I've been going to Cal games pretty consistently since 1962 when I was a child. I've missed three home games since '82 and one since '89. I don't know if this is the lowest point the Bears have reached during all these decades of suffering but it's in the bottom three or four. There is zero evidence that Wilcox can win more than seven regular season games and there's no reason to suspect that we'll even get to seven this year or next. I understand those who are giving up on Cal football but I never will. It's in my DNA. I'll always support the players who work so hard to represent the university -- the greater public institute of higher education in the world. I walked out on them once during the Holmoe years when I detected they weren't giving a hundred per cent but I think these lads will play hard for Wilcox, though his limitations as a coach will prevent them from being successful as a team. We're at the halfway point and already know this is another lost season. Anyway, thank you all for being here. Thanks Nick and everyone else at WFC for their superb write-ups. Misery does indeed love company and these are miserable times.
And don't forget, Nick, that James Madison was ranked in the Top 25 just six weeks after joining D1. (yes, they lost last week, but somehow they figured out a way to get 5 straight wins against the big boys.)
Gotta dump Musgrave and the O line coach - gotta happen - their schemes aren't working, they aren't inspiring, their calls are too conservative, they can't recruit, they are over-the-hill losers who cannot shift gears at this stage in their careers, they are has- beens with no will-be up side - tis' simple, good coaches win, and these two are not good coaches , they have no "win" left in them - shoot them and move on --- Wilcox has to wake up too - gotta find an innovative, gutty, high-energy O coordinator and not some other hack from his past --- Knowlton (sp?) is in the same category as Musgrave - he deserves no respect and nobody should listen to him, send him out for the donuts when the meeting gets serious --- contrast the football situation with that of the swimming situation - listen to Durden (sp?) describe how his coaching group responded to the crisis involving the head women's team coach. Listen to the deep love of Cal and the commitment to the swimming programs and the absolute refusal to let the problems diminish in any way , absolutely no tolerance for any erosion of the level of excellence and viewed the crisis as an opportunity for the programs to get even stronger
Cal has a good QB in Milner who is sitting while Plummer is mot doing the job. There had to be a reason why Purdue demoted him mid season. He's slow to react. He's average or worse on accuracy. And, he's not mobile. Milner was a 4 star recruit and he's mobile. Garbors was mobile and the offense was much more efficient because of it.
Well said. Like others have remarked, it's time for a change. And if Cal will not change and play college football like teams in the modern era, it might be time to drop the program.
- New transfer QB in system; no experience behind him.
- Mosaic offensive line after early retirement and transfers/graduations.
- New talent in the skill positions, but also a lot of inexperience.
- Thin D-line loses best player.
- Thin on ILBs
These were all the little problems that, as Cal fans, we wanted to ignore and hoped they would overcome. This is not a tragic loss to Colorado; this is regression to the mean.
Didn't Vegas have us at like 4-8? Sucks to take those Oski Goggles off when all HOPE is squeezed out of your blood! The question is: why were we so optimistic in the first place?
Great article and I agree with everything you wrote.
With the exception of a few hardcore sunshine pumpers and Wilcox supporters, it seems like all Cal fans are pessimistic about the program and the coaching staff and are checking out.
The strange part about all this is that I've rarely seen a Wilcox defense get out-coached or out-schemed. If the D gets handled it's either because they get steamrolled by a bigger, better offensive line or the opponent has a duel threat QB that can make big time plays with his legs and arm. If you don't have either of those you are usually in a dogfight against the Cal defense.
So to see a well-organized defense, maximizing its talent playing disciplined, sound football versus the abject disaster of the offense where you could be fooled into wondering if they even practice plays, is surreal.
Nothing's going to change until we stop accepting mediocrity as our normal.
Nothing's going to change until we stop paying money for this product.
Nothing's going to change until we stop telling ourselves, "Next year will be better."
Memorial can either be packed with football fans or become a concert venue, but this perfunctory fielding of a team, without true support from admin, is an agonizing joke.
I, for one, cannot stand watching our players play their hearts out with such bad leadership mocking and thwarting their efforts.
