Syracuse guy commenting in peace here. Want to first say that Cal unfortunately got one of SU's best defensive performances of the season yesterday. Several guys who hadn't had many chances to contribute, either due to injury or their spot on the depth chart, showed up in a huge way. And the offense finally had a reliable Kicker so they could take the points early on and settle in.
As for the Wilcox situation: it's very similar to Dino Babers with 'Cuse last year. Mostly likeable guy who had some early success but hasn't been able to rise above 6/7 wins even against weak schedules. Whether to fire him or run it back again is not an easy call to make when the alternative may not be any better, but when he doesn't even try to take accountability it's probably time. I'll say SU got VERY lucky with hiring Fran and it was really because he WANTED to coach in the northeast. Hopefully you're able to find the same type of candidate invested in local recruiting.
The Babers situation is a great comparison. Unfortunately Wilcox’s buyout is larger because of our terrible AD. But it’s clear that we’re not going anywhere under Wilcox and need a fresh start.
The Game Plan & Game Management doomed us (Wilcox). SYR gave up 330 yards rushing to BC last week so of course we came out slinging the ball instead of using the run to set up passing. Two quick INTs later and we were doomed. At one point in Q2 I looked at time of possession and it was:
SYR 16:39
CAL. 3:29
We know our Defense wears down late in games, so, instead of controlling the clock early, we pissed away the game. That’s why we couldn’t get off the field when trying to rally. Not accepting a 15yd face mask penalty and allowing SYR to kick a FG was the dumbest decision yet in a season dominated by stupid coaching.
I listened to Wilcox post game interview and he had no ideas or explanations. It’s alarming, as he does everything but look in the mirror when pointing fingers. He’s a very decent guy, but he’s clueless and never learns from mistakes as he never acknowledges making any. Time’s up on this regime.
Yep. Good points. Problem is this Cal team can not run the ball on anyone…the Cal OL is one of the weakest units in all of P4, regardless of position. They’ve already given up more sacks than all of last year. Further complicating matters is the fact that Cal gets nothing in the run game from their WRs…they are virtually useless blocking out on the edge. Coaching matters…and we don’t have one. The results of Bloesch pulling double-duty as OC/OL coach have been predictably awful, and that is entirely on Justin Wilcox.
As for the postgame interviews with Wilcox: the issues referenced are the exact same in year 8 as they were in year 1, yet you see a coach that so very clearly has NO idea how to fix these problems. Accountability, or lack there of, is one thing, but so too is the fact that the coaching staff has no clue how to address these problems. THAT’S a problem.
1-5 in a weak ACC says it all. Losses to Syracuse, NC State and a horrible FL State team says it all. Even if Cal goes 6-6, the team should forfeit any bowl invite, as against the Orange the Bears were just bad, very, very bad. No team should be invited to a bowl with such a terrible conference record. Let's get the axe next week, give Wilcox the axe and issue Nick Saban all the blue and gold ties he needs in order to coach at Cal!
You may have noticed that several teams are complaining about having to travel long distances to games in these new mega-conferences, and that they have typically suffered worse performance in those games.
In our inaugural ACC season, Cal has welcomed three east-coast teams having to travel a long distance to come play in Berkeley, something that should be a nice advantage for us in home games! Cal has lost all three games.
Even mentioning the fans or crowd in this article is a complete joke. I’ve never seen a crowd fix an inconsistent offense. I did not know fans can save a 2-minute drill from poor time management. Did you expect a Texas A&M type “12th Man” to save the day?
Justin Wilcox is now 2-20 since COVID against FBS teams with a winning record. Perhaps your writing should focus on that.
Everyone is accountable, by the second quarter it was justified but there was no juice in the building from anyone to start
What’s understood about his ability to lose games against anyone with a pulse doesn’t need to be said. If you read literally any other piece from everyone this season you’d see that losing, losing, with a side of losing comes up front and center
You don't get juice in the building to start the game if the outlook is despair. This program has momentum, and it's swinging down. Wilcox NEEDS to go and the university needs to show that they care. If he starts the 2025 season, we're honestly doomed. I know I'm beating a dead horse, but just look at our HS recruiting -- that says everything. You cannot win like that. I would rather have a Dabo that doesn't care about the portal rather than a coaching staff that has given up on HS.
There was maybe 500 actual students in the student section. I knew the section would be quiet, but I didn't expect there to be more alums sitting in the section than actual students.
The one good thing about no one showing up- you can buy the cheapest tickets available and sit down at 50 yard line.
This program been headed in the wrong direction for years. But somehow the Cal community is “accountable”.
