I think this is my favorite article each week; I learn so much and was so looking forward to it THIS week since it was such a great game. Thanks, as always.
To me Garber's legs are becoming our x-factor. I don't like the designed Garbers run much (see: Herbert, broken collar bone against Cal in 2017 or 18), but love the "drop back, no one to throw to, I better scramble" option. OSU implemented a spy later in the game (at least they noted it on the broadcast later in the game), which is a sign of respect. If a team is going to do that de facto, wondering how we can dial up something to take advantage in the coming weeks. I love this feeling; too bad we don't have a BYE week so I can enjoy it longer! : )
Can I just say that it felt really really cathartic to yell "Revenge for Riley" (or something like that) at the OSU fans and empty equipment truck as we walked back?
That weird sequence to end the first half seemed to be us telling Oregon State "we're not afraid to go deep so you have to respect that" while actually being a little afraid so we did it at a low-risk point in the game. It was... weird.
It’s a prime example of why the margin for error for Wilcox’s teams is so slight, and correspondingly why his ceiling is 7-8 wins…he plays not-to-lose…this only knows 3 & outs or methodical 12+ play drives…there’s no middle ground, no 2-minute drill.
This is a problem. In the post-game presser he alluded to the final 1H drive as being the decision in this instance, but the reality is he has yet to show the willingness or ability to run a 2-minute drill.
It's too bad "plenty" of Cal fans didn't enjoy the win in the stadium. The published ticket distribution of 38,572 was WAY more than actually showed up. I was stunned at how small the turnout was; there wasn't "plenty" of anything. It's been an issue in a number of places this year, but I was still really surprised.
That's too bad, because that was an interesting game all the way, and Cal deserves great credit for a well-conceived game plan, both defensively and offensively (the offensive one was obviously a possibility OSU DC Tim Tibesar never considered). It was also a demonstration of the value of having the most experienced QB in the conference.
Chase Garbers repeatedly made good decisions, and found something when live bullets were flying numerous times.
While I'm also frustrated by the lack of fans in the stadium, I think I can understand why. Students are now two years removed from following a college football team. This was very obvious during the Nevada game where none of them seem to know what to do. Usually the freshman go along and all the sophomores and above "indoctrinate" them along with Rally Comm. Well the mic men were their usual subpar selfs at least at the start and with a lot more students being clueless there was no indoctrination.
In short, I don't think Cal football really hooked a lot of people. And the play, quite frankly, sucked when they did show up. Nevada had decent turnout. There were a lot of students including into the overflow section R. WSU wasn't awful. But can you blame them for being turned away from that?
As for the alumni and other fans, well it's been a long time since I've seen them all show up. Maybe the covid situation still contributes (there are probably some who are still hesitant esp. since Cal doesn't check vaccine proof except for club seats), but the attendance was lethargic going back to the Dykes era sans a few games.
Anyway if we win @AZ then I hope the turn out for USC will be good.
Not only two years of disconnect from the football program . . .but if you ever browse the berkeley subreddit, you'll see a TON of Cal students are really struggling being disconnected from everything. All fun stuff I remember - hanging out with people from my floor and going to the game together or finding people to go down to the DC and drinking POG and the world's most acidic lemonade.
All of this stuff was missed by sophomores and muted for freshmen. It's been a tough two years for people just learning how to be adults.
Interesting; I thought the Cal students were the most engaged of the fans. The disconnect hasn't been the issue in the Northwest; OSU has had the biggest student turnout EVER. Without them, Reser would be at quarter capacity. Its the adults who have been staying away in droves. WSU was really strong in the student section too.
Re Covid, I used to take my three girls to pretty much every game, but haven’t gone since pandemic bc they are all under 12. Probably a non trivial number in this boat, as I think Bay Area parents are more risk averse about this than others are. I’d say during trick or treating in my neighborhood, 80% or do of adults were masked even though it is obviously all outside
The overwhelming contingent of students at the Nevada game was unlike anything I've witnessed at Memorial in quite some time. You'd like to see at least a core of students have a little more resilience (their undergraduate educations only last so long, and for better or worse this Cal program is what they've got), but faceplanting in that game and then TCU really crushed hopes of any follow through on that momentum. Cal has traditionally done well in the early season non-conference games, which can help lift attendance a bit through mid season. But to perform so miserably so early in the schedule given our generally poor recent track record, it's hard to recover from. Should get a decent crowd at SC, but I'm gonna guess the stadium will still only be maybe 2/3 filled.
