Cal vs. Pittsburgh Football Insta-Recap & Rate the Game: Bears Can't Convert Turnovers to Points, Lose 15-17
Golden Bears lose, despite out-gaining the Panthers in yards and time of possession
The California Golden Bears (3-3, 0-3 ACC) remain winless in the Atlantic Coast Conference after a 15-17 defeat to the No. 22 Pittsburgh Panthers (6-0, 2-0 ACC) Saturday night.
California rushing back Jaivian Thomas scored a 21-yard rush to the left after the Golden Bears defense forced a three-and-out on the game’s first drive. California head coach Justin Wilcox’s decision to go for a two-point conversion might have been the difference in the close game, which saw the two teams kick a combined 12 punts.
Despite passing for 272 yards and one touchdown, Fernando Mendoza could not seem to find his rhythm. The Golden Bear offensive-line struggled, resulting in Mendoza getting sacked six times and hurried up four times by the Pitt defense.
Ryan Coe missed a 40-yard field goal with 1:54 remaining in the game, which would have gave California the lead. Instead, Pitt held on to go 6-0 for the first time since 1982.
California failed to upset the No. 22 Pitt, despite out-gaining the Panthers 335 yards to 277, maintaining a time-of-possession advantage 38:29 to 21:31, and winning the turnover margin 2-0.
I was working today so I recorded the game and got home and watched it, fast forwarding to get through it. Heres's my take: Mike Bloesch needs to be relieved of his duties as OC, today. Why? We have talent on offense, but we are incredibly unprepared, the play calling is terrible, and our o-line cannot execute. As a former o-lineman and o-line coach I watched a number of plays over and over to see how the o-line performed. At the most basic level their technique/s were terrible. No one stays on blocks. We are all to high with body position. There is no finish. And our blocking schemes are terrible. I don't know why Rush Reimer gets beat every time on a delayed blitz to his outside gap. Either he's uncoachable (if this is the case he should not be on the field) or he has not been taught how to handle the pass off and pick up. Our offensive tackles getting regularly beat inside is simply because they are out of position.
This is the 6th game of the season and we should have it together by now. We have decent enough players, but the terrible attention to detail by them is a reflection of the lack of attention to detail by the coaches. This offense is a total clusterfuck from both an execution and the play calling standpoint, and I have no faith it will be better next week. If Wilcox wants the offense to run better he needs to take a hard look at the failures and a deep gut check and make a tough decision.
A couple of other thoughts. Why run Cardwell three plays in a row when he had two good runs? Pass it on the next play. When the box is stacked and they are coming for Fernando, why run fake RPO's and take time away from him to make a read and throw the ball? Why run an inside QB draw with Fernando? Why change it up with Chandler Rogers? Did any of his plays result in success? I'm really pissed off right now that its the same old shit.
I just…I’ve got nothing. I simultaneously have a 1000 things to yell and nothing at all. The two point conversion made no sense. The third quarter play calling made no sense. Taking your starting QB off the field for the most important play of the game when he’s 26-33 made beyond no sense. Having a sieve of an offensive line at a program where that should be the easiest position group to recruit makes no sense. I try to be level headed but I just don’t know how you keep defending Wilcox after this. This team with a decent coaching staff is 6-0, or at a minimum 5-1, right now and that’s what’s most sad.