Great writing as always, my Sacramento brother. This win taught us that we have a foundation to build on. We became a middle-tier team during one of the best Pac-12 seasons in recent memory even if we took a roundabout way to do so.
The current Bears will get 15 additional practices which can only enhance the skills of those returning. A victory in the bowl game could improve recruiting in both the portal and among potential high school recruits.
It certainly helped that Cal was better at football, and UCLA not so good, but it also helped to have the UCLA QB bang his passing arm on a Cal lineman's helmet, and had to leave the game. Most of UCLA's losses were closely related to getting QBs hurt, not that isn't one of the leading reasons for losing football games by anyone.
Thank you, Nick. This is - as usual - terrific, thoughtful analysis, incredibly well written, and leavened in the perfect amounts with the complicated love we all feel for our Bears. I look forward to your post-game thoughts every week, and appreciate the time and care you put into them. Go Bears!!
Nick, I love your post-game thoughts and analyses, and, like you, I am content right now to enjoy the vibes. OK, plus re-playing that 4th qtr drive that ate up almost 8 minutes off the clock, doesn't get better than that. Go Bears!
Imagine if just half of the Cal alums "tithed" just 0.05% of their income to Cal Legends NIL? I feel much better about a collective whaling than a single, like Uncle Phil.
I don’t think I realized how angry I was at UCLA until I saw them prancing about the football field before the game, seemingly unaware of the irreparable harm they’ve wrought by delivering the death blow to the Pac12. As a result, it was just so, so sweet to see us completely manhandle them and discard their powder blue carcasses under the lights of their faux home stadium so that their clueless fan base can spend the offseason pondering the future of their program as they pack up for the snow covered plains of the Midwest. Enjoy the tater tot hot dish in Minnesota!!
TBF I was at the game and had a handful of UC Los Angeles fans offer an apology for what their school did to the conference. My response was usually “let’s just hope your check clears”
I will get season tickets for next year again. My daughter who graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, has turned into quite a fan. I graduated from Cal in 1963 so I have been following the Bears for a long time! Even my husband who went to Chico State became a fan.
I think “Write” is awesome and will join next year.
WFC is a must follow and read for any Cal fan! I find you provide insightful analysis combined with the passion, pain and hope that only a Cal athletic (and especially football) fan can understand…you are dedicated to the Cal student-athletes, coaches, school because you care and have the extreme desire for them to succeed. You feel the pain of their defeat and the immense joy when they win. You cling like so many of us to the smallest glimmer of hope that this play, drive, game and/or season will be the ‘one’ that is ‘the’ turning point for our team. You embody the saying ‘Once a Bear, always a Bear’!
And you all at WFC provide a community that only a Cal fan understands and needs.
So now we savor our 3-game winning streak and bowl bid hoping this is the turning point that leads us to a winning season next year! For this Bear will never die!
I will openly admit that I have started “Fire Wilcox” chants in Memorial. And while I’m still not bought in on his long term ceiling being much higher than this year, and 7 years without a winning conference record is unacceptable, the end of this season was no doubt encouraging and the last two weeks were incredibly cathartic.
For probably the first time in his tenure, we can go into an offseason with both rational optimism and tangible signs of a foundation that the program can grow on, built upon players who are incredibly likable. It’s nice to be optimistic for once. Can’t wait for August 31st.
I've written this elsewhere, but it's really difficult to measure Wilcox as a coach or our results because our administration is such a drag on the program. In all likelihood, he'd be 8-4 or 9-3 if he was at UCLA. It's an institutional problem. Wilcox has some limitations as a HC, but I also don't see a DeBoer or Lanning having any more success here than he has. He's just not cutthroat like a Harbaugh or Saban. He has a conscience and the loyalty of his staff and players mean something to him--and it s what he's willing to give back to them and the university even, despite it's overall indifference. I'm on board again. Happy for Wilcox and the players for showing a lot of fortitude and perseverance despite some of the challenges beyond their own control.
You may be right but there are advantages too though - can recruit on the fact that Cal is a good school, Berkeley is a fun place to live especially for 18-22 yos, weather good, big athletic dept in a premier conference with lots of athletes in all sports. Imagine trying to recruit kids to a cold place with poor academics and similar institutional support - it could be worse!
