Cal Football's 2023 Roller Coaster
The ever eternal hope remains but Cal still needs to prove it on the field consistently if they hope to have ACC success
After a performance in the Independence Bowl that resembled driving a car on all four of its rims, Cal’s turbulent 2023 season has come to an end. And with that comes several changes, from players declaring their intention to enter the transfer portal, staff changes, and the elephant of changing conferences from the Pac 12 to the ACC.
It would be easy to divide this football season into two parts, with the games that had Sam Jackson V and Ben Finley at quarterback versus the contests where Fernando Mendoza took over the reigns under center and didn’t let go. But this is Cal, and we know surface level analysis won’t ever tell the full story.
The Golden Bears went 3-2 when Jackson V and Finley got the start at quarterback. When Mendoza stepped in, Cal went 3-5, but without a shadow of a doubt the offense functioned better, the fans were satiated with the stabilizing product on the field, and that nagging feeling called hope crossed our minds and hovered in our thoughts.
Normally, that’s a feel good story when you know you’ve found your quarterback of the future after making it to the postseason. However, Cal is in a special set of circumstances where process, feel good, and effort are not enough.
I want to be clear and emphasize that there were several good things had from this season, as the intention is not to make this a doom spiral/the world is falling think piece. Having Fernando Mendoza snatch the starting quarterback position ignited a life and unity in the Cal fanbase that hasn’t been seen in years. Jaydn Ott’s continual reinforcement that he will be a California Golden Bear in 2024 and lets us bask in a generational talent for presumably one more year. The emergence of guys like Cade Uluave, Trond Grizzell, and Jack Endries among others was nothing short of spectacular and they deserve all their flowers.
This is going on year eight of the Justin Wilcox era. In my experience, he’s an exemplary leader and ambassador not only for the football team but also for the university. We’ve reached the course where it’s about wins now (as if college football isn’t always about winning), as Cal looks to stay afloat in a new conference. Realignment will come again and the Golden Bears from the administration on down can’t get caught picking flowers in right field, otherwise who knows what may happen.
One way to alleviate some of that pressure is to deliver in big games. Watch attendance soar, buy in exponentially increase, and the narrative about Cal shift. We’ve seen numerous game where fans were ready to break the dam down. Arizona State 2019. Nevada 2021. Auburn 2023. Each and every time the fanbase was left with dismay and heartbreak. In 2024, there’s no room for that. 7-5 will be the minimum for Cal to consider a successful debut, but how will Cal get on the path there? Most of these answers require the program to look itself in the mirror.
Can Justin Wilcox and Peter Sirmon stem the slide on defense?
Since 2021, the Golden Bears have been falling off the highs of the late 2010’s masterful defenses. Talent remained including Camryn Bynum, Elijah Hicks, Luc Bequette, Brett Johnson, and several others brought in through the transfer portal. However, Peter Sirmon’s tenure as Cal defensive coordinator raises significant red flags in terms of evaluating where the Bears can reach their potential. This past season, the defense did not register their first sack in conference play until a Oct 28 showdown against USC. For reference, Pac 12 play started Sept 24 against Washington, timing up over a month until Cal was in the backfield.
No matter how you slice it that’s not good enough. In 2022, Cal’s defenses ranked last in the Pac 12 in pass defense, a supposed strength even I watermarked before the season began. Several records were broken in infamous ways this year, with Cal giving up their first unassisted 50 burger of the Wilcox tenure against Oregon State, get molly whopped into the turf for 63 points against Oregon, being overmatched in all facets for 45 points against Washington (adjusted for punt return and pick six), and being on the unlucky end of self destruction against USC. With the talent that was brought in over the offseason, that’s a threshold that’s eye-bleaching regardless if the Pac 12 had the most depth its ever seen.
When a tenure of a head coach is defined by tough defense and you don’t get it, it raises all sorts of alarms about the trajectory of the program. When highly ranked recruits can’t see the field or guys are consistently hurt, that’s a indictment on the coaches on scouting. Once again, I’m not questioning the effort of anyone here. Unless the defense that Cal employed against Auburn, Washington State, Stanford, and UCLA shows up on a consistent basis, sustained success may be out of reach and a signal that change was necessary all along from scheme to personnel.
