of what Bigelow is capable of and now that there is a new regime, there is ample evidence that Sonny Dykes and company are going to try to maximize the skills Bigelow brings to the table.

Hopefully we'll be seeing a lot of above this season. (AP)

What I am very interested to find out is how Dykes, Tony Franklin, and Pierre Ingram will use Bigelow. Long gone are the days where a running back garners 30 carries a game (although I guess Shane Vereen damn near did his last season). Instead, more and more teams on all levels of football are adopting the philosophy of split carries to keep ball-carriers fresh. Given how many plays the TFS runs on a game-by-game basis, I'd imagine there will be plenty of carries to go around.

I do wonder how much (by percentage) Cal will use Bigelow this season. Give how explosive the former Fresno standout is, I'm sure there is a temptation to give him the ball as much as possible, especially given the way the TFS is structured and how (in theory) running lanes open up as the game progresses. Looking at the splits at Louisiana Tech for the last two seasons, for instance, there is reason to believe the coaching staff will use the three running backs in much the same way that they have in the past.

2011

Player	Carries
Lennon Creer	198
Hunter Lee	135
Ray Holley	36

2012

Player	Carries
Kenneth Dixon	200
Ray Holley	142
Tevin King	46

Both Bigelow and Lasco have battled through some injuries over the last year (and in Bigelow's case a lot longer than that) so I'm sure Dykes is resisting the urge to throw Bigelow right in the mix. Ideally, if the Cal 'backs could garner a 200-142-46 split like the LA Tech boys did last season, I think that'll benefit the Bears tremendously.

I Don't Understand This Levi Stadium Hubbub

Word on the street is that Cal and Stanford have agreed to move the 2014 Big Game from Memorial Stadium to the 49ers' soon-to-be new stadium in Santa Clara.

In return, Cal will host the Big Game in 2015 and therefore "even out" its home schedule from being so lopsided. From Stanford's perspective, the Cardinal will now get to host Notre Dame and Cal in separate years (but who really cares about Stanford?).

If this plan goes through:

Even Years
Oregon
UCLA
Washington
Colorado or Utah
Arizona or Arizona State

Odd Years
Stanford
USC
Oregon State
Washington State
Arizona or Arizona State
Colorado or Utah

With the logistics out of the way, some thoughts:

1. Make no mistake about it, the only reason all three parties have agreed to this is only about money. Cal benefits from this by making its season ticket package more attractive in odd number years and so does Stanford. The 49ers benefit because it'll be more pub for their new stadium.
2. I have no idea why so many Cal fans are upset by this news.

The reaction to news like this is when I think Cal fans suffer from an issue that plagues a lot of fanbases around the country. Reading all the posts and comments out there (and boy are there many), fans have stated everything from the long commute to the South Bay to Berkeley businesses losing money as reasons for why the Cal administration should have never agreed to this. 

One game in this place isn't the end of the world. (49ers media relations)

One guy even said he was going to boycott the entire season because he's so disheartened.

What Cal fans truly and desperately need to understand is that college football is not what it once was when they grew up. The concept of "purity of the game" does not exist anymore. The belief that the Cal administration should play towards the all-day college experience of walking up Bancroft and giving its alumni ample time to reminiscence about the past on gamedays has left the station a long, long, time ago.

College football is a business and Cal needs to do all it can to stay with the curve and if that means "selling out" a little bit to get some extra bucks in the budget then so be it. The moment Sandy Barbour and the administration decided to re-model Memorial Stadium (anyone who thinks the re-model was strictly for earthquake reasons is fooling themselves) and build the Simpson Center, they symbolically said they were in it to win it.

Cal fans can't have it both ways. They can't complain, complain, complain all day about how poorly the product is on the field and then get mad at the Cal administration for doing what a bevy of other teams around the country are now doing - taking the money.

Bit of a tangent but related: A great story I heard a couple years back when I was still covering the team was about Rick Neuheisel. As most people know, recruiting is the lifeline of every college football program and people haven't seen an arms-race until they've walked inside a recruiting battle. Programs need good players to win. Period. Neuheisel knew that better than anybody so one day he rented/stole/borrowed/was given a helicopter and word from SoCal was that he visited seven recruits at seven different schools in a four-hour span and surprise, surprise, UCLA ended up getting a lot of those recruits to eventually commit (including Shaq Evans).