Great article, thank you. I was also frustrated by the coaching decisions during the last 55 minutes of the second quarter. It seemed they didn't know what it was they were trying to do. But even so, during that time of the game, I never felt like this was a huge omen and we would eventually lose because of it. And that right there is a great feeling as a Bears fan. Cal can do this, Cal can get to a bowl game. Go Bears!
How big of a 4th quarter lead does Cal need in order to get a backup QB some snaps? I think getting a backup even a couple of pass attempts would be valuable. Does the lead have to be > 15 points so that you can survive a pick 6? I don't think so, but I think that's what the coaches believe. Or, would you consider giving the backup a series in the 2nd or 3rd quarter of a close game?
Wilcox, in a presser after Colorado, was looking for a > 3 score game. Although if they had 17, at least, with 3 minutes left there is no harm in letting another QB get familiar with a hash mark up close and personal.
Was thinking the same; put Kai in. Not even to throw the ball, but to snap it, hand off, kill clock, get reads from the sidelines, run the huddle...... If we don't trust a 2nd stringer to hand off the ball, we're in trouble!
Maybe at the end of the game, from the 1 yard line, if you put the backup in, is it then more acceptable to go for the lead-padding touchdown? The excuse being that you want to get your backup a little action.. Or still better to make the 'we don't run the score up, we're better than that' statement? Sigh, I guess still better to not run up the score. In any case, I'd prefer the backup gets some snaps, I think it would be helpful in case they were suddenly needed in an important spot. Hope to see it happen this Saturday against Arizona.
Just a screencap from the game broadcast that I clipped while doing film review, but I'm very happy it's been clipped because the whole thing is spectacular
Just read Pac12 Power Rankings on yahoo sports article. Cal is #9 and that is fine, but the author is clueless. They are correct about the big win but a struggling OSU program?
"Cal has been playing good football lately, securing a big time win over a struggling Oregon State program on Saturday. "
I don't envy the Power Rankers this week trying to parse the middle tier of the conference. Give me Wazzu at #3, I guess, and Cal at #8 just above UW. Everything between those two is a mess.
The early returns from an uncharacteristically low turnout of voters is a mess indeed in the middle of the conference with two ties and massive standard deviations. It won't hold exactly like this after more votes come in, but we're all over the place.
Thanks for the write-up, Nick. Any insight on how Arizona went from being so manhandled in Boulder to competitive two weeks in a row? Looking forward the breakdowns later this week.
"It wasn’t necessarily a dominating rushing performance, but I was struck by the frequency with which Cal’s backs were able to gain an extra 2-3 yards by falling forward or pushing a pile, with or without an extra shove from an offensive lineman. It was the difference between a first down on multiple occasions and a great sign, as the rest of Cal’s schedule features run defenses that are similarly tractable."
During the game I noticed there were at least 2 instances of where either Brooks or Moore were straight up stonewalled by the OSU defense but kept churning and broke through to get a first down after OSU made an initial stop on a 3rd down.
Was smart of him. I enjoyed seeing that and Cal showing a throwback to the Jahvid Best 99yd TD run vs UCLA on the screen. The one where Riley threw a terrific block to spring him free.
Roll on you BEARS!
https://youtu.be/MQS64xd5kJI
I think this is my favorite article each week; I learn so much and was so looking forward to it THIS week since it was such a great game. Thanks, as always.
To me Garber's legs are becoming our x-factor. I don't like the designed Garbers run much (see: Herbert, broken collar bone against Cal in 2017 or 18), but love the "drop back, no one to throw to, I better scramble" option. OSU implemented a spy later in the game (at least they noted it on the broadcast later in the game), which is a sign of respect. If a team is going to do that de facto, wondering how we can dial up something to take advantage in the coming weeks. I love this feeling; too bad we don't have a BYE week so I can enjoy it longer! : )
When he runs, tho effective, Garbers nonetheless looks like a guy that has gout in his right foot and an awful in-grown toenail on his left one…
Can I just say that it felt really really cathartic to yell "Revenge for Riley" (or something like that) at the OSU fans and empty equipment truck as we walked back?
