I attended this year with my father-in-law, his first Big Game in person. It was a good one to take him to, or at least for the last quarter or so. If that last drive wasn't emblematic of th Cal experience, with incredible recovery following excruciating breakdowns, then I don't know what is.
Anyway shout out to Craig Woodson for a key stop right before the final punt, taking down Daniels at the line on 1st and 10. Between his play and both Hunter and Brady beating Stanfurd's number 6 like a government mule, there was a lot to like beyond just Fernando's heroics (which deserve plenty of praise)
Also shout out to the equipment guy who suplexed someone trying to steal a helmet amidst the field storming.
THIS Game is the reason why we continue to be season ticket holders year after year, travel to away games in the deep South, tailgate in torrential rain at 7:30am & overpay for beer with long lines at the concession stands...regardless of our record! #GoBearsForever!!!
Rob, great pic above. Pretty sure it was you the tv coverage caught so well grinning from behind the end zone at Brady after his (1st?) touchdown. Loved the big while face smiles from both you and Brady!
Opinions on the bear claw helmets? I dig 'em and want to see them stay mostly because they just make me nostalgic the 80s when I was kid. The modified Joe Roth helmets (darker blue) are also great.
The last 98 yard drive is definitely up there with Mikey Mo' in 2009 of Big Game moments that I was present for. Credit to the crowd- even when we were down, most of us stayed to see us become bowl eligible.
Wonderful writeup. My god... when will my heart be allowed to rest. Briefly turned off the game when we were down 21-7 and fumbled the kickoff. But a glutton I am. 20 minutes later the game is again streaming in my kitchen as I prepare dinner and try to convince myself I'm numb and don't care. But God damn do I care. I witnessed the 1991 meltdown in the north endzone when I was 13 and rushed the field after Mike Mohammed's pick to seal it 2009. Just so happy for this team to steal this moment of unfettered joy.
Hubs and I sit on the West Side. After making the game-winning TD, with the Defense on the field, Brady was running up and down the sideline, waving the towel, getting us on our feet to support the D. Brady demonstrated he caught Big Game Spirit!
Thanks Nick, a great write-up. You and Avi capture in prose what it means to be a Cal fan - it ain't easy. Game endings like this don't happen often, which makes it all the better. Go Bears!
First, it is great to win the axe for the 4th straight year, GO BEARS! And the 98 yard drive led by a fearless Mendoza was fantastic, topped only by his immediate post game comments - I love Cal's QB1! However, it was obvious that Stanford is a very bad football team with extremely limited talent, yet they were up 21-7 late into the third quarter. As mentioned above, they looked like a military academy running the triple option. I kept waiting for the much more talented team to wake up, and thank God the Bears finally did in the 4th quarter. But it should not have been this close, and imho Troy Taylor had his team much better prepared and hyped up to play than JW. The talent on the blue and gold side and an amazingly gritty and courageous Mendoza earned the win for Cal, not our coaching staff. This should be obvious to everyone who has been following Cal this most-frustrating year. I'm ready to sing Curtis Mayfield's People Get Ready (there's change a coming) for the Golden Bears' future...
But for... the JW contract, he'd be gone. We should really be a top 15 team at 8-2 right now. We LOST to FSU -- a historically bad, unredeemable team. The Miami game was ours, by so many points, until it wasn't (with a heavy ref assist on the no targeting call). Then we pummel Pitt into the turf and lose. Then we take full control of the NCS game and lose. Then we get run over by a competent Syracuse team that was actually prepared to play us (unlike us against them). And then, as you point out, we are completely out coached by Troy Taylor (whom I watched as a 9-year-old in the south end zone on many a cloudy Saturday afternoon as a member of the "cub club"). The inability to prepare and adapt and dagger the staggering opponents is on the coach.
Stanford has high quality athletes who are strong, dedicated and smart. And Troy Taylor is a great offensive mind and good HC. I would not take anything away from Cal’s come back for the ages by denigrating the quality of Stanford’s football players. It was a great game on all sides of the ball: both teams. One of the ACC talking heads (a former excellent coach himself) after the game said he’s now glad that Cal and Stanford joined the ACC, and all 4 said words to the effect “this is what college football is all about, and in this time of NIL etc it’s wonderful to see”. The coach also said he actually teared up as he watched Nando’s post game interview……All in all The Big Game was great, and needed for college football. We all should be proud to be a part of it all. If you want to watch a bunch of 5 stars running around then there are several other teams to watch. I’m not saying we didn’t blow games during the year, as did many other teams. These guys are 18-23 year olds who also need to go to class “in person” at a top quality educational institution. I didn’t play football at Cal but played 3 years of baseball and believe me when I tell you that “jocks” get no breaks in the classroom. On the contrary we all tried to hide the fact that we played a sport at Cal……and that’s a little easier if your a 160-220 lb. Baseball player vs a 180-320 lb. football player. So it is what it is: and we all graduated with a degree from “Berkeley”. Go Bears!