Or maybe Cal fans really want to spend the rest of their days in an empty stadium but at least they'll get to eat at Top Dog. (San Jose Mercury)

I bring that story up because it shows the ridiculous lengths coaches have to go to win football games and it also entails how much money every program needs to stay above water. Now, I'm not saying Sonny Dykes needs to start landing helicopters in East Oakland but I am saying that programs need all the money they can get to truly compete against the Alabamas and LSUs of the world.

Is Sandy Barbour the greatest Athletic Director in the world? Probably not.

But is she a dummy? No. C'mon man.

Barbour very much understands the Cal football tradition and what it means for Cal alumni to have pride in their prestigious and beautiful university. However, Cal fans also can't have it both ways. If Cal fans really want Cal to win in this day and age, then once in a while the administration has to give in to the mighty dollar.

Additionally, I don't believe for one second that this puts Cal at a competitive disadvantage:

1. Cal fans will outnumber Stanford fans at Levi Stadium (those that disagree should remember why the Stanford admin had to call the riot police in 2003).
2. If Cal is truly going to win a Pac-12 title, playing 30 miles from home shouldn't make a lick of difference no matter what the circumstances are, especially against a fanbase as fickle and piss-poor as Stanford's.
3. Cal still gets to host the next Big Game after 2013. It'll just come a year later than planned.

In the end, I guess someone needs to complain about something but in this case I really don't understand what all the fuss is about.

GO BEARS!

Great Read: Northwestern Running Game

I usually don't link to other posts but whoever this blogger is does an incredible job of breaking down the Wildcats's rushing attack.

Detailed doesn't even begin to describe it!

From the gist of it, the Northwestern running game sounds a lot like the Oregon rushing
attack. There's no doubt Deandre Coleman and company are going to be tested right away
come Saturday night. I can't wait to see if the Cal defense is up for the challenge.

GO BEARS!

Is Tiny Ready To Be Large?

Not since the famed 2004 season, when the Bears trotted out Lorenzo Alexander and Brandon Mebane, has Cal featured a pair of legitimately terrifying defensive interior linemen. There is a chance, however, that this season might be the first in a long, long, time.

Two years ago, Vilami "Tiny" Moala was one of the crown jewels of the 2011 recruiting class, heralded as a massive run-stopper that would clog up the middle of the trenches like a mini Gilbert Brown. And now, Moala might finally be ready to play up to his post-high school projection. The massive Moala put together a very good Fall Camp, which despite Cal's own struggles along its offensive line, is a great sign for the coming season.

Cal needs big #55 is to make a big impact. (SF Chronicle)

With the attention that Deandre Coleman is sure to see from opposing teams, Moala potentially gives the Bears a much needed asset that has been lacking from the Bears' front-7 for years and Tiny's presence couldn't have come at a more opportune time given all the question marks that surround the Cal defense. A couple years back, I was fortunate enough (thanks to a colleague and good friend of mine) to have the opportunity to get to know a little bit about the Nevada coaching staff (when Colin Kaepernick was still in school).

One name that kept coming up in various conversations about the Nevada program was Barry Sacks. Of course, Sacks is now the interior defensive line coach for Cal that I cannot underestimate how fortunate the program is to have a guy like Sacks. People around the "business" absolutely rave about Sacks and from what I understand his former and current players sing his praises as well. So count me in the not surprised category to hear and see first hand all the improvements that guys like Moala and Mustafa Jalil has made these past couple months working with Sacks. In other words, the guy can flat out coach.

And there might not be anyone on the roster who has benefited more from a new position coach than Moala himself. While his nickname is Tiny, the guys who are actually tiny along the Bears' defensive line would benefit greatly if Moala really ends up holding down the fort in the trenches this season. Chris McCain, Puka Lopa, and Brennan Scarlett -- for all their strengths (and there are many) -- are all on the smallish side as defensive ends. If Coleman and Moala draw attention inside like they could, that'll alleviate quite a bit of pressure off of McCain and company which in turn would allow them to do what they do best -- rush the passer.

Cal will get tested right away with Northwestern's Venric Mark coming into town come next week. Hopefully Moala will be up to the task.

Go Bears!

Thoughts On New Depth Chart

Sonny Dykes and his staff released an updated depth chart earlier today which means 1. Fall Camp is just about done and 2. the season is about to start. Double good news!!

