In dubious battle on the plains of Databricks Field is where the rattled California Golden Bears will look to make a desperate stand this weekend. It seems that this season’s best laid plans are to be discarded for the dustbin of history. But hope springs eternal: as long as what gives you hope is fully charged and connected to WiFi. The vanishing modicum of hope that Cal fans cling to are best represented by the spontaneous use of an iPad by new offensive play caller Pat McCann to draw up creative plays during the later portion of last week’s game. The central question going forward is whether he and this staff can develop a few strokes of brilliance into a point scoring mosaic on the blank canvas of Cal’s remaining season.
The Bears will get no respite from a Virginia Tech program reconjured for the James Franklin revenge tour. While last year’s game settled the almost rhetorical question of whether it is more desirable to live in Blacksburg or Berkeley, it is equally settled that the defensive play of Virginia Tech has improved.
Calling plays for the Hokies is a very familiar face, in fact a face that coached Virginia Tech against Cal last year: Brent Pry. In a nod to the universal and sage wisdom of saving face, Franklin offered the former skipper the same role under him that he previously had at Penn State from 2016-2021. While the verdict on the Pry defensive tenure is far from in, there are early indications that this was an excellent move.
From a statistical point of view, this is one of the strongest units in the conference. They’ve allowed just 274 yards and under 20 points a game to their opponents thus far. Particularly troubling for Cal is the stifling 3rd down performance that Brent Pry’s group has posted, with opposing teams converting just 33% of attempts in those critical situations. Virginia Tech’s run defense has been most exceptional thus far, earning a 94.9 PFF run defense grade, allowing just 87 rushing yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry.
The defensive front rotates quite heavily but it is anchored by two key players. First is Hokie returner Kemari Copeland, an All-Conference caliber player on the defensive line. He will be a known quantity for many Cal players, as he logged 3 sacks when the Bears came to Lane Stadium last year. Defensive End Cortez Harris will provide a mortal pass rushing threat, having racked up 5 sacks already this season. Harris is not alone in succeeding at bringing pressure to opposing Quarterbacks, with the Hokies placed among the top teams in the nation at QB sack percentage.
At the heart of this defense, a key player to watch is LB Noah Chambers, a talented and strong playmaker who forced a crucial safety against Pitt last week. In the secondary, Safety Quentin Reddish will likely make his presence known. He has played all three years of his career in Blacksburg and boasted a 89 PFF grade against Boston College several weeks ago. Their corners rotate a solid amount, but expect to see Troy transfer Jaquez White, UConn transfer Cam Chadwick Jr, and returner Isaiah Brown-Murray to get a good deal of snaps. Of note is that the Hokie corners are slightly undersized, making one on one matchups an appealing sight for Cal.
One glaring vulnerability is that Virginia Tech’s defense has not been able to force a turnover in the last three games and has only intercepted a single pass this season. While one would rather have their consistency on a down to down basis, an inability to create explosive, game-flipping plays could be crucial against a Cal team that may desperately throw the kitchen sink at this game. Additionally, a rare bright spot for the Cal offense and a blight for Virginia Tech has been Red Zone scoring percentage. If the game is a close one, the inability to stop opposing teams in the Red Zone could be a decisive facet of the game.
As Head Coach Tosh Lupoi stated this week, Virginia Tech will be a vigorous challenge and is likely the best all around defense that Cal has faced thus far. If the Golden Bears remain stagnant in their scheme and lack the desperate creativity that this moment demands, it may be a nightmarish game.
Oh Oh. Cal's struggling offense vs the best defensive team the've faced so far this season. Looks like this might be a frustrating afternoon for us loyal Bears. I'm hoping for a complete positive change in our O tomorrow.