That weird sequence to end the first half seemed to be us telling Oregon State "we're not afraid to go deep so you have to respect that" while actually being a little afraid so we did it at a low-risk point in the game. It was... weird.
It’s a prime example of why the margin for error for Wilcox’s teams is so slight, and correspondingly why his ceiling is 7-8 wins…he plays not-to-lose…this only knows 3 & outs or methodical 12+ play drives…there’s no middle ground, no 2-minute drill.
This is a problem. In the post-game presser he alluded to the final 1H drive as being the decision in this instance, but the reality is he has yet to show the willingness or ability to run a 2-minute drill.
Musgrave was always good at pushing between the 20's for us, but terrible inside the red zone. Seems like he's starting to get out of his own way.
It's too bad "plenty" of Cal fans didn't enjoy the win in the stadium. The published ticket distribution of 38,572 was WAY more than actually showed up. I was stunned at how small the turnout was; there wasn't "plenty" of anything. It's been an issue in a number of places this year, but I was still really surprised.
That's too bad, because that was an interesting game all the way, and Cal deserves great credit for a well-conceived game plan, both defensively and offensively (the offensive one was obviously a possibility OSU DC Tim Tibesar never considered). It was also a demonstration of the value of having the most experienced QB in the conference.
Chase Garbers repeatedly made good decisions, and found something when live bullets were flying numerous times.
When using 'plenty' I was more referring to the % of Cal fans who probably felt as I described, rather than the absolute number in the stands
While I'm also frustrated by the lack of fans in the stadium, I think I can understand why. Students are now two years removed from following a college football team. This was very obvious during the Nevada game where none of them seem to know what to do. Usually the freshman go along and all the sophomores and above "indoctrinate" them along with Rally Comm. Well the mic men were their usual subpar selfs at least at the start and with a lot more students being clueless there was no indoctrination.
In short, I don't think Cal football really hooked a lot of people. And the play, quite frankly, sucked when they did show up. Nevada had decent turnout. There were a lot of students including into the overflow section R. WSU wasn't awful. But can you blame them for being turned away from that?
As for the alumni and other fans, well it's been a long time since I've seen them all show up. Maybe the covid situation still contributes (there are probably some who are still hesitant esp. since Cal doesn't check vaccine proof except for club seats), but the attendance was lethargic going back to the Dykes era sans a few games.
Anyway if we win @AZ then I hope the turn out for USC will be good.
Not only two years of disconnect from the football program . . .but if you ever browse the berkeley subreddit, you'll see a TON of Cal students are really struggling being disconnected from everything. All fun stuff I remember - hanging out with people from my floor and going to the game together or finding people to go down to the DC and drinking POG and the world's most acidic lemonade.
All of this stuff was missed by sophomores and muted for freshmen. It's been a tough two years for people just learning how to be adults.
Interesting; I thought the Cal students were the most engaged of the fans. The disconnect hasn't been the issue in the Northwest; OSU has had the biggest student turnout EVER. Without them, Reser would be at quarter capacity. Its the adults who have been staying away in droves. WSU was really strong in the student section too.
That's a really good point I hadn't thought of. I really do feel bad for any students the last couple of years.
Re Covid, I used to take my three girls to pretty much every game, but haven’t gone since pandemic bc they are all under 12. Probably a non trivial number in this boat, as I think Bay Area parents are more risk averse about this than others are. I’d say during trick or treating in my neighborhood, 80% or do of adults were masked even though it is obviously all outside
Yea absolutely it makes sense
The overwhelming contingent of students at the Nevada game was unlike anything I've witnessed at Memorial in quite some time. You'd like to see at least a core of students have a little more resilience (their undergraduate educations only last so long, and for better or worse this Cal program is what they've got), but faceplanting in that game and then TCU really crushed hopes of any follow through on that momentum. Cal has traditionally done well in the early season non-conference games, which can help lift attendance a bit through mid season. But to perform so miserably so early in the schedule given our generally poor recent track record, it's hard to recover from. Should get a decent crowd at SC, but I'm gonna guess the stadium will still only be maybe 2/3 filled.
