Grade the (Big) Game: Cal loses the Axe, 24–23
Special teams... Those goddamn special teams....
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California loses the 123rd Big Game in special, agonizing fashion—errors on special teams and fumbles galore. The Bears were in a position to tie the game with a minute left, but a blocked PAT made the difference for a 24–23 loss.
Submit your report card for the game here.
Always fun to read what's going on in my third favorite college website (can't tell you my second). It's Oregon's AddictedtoQuack.com --- a down bunch now but very witty when they are winning. Normally have a lot of comments relating to Musgrave's name (for those not in the know, he went to Oregon and was about the same level of QB as one of my Cal faves, Troy Taylor).f
Sorry I turned off the Oregon game yesterday with five minutes left. They were controlling the game then.
Here's their latest link. WOULD BE GREAT IF SOMEONE AT WFC TO GET AN UPDATE FROM THEM ON THIER TEAM, HOW THEY VIEW THE CAL GAME, AND WHO THEY WANT TO PUNCH IN THE MOUTH (BESIDES EVERYONE ON THE OSU TEAM AND THEIR HEAD COACH), WHO BEAT OREGON TWICE WHEN HE QB'D THE BEAVERS.
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2020/11/27/21723511/oregon-lost-in-the-fog-beavers-41-ducks-38
From another website.
So while the offensive and defensive units probably did enough to give the Bears the win, the special teams disaster that’s becoming a regular staple in Cal games this season simply doomed the team in another disappointing loss.
“It’s unacceptable,” said Wilcox of the special teams’ critical errors. “Special teams come down to simple technique that we have to execute with great effort and we are having issues there.
“I’ve got to help give them answers. We need to coach better and we need to perform better on special teams.”
Wilcox was asked what went into the decision to kick the extra point late in the game rather than going for two and the potential win, especially given their special teams’ woes.
“We had the field goal blocked (at the end of the first half),” said Wilcox. “Really unfortunate. We came back and hit a PAT in the third quarter and we thought we’d shored up what we needed to shore up.
“There was some discussion. The defense had held pretty well throughout the game other than after the turnovers and the offense was moving the ball, so we felt good about going to overtime.
“Obviously it was the wrong decision and I own that 100%.”