Another excellent write up Nick. I only have two things to say: 1. Why does CAL lose badly when they are favored to win and then win when they are dogs? 2. I said at the beginning of the year, we will go as far as our QB takes us this year, and the difference between good teams and decent teams is their QB. We have a gem.
Great write-up! Appreciate both you & TD24's Bleav in Cal episode today for objectively noting our short yardage run game issues. Love the resiliency of this team to overcome being down early in this game. Hopefully the coin flip games will even out more in our favor this season!
I've watched hilites and Uluave did not have a good game, especially on run fits. He got burned on the long TD run by Turbo. One of the things a LB can do to shut down the run is to stuff his defender into the hole/lane and force the RB to make a move and then take on the RB. On the long run Uluave picked the inside, over the top of a DL and got cut off by a blocker and reached around to try an grab Turbo. It wasn't pretty. To be fair, our DL needed to do a better job holding the blockers off our ILB's.
"Too predictable in short yardage?" is a perfect header. For Coach Wilcox's entire tenure, he's had a "well we gotta be able to get a yard" mentality. His teams haven't been able to get that single yard!
Great write up. Thank you. I’m just wondering about the run game and the difficulty Cal had during the BC game of making the short yardage gains. Didn’t Cal use a really big guy as a fullback to make a short yardage gain earlier in the season? Maybe I’m not remembering the situation well, but it does seem to me that Cal has got to find somebody big to carry the ball in those 3rd or 4th and 1 or 2 yard situations. Our current crop of RB’s just seems too small for those short yardage situations where a big back following a lead blocker through the hole might make all the difference. Just a thought after watching the struggles in those situations at BC.
Absolutely agree. Give it to a big lineman who played running back in high school and see what he can do. Repeatedly losing on short yardage situations is not a winning strategy.
JKS' sneak attempt was pretty abysmal, made more frustrating when one of the BC defenders grabbed his legs and pulled him backwards as the play concluded. I was wincing and hoping our youngster wasn't about to disappear indefinitely due to a "lower body injury".
That said, I don't understand why the team isn't looking to work the sidelines in short yardage situations, particulary on the goal line. They had one great call against Minnesota that relied on misdirection. Surely, they must have other options.
First, I wondered this very thing, and then I wondered why we were seemingly saving it for a later point in the season given that you have to be able to put the defense on their heels at least ONCE during the game if you hope to be able to punch it forward successfully other times. We just aren't a punch it every time team right now. Where is the rollout for King that we used successfully for a TD against Minnesota?
That rollout could itself be used as a misdirection. But I would have liked to have seen that tried against SDSU instead of relying on a timing pattern over the middle after the 19-play drive on 4th down.
Regardless, if the linemen can't move the pile, you would think that something else needs to be considered in short yardage.
JKS often threw low on sideline passes. I heard Mike Pawlawski mention more than once during the game the low throws were due to poor footwork and that can be fixed. Maybe Coach Harsin is avoiding those plays in tight situations because he can't trust it yet.
Thank you Nick. I especially appreciate your observations regarding our defense against their run game. I sure do like watching our QB, he is an exciting player.
@Nick, when you write "finding a way to win," is it really as it suggests the process of executing a strategy with a high probability of victory, or is it more of a colloquial expression you use in hindsight after we did win? And whatever your answer, do you think coaches who use that phrase in post-game press conferences mean it the same way? I mean , this win was very satisfying, but I don't really feel like counting on an end zone interception in the final seconds is a component of a strategy for victory as much as a dodged bullet due to a major error at a critical moment on the part of the BC quarterback, albeit one that that Ferrelli capitalized on spectacularly? It really feels like this could have gone another way but for a very small amount of randomness and luck and an opponent quarterback that couldn't seal the deal in a clutch situation.
More so the latter. Like, Cal did make plays to win the game - JKS and Mini and Ferrelli all came up big. But it also required Lonergan to make a bad throw, and we needed the right calls from the refs, and if BC's receiver had completed that catch a play earlier Ferrelli's interception never happens, so yeah there was a healthy bit of luck/chance at play in this one.
