Good recap but as much as I hate to say it, UCLA. was better prepared and their offense was much more deceptive with reverses, counters dive fakes and ensuing pitches to streaking RB's and options. We had none of that. We were very generic in our run offense with mainly zone blocking and NO deceptive plays like the aforementioned UCLA run offense.
On defense we played mainly man to man and our corners had trouble covering. Our LB's are mainly inexperienced compared to our bunch last year and that really hurt.
I was a high school head coach for 33 years and a college ILB coach for 2 after I retired from HS. so I critiqued the game like I used to in my coaching days. I went to Cal and will always love Cal, so this game really depressed me.
You seem like a good person to ask this question. What is the advantage of the QB going under center instead of shotgun? JKS seems less comfortable under center.
Going under center makes it easier to hand off to a deeper RB who can see the blocking open up in zone blocking or following a pulling O lineman on assigned blocking plays. Also, the QB can make RPO fakes better with a deeper set RB.
The lack of any sort of creative play-calling, particularly in 4Q, surprised me. They went with a flea flicker, a reverse, all sorts of misdirection plays (particularly on their first drive), and had us off balance throughout (even though not all of their trick plays worked). Plus, where were the rollouts to protect JKS better? The screens?
Great thoughts Nick. Thanks for enduring the painful job of the post game early thoughts and contemplation.
This loss to Bob Chesney and JMU’s talented coaching staff (and many top line JMU transfers) ought not be a surprise. Bruin uniforms on one of last year’s playoff teams did not disguise the energy and talent that came to play in Berkeley.
Two weeks’ time will tell us where we really stand.
Let's not call it a debacle. After all, it was tied well into the 4th quarter. Cal lmade some unforced errors in the 4th to be sure, but it's game #1, so let's evaluate in a couple of weeks. Remember UCLA brought a coach and a bunch of his players from a playoff team last year. They were bound to be way ahead of the Bears in game planning and execution.
The missed tackles, bad gap integrity and questionable reads I can forgive as early season jitters, but knowing our lines got whooped, especially considering UCLA went dumpster diving for tackles, is very concerning.
I think the pro style offense will go down as a huge mistake for Cal in 2026. Give JKS a Mike Leach style O and I think he would go for 400 yards every game. On Saturday, JKS was 3rd and long on most drives...
This. I’m with the presumption that installing a pro style offense will be a difficult learning curve. There is a reason why the majority of NCAAF team don’t a pro-style offense, they are more intricate, require complex pre-snap reads, and not simple. Trying to install it in one year with a novice OC is a difficult task to pull off.
Sommerville trying to translate a McVay style offense for college kids could be tall orderand even more difficult when most college/HS QB’s are underdeveloped.
If Rolovich was OC, with JKS’s talent; now that would be interesting.
"Cal will have two weeks to prepare for Syracuse, with a tune up game against FCS Wagner (who lost to Robert Morris 28-7 in week zero, then beat DII Southern Connecticut State on Saturday) in between."
Cal plays 'cuse this week Sept 12 and then Wagner on Sept 19. FWIW. Both games to air on ACCN.
The OL and DL play was always the big question for this year since games are won and lost in the trenches. Syracuse beat New Hampshire 66-3 this week in a tune up game I wish Cal had scheduled. Nevertheless, looking at the highlights reel for that game does not look like Cal will have an easy layup of a game. Syracuse showed strong line play, a talented QB and receiving corps along with some really fast RB’s.
After watching the UCLA debacle, I honestly do not think Cal has enough time between now and Saturday to correct the deep structural problems indicated by the play against UCLA. The plain and simple fact is that Cal’s line play, especially the OL, was close to terrible and reminded me of the same problem we all raged about in 2025. There just was insufficient improvement to give JKS the time and protection he needs, something I’m sure Tosh promised JKS in his midnight Hawaii meeting.
To beat Syracuse, given the little time for corrections due to travel to upstate NY, Cal will have to rely on JKS hitting a WR group that needs to really step up its speed and separation, and a run game which is apparently anchored by a single workhorse running back. To say I am not optimistic at this point is an understatement.
This is precisely where I am. And Syracuse is going to be motivated in a way I wish the team had been on Saturday. I am fearful that we lose and then the season spirals.
I'm so sad that I got on the Cal hype train in the off season. I'm glad JW is gone and Tosh has recruited some great commits for next year, but the GBs need MUCH better OL, DL and overall D play to be competitive. FUCLA DOMINATED in the trenches, and I'm unsure if we can improve much given basically the same OL as 2025. As Nick says, JKS will have to be perfect every week to win against FBS teams, and that is too much to ask of 1 player IMHO. If we struggle against Syracuse, 2026 could be another long slog. GO BEARS!
Not to keen on the Somerville hire (lacks experience). UCLA DC had his number. If he can't produce, Rolovich (qualified) can step in. If your going to build a house are you going to hire the framing carpenter or the GC that has been doing it right for multiple years.
