101 Comments

Does anybody else find it to be a weird coincidence that, having joined the ACC, Cal played against a former PAC QB last week and is going against another former PAC QB next week……and they’re both very talented. Hopefully the result next week will be different. We have the opportunity to break away from the bad patterns/luck of playing in the PAC, but I guess the full breakaway doesn’t start till next year. Go Bears!!

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Just like he was vs. Cal last year, Ward can be sloppy at times but never lets up. He can make spectacular plays. Bears need to turn him over like three times to win. I think Cal also must be solid and disciplined themselves, and have some kind of ground game to have a chance.

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Anyway, here’s a decent angle of the last play, sped up to roughly match game speed:

https://x.com/cfbkings/status/1839877225434202261

Sure looks to me like the ball popped out as soon as the receiver hit the ground, and then the Miami guy stripped it away. That means no catch. You need to maintain possession all the way to the ground.

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This….as much as I wanted it to be a TD and watch Cristobal whine about it….

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The Virginia tech coaching staff wasted 45 seconds by inexplicably not calling a timeout in the final minute and a half. That put them in the position of only having a hail Mary as an option. That, as much as the coronation of Ward as the ACC Heisman candidate and the shameful reversal of the call on the field, led to their demise.

If something like this happens to us next week it WILL be time to call 911. Let us hope we win clearly and definitively so the refs can't screw us up.

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Clock management was truly baffling by VT on that last drive. Kind of reminiscent of the last time we played Miami in the Emerald Bowl. I remember them just hanging out and wasting almost a full minute of time on the last drive, not getting their plays run.

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^^^This!

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IMO they got that call right. Looked to me like the ball was moving around all the way to the ground. Shouldn’t have been called a TD on the field.

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The ball was moving after he was down.

There needs to be "incontrovertible" evidence in the review.

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IMO it was moving throughout the process, both players battling for control. He didn’t control it on the ground for more than a split second, which isn’t enough for me.

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VT got robbed.

Somebody dropped a dime to engineer the outcome.

Let us remember that as we call for firing Wilcox, again, next week.

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Really? I was biased against Miami winning and I thot the call was “not wrong….” Dude only had to grasp that ball for the call to “stand”

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If I understand rightly, if a field call is reviewed, it can only be overturned if there is "incontrovertible" evidence to overturn. Yes, the ball came lose, but maybe after the play was dead. In any case, since it's unclear, then the field call should stand.

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Looked like it came lose to me and if the ball is moving, which it was then that is the evidence to overturn the call.

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Gotta agree….. And if that was a Cal play I’d be pissed (we almost had that on last play against NDame, IIRC), but seems like the right call….

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K.

It's not our misfortune, but it seemed like a very "Cal" way to lose a game.

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Fire up the #calgorithm for game day?

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Washington loses by 3 in the rain at Rutgers. After having a blocked kick nullified (that led to a Scarlet Knight TD) because of a sideline celebration penalty. And their kicker hooked a 55 yard fg wide right that would have forced OT on the last play of the game. After hooking 2 prior fgs wide.

Apparently Cal is not the only team that can lose with astounding special teams play.

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heh heh heh.

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Rutgers!

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THE state university of new jersey

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Cam Ward typical line as the Canes come from behind multiple times to win: 24/38 for 343 yards, 2 INTs, 4 TDs + 10 carries for 57 yards and another TD. We have seen this before.

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The U coming to Strawberry Canyon undefeated!

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Better have 9-1-1 staged. I predict the most favorable outcome that can happen for Cal will also be the demise of a few Old Blues, overstressed by trying to hold their breath for ~ 3 1/2 hours, with Cam Ward, Mario, & ACC officiating all in play.

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Sep 28·edited Sep 28

Let that be a lesson about ACC central command

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Commanding that ACC keep a contender in top 10. Sorry VT, gotta look look out for the good of the conference.

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Never ever leave the outcome of a game up to a replay official. Or you may or may not deserve what you get.

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Yes, yes, and yes. Depending on how other games shake out, Miami is taking a hit for winning at home, a serious coin toss reply call to a team that is 2-2.

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Called it for the home team

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Tie goes to receiver right?

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Ruling willl stand

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Sep 28·edited Sep 28

Yeah. no conclusive evidence to overturn the ruling of touchdown.

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Wow, that was my bet, too.

Guess we're all wrong, since we don't realize how important it is to protect the conference's Heisman candidate.

Reminds me of how umps might help protect a no hitter.

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Not enough to overturning

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Gotta replay this at realtime speed

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WTH?!

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Zomg

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wtf?