I do think, problematically, that JW's strategy in end game situations like the final drive is to make an opposing team execute as many plays as possible and hope/expect/plan for them to make a mistake, and so even though that interception feels lucky to us, I think JW views it as confirming his strategy.
It’s really what makes all sports so glorious and frustrating. As good as all the great teams are or have been, a lot of success, especially when it comes to championship success comes down to luck.
How many great teams have never won a championship due to some random stroke of luck by their opponents in a playoff elimination game or championship game?
Also, sitting on the ball before the half was a head scratcher but so Wilcox. With JKS, why not take a couple of shots to get within field goal range. If you throw a pick, you would run out the clock.
I thought the receiver was out of bounds on the last drive too. I painstakingly slow-mo'd the catch and saw his heel touch down in bounds before his toe touched out of bounds.
I was at the game and still need to rewatch it, but I can’t agree that Cade isn’t one of the top two LBs.
I think that comment was intended as a conversation starter, and also maybe a way to motivate, but Cade is clearly one of our very best players. Without a doubt.
Even the very best have a shocker every so often, but he’s literally our leading tackler and that’s no fluke! And, he does so much more than just tackling, he’s all over the field wreaking havoc on the offense. When he’s not the one making the tackle, he often in the picture as he’s rarely far from the ball. I guarantee his opponents study him intensely during film study.
He’s also a play away from creating a turnover and possibly taking it to the house himself!
He’s also ALWAYS smiling on the field which is both endearing and badass.
That all said, here’s a previous idea to reconsider: our running game needs a jolt of energy and a new perspective to contrast the emergence of Rafael who’s showing he can break contain. Since we do have a strong bench for ILB, who better to send up the middle or toss the ball to at FB than CADE ULUAVE?
I say give him the ball, or maybe he’ll just take it…
Excellent analysis, I like the attention to detail. We are fortunate to have De Jesus back there, returning. You nailed it. The way he ran up and caught the high short punt was critical. I feel confident that he won't make a mistake and he can take one to the house. I agree it seems like Cade was out of place, which opened up those big runs.
Great analysis as always. Surprised to see the conclusions about Cade (not saying it’s wrong)
Agree about the penalties… the quantity and that they favored Cal with at least one big call going against BC that was questionable
Concerned about our pass protection and increasingly concerned about our defense. It clearly is not the defense of last season but with 4 NFL draftees gone and our best DE out it can’t be expected to be
From section PP, it felt like the officiating favored spotting the ball for BC in each and every opportunity. And did anyone else notice that in BC's first 4th quarter possession (ending with Masses's INT) that on the holding call, the officials DID NOT move the ball back 1.5 yards? Egregious!
I did notice it right away on the call you're talking about. BC had the ball at their 3.5ish. Hold and the official said 1/2 the distance to the goal. But, the ball was magically placed at the 3.5ish. I know the Cal coaches can't really notice it from beyond the 25, but you would think someone up in the booth would've noticed that and called down to Wilcox.
Another excellent write up Nick. I only have two things to say: 1. Why does CAL lose badly when they are favored to win and then win when they are dogs? 2. I said at the beginning of the year, we will go as far as our QB takes us this year, and the difference between good teams and decent teams is their QB. We have a gem.
Great news just out...per The Athletic rankings, #46 Cal plays #45 Duke this weekend. If we win we are a lock to move up to #45!
Great teams make big moves. ;-)
zactly!
I will accept nothing worse than #25 for us by season end
So…you’re saying there is a chaaaaaanccceeee!!!
Great write-up! Appreciate both you & TD24's Bleav in Cal episode today for objectively noting our short yardage run game issues. Love the resiliency of this team to overcome being down early in this game. Hopefully the coin flip games will even out more in our favor this season!
Superior inspired QB play plus a competent plus D is what we’ve waited for since Goff. Let’s ride it.
Wasn't happy with our D-Line this game. The got rolled pretty good.
Felt like Turbo could break at any minute, as he did a couple of times
Couldn’t agree more. Was wondering what you thought was happening there.
I've watched hilites and Uluave did not have a good game, especially on run fits. He got burned on the long TD run by Turbo. One of the things a LB can do to shut down the run is to stuff his defender into the hole/lane and force the RB to make a move and then take on the RB. On the long run Uluave picked the inside, over the top of a DL and got cut off by a blocker and reached around to try an grab Turbo. It wasn't pretty. To be fair, our DL needed to do a better job holding the blockers off our ILB's.