You hardly ever see a fan blog name “fans” or “crowd” as a reason for a loss brother. It’s insane honestly! Especially when you just acknowledged Wilcox is incompetent.
Maybe my expectations are too much but if you’re going to show up to sit there and be silent that’s terrible.
The mic men and hype men tried knocking on the door to see if anyone was home those first 8 minutes and no one was having it. Support is not only showing up but showing out, where the latter was not present in the first (anything after yes I understand).
It doesn’t excuse the wretched football product that followed but that was so out of the norm it had to be called out. Syracuse brought like two sections of fans but were feistier during those two field goal drives than anyone in blue and gold.
TD i was there too and it just didn’t read that way to me. Main problem is there was NOBODY THERE. But we (all, what, 6 of us?) were yelling. And the wind came out of our sails really fast; there was a debacle vibe long before Q2. Still our end of CMS wasn’t sitting on our hands. There just weren’t many of us.
The hype man is horrible and needs to go. Also, many of us were livid that they played overly loud piped in music as the team came onto the field, totally drowning out the Cal Band. These idiots are ruining the game day experience.
Yeah they were back up to 104 Db on that f’ing speaker stack. And the mic man we heard Sat was kinda mush-mouth. At least they let him use the mic tho.
The whole story of the defensive collapse is Cal's corner backs, yes, that includes Nohl Williams, were absolutely terrible in coverage. They were beaten every time on short outs and inside slant patterns. McCord, Syracuse QB, never looked off where he was going to throw. Another bad defensive flaw was the very few instances of GOOD pressure on McCord. Those two instances of our defense are why we had such a defensive collapse. Another thing I noticed was the team arrived a half hour late which may not seen to most as not much but to a former coach I can see how this can cause many pre game problems which can disrupt and hurry mental readiness. In orther words, they came out of the tunnel "flat" and not ready to play.
That soft coverage, Coach…the ease with which Syracuse simply played catch to move the chains was eye-opening. I was up top in sec Q and you could just see these plays unfolding clear as day. Sigh.
A real rough one to take. The Bears were asleep at the switch. Looks like Javian Thomas only had a few carries even though one was a 75 yard touchdown run. Instead we see Ott out there who was a bit better but still hampered by injury. I don't think last season he would have been caught from behind anywhere on the field. With Stanford pulling out a dramatic victory over Louisville next week will decide the Bears' fate, bowl or no bowl.
I’d evaluate Mendozas play (considering the O-line) as a B+ this year. If we had gotten C- or even C QB play this year we would likely be the worst team in the power 4.
Mendoza had a poor game but when evaluating this season he is WAY down on the list of issues.
What's an Old Blue to do? So how can I express my displeasure with Coach Wilcox (for whom I have a great deal of respect)? I always want to support our athletes.
The night games are taking their toll on this 78-year-old couple who drive 2 hours to get to CMS. The acoustics underneath the press box are terrible. The student body has deserted the team. But it's really the predictability of the games and a 6-6 season (again) that have removed the fun of what use to be a great gameday experience.
Do I not renew the season tickets I've held for over 20 years? I have emailed Rich Lyons but what else can I do?
Cal fans: Jon Wilner posted an interesting response to a fan's question regarding why the Big 10 didn't take Cal or Stanford at even a reduced rate (in the 10-15 million per season range) and invite them in and have access to a large media market (current rank, #10). His conclusion? We just aren't worth it! YIKES! If that isn't a gut punch, then I don't know what one is. I have a feeling that Chancellor Lyons is very much aware of the need to make Cal Football relevant again (like when Tedford took over from Holmoe) and if we choke against the 'Furd, I have a feeling that Wilcox will be shown the door. Thoughts?
We shouldn't be in a position of even thinking that we want to lose the Axe so Wilcox will be fired. He should go no matter what we do in our last two games.
There is no money or administrative will to fire Wilcox. The donors have been burned by Cal and aren't going to do anything. And not, they are not happy with Wilcox.
Syracuse guy commenting in peace here. Want to first say that Cal unfortunately got one of SU's best defensive performances of the season yesterday. Several guys who hadn't had many chances to contribute, either due to injury or their spot on the depth chart, showed up in a huge way. And the offense finally had a reliable Kicker so they could take the points early on and settle in.
As for the Wilcox situation: it's very similar to Dino Babers with 'Cuse last year. Mostly likeable guy who had some early success but hasn't been able to rise above 6/7 wins even against weak schedules. Whether to fire him or run it back again is not an easy call to make when the alternative may not be any better, but when he doesn't even try to take accountability it's probably time. I'll say SU got VERY lucky with hiring Fran and it was really because he WANTED to coach in the northeast. Hopefully you're able to find the same type of candidate invested in local recruiting.
