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tcc go bears's avatar

if you want to lay an egg inexplicably just let wilcox do it for you. hes really really good at it. he just cant help it. but hey if he continues to suck next few games in a row I hope this time that door will smack him in da head the last time. cal fans rejoice!

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PCWT's avatar

This one was the one that broke the camel's back for me. Our next coach, who needs to come on for the '26 season, needs to be the highest paid employee in California by mutiples. full stop.

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Eric's avatar

Once again, Cal starts off surprisingly well. And this particular season the unexpectedly good start had two bonuses. One, the schedule is literally the easiest schedule for Cal in my lifetime. Two, having had virtually every talented player transfer (some of whom are doing terrible on their new teams and they should suffer for it while Mendoza - who Cal lifted out of obscurity - is now being considered for the Heisman) the idea of picking itself off the mat and taking a collection of unknowns and cast-offs to unexpected wins put this on track for a magical season.

But it's Cal. Which means at the worst possible time, something inexplicable occurs and it derails. While in past years it was crazy things - easy missed field goals, stupid fumbles, bad referee calls/no-calls, etc. - often it came against a better/more talented team. Last year it was Florida State. In 2022 it was Notre Dame. In 2018 it was at Oregon. In 2004 and 2017 it was at USC. Then usually the season melts down.

Then there are losses that are inexplicable where Cal is the better team and has a chance to do something it has never done before in my lifetime but something goes wrong on one play or series. That doesn't happen very often but it happened in back to back years in 2006 and 2007.

And then there are losses that inexplicable because Cal screws up against a bad team. But that usually happens after the wheels have already come off or the entire season is weird. Like against winless Arizona and Colorado a few years ago.

But this is new. This loss involves (a) early season full of promise; (b) playing against a significantly worse team on paper; and (c) it was not one or two inexplicable things but an entire team failure across the board. And what made it arguably worse is that it started off well; San Diego State punted on its first drive and Cal drove for 10 minutes with three fourth and short go-for-its (first two succeeding, the last not but puts San Diego State on its 2 yard line).

Cal was exposed to be a less than mediocre team with little talent and worse coaching. Exactly what it has been for years. And while the schedule remains incredibly easy, now I expect for every game to be a loss because there is no reason why it shouldn't be. Even if Cal wins games, so what - each week I will expect the worst, the shoe to drop so to speak. It's why my immediate reaction was to not go to the game at Boston College. Why suffer disappointment in front of my wife, kids and three significant others?

But even if Cal were to win every remaining game this season, it does not ever remove the taint of this particular loss. It will always be there. It will never change, it will always be a weight. It is not forgivable because one cannot undo the pain and suffering and anguish Cal causes on those who love it and expect better.

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GoldenSD81's avatar

This loss is baffling.

We were 14 point favorites

SDSU is a decent team but is in year 2 of a rebuild and got blown out at Washington State

Cal dominated SDSU last season

Yes it was a road game but we had almost as many Cal fans at the stadium than SDSU fans so crowd noise wasn’t much of a factor and it wasn’t much of a home field advantage for SDSU

We not only loss, we got shutout and completely dominated in all 3 phases of the game

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napabear's avatar

Yep, I was at the game. Stadium half full, plenty of Cal fans to make just as much noise as SDSU fans

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Eric's avatar

I should have also mentioned Miami last year. Back to back inexplicable losses at the worst time against more talented teams.

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Mark's avatar

It is sort of telling that the Write for California staff have not published anything about the game yet, which they normally do by now. SDSU simply wanted this game way more than our players did. There’s nothing else to analyze. SDSU saw the point spread from Vegas and were insulted.

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Auricursine's avatar

The team not only wasn't "flying around, real physical", but they couldn't even win the 2nd half.

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BerkeleyBear's avatar

I think it's clear what Rivera has to do. I wonder if Wilcox may welcome it, he has seemed exhausted and down lately. They just need to thank him for his time and move on. I wish they would do it now and elevate Harsin as interim just to see how the team responds. Or Rivera. I don't see the point of waiting, they can't afford to burn another losing season. They need butts in the seats and 8-9 wins like Rivera said.

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ShanghaiDave93's avatar

And I was this close to believing again.

Wilcox infinite loop of disappointment.

I have some hope and faith that Rivera will make the hard / easy choice this year.

Hard to find Alumni or players who will be excited by another year of Wilcox.

Take a chance on a new Coach and build some real excitement by turning the page.

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KJ1980's avatar

The opposite of "what a bonanza". Joe Starkey's postgame would have been apocalyptic.

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GoldenHairs's avatar

We lost so bad there’s no game result article

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paulie's avatar

pretty sure there was no game last night, right? right??!?