We will definitely get more in-depth on the moving and shaking but some quick thoughts:

Quarterback

I felt Jared Goff earned the job with his play throughout Spring Ball and Fall Camp but I don't by any means think that Zach Kline is a below average quarterback. Quite the opposite actually. Kline is a tremendous talent in his own right and would honestly start for a lot of Division 1 programs out there right now. It's just that for this offense, at this particular time, given what Cal is trying to accomplish, Goff is simply the better fit. But, with a potentially shaky offensive line and daunting schedule ahead, I don't think anyone would be surprised one bit if Kline eventually sees some serious reps this season.

Running Back

Has Cal ever had a speedier group of ball carriers? Between Brendan Bigelow, Daniel Lasco and Khalfani Muhammad, there is some serious gas there folks. I am concerned about the health of all three of those guys and it'll be very intriguing to see how Dykes splits up the reps between the trio.

I'm pretty sure Chris Harper is going to be doing a lot of this. (Cal Athletics)

 Wide Receiver

Unproven? Sure. Young? Definitely. Talented? Absolutely. Of all the units on this year's squad, I am most excited about the wide receivers and how they potentially could perform this season. In my mind, Chris Harper is the clear star of this group but guys like Bryce Treggs (who has looked tremendous in Fall Camp), Richard Rodgers, Ken Lawler, and Darius Powe should make major contributions. Also, big standing ovation for Jackson Bouza, who entered the program as an unknown walk-on and has worked his tail off to earn a starting position.

Offensive Line

If the wide receivers pose the most potential excitement, the offensive line pose the most potential headaches. There are certainly some skilled players that will see time this year and I'm sure they will learn and get better. The concern is obviously their youth and inexperience. Freddie Tagaloa will be in the NFL - there's not much doubt about it. But is the Richmond native ready to pull a Mitchell Schwartz impression and hold down the fort as a freshman? I am happy to see that Jordan Rigsbee and Chris Adcock will round out the left side of the line if for nothing giving Cal two guys who have some playing experience. The right side of the line, however, is the major question. Is Matt Cochran ready to be a full-time starter? Can Steven Moore carry his strong Fall Camp performance into the season? So many questions.

Defensive Line

Super pumped to see Tiny Moala play alongside Deandre Coleman. Good luck blocking those two guys opposing offensive lines. Some fans out there in the blogosphere have expressed concerns about the defensive line but I am not one of them as I predict that the Bears' strength defensively will be the defensive line. Word coming out of camp is that Moala is finally playing up to his potential and I love the speed and quickness that Brennan Scarlett and Chris McCain bring off the edge.

Linebackers

Depth is an issue here and count me as surprised to see Hardy Nickerson Jr. listed as a starter. I watched young Hardy on several occasions when he was in high school at Bishop O'Dowd and I didn't feel he would adjust to the college game nearly as fast as he has so major props to him. Even though I think we all believe Nick Forbes will eventually be the starter at that position it is great news to see Nickerson Jr. doing so well. Also, if there is a player out there more anxious to finally play in a real game than Khairi Fortt let me know.

Secondary

The cornerbacks should be fine (if Stefan McClure is truly recovered from his knee injury) but I am very worried about the safety position. Even before Avery Sebastian went down with his concussion, I didn't feel the Bears had the talent there to really compete at a BCS (or whatever it's called now) level. With Sebastian out, I am even more concerned.

Go Bears!

Bears In Great Shape Under Center

No one really knows how this season will play out at the quarterback position, but I think most Cal fans are comfortable with where the Bears are at right now and the potential that both Jared Goff and Zach Kline possess.

If we take a look at the coming seasons, the situation under center looks even brighter for the Cal program - a line of thought that was far-fetched just a couple years ago. No matter what happens between Goff and Kline (and I think both will eventually see some time), the Bears will go into the 2014 campaign confident they have a leader who can win them football games on a week-to-week basis (unless both stink up the place ... an unlikely scenario).