The Babers situation is a great comparison. Unfortunately Wilcox’s buyout is larger because of our terrible AD. But it’s clear that we’re not going anywhere under Wilcox and need a fresh start.
The Game Plan & Game Management doomed us (Wilcox). SYR gave up 330 yards rushing to BC last week so of course we came out slinging the ball instead of using the run to set up passing. Two quick INTs later and we were doomed. At one point in Q2 I looked at time of possession and it was:
SYR 16:39
CAL. 3:29
We know our Defense wears down late in games, so, instead of controlling the clock early, we pissed away the game. That’s why we couldn’t get off the field when trying to rally. Not accepting a 15yd face mask penalty and allowing SYR to kick a FG was the dumbest decision yet in a season dominated by stupid coaching.
I listened to Wilcox post game interview and he had no ideas or explanations. It’s alarming, as he does everything but look in the mirror when pointing fingers. He’s a very decent guy, but he’s clueless and never learns from mistakes as he never acknowledges making any. Time’s up on this regime.
Yep. Good points. Problem is this Cal team can not run the ball on anyone…the Cal OL is one of the weakest units in all of P4, regardless of position. They’ve already given up more sacks than all of last year. Further complicating matters is the fact that Cal gets nothing in the run game from their WRs…they are virtually useless blocking out on the edge. Coaching matters…and we don’t have one. The results of Bloesch pulling double-duty as OC/OL coach have been predictably awful, and that is entirely on Justin Wilcox.
As for the postgame interviews with Wilcox: the issues referenced are the exact same in year 8 as they were in year 1, yet you see a coach that so very clearly has NO idea how to fix these problems. Accountability, or lack there of, is one thing, but so too is the fact that the coaching staff has no clue how to address these problems. THAT’S a problem.
1-5 in a weak ACC says it all. Losses to Syracuse, NC State and a horrible FL State team says it all. Even if Cal goes 6-6, the team should forfeit any bowl invite, as against the Orange the Bears were just bad, very, very bad. No team should be invited to a bowl with such a terrible conference record. Let's get the axe next week, give Wilcox the axe and issue Nick Saban all the blue and gold ties he needs in order to coach at Cal!
"Get the axe and give Wilcox the axe"....would make for a great t-shirt next week.
You may have noticed that several teams are complaining about having to travel long distances to games in these new mega-conferences, and that they have typically suffered worse performance in those games.
In our inaugural ACC season, Cal has welcomed three east-coast teams having to travel a long distance to come play in Berkeley, something that should be a nice advantage for us in home games! Cal has lost all three games.
!!
What else is new?
Even mentioning the fans or crowd in this article is a complete joke. I’ve never seen a crowd fix an inconsistent offense. I did not know fans can save a 2-minute drill from poor time management. Did you expect a Texas A&M type “12th Man” to save the day?
Justin Wilcox is now 2-20 since COVID against FBS teams with a winning record. Perhaps your writing should focus on that.
Everyone is accountable, by the second quarter it was justified but there was no juice in the building from anyone to start
What’s understood about his ability to lose games against anyone with a pulse doesn’t need to be said. If you read literally any other piece from everyone this season you’d see that losing, losing, with a side of losing comes up front and center
You don't get juice in the building to start the game if the outlook is despair. This program has momentum, and it's swinging down. Wilcox NEEDS to go and the university needs to show that they care. If he starts the 2025 season, we're honestly doomed. I know I'm beating a dead horse, but just look at our HS recruiting -- that says everything. You cannot win like that. I would rather have a Dabo that doesn't care about the portal rather than a coaching staff that has given up on HS.
There was maybe 500 actual students in the student section. I knew the section would be quiet, but I didn't expect there to be more alums sitting in the section than actual students.
The one good thing about no one showing up- you can buy the cheapest tickets available and sit down at 50 yard line.
This program been headed in the wrong direction for years. But somehow the Cal community is “accountable”.
You hardly ever see a fan blog name “fans” or “crowd” as a reason for a loss brother. It’s insane honestly! Especially when you just acknowledged Wilcox is incompetent.
Maybe my expectations are too much but if you’re going to show up to sit there and be silent that’s terrible.
The mic men and hype men tried knocking on the door to see if anyone was home those first 8 minutes and no one was having it. Support is not only showing up but showing out, where the latter was not present in the first (anything after yes I understand).