So just a categorical collapse on those plays, which is exactly what they looked like.
"Too predictable in short yardage?" is a perfect header. For Coach Wilcox's entire tenure, he's had a "well we gotta be able to get a yard" mentality. His teams haven't been able to get that single yard!
I like to think of Wilcox as the Leroy Hoard of College football head coaching:
"If you need one yard, I'll get you three yards. If you need five yards, I'll get you three yards"
Great write up. Thank you. I’m just wondering about the run game and the difficulty Cal had during the BC game of making the short yardage gains. Didn’t Cal use a really big guy as a fullback to make a short yardage gain earlier in the season? Maybe I’m not remembering the situation well, but it does seem to me that Cal has got to find somebody big to carry the ball in those 3rd or 4th and 1 or 2 yard situations. Our current crop of RB’s just seems too small for those short yardage situations where a big back following a lead blocker through the hole might make all the difference. Just a thought after watching the struggles in those situations at BC.
I want a play where we give the ball to our biggest player on a student body left or right, like Bama did against Georgia. That was a thing of beauty.
Absolutely agree. Give it to a big lineman who played running back in high school and see what he can do. Repeatedly losing on short yardage situations is not a winning strategy.
That was definitely a Big Boy, so fun to see. Wish he’d gotten the TD.
Methinks the problem is with the line not the RB.
Yeah. They gave it to TJ Bollers on a third or fourth and short to-go play vs. TX Southern. It worked very well.
There's not been a FB this season and the RBs aren't just too small but the OL isn't winning in these obvious running situations!
JKS' sneak attempt was pretty abysmal, made more frustrating when one of the BC defenders grabbed his legs and pulled him backwards as the play concluded. I was wincing and hoping our youngster wasn't about to disappear indefinitely due to a "lower body injury".
That said, I don't understand why the team isn't looking to work the sidelines in short yardage situations, particulary on the goal line. They had one great call against Minnesota that relied on misdirection. Surely, they must have other options.
First, I wondered this very thing, and then I wondered why we were seemingly saving it for a later point in the season given that you have to be able to put the defense on their heels at least ONCE during the game if you hope to be able to punch it forward successfully other times. We just aren't a punch it every time team right now. Where is the rollout for King that we used successfully for a TD against Minnesota?
That rollout could itself be used as a misdirection. But I would have liked to have seen that tried against SDSU instead of relying on a timing pattern over the middle after the 19-play drive on 4th down.
Regardless, if the linemen can't move the pile, you would think that something else needs to be considered in short yardage.
JKS often threw low on sideline passes. I heard Mike Pawlawski mention more than once during the game the low throws were due to poor footwork and that can be fixed. Maybe Coach Harsin is avoiding those plays in tight situations because he can't trust it yet.
Thank you Nick. I especially appreciate your observations regarding our defense against their run game. I sure do like watching our QB, he is an exciting player.
@Nick, when you write "finding a way to win," is it really as it suggests the process of executing a strategy with a high probability of victory, or is it more of a colloquial expression you use in hindsight after we did win? And whatever your answer, do you think coaches who use that phrase in post-game press conferences mean it the same way? I mean , this win was very satisfying, but I don't really feel like counting on an end zone interception in the final seconds is a component of a strategy for victory as much as a dodged bullet due to a major error at a critical moment on the part of the BC quarterback, albeit one that that Ferrelli capitalized on spectacularly? It really feels like this could have gone another way but for a very small amount of randomness and luck and an opponent quarterback that couldn't seal the deal in a clutch situation.
More so the latter. Like, Cal did make plays to win the game - JKS and Mini and Ferrelli all came up big. But it also required Lonergan to make a bad throw, and we needed the right calls from the refs, and if BC's receiver had completed that catch a play earlier Ferrelli's interception never happens, so yeah there was a healthy bit of luck/chance at play in this one.
I do think, problematically, that JW's strategy in end game situations like the final drive is to make an opposing team execute as many plays as possible and hope/expect/plan for them to make a mistake, and so even though that interception feels lucky to us, I think JW views it as confirming his strategy.
