These games are always about the lesser team starting off strong early. They have so much to prove they come out and play hard and the better team usually isn’t fired up for the game the way they should be. Over time however, the difference in talent and depth shows itself. This game easily could’ve had CAL scored two more touchdowns, but Coach W held them back and I’m fine with that. Yeah, we started slow, and JKS needs to get his passes a little tighter. But I expect us to give the Golden Gophers a good game.
No doubt. But its one of the mysteries of coaching: how do you fire up your team during practice the week before the game and during the game when the press is calling you opponent a cupcake and the betting line is 45 points? It's a tough ask.
I hope you're right. I'm just not feeling good about the WRs in particular, and wish we had more speed at RB. Right now, JKS is needed to elevate the skill players, rather than vice versa, which is a lot to ask of a freshman.
I'm also starting to wonder if bigger, faster, meaner defenses will be a problem for JKS's throwing motion and start forcing turnovers.
As I mentioned on WRC's prediction edition last week that this game was going to be a "trap" game. In all my years of coaching, after you have a good game and then play a lesser team, there is usually a let down in mental preparation and your team will be "flat". This is what I observed from my endzone seat yesterday. No matter how much you preach to 18 to 21 year old kids to "get up" for the game, they will act like it's going to be a"piece of cake" game and the results are what I saw yesterday. Thank goodness happened yesterday which means it probably won't happen again. Incidentally, I love my end zone seat because I can see all the splits, blocking schemes, defensive stunts and "stems", etc.
I’m not going to overreact to “only” a 35-3 win, even against an HBCU. The only real red flag I’ve seen so far this season is that the wide receivers have done JKS and the team zero favors.
This goes in the bucket of Wilcox wins that don't inspire confidence.
And Cade...argh. It sucks because we know he's SO much better than that. We all have lapses in judgment, though, and I just wish this was one that didn't have such a bad outcome.
Mike Pawlawski on the GB radio broadcast did not pull any punches at the end of the first half on Cal's lackluster performance. Sadly, JW seems to love to play down to FCS teams. Btw, Oregon State is now 0-2 against pac12 teams (old-Cal, new-Fresno State). The "blue and yellow" have to play much better next Saturday to be 3-0. Go Bears!
Some of you may not know this, but Cal no longer officially tracks attendance; instead, an Associate AD looks at the stands and then tells the stats team “it looks about 20% full, so put whatever number 60% would be”
I'm sure they track the exact numbers, given that tickets are all scanned; it's just that they don't report the exact numbers. Uncertainty about kickoff times and multiple 7:30pm kickoffs have killed attendance throughout most of college football. Idiot TV networks...
Yes, those dropped receptions were mostly catchable. There's on receiver, number 19 Trevor Rogers, who hasn't played yet who is very fast and when he was in high school was great receiver.
Generally speaking, there were parts to all our OC’s offenses that I had liked in the Wilcox era, but overall saw too many poor formations/schemes that drove me crazy. I however, prefer Harsin’s offenses overall so far, blending spread and pro style from what I see. I think it’s just the execution that’s frustrating ( too many dropped passes for one). JKS is so young and he’ll have his ups and downs. Loved seeing Brown get his first TD pass as a bear
Kicking game is no longer a liability (hopefully that continues)
Defensive line play
Devin Brown
Areas of concern:
Receiving corp
Offensive line on run blocking
Secondary coverage?
Net net, the area of concern coming out of the Oregon state continues to be areas of concern but with additional areas of positives column, especially our running game showed a lot more this week so that’s progress.
As for JKS, I’m not concerned at all. If anything, I’m reminded from sundays nights Bills game that when you have a talented QB, then no game is not winnable
The game will end at 1 AM Central Time. The late time didn't seem to hurt the Miami kids, but hopefully the mid-westerners will be more susceptible. Time to let your Gold shine!!!
You're right, people hate the late games and with good reason. Plus we actually have a worse record at night then during the day at Memorial Stadium, you could, as they say, look it up.
Exactly, no FCS games are primetime ESPN games. I love the night games, it's magical under the lights. Plenty of time to meet up with your buddies, build up excitement through the day, do some pre-gaming. The West Coast night games are usually one of a very few games on at that time, so the football eyes of the country can be trained on California Memorial Stadium.
Coming out with a vanilla/experimental game plan against an FCS team and putting them away later is . . . fine, I guess, but it also brings up visions of past Wilcox teams that do this against FCS, and then take a tough loss or two and go into a spiral of coming out "flat" for games and before you know it we have another October losing streak. It doesn't say great things about the mentality instilled by the coach.
But maybe having JKS around to save us with timely scoring drives will be the difference.
You can't just blame it all on Wilcox. The offense is now Bryon Harsin's and it just doesn't impress me with much imagination yet. The receivers dropped some passes on key downs and they are led by WR coach Kyle Cefalo
Unfortunately, I think this was less about coming out flat and more about the talent level on offense at the skill positions.
Main takeaway: expect the worst for the Minnesota game and hope to be surprised.
These games are always about the lesser team starting off strong early. They have so much to prove they come out and play hard and the better team usually isn’t fired up for the game the way they should be. Over time however, the difference in talent and depth shows itself. This game easily could’ve had CAL scored two more touchdowns, but Coach W held them back and I’m fine with that. Yeah, we started slow, and JKS needs to get his passes a little tighter. But I expect us to give the Golden Gophers a good game.
Every team should come out and play hard from the beginning.
No doubt. But its one of the mysteries of coaching: how do you fire up your team during practice the week before the game and during the game when the press is calling you opponent a cupcake and the betting line is 45 points? It's a tough ask.