It doesn’t excuse the wretched football product that followed but that was so out of the norm it had to be called out. Syracuse brought like two sections of fans but were feistier during those two field goal drives than anyone in blue and gold.
TD i was there too and it just didn’t read that way to me. Main problem is there was NOBODY THERE. But we (all, what, 6 of us?) were yelling. And the wind came out of our sails really fast; there was a debacle vibe long before Q2. Still our end of CMS wasn’t sitting on our hands. There just weren’t many of us.
Totally fair and glad to hear your pov, in general we just have to pick it up is really my gripe
Make it happen instead of waiting for it to happen
Holding fan expectations for a 5-4 football team?! The same team that hasn’t had a winning season in 5 years?!
That’s insanity.
Go write for the Santa Clara football team kid. Broncos been undefeated since 1992 and I heard they need someone with high fan expectation.
The hype man is horrible and needs to go. Also, many of us were livid that they played overly loud piped in music as the team came onto the field, totally drowning out the Cal Band. These idiots are ruining the game day experience.
Yeah our athletics department is trying to ruin this thing by driving all the alumni off.
Yeah they were back up to 104 Db on that f’ing speaker stack. And the mic man we heard Sat was kinda mush-mouth. At least they let him use the mic tho.
Sums up a depressing game in a depressing season. Retaining the Axe will only serve as a consolation. If we don't blow the Big Game too.
The real depressing part will be once the season is over and Wilcox isn’t fired.
The depressing part will be people talking themselves into another season of this after beating Stanford.
The whole story of the defensive collapse is Cal's corner backs, yes, that includes Nohl Williams, were absolutely terrible in coverage. They were beaten every time on short outs and inside slant patterns. McCord, Syracuse QB, never looked off where he was going to throw. Another bad defensive flaw was the very few instances of GOOD pressure on McCord. Those two instances of our defense are why we had such a defensive collapse. Another thing I noticed was the team arrived a half hour late which may not seen to most as not much but to a former coach I can see how this can cause many pre game problems which can disrupt and hurry mental readiness. In orther words, they came out of the tunnel "flat" and not ready to play.
That soft coverage, Coach…the ease with which Syracuse simply played catch to move the chains was eye-opening. I was up top in sec Q and you could just see these plays unfolding clear as day. Sigh.
Yes, they could have played press coverage on man covers or bracket Pena on zone coverage.
And maybe rush more than 3.
Good thing next week’s kick off is at 12:30! 🙄
A real rough one to take. The Bears were asleep at the switch. Looks like Javian Thomas only had a few carries even though one was a 75 yard touchdown run. Instead we see Ott out there who was a bit better but still hampered by injury. I don't think last season he would have been caught from behind anywhere on the field. With Stanford pulling out a dramatic victory over Louisville next week will decide the Bears' fate, bowl or no bowl.
The defensive back made a great tackle, but that is the first time I recall seeing Ott actually get caught from behind.
I’d evaluate Mendozas play (considering the O-line) as a B+ this year. If we had gotten C- or even C QB play this year we would likely be the worst team in the power 4.
Mendoza had a poor game but when evaluating this season he is WAY down on the list of issues.
Thanks TD. Well said.
What's an Old Blue to do? So how can I express my displeasure with Coach Wilcox (for whom I have a great deal of respect)? I always want to support our athletes.
The night games are taking their toll on this 78-year-old couple who drive 2 hours to get to CMS. The acoustics underneath the press box are terrible. The student body has deserted the team. But it's really the predictability of the games and a 6-6 season (again) that have removed the fun of what use to be a great gameday experience.
Do I not renew the season tickets I've held for over 20 years? I have emailed Rich Lyons but what else can I do?
Cal fans: Jon Wilner posted an interesting response to a fan's question regarding why the Big 10 didn't take Cal or Stanford at even a reduced rate (in the 10-15 million per season range) and invite them in and have access to a large media market (current rank, #10). His conclusion? We just aren't worth it! YIKES! If that isn't a gut punch, then I don't know what one is. I have a feeling that Chancellor Lyons is very much aware of the need to make Cal Football relevant again (like when Tedford took over from Holmoe) and if we choke against the 'Furd, I have a feeling that Wilcox will be shown the door. Thoughts?
We shouldn't be in a position of even thinking that we want to lose the Axe so Wilcox will be fired. He should go no matter what we do in our last two games.
There is no money or administrative will to fire Wilcox. The donors have been burned by Cal and aren't going to do anything. And not, they are not happy with Wilcox.
A very disappointing game in a very disappointing season. Hard to watch yesterday.
That whole game sucked. One more home game to go, thank goodness.