"California fans may find solace in triumphing over rivals USC and Stanford in the same season for the first time since 2003." This California fan certainly will. Since '48-50 we've done it four times, '70, '73, '03 and '21. I
It was a great night at Memorial Stadium. The students showed up and overall attendance was better than most expected. The defense bent but didn't break and the offense did just enough to win.
Four really good wins in the second half of the season. It was ultimately a woulda-coulda-shoulda year but I'll always look back on it fondly for winning the Axe and beating U$C.
Nitpicking, but it was 1975, not 1973. We also did it in 1958, which was the last time we got the trifecta of beating Furd, SC, and UCLA in the same season. The three wins that year were by a total of six points.
I’m proud of our guys for not just giving up on the year when we were 1-5. I recall how the team just kind of gave up in Tedford’s last year, and this could not be more different. Great job staying with it, and hope Chase returns! By when does he have to decide?
Always great to beat USC - no matter the circumstances or how poor the USC team is. (I do wonder, however, if the outcome would have been different had the teams played when scheduled and USC was healthier)
My emotion after this game is one of relief. A sincere thank you to U$C for rescheduling the game and then gifting us the win multiple times during the game. Fortunately our defense held it together just enough to seal the victory.
Now we are onto the off-season. How many lads transfer out? Which lads opt in for an additional season? Do we hold onto the current commits? Can we successfully navigate the transfer portal to bring in immediate talent for next year?
Wilcox: does he shake up the staff? Will he commit to developing an O that can run the fucking ball when it wants to and score 30 points? Will he move off of the mark of "we will win ugly" (such a shitty philosophy when it comes to sport or life in general)? Will he and the O staff stop playing players that aren't productive re: Daltoso / Nikko? At this point I'm in the "hope" mode cuz I'm seeing him act like a lot of CEO's / managers that either don't see or refuse to see that things aren't working and continue to do the same thing expecting different results.
The biggest off-season change has to be Wilcox himself. So, hopefully his advisors are advising him and he actually listens. He needs to make changes and quickly.
Go Bears, the good guys prevailed and took the winter. I don’t remember the last time there were more $C band members than $C fans at Memorial, but I’ll take it.
So, I like Wilcox too, but I have to admit it's fair to have serious reservations as to the ceiling of the program under him. The margin for error for his teams is so slight that you're looking at an annual 12-game slog through dog fights because of that inconsistent O.
Hopefully Garbers returns to Berkeley to keep that offense somewhat competent, and that solid young D mixes ascending players with a combination of Bimage/BJ/Kuony Deng returning....that D could be the P12's best, no joke.
Not sure why you want Garbers to return, he was clearly outplayed by a true freshman yesterday. We need to hit the transfer portal to find a QB the short term
The UCLA game disabused me of the idea that we were some secretly good team that had some unlucky things happen. We were what are record said we were, a slightly below average team.
The common denominator in 3 of our losses was the bliltz and an inability to handle pressure (UNR, Wazzu, UCLA)....still, beat the worst team in college football on the road and this team bowls.
Agree, having a backup QB who is unable to complete a forward pass is a black stain on the coaching staff. He got a pass from the media because the reason Garbers was out was a bright shiny object. If he had just sprained his ankle and missed the AZ game for that reason, the staff would have been rightly roasted
1. Yes, 5 years in and Wilcox teams still have a slim margin for error on O....6-6, +/- 1 or 2 is the best we can hope for.
2. Based on what we've seen from backup QBs in the Wilcox era, if its anyone other than Garbers next year, chances are good we will face inconsistency at best, incompetency at worst, QB play.
3. No - Musgrave's pro-style offense is compatible with superior, professional athletes - Cal does not get this type of player consistently enough to win the battles.
Not a dig at you, OldSoCalBear...just that they were gonna back up the Brinks truck for the Miami native and former player & coach at the U....makes too much sense with the new AD too.
"California fans may find solace in triumphing over rivals USC and Stanford in the same season for the first time since 2003." This California fan certainly will. Since '48-50 we've done it four times, '70, '73, '03 and '21. I
It was a great night at Memorial Stadium. The students showed up and overall attendance was better than most expected. The defense bent but didn't break and the offense did just enough to win.
Four really good wins in the second half of the season. It was ultimately a woulda-coulda-shoulda year but I'll always look back on it fondly for winning the Axe and beating U$C.
4 times in over 70 years is a noteworthy accomplishment, no matter the circumstances. Circumstances of some sort occur every year. Good job Bears.
Nitpicking, but it was 1975, not 1973. We also did it in 1958, which was the last time we got the trifecta of beating Furd, SC, and UCLA in the same season. The three wins that year were by a total of six points.
Oops, thanks for catching those. One a typo another a silly omission.
You hung in there last night at a chilly Memorial in a meaningless game...NOTHING you do is silly, Oski D! You’re an inspiration.
Meaningless? Fie! No victory over the trojans is meaningless!
I’m proud of our guys for not just giving up on the year when we were 1-5. I recall how the team just kind of gave up in Tedford’s last year, and this could not be more different. Great job staying with it, and hope Chase returns! By when does he have to decide?
Depends on pro day. I'm not sure if he'll get an invite to the combine..
Zero chance Garbers gets drafted...it's whether he Grad Transfers somewhere else or retires from football.