No doubt. Not arguing that, although the academics does cut both ways. Not necessarily an advantage except for certain types of student athletes, but a selling point for others. I just think that you probably need to give him a small handicap if you’re measuring success in wins and losses.
The only play that could be considered partly “lucky” would be the fumble bouncing into the arms of Luckhurst (given the shape of the ball). ALL the other plays in the article were the result of our Bears doing their assignments well, the result of being coached well.
It took half the season for the Cal coaches to install Fernando Mendoza as the QB. I have no idea what went on in practices before going to Mendoza, but one does wonder “what took so long?”
Going forward, I get a hint of Cal people taking the ACC as some sort of booby prize for Cal Football. IT IS NOT: We keep furd as our arch rival, get to play a bunch of new programs to Cal, and are taking an excellent program into next season.
I am sick and tired of the inane u$c band playing constantly during every game, aren't you?
In terms of "what took so long", sometimes QBs are great in practice but not in-game and vice versa. It's possible SJV/Finley just couldn't ever play in games like they did in practice, whereas Mendoza could.
Edit: Also, get ready to start complaining about FSU playing one piece over and over.
USC: "We gained one yard! 2nd and 9; cue the fight song!!!"
I have to watch USC games on mute, or after 5 minutes I'm ready to stab my eardrums.
Cal had more lucky breaks than that, or at least benefitted from some shocking UCLA blunders. Two off the top of my head were the hooked short field goal and completely missing that one punt return.
OMG. The shocked look on Luckhurst as he clutched the rock and sort of tripped.
He caught too much flak for his troubles early on, when the coach(es) should have vetted him for pressure kicking situations, before Auburn.
$C band got the perfect, final snub, as we allowed a rapper to sing, instead of their performance. So, yeah, thanks $C for playing over our moments of silence in the past, d-bags.
Very respectfully, while I recall reading comments here regarding his misses from the North Texas blowout, the coaches first opportunities to see Luckhurst attempt kicks in pressure situations occurred during the Auburn game.
100% with you on the USC band. It's like some sort of sound based weaponry designed to numb anyone who hears it. My mind feels dull just listening to them play.
I'm glad "Post-game Thoughts" will still exist in the ACC; makes the move almost palatable......
Nick, this weekly article is what I look forward to most during football season. Thank you for both your excellent analysis and writing. Oh, and your wit......
This is an excellent, well written, game recap and observations that are spot on. There’s reason for hope and expectations for a strong entry to the ACC! As I told a bRuin tailgater on Saturday: I hope you enjoy tailgating in Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska in late November! Go Bears!!
I hadn't visited the Rose Bowl in close to four decades. What a jewel of a stadium, damn it. Surprisingly lively tailgate scene on the golf course. Really no jarring between tribes. People were mostly there to party on a Saturday night. The UCLA alumni band playing on the concourse on the south end sign was a great touch, as are the plaques for each Rose Bowl match-up on that side (had to do a long bit of scanning to spot us. Might have dragged my nuts across the '05 Texas team.). Inside the bowl, the ambiance was, uh, mellow, except for rowdy Cal fans. I'm really not being objective when I say that UCLA has a very chill fan base (Twitter not withstanding). We took the life out of the fan base early, but they were unusually docile from the start. Each call "to make some noise" mostly went unheeded. Also, like Stanford, they really need to wosrkshop some chants. Really, kind of a weird fan-going experience. Pretty sure that had they not announced they would be opening the field up after the game, it would have been only Cal fans, as many UCLA folks started heading to the gate by the start of the 4th.
Excellent point: "In weird way, I think the THREAT of UCLA pressure had more impact than actual pressure." It was the most obvious time Spavital had a game plan for a specific defense. Now please, in the bowl game, no more WR screens to the boundary side!
Great writing as always, my Sacramento brother. This win taught us that we have a foundation to build on. We became a middle-tier team during one of the best Pac-12 seasons in recent memory even if we took a roundabout way to do so.
Time to bowl and stun the ACC next year.
The current Bears will get 15 additional practices which can only enhance the skills of those returning. A victory in the bowl game could improve recruiting in both the portal and among potential high school recruits.