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Rugbear's avatar

The wheels fell off tonight against a not very good SDSU team. Every team we have yet to play just figured out what kind of defense to play against us. Stack the box, stop the run and bring pressure forcing us to throw mid to deep balls while JKS scrambles for his life. Hopefully this disaster will be a turning point for CAL’s season.

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WilderThanGene's avatar

They left JKS in too long. At a certain point he was just throwing it up out of frustration.

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GoldenBear68's avatar

I’ve been watching the Bears since the Craig Morton years of Ray Willsey in the 60’s and this “performance” was right up there with some of the worst games I have ever seen, and needless to say I’ve seen a lot of really lousy Cal games. A portal built team clearly doesn’t work except for the players leaving Cal and you have to wonder whether JKS isn’t already having second thoughts about returning to Cal from Oregon. Mendoza is having a great year at Indiana though Ott clearly made a mistake moving so late to Oklahoma — God knows Cal could have used a healthy Ott and an experienced Mendoza last night. You have to ask why Cal lost the nucleus of an experienced team through the portal after last season and it points to only one thing — a lack of faith in the coaches ability to put together a winning team. Needless to say, you can’t win without a strong running game and WR’s who can actually catch a well placed ball. Cal had neither last night and the ACC games ahead will likely just emphasize that fact, leading to another mediocre season and another wave of portal departures. It all begs the question: Go Bears, but to where??

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Auricursine's avatar

At a certain point, the balls weren't that well placed as the game devolved. I get JKS' desire to have his WR make plays, but that would make sense if he had Marvin Jones or Kenny Lawler types. This current group, "bless their heart", just ain't it.

As for the running back room, is it worth trying to save Anthony League's redshirt? Or can he start getting reps going forward?

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Bruce Rianda's avatar

I too have been following Cal since 1961. The coach in those days was Marv Levy. This is the worst game I can remember. I drove in from Arizona to watch this debacle. Should had saved the gas.

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GoldenBear68's avatar

I had an offer to see the game with an SDSU booster and turned him down. Would have been unbearable!

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Toohandy's avatar

Cal's O coordinator is awful!! No imagination in the running game and the passing game is almost all long go patterns. And no real pressure defenses by the D coordinators. Get real guys and make our offense tricky and for the defense , PRESSURE!!!

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Auricursine's avatar

I would argue that the running game is filled with imagination, because Harsin keeps imagining that these running backs deserve to be carrying the ball as often as they do!

At this point, I want to see what Anthony League might be able to do. Couldn't hurt...

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carp's avatar

Flashbacks to 2010 at Nevada where Kaepernick showed us why the pistol is interesting

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Daniel Lahl's avatar

As my Cal brother continues to remind me every year since I graduated in 1979, the Golden Bears live to disappoint. On O: O line dominated again, no run game (absolutely no holes created, not that the rbs could execute anyway), very poor receiving core with no separation and dropped passes, JKS pressured all night and made some bad freshman decisions. On D: D line dominated by SDSU just like Minn dominated last week (I could run through some of those holes the SDSU O line created), terrible tackling, D backs exposed as not good (the SDSU QB went something like 16 of 18). Special teams: as expected, back to missing FGs, plus mediocre punt coverage. Overall, I think the GBs did NOT come out flat, they just experienced a complete ASS KICKING by a better prepared and coached Mountain West team. The massive Portal losses are now showing up on this team, and the 2 real stars (JKS and Cade) can't overcome the talent loss and mediocre coaching. Cal was predicted to be 14th or 15th in the ACC this summer, and they looked like that prediction last night. I fear October, and I don't know where we go from here. I'm so sad...

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Rugbear's avatar

Tough to run against 7 & 8 in the box. SDSU did have a bye week and had some tricks in their bag, but we didn’t adjust defensively till the second half. Our offense spotted them 14 points off two turnovers so the defense actually did its job.

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Daniel Lahl's avatar

@Rugbear, so we would have lost 20-0 then? I think Cal was just exposed as mediocre - both in talent and in coaching... I still fear October... No sunshine pumping here...

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Rugbear's avatar

I think this game was a game of schemes…which means coaching. Our defense adapted but our, of fence shit the bed. It didn’t help that in critical situations ourcrecemivers did not bring in catches that were in their hands. Sometimes teams have a really bad week, wake up and have a great season. Sometimes they don’t. Let’s see what unfolds.

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Auricursine's avatar

Not scoring on that 19-play drive was brutal. For whatever reason JKS was just a bit slow on his release, but I also don't understand why Harsin felt so confident that this current group of running backs could blast into the end zone on the earlier red zone downs. Was calling the motion play that scored against Minnesota last week too obvious of a play call in that situation?

