30 Comments
Sep 26, 2021Liked by Rick Chen

Very frustrating loss. We were just a few yards from a long field goal icing the win in regulation capping a spirited Cal comeback. If I were Wilcox I would not have deferred to start the overtime period. I guess he was gambling that our defense would continue its better play as we witnessed in the 2nd half. Namely, getting some pressure on Morris led to some inaccurate throws and 3 and outs. Overall I am encouraged by the Cal performance but not the outcome.

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Sep 26, 2021Liked by Rick Chen

I think is standard strategy to defer OT possession so when it’s your turn you know exactly what you need to do to win or extend the game.

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Sep 26, 2021Liked by Rick Chen

Yes. This is what the numbers say to do. Go on D first because your game plan changes if you only need a FG v. a TD for the tie.

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Yes, but every Cal field goal attempt is an adventure!

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Sep 26, 2021Liked by Rick Chen

But it shouldn't be

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Sep 26, 2021Liked by Rick Chen

Especially in year 5 of Wilcox. I hate to beat a dead horse here but special teams has actually regressed from average to poor to liability during the Wilcox era.

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Re: liability. Agreed. Wonder if such are a correctable bug w/JW in contrast to Dykes for whom those liabilities were a feature.

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This is one of those games where I consider and in occasional seasons actually take a game or two off for a mental health break.

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As much as I think we have the better team than UW.. If we played this game 100 times, I bet we'd only go 41-55-4.

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We don't have a better team than UW, and certainly not with the current coaching staff Wilcox has assembled. Both teams are somewhat poorly coached, but UW has a lot of players that will play on Sundays...that won out yesterday, especially on the final play. They are a more physical ball club.

Unfortunately, the mistakes in execution that are becoming a hallmark of the Wilcox era come in the worst possible moments and cost the team wins....

Sigh

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Sep 26, 2021Liked by Rick Chen

After sleeping on it, I feel terrible about this loss. I’m not advocating to “fire Wilcox tomorrow” but if anything less than 5 wins in year 5, with a veteran team and QB, with the Pac 12 north down, USC a tire fire, and playing Colorado and Arizona (instead of ASU & Colorado) then Wilcox needs to be fired because if he can’t win 8 regular season games this season at Cal, he never will.

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Sep 26, 2021Liked by Rick Chen

I agree. The special teams miscues have reached an almost comical level....even the made FG by Longhetto required a great grab by Sheahan on a wide snap.

For various reasons, most notably a continued lack of elite players IMO, these Cal teams under Wilcox lack the ability to make explosive plays on both sides of the ball, and of course, on special teams. We Cal fans have wrote for years that that means every game will be a dogfight, turning on single plays, with a very slim margin for error...those mistakes are unfortunately enough to cost the team wins...

Missing out on even a lower-tier bowl game in year 5 is unacceptable.

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Sep 26, 2021Liked by Rick Chen

Just too many mistakes to enable a close, hard-fought victory. Of course if Longhetto had made the field goal with 2 seconds left we'd all be celebrating today.

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That's the point, tho golden.....there were a lot of plays that if Cal makes, we'd be celebrating.

They DON'T make those plays tho...

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I believe it was a 55 yard attempt. The aim was true, it was just short. I think his longest to date has been 51 or 52 yards.

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Frustrating game and season so far because we see series where Cal plays well, only to make mistakes at critical times which results in a loss. Just seems we are not consistent enough to win games.

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Before we run Wilcox out on a rail, let’s think about what he has to work with. Namely a payroll for his assistant coaches that is at or near the bottom of the conference. You get what you pay for and don’t get what you don’t pay for.

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Sep 26, 2021Liked by Rick Chen

Meh. There are plenty of hungry, dynamic young assistant coaches that would gladly come to Cal to springboard somewhere.

Hiring your buddies from Eugene is different entirely.

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That's the problem, though. Cal's the stepping stone because we don't pay enough and all our good assistants leave for elsewhere.

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Also, factor in the cost of living in the People's Republik vs. Pullman or Corvallis. Even Stanfurd provides housing for their coaching staff.

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Sure, in theory, but that doesn't hold up under closer scrutiny.

When was the last time we lost a coordinator bc they made more money elsewhere? GA left for the NFL, but not for the money...he wanted to be in the League. It's not DeRuyter...Wilcox chose to promote Sirmon and demote TD, so that's not the case with TDR. Baldwin was basically let go, and is a HC where he belongs...a FCS school.

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From the following article: https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/football/assistant

Wash: $5,059,925

Oregun: $4,770,626

Utah: $4,225,000

fUCLA: $4,280,800

A State: $3.700.000

Wash St.:$3,632,915

CAL: $3,623,218

OSU: $3,368.446

Colorado:$3,319,193

Zona: $3,067.944

'Furd : Did not report - private school

U$C: Did not report - private school

Cal individual pay:

Rank School Conf Asst Coach Salary CPR* Actual Pay Total TPR* Staff Payroll

65 California Pac-12 Peter Sirmon $750,000 $21,666 $728,334 $728,334 $21,666 $3,623,218

91 California Pac-12 Bill Musgrave $650,000 $0 $650,000 $650,000 $0 $3,623,218

263 California Pac-12 Tim DeRuyter $400,000 $6,666 $393,334 $393,334 $6,666 $3,623,218

347 California Pac-12 M.Tuiasosopo $325,000 $0 $325,000 $326,500 $0 $3,623,218

357 California Pac-12 Marcel Yates $320,000 $3,200 $316,800 $316,800 $3,200 $3,623,218

379 California Pac-12 Angus McClure $300,000 $0 $300,000 $300,000 $0 $3,623,218

389 California Pac-12 Charlie Ragle $300,000 $5,000 $295,000 $297,250 $5,000 $3,623,218

457 California Pac-12 Burl Toler $225,000 $0 $225,000 $225,000 $0 $3,623,218

468 California Pac-12 Andrew Browning $215,000 $0 $215,000 $216,000 $0 $3,623,218

497 California Pac-12 A. Thompson $170,000 $0 $170,000 $170,000 $0 $3,623,218

*CPR- Contact Year Covid Pay Reduction

*TPR- Total Pandemic Reduction

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The hit on Moore to cause the fumble was straight on his helmet, so brutal and awful, was hard to watch. Then of course ESPN replayed it umpteen times as the one notable highlight of the game. Gross

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Sep 26, 2021Liked by Rick Chen

The unfortunate thing is it did not appear to be helmet to helmet...looked like shoulder pad to helmet, which is legal...unfortunate play for Moore, who looks so good...great feet for a big guy.

But you just can't put the ball on the turf there.

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Sep 26, 2021Liked by Rick Chen

Yeah it was not technically illegal, was shoulder to helmet. But seeing Moore in pain after the play, his teammates tending to him, gave me a bit of the taste in my mouth that I had seeing Best get his brains scrambled against Oregon State (though not as bad as that).

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Btw, I don’t blame Moore for that fumble at all. The direct hit to the head basically froze his central nervous system. Not sure what he was supposed to do there, but I accept impossibility as a complete defense

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And the concussion of Remigio was pain to watch as well.

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