Short yardage running plays aren’t necessarily glamourous but they are often swing plays that can decide games - sustaining a drive vs. punting or handing the ball over on 4th down.
And defenses tend to approach them differently since you’re expecting a very specific type of play against you. As a result, I was particularly curious to see what kind of personnel groupings and formations Cal would deploy in these types of situations, against a team comfortable trying to run it up the gut against you.
As it turned out, Cal held up very well. Let’s look at why.