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Daniel Lahl's avatar

The Oline was getting no push, and opening no space for our mediocre RBs. I think they had at least 2 4th down conversions they had to make on that long drive, and we barely got those. The knot in my stomach grew large after getting nothing after an 8 minute drive...

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Auricursine's avatar

I turned to my wife after the 4th down incomplete and told her that Cal was now in trouble. I wish the team would prove us wrong every now and then.

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dcblue's avatar

I was getting ready for bed during that drive. I was finally ready on the fourth and goal when they called time out and I said that’s it. Somehow I knew they wouldn’t score.

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Michael Munson's avatar

How can Wilcox show his face at the office ever again? Resigning in shame is the only choice.

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Justbear's avatar

Have we fired Wilcox yet?

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Auricursine's avatar

Is Akina here yet?

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O.Overall's avatar

Last week me: we are in a special season, 12-0 here we come! Harsin is the partner Wilcox has been lacking! Pinch me!

This week me: we are going to lose 6 in a row, JKS will transfer to Michigan State or some BS, and somehow Wilcox will still be here next year. Kill me!

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JCT's avatar

I don't think JKS is going anywhere the way he played. This game showed he has a lot to learn imo. Places where the game fell apart were often his decision making. And I don't think that poor decision making is Wilcox's fault though he will be blamed for it. Now the way the offensive played is another story. This game was worse than the typical games under Wilcox everyone complains about. I wonder where we would be if Mendoza stayed along wth all the other players that left. Look at how well Indiana is doing.

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AndyPanda's avatar

4th most lopsided shutout by non-power conference team vs power conference team since 2000.

Probably ok to start thinking about DOOOOOMMMMM.

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GoldenBear88's avatar

Ok, there is no other way to put this: That was a BEATDOWN, pure and simple. I'm 0-2 throwing Cal Football parties so from now on, I will be watching these games by myself! Holy shit, that was ugly. I had a bunch of Golden Bears and Aztecs over and the SDSU alums were expecting to get smoked and instead tHE opposite happened. Where was the o-line? JKS was being constantly harassed and receivers either couldn't get open or kept dropping balls. ZERO run game. All anyone can do after tonight is just flush this from memory and get ready for Boston College. Football gods, pray for us.

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Daniel Lahl's avatar

You forgot to mention that the D line got completely owned, the D backs got smoked, and the tackling was atrocious. This was a complete 2 way loss.

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Kcalbear's avatar

Okay hear me out. We are in the nexus of Silicon Valley… why don’t we have more money coming from them? Why do we have less money than Alabama? Make this make sense.

Also stanfurd is trash so they are not getting any money either. Wtf.

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ShanghaiDave93's avatar

Because they won’t throw money at a losing product. Winning and success is what they want to be associated with, not a mediocre team at best. Pay for a good Coach, generate a base of NiL, and win to generate excitement on tv / social media and Silicon will jump on the bandwagon.

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Kcalbear's avatar

With what money?

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ShanghaiDave93's avatar

We have two choices: Ride Wilcox and eventually alienate all donors (even with Rivera who has done a good job with nil in our current situation) or hire a new Coach and convince donors this may be our last chance for football to survive the future, so give all that you can for one, last push. Risky but we better realize time is not on our side.

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GoldenSD81's avatar

Technocrats don’t like people, let alone football

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Kcalbear's avatar

Nah some do. It’s vanity

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Bearly Rational's avatar

Where was trond grizzle all night? Also, I’m pretty sure Hamper really jacked up his shoulder on a play towards the end.

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Auricursine's avatar

I am worried about Crosby. I tore apart my leg getting it bent in the manner that his leg suffered last night. It's painful as hell, and took me months to be able to walk without a cane.

Sadly, it will get reported as a "lower body injury", and we may never see nor hear from the young man ever again.

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Justbear's avatar

Busy catching passes from JKS

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Jacobs.'s avatar

Decided to go out for dinner instead of watching this. Right decision.

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Toohandy's avatar

It was a "trap" game and Cal was not ready for this game!! After beating a really good Minnesota team last week, tonight they couldn't beat an average Mountain West league team. Sagapolatele was flustered all night because he was only looking for the long pass and San Diego was playing soft with their DB's between 10 and 15 deep. And, our O line couldn't handle a four man rush all night. Our D was playing very generic with few if any stunts and "blitzes.

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Gobears2's avatar

IMO..not a "trap" game as a trap game usually has a least one good team involved and another maybe sneaky good or highly motivated team. This game lacked the "good" team part.

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GlueAndBold's avatar

Slept late, when does the real game start?

