Cal Does the Hokie Pokey in Humiliating Loss at Virginia Tech
A historic feat for the Bears against the run
If you watched Cal at Virginia Tech on Friday night, you were a part of history as the Hokies won a 42-34 shootout in double overtime. The 357 rushing yards given up by the Bears was the most given up in the Justin Wilcox era, eclipsing the 352 given up on the ground in the 2022 season finale against UCLA. It’s another loss in a laundry list of them where an opponent that’s struggling finds their way when lining up against Cal.
A disgraceful night against the run
There’s no sugarcoating the effort nor the execution that Cal had against Virginia Tech’s running attack in Blacksburg. Justin Wilcox mentioned in his weekly press conference that the math changes when you have someone like Kyron Drones running the ball, and boy did it ever for the Hokies against Cal.
Drones, who carried the ball a startling 21 times, wasn’t expecting that workload heading into the night. However, Phillip Montogmery and company simply stuck with what worked and Cal didn’t adjust per the Hokies themselves.
You’re not going to want to watch the highlights where Cal consistently crashed on the edge and also the “tackling” that occurred after the fact. Sometimes, you miss tackles, it happens. What happened Friday wasn’t nearly close to the effort required to impede the Virginia Tech offense and Cal was rightly punished for it.
Too many times, the Bears attempted to play bowling and knock pins down as opposed to wrapping up. From scheme to the effort and eventually the execution, everyone on the defense failed to step up. Cade Uluave was the best defender Cal had on the night and while he continued to slow flashes of being his old self coming off a good night against UNC, there were times he was beat too.
Cloudy with a chance of drops
Every game, it feels like the same song with a different verse in regards to the pass catchers. Postgame, Wilcox was also asked if he expects to see new receivers on the field in the coming weeks to which replied he didn’t know and he would have to look at the video.
Given the state of what QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele goes through on a week in and week out average, there has to be another look to those currently on the sideline. Mark Hamper continued a season where he continually doesn’t come down with catchable passes while others had flareups at costly points. The usually sure handed Trond Grizzell and Jordan King both had plays they wish they had back and ultimately, its another chapter in the inconsistency that is the Cal offense.
When it comes to competing at this level, I don’t know how you teach catching the ball, either you can or can’t. Players have cited an adjustment period to the lefty throwing motion of JKS but there still needs to be execution. It certainly doesn’t look like a million more hours on the jug machine is going to fix this in 2025.
Moving toward the last third of the year and conclusions
At one point or another in each of the 2022, 2023, 2024 seasons, I’ve mentioned that the clock is ticking. For the first time in 2025, I’ll mention those same sentiments. General Manager Ron Rivera has been consistent that the wins need to match the investment put into the program. A 5-3 record on the surface does the job but anyone who has watched the manner in which Cal has gotten to that record knows what’s still left on the table.
A Big Game win simply will not suffice. Two more wins to get to 7-5 will not suffice. Cal had a chance to clinch bowl eligibility for the first time in October under Justin Wilcox and squandered the opportunity.
Virginia will be the start of tougher tests as Cal looks to pick themselves off the mat. Small personnel changes took place over the course of the VT game including Lamar Robinson in at center, Harrison Taggart earning more snaps at LB and Brook Honore taking reps at punter. The Bears desperately need to find the right combination before the train veers off the tracks.
It is time for bold action and a statement from Lyons and RR about the future of Cal football by firing Wilcox. I had been a defender of Wilcox but can no longer do so. Timing is exceedingly important and will show the Cal community that the university is determined to excel in football.
As bad as that game was, we could have won it with better clock management at the end of the 4th quarter, needed to spike the ball and save nearly 25-30 seconds, squeezed a couple more plays, and possibly could have made it a 30 something field goal instead of a near 50 yard one.