I've been going to Cal games pretty consistently since 1962 when I was a child. I've missed three home games since '82 and one since '89. I don't know if this is the lowest point the Bears have reached during all these decades of suffering but it's in the bottom three or four. There is zero evidence that Wilcox can win more than seven regular season games and there's no reason to suspect that we'll even get to seven this year or next. I understand those who are giving up on Cal football but I never will. It's in my DNA. I'll always support the players who work so hard to represent the university -- the greater public institute of higher education in the world. I walked out on them once during the Holmoe years when I detected they weren't giving a hundred per cent but I think these lads will play hard for Wilcox, though his limitations as a coach will prevent them from being successful as a team. We're at the halfway point and already know this is another lost season. Anyway, thank you all for being here. Thanks Nick and everyone else at WFC for their superb write-ups. Misery does indeed love company and these are miserable times.
And don't forget, Nick, that James Madison was ranked in the Top 25 just six weeks after joining D1. (yes, they lost last week, but somehow they figured out a way to get 5 straight wins against the big boys.)
Gotta dump Musgrave and the O line coach - gotta happen - their schemes aren't working, they aren't inspiring, their calls are too conservative, they can't recruit, they are over-the-hill losers who cannot shift gears at this stage in their careers, they are has- beens with no will-be up side - tis' simple, good coaches win, and these two are not good coaches , they have no "win" left in them - shoot them and move on --- Wilcox has to wake up too - gotta find an innovative, gutty, high-energy O coordinator and not some other hack from his past --- Knowlton (sp?) is in the same category as Musgrave - he deserves no respect and nobody should listen to him, send him out for the donuts when the meeting gets serious --- contrast the football situation with that of the swimming situation - listen to Durden (sp?) describe how his coaching group responded to the crisis involving the head women's team coach. Listen to the deep love of Cal and the commitment to the swimming programs and the absolute refusal to let the problems diminish in any way , absolutely no tolerance for any erosion of the level of excellence and viewed the crisis as an opportunity for the programs to get even stronger
There are states where losing a game like this would carry criminal charges.
Go ahead and punch me in the arm now for invoking the name, but I'd love to see what Troy Taylor could do here in 2023.
Is Musgrave fired yet?
Cal has a good QB in Milner who is sitting while Plummer is mot doing the job. There had to be a reason why Purdue demoted him mid season. He's slow to react. He's average or worse on accuracy. And, he's not mobile. Milner was a 4 star recruit and he's mobile. Garbors was mobile and the offense was much more efficient because of it.
Success is possible. But it takes a hell of a lot more than what Cal is providing the coaches and team currently.
Yep, all of this.
Well said. Like others have remarked, it's time for a change. And if Cal will not change and play college football like teams in the modern era, it might be time to drop the program.
Let's see:
- New transfer QB in system; no experience behind him.
- Mosaic offensive line after early retirement and transfers/graduations.
- New talent in the skill positions, but also a lot of inexperience.
- Thin D-line loses best player.
- Thin on ILBs
These were all the little problems that, as Cal fans, we wanted to ignore and hoped they would overcome. This is not a tragic loss to Colorado; this is regression to the mean.
Didn't Vegas have us at like 4-8? Sucks to take those Oski Goggles off when all HOPE is squeezed out of your blood! The question is: why were we so optimistic in the first place?
Great article and I agree with everything you wrote.
With the exception of a few hardcore sunshine pumpers and Wilcox supporters, it seems like all Cal fans are pessimistic about the program and the coaching staff and are checking out.
The strange part about all this is that I've rarely seen a Wilcox defense get out-coached or out-schemed. If the D gets handled it's either because they get steamrolled by a bigger, better offensive line or the opponent has a duel threat QB that can make big time plays with his legs and arm. If you don't have either of those you are usually in a dogfight against the Cal defense.
So to see a well-organized defense, maximizing its talent playing disciplined, sound football versus the abject disaster of the offense where you could be fooled into wondering if they even practice plays, is surreal.
Great stuff…thanks Nick.
Nothing's going to change until we stop accepting mediocrity as our normal.
Nothing's going to change until we stop paying money for this product.
Nothing's going to change until we stop telling ourselves, "Next year will be better."
Memorial can either be packed with football fans or become a concert venue, but this perfunctory fielding of a team, without true support from admin, is an agonizing joke.
I, for one, cannot stand watching our players play their hearts out with such bad leadership mocking and thwarting their efforts.