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nothing new....but I always get a chuckle out of reading, tonight at least, U Dawg Pound blog, and how ridiculous the comments get in games like this...or any point in such games. Then I make a point of going to the bathroom mirror and look at myself....well, I have my moments but still not that bad considering a

"blue chip" team vs. say us in the meh-ashpere.

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CGB & W(T)FC can be pretty entertaining when special teams and game management reach the caliber of play seen tonight in a Cal game.

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VT clock management is pretty atrocious. I don’t understand what they’re trying to do at all.

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YES!

I kept saying to myself, "burn the clock, burn the clock."

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These announcers are garbage.

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They were so biased for Miami and especially Ward. And they just kept non stop. Awful!

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They have assigned talking points, just like the nightly propaganda brainwash, er, I mean "news."

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Sep 28·edited Sep 28

Time for a drone delivery? (Sorry)

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Announcers crying

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Yes, the coronation seems certain.

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virginia tech impressive

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Absolutely.

They won, but the ACC could not afford to "allow" it.

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Watching teams that blew up the PAC-12 get smoked makes me happy.

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Washington has blown themselves up with errors. Rutgers is too good of a team to make numerous errors against.

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Rutgers

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Here comes the Cam love…

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I've seem game management in a bad way plenty of times before, and some B1G crews are as bad as any, but Washington is pretty significantly "outnumbered" tonight in New Jersey.

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Is this the Cristobal face plant we scheduled for next week?

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Yeah, I'm afraid so, but, honestly, do you imagine us dropping 50 on the country's #1 defense?

Even if our defense holds.

Oh, and look at their second half against USF. They are definitely a second half team.

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Ha, Cal’s offenses in the Wilcox era don’t execute well enough to drop 25 on a legit conference opponent, let alone 50.

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You're such a positive person. Have you ever coached? Or even played football?

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Sep 28·edited Sep 28

Oh come on, Coach, give me a break…yes, I have coached and have been watching football for over 40-years, tho that has nothing to do with what 8 years of data and the eye test have shown us to be true regarding this head coach and his offense.

Noticing and commenting on what is obvious to anyone that has been paying attention to Cal football in the Justin Wilcox era does not make me a negative person…just an observant one. And you hardly need to be a student of the game to see that Cal’s offense has been a poorly coached unit for the entirety of the Wilcox era, save for a couple of 3-game stretches..

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Virgina Tech offense > Cal offense.

I will only agree with Jimmy on the fact that our offense has yet to complement our defense.

Nando, Jaydn, Jet, Trond, and Nziah, to name a few, have shone bright, but we are losing at the line of scrimmage. It's my understanding that lineman have become scarce, with some commanding six figures in NIL, so, perhaps it's not entirely the fault of the coaches. It's not to say our present line is not up to the task, but it's a lack of depth that makes big trouble for Bears, especially since we are, now, seem to be playing a "time of possession" strategy, most of the time.

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Sep 28·edited Sep 28

“I will only agree with Jimmy on the fact that our offense has yet to complement our defense.”

This is the salient point, and the heart of my criticism of Justin Wilcox. The fact that it’s been 8 seasons worth of the same issues is the concern, but hey, maybe I’m just a negative person that steals lollipops from kids and pushes old ladies over. ;-)

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LOL.

You're a good guy, Jimmy.

Those kids probably deserved to lose their lollies and the old ladies were just Karens needing a check on their noses.

Yes, Wilcox regime is the polar complement to Sonny's D.

Wilcox FB= 1/Dykes FB

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Miami hype plane cleared for landing.

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Massive field goal!

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I feel sorry for the Washington kicker.

I like him and his story.

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Don't look now, but it got worse. Your sentiment is reasonable, though.

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Yeah, I heard. I think Deboer kept him within his limit.

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Bullshit

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The U deserves better spots according to the announcers

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Welp, don't look, now, but we came into the conference in the middle of an entitlement program for the, currently, most popular brands in the conference. We were expected to bring our grades and Olympians, while, quietly, sitting in the corner.

Nobody puts Oski in the corner.

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Are receivers taught to frame the reception like baseball catchers?

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When does Saint Cam start to break a sweat, since, we've been reminded dozens of times how uber-cool he is.

I mean I like him, but the broadcasters are determined to make us hate him.

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Poundin' the rock.

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Tech came to play

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APR is a BAD MAN.

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This Cam Ward love is making me barf

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I know, right?

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Ohhh. and Cam was doing so well about those pesky turnovers.

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So far this game reminds me of us vs FSU. Except VT doesn’t seem to do a lot of stupid penalties.

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And has some really good 3rd and short plays.

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Yeah baby

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That was not a dime

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These Miami receivers are good.

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The B1G officials seem bound and determined to call targeting on Washington, no matter how bogus the call, or how often replay overturns it.

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