I hope you're right. I'm just not feeling good about the WRs in particular, and wish we had more speed at RB. Right now, JKS is needed to elevate the skill players, rather than vice versa, which is a lot to ask of a freshman.
I'm also starting to wonder if bigger, faster, meaner defenses will be a problem for JKS's throwing motion and start forcing turnovers.
As I mentioned on WRC's prediction edition last week that this game was going to be a "trap" game. In all my years of coaching, after you have a good game and then play a lesser team, there is usually a let down in mental preparation and your team will be "flat". This is what I observed from my endzone seat yesterday. No matter how much you preach to 18 to 21 year old kids to "get up" for the game, they will act like it's going to be a"piece of cake" game and the results are what I saw yesterday. Thank goodness happened yesterday which means it probably won't happen again. Incidentally, I love my end zone seat because I can see all the splits, blocking schemes, defensive stunts and "stems", etc.
I’m not going to overreact to “only” a 35-3 win, even against an HBCU. The only real red flag I’ve seen so far this season is that the wide receivers have done JKS and the team zero favors.
Jake Tonges with a game winning touchdown catch today 👀
This goes in the bucket of Wilcox wins that don't inspire confidence.
And Cade...argh. It sucks because we know he's SO much better than that. We all have lapses in judgment, though, and I just wish this was one that didn't have such a bad outcome.
Mike Pawlawski on the GB radio broadcast did not pull any punches at the end of the first half on Cal's lackluster performance. Sadly, JW seems to love to play down to FCS teams. Btw, Oregon State is now 0-2 against pac12 teams (old-Cal, new-Fresno State). The "blue and yellow" have to play much better next Saturday to be 3-0. Go Bears!
Some of you may not know this, but Cal no longer officially tracks attendance; instead, an Associate AD looks at the stands and then tells the stats team “it looks about 20% full, so put whatever number 60% would be”
I'm sure they track the exact numbers, given that tickets are all scanned; it's just that they don't report the exact numbers. Uncertainty about kickoff times and multiple 7:30pm kickoffs have killed attendance throughout most of college football. Idiot TV networks...
Blue and yellow?
Ryan originally wrote "blue-and-yellow" in the post-game write-up. That's since been corrected.
Yeah, the "Blue and Yellow" comment hurt my Cal feelings!
J-KS came out amped up so it’s not entirely on the receivers, but a lot of those balls need to be caught.
Who is going to step up in the WR corp? Will anyone? Ideally a guy proves to be the go-to guy when a big play is needed…
Yes, those dropped receptions were mostly catchable. There's on receiver, number 19 Trevor Rogers, who hasn't played yet who is very fast and when he was in high school was great receiver.
They just need someone steady that can make the big play when it’s needed, or come up with a clutch catch. Maybe Trond could be that guy.
Both the fake punt for a 1st down conversion and the 2-point conversion after first TD got my attention.
Love the trickery. Go Bears!!
Thank you for saying trickery instead of trickeration.
You have my gratitudization.
Generally speaking, there were parts to all our OC’s offenses that I had liked in the Wilcox era, but overall saw too many poor formations/schemes that drove me crazy. I however, prefer Harsin’s offenses overall so far, blending spread and pro style from what I see. I think it’s just the execution that’s frustrating ( too many dropped passes for one). JKS is so young and he’ll have his ups and downs. Loved seeing Brown get his first TD pass as a bear
Yes, Brown look really efficient and accurate.
Go Bears! Beat Minnesota!
A few thoughts:
Positives:
We won!
Masses
Raphael separating himself
Mini
De Jesus continues to be amazing on returns
Kicking game is no longer a liability (hopefully that continues)
Defensive line play
Devin Brown
Areas of concern:
Receiving corp
Offensive line on run blocking
Secondary coverage?
Net net, the area of concern coming out of the Oregon state continues to be areas of concern but with additional areas of positives column, especially our running game showed a lot more this week so that’s progress.
As for JKS, I’m not concerned at all. If anything, I’m reminded from sundays nights Bills game that when you have a talented QB, then no game is not winnable
Where is the Rate the game” site?
I know people hate the late games, but it seems like they have more energy and a bigger home advantage. I’m happy the MN game is after dark.
The game will end at 1 AM Central Time. The late time didn't seem to hurt the Miami kids, but hopefully the mid-westerners will be more susceptible. Time to let your Gold shine!!!
You're right, people hate the late games and with good reason. Plus we actually have a worse record at night then during the day at Memorial Stadium, you could, as they say, look it up.
Is that accounting for strength of schedule? The tougher opponents tend to be later games.
Exactly, no FCS games are primetime ESPN games. I love the night games, it's magical under the lights. Plenty of time to meet up with your buddies, build up excitement through the day, do some pre-gaming. The West Coast night games are usually one of a very few games on at that time, so the football eyes of the country can be trained on California Memorial Stadium.
If they're still awake back east.
Coming out with a vanilla/experimental game plan against an FCS team and putting them away later is . . . fine, I guess, but it also brings up visions of past Wilcox teams that do this against FCS, and then take a tough loss or two and go into a spiral of coming out "flat" for games and before you know it we have another October losing streak. It doesn't say great things about the mentality instilled by the coach.
But maybe having JKS around to save us with timely scoring drives will be the difference.
You can't just blame it all on Wilcox. The offense is now Bryon Harsin's and it just doesn't impress me with much imagination yet. The receivers dropped some passes on key downs and they are led by WR coach Kyle Cefalo
Go Bears Forever!