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.

 While those scores these first four games ultimately might not have mattered in the big picture, the Bears' red zone efficiency will become a major factor from here on out. There is some scuttlebutt out there that Tony Franklin's spread offense is a deterrent to gaining tough yards between the tackles but that's a simply misnomer that people tend to believe based on false pretenses. Last season at Louisiana Tech, Dykes and crew converted 75 percent of red zone tries into touchdowns and were able to consistently grind out yards between the tackles. So far this year, Cal has converted only 53 percent into touchdowns.

It's time for the Cal offensive line to start busting some heads down in the red zone. (calbearsonline.com)

 That extra 22 percent would've come in handy against Northwestern and it definitely will come in handy Saturday against Washington State. Some fans have wondered why Lucas Gingold hasn't gotten more action and I am starting to agree. Gingold touched the ball a couple times against Portland State and appeared to provide that physical toughness that all teams need - especially the Bears at this very moment.

Considering how inconsistent and downright bad the Cal running backs have been at times this season, using Gingold more wouldn't be such a bad thing in my mind. Cal has a tough time opening up running holes up front and even when the holes do open up the ball-carriers have a nasty tendency to bounce plays outside even when there are runs to be made inside. I'm not really sure how the Bears can fix this issue (you can't teach someone vision) but Franklin and company are going to have to figure something out.

Some thoughts on what Franklin might try in the coming weeks:

• Make It Even Simpler - Considering how simple the Franklin offense supposedly is, it's kind of strange to say make it even easier but I think that might be the route the coaching staff has to go. By far the prettiest of touchdowns the Bears' have had this season was the Goff-to-Harper fade against Northwestern. In other instances, for all of his strengths, Goff has looked a little indecisive down there which has led to poor possessions.
• Use Richard Rogers - If you've been watching the NFL lately you know how critical big tight ends have become in today's game. From Jimmy Graham to Bozo Bob and others, defenses simply have not found a way to properly cover a big athletic tight end. The pass from Drew Brees to Graham on Monday Night the other day against Miami was a perfect example. While Rogers certainly isn't on the level of a Jimmy Graham, I think Rogers has enough athletic ability and skill to be a real weapon down there.
• Heavy Dose of Muscle - No more Brenden Bigelow or Khalfani Muhammad down there. All Daniel Lasco and Lucas Gingold. Might not gain but 2-3 yards per carry, but that might help more than a 1-yard loss down there. 
• WildBear - I am not a huge fan of taking your starting quarterback in and out of games, but Kyle Boehm did look very effective in limited action against Ohio State. With Boehm's ability to throw the ball, Franklin might try to put him down there. A Goff + Boehm + Gingold + Lasco diamond set backfield might be fun to watch.

GO BEARS!