Great article, thank you. I was also frustrated by the coaching decisions during the last 55 minutes of the second quarter. It seemed they didn't know what it was they were trying to do. But even so, during that time of the game, I never felt like this was a huge omen and we would eventually lose because of it. And that right there is a great feeling as a Bears fan. Cal can do this, Cal can get to a bowl game. Go Bears!
Each time OSU made a counterpunch to get within a TD I never really panicked, which makes zero sense the way this season has gone.
Given our 2nd half woes this season, I WAS a bit concerned, but not as much as usual because we were dominating. Glad it held up!
How big of a 4th quarter lead does Cal need in order to get a backup QB some snaps? I think getting a backup even a couple of pass attempts would be valuable. Does the lead have to be > 15 points so that you can survive a pick 6? I don't think so, but I think that's what the coaches believe. Or, would you consider giving the backup a series in the 2nd or 3rd quarter of a close game?
Wilcox, in a presser after Colorado, was looking for a > 3 score game. Although if they had 17, at least, with 3 minutes left there is no harm in letting another QB get familiar with a hash mark up close and personal.
Was thinking the same; put Kai in. Not even to throw the ball, but to snap it, hand off, kill clock, get reads from the sidelines, run the huddle...... If we don't trust a 2nd stringer to hand off the ball, we're in trouble!
Maybe at the end of the game, from the 1 yard line, if you put the backup in, is it then more acceptable to go for the lead-padding touchdown? The excuse being that you want to get your backup a little action.. Or still better to make the 'we don't run the score up, we're better than that' statement? Sigh, I guess still better to not run up the score. In any case, I'd prefer the backup gets some snaps, I think it would be helpful in case they were suddenly needed in an important spot. Hope to see it happen this Saturday against Arizona.
That photo cracks me up. When was that taken?
Just a screencap from the game broadcast that I clipped while doing film review, but I'm very happy it's been clipped because the whole thing is spectacular
Well, if you like it as a photo, you'll probably like it even more as a GIF:
https://i.imgur.com/oef34K6.gif
It's the celebration after the touchdown at the end of the 3rd quarter.
Amazing. Thank you.
Just read Pac12 Power Rankings on yahoo sports article. Cal is #9 and that is fine, but the author is clueless. They are correct about the big win but a struggling OSU program?
"Cal has been playing good football lately, securing a big time win over a struggling Oregon State program on Saturday. "
I don't envy the Power Rankers this week trying to parse the middle tier of the conference. Give me Wazzu at #3, I guess, and Cal at #8 just above UW. Everything between those two is a mess.
The early returns from an uncharacteristically low turnout of voters is a mess indeed in the middle of the conference with two ties and massive standard deviations. It won't hold exactly like this after more votes come in, but we're all over the place.
Well, they "struggled" for a few quarters on Saturday...... : )
“why not us?”
because we’re Cal…sigh
but great article!
Excellent article per usual, ty Nick.
Agreed / as always Nick.
Thanks for the write-up, Nick. Any insight on how Arizona went from being so manhandled in Boulder to competitive two weeks in a row? Looking forward the breakdowns later this week.
Pac-12 devil magic.
"It wasn’t necessarily a dominating rushing performance, but I was struck by the frequency with which Cal’s backs were able to gain an extra 2-3 yards by falling forward or pushing a pile, with or without an extra shove from an offensive lineman. It was the difference between a first down on multiple occasions and a great sign, as the rest of Cal’s schedule features run defenses that are similarly tractable."
During the game I noticed there were at least 2 instances of where either Brooks or Moore were straight up stonewalled by the OSU defense but kept churning and broke through to get a first down after OSU made an initial stop on a 3rd down.
did you notice Garbers giving a light push twice?
Was smart of him. I enjoyed seeing that and Cal showing a throwback to the Jahvid Best 99yd TD run vs UCLA on the screen. The one where Riley threw a terrific block to spring him free.
Saw that.
all now legal
rugby
Shortly after the "Bush Push" game in 2005, USC vs Notre Dame.