My wife asked me if I was crying watching the Nando interview - I was, and this is what makes college football so great! Go Bears! For the comments about how great Furd is in 2024, with respect, I think these are "Big Game afterglow" comments. Troy Taylor is great, but the team in 2024 is demonstrably bad. Congrove ranks Cal at #62 and Furd at #111. Only 23 teams are worse than the Trees. With better coaching Cal could have been in the top 25. Just like Sam Cooke, I hope A Change is Gonna Come...
For those at the game/not watching on tv, the talking head former coach referenced above was Mark Richt, former QB himself and longtime Georgia coach. I didn’t take his words lightly!
Last comment: it’s damn near impossible for a “jock” to cry, much less on ACC tv for all to see. Nando must have a great mother (and father) to be so out there and unashamed of his emotions. He is a unique individual in many ways!
> 10, 20, 30 years from now, nobody outside of Cal fandom will remember “98 yards with my boys.” Just like nobody outside of Can fandom remembers ‘win one for the zipper’ in 1986, or Geoff McArthur in 2003, or The Chase in 2019.
or the 5-lateral winning touchdown from thw 1940's or 50's 😀
He’s our football version of Jorge!
The Drive: 98-yard Nando Edition (the 49ers’ more well known version was in Super Bowl 22; a 11 play, 92 yard drive)
Sagapolutele cancels Georgia visit.
The game, fans, alums, stadium, etc. was a huge success last weekend.
https://www.si.com/college/cal/football/report-qb-jaron-keawe-sagapolutele-cancels-georgia-trip-it-s-cal-or-oregon-01jdj955c6v5
As always, Nick is on point.
I attended this year with my father-in-law, his first Big Game in person. It was a good one to take him to, or at least for the last quarter or so. If that last drive wasn't emblematic of th Cal experience, with incredible recovery following excruciating breakdowns, then I don't know what is.
Anyway shout out to Craig Woodson for a key stop right before the final punt, taking down Daniels at the line on 1st and 10. Between his play and both Hunter and Brady beating Stanfurd's number 6 like a government mule, there was a lot to like beyond just Fernando's heroics (which deserve plenty of praise)
Also shout out to the equipment guy who suplexed someone trying to steal a helmet amidst the field storming.
https://www.reddit.com/r/berkeley/s/coyrna4efw
video in case anyone missed it.
and here is the team watching that video and going nuts:
https://www.reddit.com/r/berkeley/comments/1h0lt2w/cal_football_team_breaks_down_the_tape_of_their/
Yup, my player of the game was by far Woodson. He left it all on the field, good on him!
THIS Game is the reason why we continue to be season ticket holders year after year, travel to away games in the deep South, tailgate in torrential rain at 7:30am & overpay for beer with long lines at the concession stands...regardless of our record! #GoBearsForever!!!
I will never get tired of watching Brady's finger-tip catch in the end zone to give us the lead. That man has talent!
Rob, great pic above. Pretty sure it was you the tv coverage caught so well grinning from behind the end zone at Brady after his (1st?) touchdown. Loved the big while face smiles from both you and Brady!
Haha you might’ve mistaken Matt Ha for me but I appreciate the kind comment nonetheless!
Opinions on the bear claw helmets? I dig 'em and want to see them stay mostly because they just make me nostalgic the 80s when I was kid. The modified Joe Roth helmets (darker blue) are also great.
I really like them, both color styles but my one complaint is the bear claw is too small. They should make it a bit bigger.
I like the rotation of our script helmets, bear claw and the Joe Roth helmets. I still wish we would do a California Flag helmet.
Definitely love the helmet color rotation. I loved the Maryland state flag helmet of a few years ago, would also love State Flag helmet.
Agreed the bear claw should be larger.
The last 98 yard drive is definitely up there with Mikey Mo' in 2009 of Big Game moments that I was present for. Credit to the crowd- even when we were down, most of us stayed to see us become bowl eligible.
Wonderful writeup. My god... when will my heart be allowed to rest. Briefly turned off the game when we were down 21-7 and fumbled the kickoff. But a glutton I am. 20 minutes later the game is again streaming in my kitchen as I prepare dinner and try to convince myself I'm numb and don't care. But God damn do I care. I witnessed the 1991 meltdown in the north endzone when I was 13 and rushed the field after Mike Mohammed's pick to seal it 2009. Just so happy for this team to steal this moment of unfettered joy.
Go Bears Forever
That has to become a t shirt!!!
Also, "We're Going to Be So Good Next Year"
Hubs and I sit on the West Side. After making the game-winning TD, with the Defense on the field, Brady was running up and down the sideline, waving the towel, getting us on our feet to support the D. Brady demonstrated he caught Big Game Spirit!
I saw this too and pointed it out to others in my section. That it was a transfer made it even better - Brady gets it and will now pass it on!
Any Bear fans who doesn't regularly visit WFC are missing out on some great writing and excellent analysis. Well done again, Nick.
It was a classic Big Game (my 46th) earning a spot in my all-time top ten.
Thanks Nick, a great write-up. You and Avi capture in prose what it means to be a Cal fan - it ain't easy. Game endings like this don't happen often, which makes it all the better. Go Bears!
