I hate being optimistic but I do think we've upgraded our coaching enough to answer how much poor coaching contributed to our underperformance. Fingers crossed that our OL can develop and jell quickly, giving our new QB and RB stable some time and space.
I look forward to reading practice updates from people who understand football nuts and bolts far better than I do.
I'd have to think back on specific games but I'd estimate 7 wins if our OL was average instead of abysmal. Haven't seen how the new coaching staff has performed yet but 7 wins was very much within reach. The 3 additional wins I see are ND, Colorado, and one of UW/USC/UCLA (assuming we still laid eggs against Wazzu and OSU).
I became a negabear last season which was troubling. I hope we can start 3-1 this season on our way to a 7-5 or 8-4 record. In Oski (and Rugbear) we trust.
I just shared with some friends, one of whom is a stalwart on these pages. that for reasons that defy logic, run contrary to learned experience and may just be wacky, posts like this get me fucking excited...Go Bears...surprise me!
Can anyone think of an example of where a head football coach in the Power 5 fumbled around with bad coaching hires - not once, but twice - and finally found the right combination of dudes in the off season and came out swinging the next season? I cannot, because most big time programs will now allow a guy with a 17-32 conference record to play dial a coach until finally getting it right. I hope this combo succeeds, because I am ready for Cal football to be entertaining again.
A write up on Cal spring practice and yet not one word on the defense, or was this just on one side of the ball with the other side coming in another article? Cuz we have issues on defense as well: DL, OLB and secondary. Perhaps we have more depth / talent on D but we weren't that great last year.
I’d think Sam Jackson has more than a slight edge over Mendoza. I hope so, anyway. I don’t recall Mendoza being highly rated/recruited, though he did impress in spring camp last year….
Barring catastrophe, Jackson is going to be the starter. No way they recruited him and he sits. They really want someone with his ability to run and pass. Unless he just plays himself out of the position, he's the key to the new Spavital offense.
Byron Cardwell and Justin Williams-Thomas were all more highly recruited for the specs, Oregon/Tennessee fans are both sad to see them go, and they provide a wide range of styles between those two and Ott. I'm not saying Damien Moore and DeCarlos Brooks were bad or anything, but I think it's definitely wrong to assume our RB group is downgraded.
Yup. Had all of the backups stayed, 2023 order would be #1 Ott #2 Cardwell #3 Williams-Thomas #4 Brooks #5 Moore #6 Street #7 Hayes, so basically we lost #4-7 string players. We should be fine.
Moore, Brooks, and Street were not burners. I recall Moore getting run down from behind in a game with Stanford. Presumably we now have speed plus power. Stredick is fast but has barely played, we also are bringing in a fast small back from McClymonds in Oakland as a frosh.
Caps don't prove a point. You lose veterans all the time, it's about who you replace them with. Our veterans left because they saw the writing on the wall and looked for places they would get playing time. The fact that they made that decision tells you all you need to know. I'm pretty sure they already knew about the new RB's coming in when they made their decisions.
There is a difference. Did you see the Pawlawski analysis of the OL? There's reason to believe Ott's performance and our run game overall will improve greatly with better coached blocking schemes. Some of Musgraves schemes were too far-reaching and created failures for Ott to break out.
Spring practice is all about evaluating the new talent so it is exciting to see what we're working with. And Wilcox said they'll still be looking to the portal once the depth charts shake out around the league.
Of course we will live and die based on our OL. And Wilcox said he'll be looking to the portal during the next window after depth charts sort out around the league. We all know a 4 win season is possible (tough schedule) but will be looking for signs of competence.
The state of Cal Football is still much better than Cal Basketball. If we don't regress, Wilcox will probably get another year unless Knowlton himself is fired.
Chicken pox is better than Cal BB. Going to see the lads practice on the 15th and then tuning in to the other Pac 12 teams practice day events on Pac 12 Network can be worthwhile. Utah always looks like a machine, even in Spring.
I blame Terry's ineffectiveness on Musgrave's gross incompetence. In what world does it make sense to constantly have TE's on the field and not use them to block or target them in the passing game?
A damning thing about Musgraves was forgetting the cardinal rule of teaching/coaching- assess and adjust.
The other damnation is forgetting: KISS- Keep It Simple Stupid. His overcomplicated plays were likely confusing and, by themselves, created mistakes and missed opportunities.
Lastly, he seemed to ignore Murphy's Law. Things can and will go wrong, so, always have plan D.
Perhaps not his fault but heard a lot about Christakos during spring ball last year, then nothing in the regular season. He wasn't the only one, (see Keleki Latu and Jeremiah Terry) who underperformed, but it was disappointing.
It needs to be said that Spencer Lovell wasn't good, so who cares that he left
I hate being optimistic but I do think we've upgraded our coaching enough to answer how much poor coaching contributed to our underperformance. Fingers crossed that our OL can develop and jell quickly, giving our new QB and RB stable some time and space.
I look forward to reading practice updates from people who understand football nuts and bolts far better than I do.
I'd have to think back on specific games but I'd estimate 7 wins if our OL was average instead of abysmal. Haven't seen how the new coaching staff has performed yet but 7 wins was very much within reach. The 3 additional wins I see are ND, Colorado, and one of UW/USC/UCLA (assuming we still laid eggs against Wazzu and OSU).
I guess I better go see what's up April 15th. I will bring my thermos of koolaid.
bring the good kind....
Too soon...
;-)
I have what you're having.
