The Good, the Bad, and the Rock Fights: Cal v. Texas Tech Independence Bowl Edition

Cal's struggles in Rockfights continue...

Photo credit: @cal_football

A recurring theme for this 2023 Cal team is an inability to sustain performances across the whole 60 minutes of a game. Throughout the season the offense has disappeared at times (sometimes due to three-and-outs, sometimes due to an inability to stop turning over the ball) while the defense has mixed in solid drives with some head-scratching inability to stop long passes. Saturday’s game was no different. While in the first quarter Cal looked ready to cruise to victory, the momentum switched dramatically as the Cal offense sputtered and the defense let a mediocre quarterback light them up. I do not envy the folks at PFF who have to evaluate such inconsistent performances. The quarter-by-quarter grades would be fascinating in this game and in several others this season, but that level of granularity is unrealistic. Alas, we must read the tea leaves of a set of grades capturing two very different Cal teams: 1st quarter Cal and…that other Cal team.