I think "Fredo, you're nothing to me now..." is most appropriate at this time. Love that Godfather 2 was filmed at the Fleur de Lac boathouse in lake Tahoe!
What we need most is for Ron and Rich to go to a damn baptism and then come home and settle ALL family business….meet with Barzini, meet with Tattaglia, meet with Cuneo, and meet with Stracci…
While I thought for years now Wilcox should be fired I really did think he was an “unlucky” coach bogged down by alot of unforeseen circumstances and a poor administration. This is the first year I have truly questioned his basic competency as a college football head coach.
Hate to say it, but I really started to fear he was lost when the team was so completely and totally inept offensively at U of A in the ‘21 COVID disaster…18 months after the pandemic hit.
Not that we lost…but HOW we lost, and how awful the team looked. We’ve all heard the excuses a thousand times, don’t need them rehashed here - but Arizona was putrid. Like, maybe the ‘worst team of any kind in the country’ bad.
Cal could not execute the most basic of football plays. Like bare-bones stuff. Glover did not belong on a football field, a disturbing trend of Wilcox’s that showed his failure to have a competent backup QB of any kind that could step in. Incidentally, he finally broke this trend with Fernando Mendoza, but even then he completely whiffed by starting a WR at QB while making a future Heisman f-ing Trophy winner his QB3 for half the year. Unreal.
That Tucson game was when I suspected he didn’t have the chops for this, and that Cal football in general was in a lot of trouble. And when they lost the following year at Colorado off a BYE to another ‘worst of any kind in the country bad ‘ team, it was sealed, and the program’s been spinning its wheels ever since, wasting crucial time. Thank you, Jim Knowlton - hope you get the shingles.
The Colorado loss was unforgivable. There were metrics suggesting that was the worst team in the history of the Pac-12. There is no way a functioning program loses that game.
I remember Cal had gotten waxed at Wazzu the game prior to CU, and then came the disaster at Folsom Field. Then soon after that L, Utah went on the road to the Palouse and beat Cam Ward’s Cougars in a cold, miserable game with their QB2 making his first appearance because Cam Rising was out, along with their RB1 and a few O-linemen as well. And it was all suddenly so clear - there’s people that can flat out build a healthy, winning program (in this case, Kyle Whittingham) and there are people that for any number of reasons simply can not…Cal unfortunately had the latter in the top spot. Just my 2-cents.
It’s become pretty obvious now that losing DC Sirmon to the NFL has resulted in a significant drop in both tackling and in game adjustments. Cal was always better in defense in the 2nd half under Sirmon based on his adjustments. He also saved some of his blitz strategy for inside the red zone. He never would have failed to adjust the run defense against VT. Our current 2 headed DCs failed to adjust (obviously). Wilcox relies on his DC and OCs during the game…..in my opinion he needs to disregard/push aside any hesitation he has to making adjustments based on a concern that he will hurt the feelings of the DC and/or OC. He can do this in a diplomatic way, but he must do it. It’s his neck and reputation on the line.
Yes, I recall the criticism of Sirmon after he unexpectedly replaced DC DeRuter (whos defenses were the best of the Wilcox era). But Sirmon eventually impressed with his team’s ability to stop in the red zone and in game adjustments that were phenomenal (especially in retrospect). It’s the old “be careful what you wish for”.
Reality is, we don't have D1 players on this team. It is that simple. Lack speed, size and desire to hit. Our DBs do not wrap or tackle, I don't know that I've ever observed such a poor tackling team. As a former Cal rugger, it is brutal to watch this defense.
It sure was. I am curious, in a perverse Cal football fan kind of way, as to how the coaches and the team will respond and perform after such a poor game when they play Virginia this Saturday.
If I'm Frank Reich, I start installing the zone read right now. If you're only going to be there a year, why not leave a hero?
I think we can extend the analysis to "Cal has become a bizarro football program". Like JW as a person, dislike him as head coach.
Daniel: Yes, I've met him and he is a really nice, likeable guy. However, like Michael Corleone told Moe Green in The Godfather; "You are unlucky".
I prefer the, "You broke my heart." quote...seems apropos for Cal and Wilcox. No?
I think "Fredo, you're nothing to me now..." is most appropriate at this time. Love that Godfather 2 was filmed at the Fleur de Lac boathouse in lake Tahoe!
"You are nothing to me now." A good tagline for the Wilcox era. Also, "You broke my heart" as well.
What we need most is for Ron and Rich to go to a damn baptism and then come home and settle ALL family business….meet with Barzini, meet with Tattaglia, meet with Cuneo, and meet with Stracci…
A bold move is needed.