This guy might not look all that, but he can ball. (AZ Central)

What really makes me happy is on the recruiting front, especially 2014 verbal commit Luke Rubenzer, a short and athletic quarterback out of Arizona. Rivals.com recently updated their player rankings and Rubenzer (pronounced roo-Ben-zer) made a slight jump towards the cusp of the four-star mark (Rubenzer is currently and likely to stay at three stars). Admittedly I don't follow recruiting nearly as close as I used to but this Rubenzer kid looks, talks, and carries himself like a great quarterback (all attributes that every program needs).

Rubenzer isn't the tallest guy in the world (only 5"11") nor the biggest (can't be anywhere close to 200 pounds right now) so his rankings and offer lists reflect his measurables. When you look at his tape, however, in conjunction with the incredible statistics he puts up, Rubenzer has all the tools to one day become that quarterback to finally lead Cal to The Promised Land (if Goff and/or Kline doesn't do it first).

I mean seriously, just check out Rubenzer's highlight reel:


In this Rivals.com video, the analyst compares Rubenzer to former Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing, who had a tremendous collegiate career himself and someone who I think Rubenzer will imitate once he steps onto campus. No one really knows what the term "it factor" actually means but we all have an idea in our heads. In my mind, Rubenzer definitely has that "it" factor that should make Cal fans really excited for the coming seasons.

What is also very important to note - and a theme that I'm sure Cal fans will be seeing in the coming years under Dykes' regime - is that Rubenzer's high school runs Tony Franklin's offense. As I'm sure most know by now, the TFS (Tony Franklin System) is very specific in what it wants and what it is looking for both schematically and the type of player it recruits. In Rubenzer's case, he fits exactly what Dykes and Franklin is looking for and someone (who after a redshirt season to bulk up) should be able to seriously compete for the starting position.

All in all, Cal looks to be in very good shape under center.

Oh yeah - the Bears are a finalist for this guy. I've heard he is kinda good too. Like maybe best quarterback in the country good.

Go Bears!

Are We There Yet?

I’m counting down the days like a kid waiting for Christmas but I have to constantly remind myself to curb my own enthusiasm. For all the bravado, confidence, and “new car smell” that Sonny Dykes and company exude, the bottom line is that Cal went 3-9 last year for a reason.

Still though, it is very hard not to be excited.  

From the few Fall Camp practices I’ve witnessed in person the last couple weeks:

Pace

Granted I haven’t watched a ton of football practices over the years (a whole bunch of Cal’s practices – not so much other teams) but I have been amazed at how fast Dykes makes his team practice. No wasted minute, no wasted rep. Everyone on the field has a purpose and a role on every snap. Beautiful.

Goff vs. Kline

For all the press clippings surrounding Zack Kline I was never super impressed with him and I mentioned that it in passing to a couple of fellow SCF members over the summer. I know that statement is easy to say now (since Dykes has named Goff the starter) but I honestly felt watching Kline that something was missing from his repertoire and that giving him the ball under center would make me a little uneasy if I was Dykes.

It's your show Mr. Goff. (San Francisco Chronicle)

 In that respect, Goff just made a lot more sense for what Cal is trying to accomplish offensively. By now, most people who follow Cal football closely understand the general goal of Tony Franklin’s offense and what he is trying to accomplish on a game-by-game basis. As discussed at length throughout the Cal blogosphere already, the key to his offense really is efficiency and being able to complete passes in a timely and accurate manner. There is no getting around a Tony Franklin offense without being able to keep the chains moving. That’s the bottom line.

Brian (a MCAL expert) was sold on Goff from the second the Marin Catholic star stepped onto campus, but for months I wasn’t convinced that Goff was quite ready. Goff slowly sold me on the idea with his play in practice, however, and since I suck at evaluating football it took me longer than others to actually realize it. Having said that, the true freshman is a tremendous talent. Goff is tall, accurate, and has a quick release. What has impressed me most about Goff has been his ability to place his passes in small windows where only quarterbacks years his senior would be able to see. I think that ability, more than anything else, is what ultimately sold Dykes and Franklin on Goff.

Injuries

Dykes actually mentioned injuries during his post-practice interview on 8/20. And while the head coach is absolutely correct in that Cal has been luckier than other teams in the injury department, there is definitely a level of anticipation there for us fans to be able to finally see all the key guys in action (which we haven’t and will not see until August 31). Dykes is obviously doing the smart thing by easing guys like Bigelow, Fortt, and Scarlett, among others into game action but I can’t wait until we get to see all of these playmakers in the mix.

Go Bears!