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tcc go bears's avatar

classic wilcox fashion. at least hes consistently bad. maybe a few more of these inexplicable losses he will finally get da boot

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97Bear's avatar

I took my 15 year old to his first away cal game driving down from LA and spending night down here. Such an ugly game…told him this is the life of a Cal fan. I was down here in 2004 for the Holiday Bowl too…

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Alex Khalifa's avatar

My last Cal Band football performance!

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Kcalbear's avatar

I’m sorry. Cal will disappoint and impress.

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Winebear's avatar

50+yrs watching and this one was BAD. So other than Holmoe and (barely..) Gilby this is THE WORST coaching record in my history. Why keep up the charade, Wilcox should be gone tomorrow.

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GoldenSD81's avatar

Classic Wilcox loss. Just when people are excited, the program has some momentum and it appears that Wilcox and this program has turned the corner, we lose in the most ugliest and inexplicable way possible.

Classic Wilcox

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Justbear's avatar

This was hundred times worth than a Classic Wilcox loss.

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Jimmy Chitwood's avatar

Yes, this.

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WilderThanGene's avatar

how many do we lose in a row now, over/under 2.5?

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GoldenSD81's avatar

Well we are going into October and we all know how much WiLcox struggles in October. I could see us go on a nice 4-5 game losing streak

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Jaylen Brown's avatar

That's the team I've grown to love for 9 years straight!

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Calbears93's avatar

How…just how…

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fuzzywuzzy's avatar

I had tix to this game trhough Stubhub (I live in San Diego now), but the link to ticketgougemaster wouldn't work, and Stubhub didn't provide a fix or offer me new ones until 8:30, so I stayed home and am hoping my CC company gives me back my $300. IF that happens, maybe then I'll just send it to back to Stubhub as a thankyou, cause...this was a clownish display of football. Wilcox teams have at least one basic thing they don't do well every year - tackle, catch, or block - and they always, always lose a game to a team they should beat, at least on paper. As a Cal fan, you can never, ever, go to any game thinking how we'll dominate.

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Calbears93's avatar

This is why alums lose interest

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CalGal2004's avatar

Ugly. Coyote ugly. 😣

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sacman701's avatar

That remark is unfair to coyotes.

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fryh1n's avatar

0 freaking point, unbelievable embarrassing

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bluehenbear's avatar

If you think about it we scored -14 due to turnovers.

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bluehenbear's avatar

So score was -14 to 20.

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veritek's avatar

This would be a 1-3 team without JKS (only W vs FCS TSU) regardless of his subpar game today

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Jay's avatar

Honestly that TSU game was not great, we might have lost that one too

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cheeksbossman's avatar

lol some of these cal players look way too happy

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TadyBear88's avatar

Worst Cal performance I’ve ever seen in person. Sends an entire season brimming with hope into a tailspin and on the brink. Why would Jaron come back to this shit show next year? Is 10 years of Wilcox not enough? This 9 hour drive home is going to suck

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sacman701's avatar

I think this is the first game since maybe USC in 1982 that would have been closer if we had punted on 1st down on every possession.

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bluehenbear's avatar

Will we have to wait until Tuesday ti hear from Wilcox?

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Archon79's avatar

This score is not real

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sacman701's avatar

It is real. Our defense was mediocre today. Our running game was nonexistent, our pass protection was spotty, receiver play was shambolic, and our qb play was extremely erratic and showed a complete inability to read coverages.

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TezCalipoca's avatar

I said good night, sir.

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sacman701's avatar

Small sample, but Brown looks unproductive.

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bluehenbear's avatar

Shutout achieved.

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bluehenbear's avatar

Grayes on the field in garbage time. I mean wtf

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TezCalipoca's avatar

Drink

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CalBear’19's avatar

Evan Weaver said it best a few years ago…Cal starts strong and then as soon as they lose 1 game the team falls off a cliff.

It was true then and it is true now. Who is the common denominator in 9 years?

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Jimmy Chitwood's avatar

That’s the sign of a program that lacks mental toughness.

Which we know is a problem for Wilcox. His teams are not mentally tough.

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Archon79's avatar

This is…inexplicable

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bluehenbear's avatar

1975 since sdsu shut out a P5 team.

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Daniel Lahl's avatar

That is a really telling comment! We probably have another "paper Bears" team in 2025. I fear October - again!!!

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bluehenbear's avatar

We are not a P5 team.

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Winebear's avatar

We’re heading back to the Pac10 at this rate, along with ’Furd and the other repeat cellar dwellers. At least we won’t have to travel as far to go 6-6…. Damn

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TezCalipoca's avatar

Lets let brown throw. I want to see what hes got

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Kingpindonuts's avatar

Cancel the chartered flight for these guys. Put them on southwest or the greyhound bus

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Jimmy Chitwood's avatar

Let the band use the jet.

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BearlyThere's avatar

At least the band won

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