First, it is great to win the axe for the 4th straight year, GO BEARS! And the 98 yard drive led by a fearless Mendoza was fantastic, topped only by his immediate post game comments - I love Cal's QB1! However, it was obvious that Stanford is a very bad football team with extremely limited talent, yet they were up 21-7 late into the third quarter. As mentioned above, they looked like a military academy running the triple option. I kept waiting for the much more talented team to wake up, and thank God the Bears finally did in the 4th quarter. But it should not have been this close, and imho Troy Taylor had his team much better prepared and hyped up to play than JW. The talent on the blue and gold side and an amazingly gritty and courageous Mendoza earned the win for Cal, not our coaching staff. This should be obvious to everyone who has been following Cal this most-frustrating year. I'm ready to sing Curtis Mayfield's People Get Ready (there's change a coming) for the Golden Bears' future...
However, it is Big Game...where anything can happen and usually end in a close/1 possession game!
Props to the Curtis Mayfield reference!!!
But for... the JW contract, he'd be gone. We should really be a top 15 team at 8-2 right now. We LOST to FSU -- a historically bad, unredeemable team. The Miami game was ours, by so many points, until it wasn't (with a heavy ref assist on the no targeting call). Then we pummel Pitt into the turf and lose. Then we take full control of the NCS game and lose. Then we get run over by a competent Syracuse team that was actually prepared to play us (unlike us against them). And then, as you point out, we are completely out coached by Troy Taylor (whom I watched as a 9-year-old in the south end zone on many a cloudy Saturday afternoon as a member of the "cub club"). The inability to prepare and adapt and dagger the staggering opponents is on the coach.
I agree with your take on coaching preparedness and much respect on your musical knowledge…
Furd has had some amazing games this year.
I doubt that we would beat Loo-i-ville and we sure did not beat Syracuse.
They have been underestimated, played well, are well coached, and should not be taken lightly. They can and will be giant-killers and more.
Stanford has high quality athletes who are strong, dedicated and smart. And Troy Taylor is a great offensive mind and good HC. I would not take anything away from Cal’s come back for the ages by denigrating the quality of Stanford’s football players. It was a great game on all sides of the ball: both teams. One of the ACC talking heads (a former excellent coach himself) after the game said he’s now glad that Cal and Stanford joined the ACC, and all 4 said words to the effect “this is what college football is all about, and in this time of NIL etc it’s wonderful to see”. The coach also said he actually teared up as he watched Nando’s post game interview……All in all The Big Game was great, and needed for college football. We all should be proud to be a part of it all. If you want to watch a bunch of 5 stars running around then there are several other teams to watch. I’m not saying we didn’t blow games during the year, as did many other teams. These guys are 18-23 year olds who also need to go to class “in person” at a top quality educational institution. I didn’t play football at Cal but played 3 years of baseball and believe me when I tell you that “jocks” get no breaks in the classroom. On the contrary we all tried to hide the fact that we played a sport at Cal……and that’s a little easier if your a 160-220 lb. Baseball player vs a 180-320 lb. football player. So it is what it is: and we all graduated with a degree from “Berkeley”. Go Bears!
My wife asked me if I was crying watching the Nando interview - I was, and this is what makes college football so great! Go Bears! For the comments about how great Furd is in 2024, with respect, I think these are "Big Game afterglow" comments. Troy Taylor is great, but the team in 2024 is demonstrably bad. Congrove ranks Cal at #62 and Furd at #111. Only 23 teams are worse than the Trees. With better coaching Cal could have been in the top 25. Just like Sam Cooke, I hope A Change is Gonna Come...
For those at the game/not watching on tv, the talking head former coach referenced above was Mark Richt, former QB himself and longtime Georgia coach. I didn’t take his words lightly!
Well said.
Last comment: it’s damn near impossible for a “jock” to cry, much less on ACC tv for all to see. Nando must have a great mother (and father) to be so out there and unashamed of his emotions. He is a unique individual in many ways!
> 10, 20, 30 years from now, nobody outside of Cal fandom will remember “98 yards with my boys.” Just like nobody outside of Can fandom remembers ‘win one for the zipper’ in 1986, or Geoff McArthur in 2003, or The Chase in 2019.
or the 5-lateral winning touchdown from thw 1940's or 50's 😀
Memory assistance:
‘win one for the zipper’ in 1986,
https://calbearshistory.com/2021/11/18/1986-the-biggest-big-game-upset-of-them-all/
Geoff McArthur in 2003,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNow1vJ9SmI
The Chase in 2019.
https://calbears.com/news/2019/11/23/football-the-chase-is-over.aspx
Yeah, I didn't mention that one because it's the one example of Big Game insanity seeping into the national consciousness!
I would have added Mikey Mos interception of luck to that list.
yes, everybody knows it. Point was that they interviewed Desean Jackson during the broadcast and he thought it happened in the 40's or 50's.
I caught that too. I guess footage from the 80s looks so old it may as well be from the 40's or 50's.
hahaha amazing, I'm going to have to watch the entire broadcast
Yeah, everybody knows that play, just like everybody knows the immaculate reception or the butt fumble or the kick six.