I'd be surprised if he transferred for football reasons, but he might decide that he just wants to get on with his life.
I think that's actually the most likely outcome, TBH
Thanks Rick - good article!
Always great to beat USC - no matter the circumstances or how poor the USC team is. (I do wonder, however, if the outcome would have been different had the teams played when scheduled and USC was healthier)
My emotion after this game is one of relief. A sincere thank you to U$C for rescheduling the game and then gifting us the win multiple times during the game. Fortunately our defense held it together just enough to seal the victory.
Now we are onto the off-season. How many lads transfer out? Which lads opt in for an additional season? Do we hold onto the current commits? Can we successfully navigate the transfer portal to bring in immediate talent for next year?
Wilcox: does he shake up the staff? Will he commit to developing an O that can run the fucking ball when it wants to and score 30 points? Will he move off of the mark of "we will win ugly" (such a shitty philosophy when it comes to sport or life in general)? Will he and the O staff stop playing players that aren't productive re: Daltoso / Nikko? At this point I'm in the "hope" mode cuz I'm seeing him act like a lot of CEO's / managers that either don't see or refuse to see that things aren't working and continue to do the same thing expecting different results.
The biggest off-season change has to be Wilcox himself. So, hopefully his advisors are advising him and he actually listens. He needs to make changes and quickly.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over when it is not working.
No, it's the former Mrs. Jimmy Chitwood, but your definition of insanity is definitely up there! ;-)
Well said, GEAT. Agree 100%.
Go Bears, the good guys prevailed and took the winter. I don’t remember the last time there were more $C band members than $C fans at Memorial, but I’ll take it.
Is winter coming for House Wilcox?
Wilcox is here to stay unless he wants to leave. I like him actually, just not sure about his taste in OCs
So, I like Wilcox too, but I have to admit it's fair to have serious reservations as to the ceiling of the program under him. The margin for error for his teams is so slight that you're looking at an annual 12-game slog through dog fights because of that inconsistent O.
Hopefully Garbers returns to Berkeley to keep that offense somewhat competent, and that solid young D mixes ascending players with a combination of Bimage/BJ/Kuony Deng returning....that D could be the P12's best, no joke.
I think it's fair to have serious reservations as to the ceiling of this program overall, never mind under Wilcox.
Not sure why you want Garbers to return, he was clearly outplayed by a true freshman yesterday. We need to hit the transfer portal to find a QB the short term
Damn you Wazzu....that's Cal's Sun Bowl bid you bastards.
Perhaps the play of the year was Hearns' INT that wasn't due to an offside penalty. That one-handed INT was pretty sweet!!
and then Pac12 ref said USC declined the offsides penalty
Fact. Love him and Isaiah Young...future seems bright at DB.
The UCLA game disabused me of the idea that we were some secretly good team that had some unlucky things happen. We were what are record said we were, a slightly below average team.
The common denominator in 3 of our losses was the bliltz and an inability to handle pressure (UNR, Wazzu, UCLA)....still, beat the worst team in college football on the road and this team bowls.
That loss is not on Wilcox.
Yes, it is Cugel. Year 5...a good program finds a way. This one did not.
End of story.
Agree, having a backup QB who is unable to complete a forward pass is a black stain on the coaching staff. He got a pass from the media because the reason Garbers was out was a bright shiny object. If he had just sprained his ankle and missed the AZ game for that reason, the staff would have been rightly roasted
Some positives from the season:
1. Hearns looks like a future star
2. Team didn’t quit after the 1-5 start which speaks to the the culture Wilcox has built
3. Defense looked a lot more like what we expected as the season progressed
Questions and concerns:
1. Is the most we can expect from Wilcox (at cal) 5-8 win seasons?
2. What will the future look like at qb?
3. Is Musgrave’s style compatible with our personnel (or even modern cfb in general, for that matter)?
+
1. Yes, he does.
2. Kids play hard for Wilcox.
3. D next year could be top 2 in P12
-
1. Yes, 5 years in and Wilcox teams still have a slim margin for error on O....6-6, +/- 1 or 2 is the best we can hope for.
2. Based on what we've seen from backup QBs in the Wilcox era, if its anyone other than Garbers next year, chances are good we will face inconsistency at best, incompetency at worst, QB play.
3. No - Musgrave's pro-style offense is compatible with superior, professional athletes - Cal does not get this type of player consistently enough to win the battles.
Cristobal and Miami in “deep negotiations” according to sources
https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article256316637.html
Can we get thibodeaux to transfer?
In news surprising nobody....
Not a dig at you, OldSoCalBear...just that they were gonna back up the Brinks truck for the Miami native and former player & coach at the U....makes too much sense with the new AD too.
Not taken as a dig, just pointing it out as it would affect the p12 landscape.
Speculation is Joe Brady's an option....John Canzano from up there says Chip Kelly is very much in play....interesting.
Joe Brady out as OC at Carolina....does he show up in Eugene?
Good game Bears. At least we won. Oh what could have been if we had not lost all those close games.
Wow. Always a pleasure to beat those guys, though I have little doubt they’ll be monsters very soon, and quite possibly next year.
The real question: when’s the last time we beat both usc and Stanford in the same year, but still finished with a losing record?
1941. Someone posted it in the non-Cal thread yesterday
Twas I. And we beat UCLA that year too.