While I thought for years now Wilcox should be fired I really did think he was an “unlucky” coach bogged down by alot of unforeseen circumstances and a poor administration. This is the first year I have truly questioned his basic competency as a college football head coach.
Hate to say it, but I really started to fear he was lost when the team was so completely and totally inept offensively at U of A in the ‘21 COVID disaster…18 months after the pandemic hit.
Not that we lost…but HOW we lost, and how awful the team looked. We’ve all heard the excuses a thousand times, don’t need them rehashed here - but Arizona was putrid. Like, maybe the ‘worst team of any kind in the country’ bad.
Cal could not execute the most basic of football plays. Like bare-bones stuff. Glover did not belong on a football field, a disturbing trend of Wilcox’s that showed his failure to have a competent backup QB of any kind that could step in. Incidentally, he finally broke this trend with Fernando Mendoza, but even then he completely whiffed by starting a WR at QB while making a future Heisman f-ing Trophy winner his QB3 for half the year. Unreal.
That Tucson game was when I suspected he didn’t have the chops for this, and that Cal football in general was in a lot of trouble. And when they lost the following year at Colorado off a BYE to another ‘worst of any kind in the country bad ‘ team, it was sealed, and the program’s been spinning its wheels ever since, wasting crucial time. Thank you, Jim Knowlton - hope you get the shingles.
Sigh.
The Colorado loss was unforgivable. There were metrics suggesting that was the worst team in the history of the Pac-12. There is no way a functioning program loses that game.
Yes, exactly, A.
I remember Cal had gotten waxed at Wazzu the game prior to CU, and then came the disaster at Folsom Field. Then soon after that L, Utah went on the road to the Palouse and beat Cam Ward’s Cougars in a cold, miserable game with their QB2 making his first appearance because Cam Rising was out, along with their RB1 and a few O-linemen as well. And it was all suddenly so clear - there’s people that can flat out build a healthy, winning program (in this case, Kyle Whittingham) and there are people that for any number of reasons simply can not…Cal unfortunately had the latter in the top spot. Just my 2-cents.
Taco: "You are unlucky" makes it easier to fire someone as opposed to "You broke my heart". That has been a Cal Football mantra for years.
Anthony, you wanna know my secret for winning 6 games most seasons? Don’t tell anyone. I said 10 “ten Go Cals” before I went on the field.
Anthony!, you can’t go on the field today. You gotta go to Top Dog with your father.
It’s become pretty obvious now that losing DC Sirmon to the NFL has resulted in a significant drop in both tackling and in game adjustments. Cal was always better in defense in the 2nd half under Sirmon based on his adjustments. He also saved some of his blitz strategy for inside the red zone. He never would have failed to adjust the run defense against VT. Our current 2 headed DCs failed to adjust (obviously). Wilcox relies on his DC and OCs during the game…..in my opinion he needs to disregard/push aside any hesitation he has to making adjustments based on a concern that he will hurt the feelings of the DC and/or OC. He can do this in a diplomatic way, but he must do it. It’s his neck and reputation on the line.
I recall calls for Sirmon's dismissal. And yet he was upwardly mobile. And even an equivalent replacement was not lined up, or even attainable.
Yes, I recall the criticism of Sirmon after he unexpectedly replaced DC DeRuter (whos defenses were the best of the Wilcox era). But Sirmon eventually impressed with his team’s ability to stop in the red zone and in game adjustments that were phenomenal (especially in retrospect). It’s the old “be careful what you wish for”.
We should have named Keith Heyward the DC upon his return.
Wilcox, Sirmon and Heyward coached together for so many years at various stops and he would have been the right successor.
Reality is, we don't have D1 players on this team. It is that simple. Lack speed, size and desire to hit. Our DBs do not wrap or tackle, I don't know that I've ever observed such a poor tackling team. As a former Cal rugger, it is brutal to watch this defense.
I seem to recall that tackling under Sonny Dykes was quite bad.
Non existent is more like it.
Isaac Lapite and Alex Logan were constantly chasing WRs from behind
My review puts this game in a different cluster.
It was definitely a cluster.
It sure was. I am curious, in a perverse Cal football fan kind of way, as to how the coaches and the team will respond and perform after such a poor game when they play Virginia this Saturday.
we're basically not consistently good at anything. Maybe passing and that's it.
Only if that doesn't include the catching part.
Just the throwing part.
Passing would include pass protection and receiving part.
Wilcox is "Dead Man Walking" Fire him and the rest and move on down the road.