Cal Offensive Coordinator Jordan Somerville Likes Operational Process Post Spring Game

The first-year coordinator liked what he saw from his offense in the spring game, with three more phases still to come.

Jordan Somerville’s primary takeaway from the spring game was how well his offense handled the operational demands he’d put on them.

“The biggest thing from an operation standpoint, those guys did a good job of what we asked from a cycle to snap and pre-snap and post-snap processing standpoint. In and out of the huddle, eyes to the signaler, all the little things we asked of them. A phenomenal job of that.”

That processing held up even with a crowd watching and the pace of a live scrimmage.

“It goes back to exactly what we were just talking about. Pre-snap and post-snap processing, those guys being able to take in information, the amount that we talk to the quarterback pre-snap to give him indicators of what’s going on in the back end, and then giving him the toolbox to go out and perform.”

Running back Adam Mohammed made a play that caught attention, and Somerville pointed to his daily habits as the foundation.

“The biggest thing Adam exemplifies is being a professional. The way he takes care of his body, the way he attacks his sleeping habits, the way he handles himself preparing for practice. That dude does an elite job of making sure he’s ready to go physically and mentally day to day. From a standard standpoint, he’s going to push what it’s supposed to look like and how we operate.”

Freshman tight end Taimane Purcell has also made a strong impression through the spring.

“Takes in information at a high level and then plays fast. That’s the biggest thing. Can you take in information and then apply it and play fast? Taimane has done a great job of that. He’s been here since about January 18th, so he’s been here about three and a half months. The amount of information for a freshman to take in with what we ask in the system, he’s done a phenomenal job, and then playing fast. He’s done an excellent job of that.”

With spring wrapped up, Somerville sees three more phases ahead before the season opener.

“We’re three, three and a half months in and we just finished phase two. We got three more phases to go. That’s the thing that brings a smile to our face. OTAs, summer phase and then training camp. But on top of that, we can’t take any day for granted. How do we utilize those three phases? I believe we’re made of the right stuff mentally, so taking the step I know we can take from an offensive standpoint is encouraging.”

As for calling plays at Memorial Stadium for the first time in front of a crowd, Somerville found it came naturally.

“It was exciting just from the communication standpoint. That’s the one thing I absolutely enjoyed, talking with the coaches on the headset, making it as game-day-like as possible. Communication to the quarterback, that’s new to me with the iPads and video. It was a good time.”

Read more about the spring game below.