I might push back slightly on the supposed need to throw the ball a lot more and abandon the running game. As it was, on time of possession the Bears had the ball 10 minutes more than UCLA. What would UCLA have done with 10 more minutes of offense? Would it have still been 24-24 in the 4th quarter?
I also remember almost no negative plays. It would have been nice to get a block in the secondary to bust Mohammed loose, but it was more workman-like, not terrible. I did notice that after all of the shifts pre-snap, 9.5 times out of 10 if the TE's were tight it was a run by Mohammed. If I can see that, I would imagine other teams can see that as well. They may need to incorporate a little more variation and imagination to the running game. But if they can, then that will open up those 1-on-1 matchups for JKS so he can torch them.
FWIW, of Cal's 38 rushing attempts, Cal has 4 runs stuffed (zero or negative yards) and 13 go for 2 yards or fewer. Better than last year, but still bad - 20th percentile for Expected Points Added/rush
Nice article. I think if you’re a Cal fan of any sort, then it’s implied that your brain is already broken.
I’m going to be hyper focused on the Syracuse game. The player’s energy and effort the first quarter will tell me everything.
We need a fast start and things will start to loosen up.
Ideally, we really could have benefited with a softer schedule for the first two weeks. Tru that the schedule is already set, but we need to rethink this going forward. There’s no shame in us having a few easier teams (I know, not guaranteed- just ask Michigan, but I’m talking general odds).
UCLA is always up for us and Syracuse is a strange team that seems to start 5-0 and then crash. We get them this coming Saturday.
I’m praying for the best and preparing for the worst vs Syracuse. The fucla game showed us that we are a WIP team and I don’t know if we will have the time to improve both in scheme and technique before our next game.
I’m keeping some faith, as I did see our coaches adjusting our play calling in the 2H, which showed me that they can adjust to the situation.
I hope the coaches will plan out a scheme that fits our strength better on both sides in the next contest.
Good recap but as much as I hate to say it, UCLA. was better prepared and their offense was much more deceptive with reverses, counters dive fakes and ensuing pitches to streaking RB's and options. We had none of that. We were very generic in our run offense with mainly zone blocking and NO deceptive plays like the aforementioned UCLA run offense.
On defense we played mainly man to man and our corners had trouble covering. Our LB's are mainly inexperienced compared to our bunch last year and that really hurt.
I was a high school head coach for 33 years and a college ILB coach for 2 after I retired from HS. so I critiqued the game like I used to in my coaching days. I went to Cal and will always love Cal, so this game really depressed me.
You seem like a good person to ask this question. What is the advantage of the QB going under center instead of shotgun? JKS seems less comfortable under center.
Going under center makes it easier to hand off to a deeper RB who can see the blocking open up in zone blocking or following a pulling O lineman on assigned blocking plays. Also, the QB can make RPO fakes better with a deeper set RB.
Thank you! This makes sense.
The lack of any sort of creative play-calling, particularly in 4Q, surprised me. They went with a flea flicker, a reverse, all sorts of misdirection plays (particularly on their first drive), and had us off balance throughout (even though not all of their trick plays worked). Plus, where were the rollouts to protect JKS better? The screens?
I appreciate your well informed analysis. Thank you for posting.
Great thoughts Nick. Thanks for enduring the painful job of the post game early thoughts and contemplation.
This loss to Bob Chesney and JMU’s talented coaching staff (and many top line JMU transfers) ought not be a surprise. Bruin uniforms on one of last year’s playoff teams did not disguise the energy and talent that came to play in Berkeley.
Two weeks’ time will tell us where we really stand.
Go Bears!
Let's not call it a debacle. After all, it was tied well into the 4th quarter. Cal lmade some unforced errors in the 4th to be sure, but it's game #1, so let's evaluate in a couple of weeks. Remember UCLA brought a coach and a bunch of his players from a playoff team last year. They were bound to be way ahead of the Bears in game planning and execution.
The missed tackles, bad gap integrity and questionable reads I can forgive as early season jitters, but knowing our lines got whooped, especially considering UCLA went dumpster diving for tackles, is very concerning.
I think the pro style offense will go down as a huge mistake for Cal in 2026. Give JKS a Mike Leach style O and I think he would go for 400 yards every game. On Saturday, JKS was 3rd and long on most drives...
This. I’m with the presumption that installing a pro style offense will be a difficult learning curve. There is a reason why the majority of NCAAF team don’t a pro-style offense, they are more intricate, require complex pre-snap reads, and not simple. Trying to install it in one year with a novice OC is a difficult task to pull off.
Sommerville trying to translate a McVay style offense for college kids could be tall orderand even more difficult when most college/HS QB’s are underdeveloped.
If Rolovich was OC, with JKS’s talent; now that would be interesting.