Randomness and luck...College football writ large. For me, it's part of what makes all this so glorious. I'm weird. Go Bears Forever!
It’s really what makes all sports so glorious and frustrating. As good as all the great teams are or have been, a lot of success, especially when it comes to championship success comes down to luck.
How many great teams have never won a championship due to some random stroke of luck by their opponents in a playoff elimination game or championship game?
You make your own luck. Make the plays that are in your control, count your blessings when the opponents or refs screw up
Also, sitting on the ball before the half was a head scratcher but so Wilcox. With JKS, why not take a couple of shots to get within field goal range. If you throw a pick, you would run out the clock.
And use available time outs effectively…
* BC sustained a long drive on their last play until the Luke’s pick. A couple of real nice throws by Lonergan against Masses.
* On that last drive, the receiver was clearly out of bounds! Not sure how that was indisputable.
* Hard to tell, but it appeared Trond was held just before the ball got there. So that appeared to be the right call & ref was right there.
* Mini should have gotten the PI call on the one play.
* Great article…nice to have a run game!
I thought the receiver was out of bounds on the last drive too. I painstakingly slow-mo'd the catch and saw his heel touch down in bounds before his toe touched out of bounds.
I was at the game and still need to rewatch it, but I can’t agree that Cade isn’t one of the top two LBs.
I think that comment was intended as a conversation starter, and also maybe a way to motivate, but Cade is clearly one of our very best players. Without a doubt.
Even the very best have a shocker every so often, but he’s literally our leading tackler and that’s no fluke! And, he does so much more than just tackling, he’s all over the field wreaking havoc on the offense. When he’s not the one making the tackle, he often in the picture as he’s rarely far from the ball. I guarantee his opponents study him intensely during film study.
He’s also a play away from creating a turnover and possibly taking it to the house himself!
He’s also ALWAYS smiling on the field which is both endearing and badass.
That all said, here’s a previous idea to reconsider: our running game needs a jolt of energy and a new perspective to contrast the emergence of Rafael who’s showing he can break contain. Since we do have a strong bench for ILB, who better to send up the middle or toss the ball to at FB than CADE ULUAVE?
I say give him the ball, or maybe he’ll just take it…
They teased before the season that they might have Uluave on both sides of the ball and then…we’re waiting!
Excellent analysis, I like the attention to detail. We are fortunate to have De Jesus back there, returning. You nailed it. The way he ran up and caught the high short punt was critical. I feel confident that he won't make a mistake and he can take one to the house. I agree it seems like Cade was out of place, which opened up those big runs.
Maybe we can get Turbo to enter the Transfer Portal this week!
Great name for a RB. He lived up to his name and became one of my favorite non Cal CFB players to watch this season
Great analysis as always. Surprised to see the conclusions about Cade (not saying it’s wrong)
Agree about the penalties… the quantity and that they favored Cal with at least one big call going against BC that was questionable
Concerned about our pass protection and increasingly concerned about our defense. It clearly is not the defense of last season but with 4 NFL draftees gone and our best DE out it can’t be expected to be
From section PP, it felt like the officiating favored spotting the ball for BC in each and every opportunity. And did anyone else notice that in BC's first 4th quarter possession (ending with Masses's INT) that on the holding call, the officials DID NOT move the ball back 1.5 yards? Egregious!
I did notice it right away on the call you're talking about. BC had the ball at their 3.5ish. Hold and the official said 1/2 the distance to the goal. But, the ball was magically placed at the 3.5ish. I know the Cal coaches can't really notice it from beyond the 25, but you would think someone up in the booth would've noticed that and called down to Wilcox.
I also noticed it and rewound to figure it out. Thought maybe it was half the distance from the spot of the foul, which makes no sense…..
Maybe if the hold is after the LOS? Usually they're in the backfield.
Watching on TV (at the Cal Alumni LA gathering) it also seemed like we got the short end of the stick (literally) on a few spots.
Can you explain “ the officials DID NOT move the ball back 1.5 yards? Egregious!”
There was a holding call at first and 10 at the BC 3 yard line. The penalty is half a distance to the goal.
As always, nailed it Nick.