Can Mike Bloesch be effective in multiple roles?
Based on his North Texas profile, there’s definitely a significant chance that Mike Bloesch can hold his own as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. However, the Independence Bowl was not a thrilling start for his tenure. The offensive line looked ill prepared to handle the multitude of pressures Tim DeRuyter was sending, couldn’t open up running lanes, and had Fernando Mendoza under immense duress. Couple that with a lack of running lanes for Jaydn Ott, and you have a dangerous, ineffective combination taking place.
A one game sample size is never enough to judge whether a hire was a mistake, but I will be watching the offensive line in particular as the 2024 season gets underway, because when time is devoted to crafting a gameplan it’s easy to get lost with other responsibilities.
Surveying Special Teams
It’s widely known that the special teams this season cost Cal games against Auburn and USC, in agonizing fashion as well. In my postgame column from UCLA, I noted that Vic So’oto could take a bow for the performance in the recent weeks leading up to it. Despite that, it doesn’t erase any of the events leading up to that point. Will Justin Wilcox repurpose his coaching staff to allow for another special teams adviser to help So’oto? How does practice time get divided up now that special teams has been a significant detriment under this coaching staff for years on end? Who is the kicker and punt returner for 2024?
As it was mentioned in the defensive section, when you have a head coach that builds his reputation on tough defense and complimentary football, you need competent special teams. Going on year eight, Cal has not had that even once during Justin Wilcox’s era as head coach. One could reasonably conclude that this unit costs this team games, when it fact it could be a weapon all along. Ask Utah and Oregon State when Jonathan Smith was present how special teams was a big part of their identity. Cal cannot afford to have another disaster from this unit that costs them games next season.
Wide Receiver Production
Coming into the 2023 season, I touted the wide receiver room as a strength for Cal. They didn’t make that mark for me, as Jeremiah Hunter had a downtick in production where as Trond Grizzell burst on to the scene. Veterans like Brian Hightower, Monroe Young, Mavin Anderson, and Taj Davis didn’t get the separation and production I was projecting. And it doesn’t get easier practically losing all of these pieces due to eligibility or transferring.
That’s not to say that the young flock of receivers can’t and won’t step up. But outside of Grizzell and Jack Endries in the passing games, its a lot of unknown. Tobias Merriweather, Nyziah Hunter, Jaiven Plummer, Mavin Anderson, and Marquez Dortch among others will have ample opportunity to fill the void at receiver, but its one thing to see development in practice versus seeing the work come to fruition in game like this year. Much like with Mike Bloesch’s responsibilities, I’m not concerned but I have an eyebrow raised.
Final Thoughts
Cal has the tools to be successful in the ACC next year. They’ve found their quarterback, running back, and linebacker to build around with complimentary pieces. They’ve got experience getting big time transfers to come to the program in recent years. NIL collective efforts are increasing and Bears fans are begging for some sort of rope to latch on to and support this program with feral passion.
But we are long past the foundational stage. Cal needs to win and win often if they want to hold weight in the next round of realignment, wake up a dormant fanbase, and if this coaching staff wants to stick around these next few years. Buyouts are becoming more tenable, a new chancellor will come into power in the next few months, and teams from other conferences are calling in to poach the best talent.
Coaches will need to have more than an ace up their sleeve and hope they play their deck of cards correctly with incoming transfers. The time is now, and the 2023 mad dash to the finish line will not be enough this time.
As Herm Edwards infamously said, “You play to win the game”. If Cal wants to get where they want to go, they need to look themselves in the mirror and be ready to come to terms that they may not be so lucky if a similar scenario flares up in five years.
Cal was sufficient on offense BUT not on defense. It's as simple as that.
You are over target, TD.
Bombs away.
Yeah, honestly, being on the losing end of close games is not going to cut it.
Being new to and having piggybacked/begged our way into a new conference makes us like the "new guy" on a cell block. We need, figuratively, to break a chair over someone's head just to establish our creds.
As you, say, TD, there's no margin for error and the clock is ticking towards the next realignment. The clock may have just jumped ahead with FSU's cause-of-action temper tantrum, so there's also the chance that it's already too late and we'll be G5 in no time.