I became a negabear last season which was troubling. I hope we can start 3-1 this season on our way to a 7-5 or 8-4 record. In Oski (and Rugbear) we trust.
I don’t like being a negabear either! Here’s to eternal hope...and finding some offensive tackles
Sun Bowl anyone?
I toast to the 2023 Bears and beyond.
*clink
*sips industrial-grade Kool-Aid.
I just shared with some friends, one of whom is a stalwart on these pages. that for reasons that defy logic, run contrary to learned experience and may just be wacky, posts like this get me fucking excited...Go Bears...surprise me!
One never knows, at the start of each season, and this is unusually promising for us!
Always a believer - just need the O line to open a few holes for Ott and everyone else will start to look better with all the attention on Jayden.
At least the football team isn’t our basketball team. We actually have a shot at .500.
We need to stay afloat until Jason Kidd and Ron Rivera come home to usher in our Golden Age.
Can anyone think of an example of where a head football coach in the Power 5 fumbled around with bad coaching hires - not once, but twice - and finally found the right combination of dudes in the off season and came out swinging the next season? I cannot, because most big time programs will now allow a guy with a 17-32 conference record to play dial a coach until finally getting it right. I hope this combo succeeds, because I am ready for Cal football to be entertaining again.
Agreed, I am more than ready for some good football.
A write up on Cal spring practice and yet not one word on the defense, or was this just on one side of the ball with the other side coming in another article? Cuz we have issues on defense as well: DL, OLB and secondary. Perhaps we have more depth / talent on D but we weren't that great last year.
Yes.
Not sure whether TOP was a factor, but last year our D was a bit too giving.
I’d think Sam Jackson has more than a slight edge over Mendoza. I hope so, anyway. I don’t recall Mendoza being highly rated/recruited, though he did impress in spring camp last year….
Barring catastrophe, Jackson is going to be the starter. No way they recruited him and he sits. They really want someone with his ability to run and pass. Unless he just plays himself out of the position, he's the key to the new Spavital offense.
Bring it on!
Go!
Bears!
Good write-up, Avi.
Kind of puts the transfers, recruits, and returning players into an understandable perspective.
I always appreciated the Cal professor that could explain things and actually teach. ;)
Our roster of running backs has a higher ceiling than last season, not sure where you're getting that.
Agree, we upgraded at RB.
Byron Cardwell and Justin Williams-Thomas were all more highly recruited for the specs, Oregon/Tennessee fans are both sad to see them go, and they provide a wide range of styles between those two and Ott. I'm not saying Damien Moore and DeCarlos Brooks were bad or anything, but I think it's definitely wrong to assume our RB group is downgraded.
Yup. Had all of the backups stayed, 2023 order would be #1 Ott #2 Cardwell #3 Williams-Thomas #4 Brooks #5 Moore #6 Street #7 Hayes, so basically we lost #4-7 string players. We should be fine.
Moore, Brooks, and Street were not burners. I recall Moore getting run down from behind in a game with Stanford. Presumably we now have speed plus power. Stredick is fast but has barely played, we also are bringing in a fast small back from McClymonds in Oakland as a frosh.
I think Stredick is still around, unless he also hit the portal?
Stredick is still here.
We have a much better RB group this year than previous years.
We replaced the backups with much better players.
Caps don't prove a point. You lose veterans all the time, it's about who you replace them with. Our veterans left because they saw the writing on the wall and looked for places they would get playing time. The fact that they made that decision tells you all you need to know. I'm pretty sure they already knew about the new RB's coming in when they made their decisions.
You’re saying it’s bad we lost starters and two sentences later saying their replacements being starters doesn’t matter. Come on now.
There is a difference. Did you see the Pawlawski analysis of the OL? There's reason to believe Ott's performance and our run game overall will improve greatly with better coached blocking schemes. Some of Musgraves schemes were too far-reaching and created failures for Ott to break out.
Spring practice is all about evaluating the new talent so it is exciting to see what we're working with. And Wilcox said they'll still be looking to the portal once the depth charts shake out around the league.
Of course we will live and die based on our OL. And Wilcox said he'll be looking to the portal during the next window after depth charts sort out around the league. We all know a 4 win season is possible (tough schedule) but will be looking for signs of competence.
The state of Cal Football is still much better than Cal Basketball. If we don't regress, Wilcox will probably get another year unless Knowlton himself is fired.
Chicken pox is better than Cal BB. Going to see the lads practice on the 15th and then tuning in to the other Pac 12 teams practice day events on Pac 12 Network can be worthwhile. Utah always looks like a machine, even in Spring.
I lol’d. You’re not wrong…
One thing I agree with is injury potential.
The S&C to date has not been impressive.
Another thing, yes, the defense needs a tune-up.
I blame Terry's ineffectiveness on Musgrave's gross incompetence. In what world does it make sense to constantly have TE's on the field and not use them to block or target them in the passing game?
A damning thing about Musgraves was forgetting the cardinal rule of teaching/coaching- assess and adjust.
The other damnation is forgetting: KISS- Keep It Simple Stupid. His overcomplicated plays were likely confusing and, by themselves, created mistakes and missed opportunities.
Lastly, he seemed to ignore Murphy's Law. Things can and will go wrong, so, always have plan D.
Perhaps not his fault but heard a lot about Christakos during spring ball last year, then nothing in the regular season. He wasn't the only one, (see Keleki Latu and Jeremiah Terry) who underperformed, but it was disappointing.