Evans Hall: The Passing Game Is Key for Cal

In Nando we trust.

Credit: Gab Baisas

There was lots to love about the Bears’ performance on Saturday against Oregon State. It was a well-deserved and hard-earned victory for the Bears who dominated Oregon State in nearly every aspect of the game.

By halftime, Cal had extended the lead to 31-0—the largest halftime lead in nearly a decade. Cal’s defensive performance was strong, holding Oregon State to only 200 yards of total offense (140 passing yards and 60 rushing yards). 

The passing game is proving the key to Cal’s offense. Even Jaydn Ott—Cal’s not-so-secret rushing weapon—had 58 receiving yards from 4 catches, compared to a total of 11 rushing yards on 10 carries.

While Cal had a more or less even split between passing and rushing attempts, Cal’s offensive production was among the more imbalanced compared to other power conference offenses. Cal gained nearly 3 times as many yards per pass as per rush attempt on average this week.

The same pattern holds focusing just on standard downs, where the offense can call either running or passing plays. Again, Cal’s rushing and passing attempts were more or less even (coinciding with the 45 degree line), while offensive production was even more imbalanced: Cal gained over 3 times as many yards per passing play as per rush attempt.

A strong rushing game is undoubtedly an asset. Running plays, in theory, are more reliable and not as high variance as passing plays (though this theory does not seem to hold for Cal this season). Running plays also take pressure off the quarterback. A threat to run keeps the offense unpredictable. The running game often underwrites the success of the passing game.

But the top question for the Cal offense is how to get more production per play. And that would suggest shifting some run plays to pass attempts. A big question for the Cal offense in the weeks ahead would seem to be how to harness creative passing plays. We got a glimpse of some new schemes in week 9, let’s hope Cal keeps them coming!

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Lindsey Gailmard is a long-time reader and first-time contributor to Write for California. She received her BA from Berkeley and lives in the Bay Area with her family and two energetic dogs. You’ll find her cheering on the Golden Bears!