Rolo would be great operating the run and shoot!!!
"Cal will have two weeks to prepare for Syracuse, with a tune up game against FCS Wagner (who lost to Robert Morris 28-7 in week zero, then beat DII Southern Connecticut State on Saturday) in between."
Cal plays 'cuse this week Sept 12 and then Wagner on Sept 19. FWIW. Both games to air on ACCN.
D'oh, fixed
The OL and DL play was always the big question for this year since games are won and lost in the trenches. Syracuse beat New Hampshire 66-3 this week in a tune up game I wish Cal had scheduled. Nevertheless, looking at the highlights reel for that game does not look like Cal will have an easy layup of a game. Syracuse showed strong line play, a talented QB and receiving corps along with some really fast RB’s.
After watching the UCLA debacle, I honestly do not think Cal has enough time between now and Saturday to correct the deep structural problems indicated by the play against UCLA. The plain and simple fact is that Cal’s line play, especially the OL, was close to terrible and reminded me of the same problem we all raged about in 2025. There just was insufficient improvement to give JKS the time and protection he needs, something I’m sure Tosh promised JKS in his midnight Hawaii meeting.
To beat Syracuse, given the little time for corrections due to travel to upstate NY, Cal will have to rely on JKS hitting a WR group that needs to really step up its speed and separation, and a run game which is apparently anchored by a single workhorse running back. To say I am not optimistic at this point is an understatement.
This is precisely where I am. And Syracuse is going to be motivated in a way I wish the team had been on Saturday. I am fearful that we lose and then the season spirals.
One of these days I'll find myself not agreeing with you Nick. Today is not that day. Thanks
We ran pretty well in that long third quarter drive. Better than anything I’ve seen in the last decade. Just need to do that consistently
I'm so sad that I got on the Cal hype train in the off season. I'm glad JW is gone and Tosh has recruited some great commits for next year, but the GBs need MUCH better OL, DL and overall D play to be competitive. FUCLA DOMINATED in the trenches, and I'm unsure if we can improve much given basically the same OL as 2025. As Nick says, JKS will have to be perfect every week to win against FBS teams, and that is too much to ask of 1 player IMHO. If we struggle against Syracuse, 2026 could be another long slog. GO BEARS!
I believe losing our #1 center early in the game really hurt the offense. It seemed that this was the point where the mistakes started happening.
Not to keen on the Somerville hire (lacks experience). UCLA DC had his number. If he can't produce, Rolovich (qualified) can step in. If your going to build a house are you going to hire the framing carpenter or the GC that has been doing it right for multiple years.
Somerville is grossly under-qualified to be an OC. Predictable play calling. He needs to learn how to be an OC somewhere else.
I might push back slightly on the supposed need to throw the ball a lot more and abandon the running game. As it was, on time of possession the Bears had the ball 10 minutes more than UCLA. What would UCLA have done with 10 more minutes of offense? Would it have still been 24-24 in the 4th quarter?
I also remember almost no negative plays. It would have been nice to get a block in the secondary to bust Mohammed loose, but it was more workman-like, not terrible. I did notice that after all of the shifts pre-snap, 9.5 times out of 10 if the TE's were tight it was a run by Mohammed. If I can see that, I would imagine other teams can see that as well. They may need to incorporate a little more variation and imagination to the running game. But if they can, then that will open up those 1-on-1 matchups for JKS so he can torch them.
FWIW, of Cal's 38 rushing attempts, Cal has 4 runs stuffed (zero or negative yards) and 13 go for 2 yards or fewer. Better than last year, but still bad - 20th percentile for Expected Points Added/rush
Nice article. I think if you’re a Cal fan of any sort, then it’s implied that your brain is already broken.
I’m going to be hyper focused on the Syracuse game. The player’s energy and effort the first quarter will tell me everything.
We need a fast start and things will start to loosen up.
Ideally, we really could have benefited with a softer schedule for the first two weeks. Tru that the schedule is already set, but we need to rethink this going forward. There’s no shame in us having a few easier teams (I know, not guaranteed- just ask Michigan, but I’m talking general odds).
UCLA is always up for us and Syracuse is a strange team that seems to start 5-0 and then crash. We get them this coming Saturday.
I like next year’s first 3 games much better.
That should be the template going forward.
Thoughtful response. It’s going to be a process.
Good analysis Nick but Cal plays Syracuse there next Saturday with Wagner the following Saturday at home. Too bad it's not the reverse.
I’m praying for the best and preparing for the worst vs Syracuse. The fucla game showed us that we are a WIP team and I don’t know if we will have the time to improve both in scheme and technique before our next game.
I’m keeping some faith, as I did see our coaches adjusting our play calling in the 2H, which showed me that they can adjust to the situation.
I hope the coaches will plan out a scheme that fits our strength better on both sides in the next contest.