It certainly helped that Cal was better at football, and UCLA not so good, but it also helped to have the UCLA QB bang his passing arm on a Cal lineman's helmet, and had to leave the game. Most of UCLA's losses were closely related to getting QBs hurt, not that isn't one of the leading reasons for losing football games by anyone.
Thank you, Nick. This is - as usual - terrific, thoughtful analysis, incredibly well written, and leavened in the perfect amounts with the complicated love we all feel for our Bears. I look forward to your post-game thoughts every week, and appreciate the time and care you put into them. Go Bears!!
You nailed it! thank you.
Nick, I love your post-game thoughts and analyses, and, like you, I am content right now to enjoy the vibes. OK, plus re-playing that 4th qtr drive that ate up almost 8 minutes off the clock, doesn't get better than that. Go Bears!
Imagine if just half of the Cal alums "tithed" just 0.05% of their income to Cal Legends NIL? I feel much better about a collective whaling than a single, like Uncle Phil.
I don’t think I realized how angry I was at UCLA until I saw them prancing about the football field before the game, seemingly unaware of the irreparable harm they’ve wrought by delivering the death blow to the Pac12. As a result, it was just so, so sweet to see us completely manhandle them and discard their powder blue carcasses under the lights of their faux home stadium so that their clueless fan base can spend the offseason pondering the future of their program as they pack up for the snow covered plains of the Midwest. Enjoy the tater tot hot dish in Minnesota!!
Minnesota also offers beer popcorn, which an excellent use of both ingredients.
TBF I was at the game and had a handful of UC Los Angeles fans offer an apology for what their school did to the conference. My response was usually “let’s just hope your check clears”
pqtm. I didn't hear any of that in the donor's box.
Poor tater tot hot dish and Minnesota catching strays.
I'll be rooting for Minnesota. Golden Mammals unite!
I will get season tickets for next year again. My daughter who graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, has turned into quite a fan. I graduated from Cal in 1963 so I have been following the Bears for a long time! Even my husband who went to Chico State became a fan.
I think “Write” is awesome and will join next year.
Thank you for the kind words! I know our entire staff appreciates it. Thanks for being a part of our community!
WFC is a must follow and read for any Cal fan! I find you provide insightful analysis combined with the passion, pain and hope that only a Cal athletic (and especially football) fan can understand…you are dedicated to the Cal student-athletes, coaches, school because you care and have the extreme desire for them to succeed. You feel the pain of their defeat and the immense joy when they win. You cling like so many of us to the smallest glimmer of hope that this play, drive, game and/or season will be the ‘one’ that is ‘the’ turning point for our team. You embody the saying ‘Once a Bear, always a Bear’!
And you all at WFC provide a community that only a Cal fan understands and needs.
So now we savor our 3-game winning streak and bowl bid hoping this is the turning point that leads us to a winning season next year! For this Bear will never die!
Go Bears!
I will join you in 2024!
Your writing is very good!
I will openly admit that I have started “Fire Wilcox” chants in Memorial. And while I’m still not bought in on his long term ceiling being much higher than this year, and 7 years without a winning conference record is unacceptable, the end of this season was no doubt encouraging and the last two weeks were incredibly cathartic.
For probably the first time in his tenure, we can go into an offseason with both rational optimism and tangible signs of a foundation that the program can grow on, built upon players who are incredibly likable. It’s nice to be optimistic for once. Can’t wait for August 31st.
I've written this elsewhere, but it's really difficult to measure Wilcox as a coach or our results because our administration is such a drag on the program. In all likelihood, he'd be 8-4 or 9-3 if he was at UCLA. It's an institutional problem. Wilcox has some limitations as a HC, but I also don't see a DeBoer or Lanning having any more success here than he has. He's just not cutthroat like a Harbaugh or Saban. He has a conscience and the loyalty of his staff and players mean something to him--and it s what he's willing to give back to them and the university even, despite it's overall indifference. I'm on board again. Happy for Wilcox and the players for showing a lot of fortitude and perseverance despite some of the challenges beyond their own control.
You may be right but there are advantages too though - can recruit on the fact that Cal is a good school, Berkeley is a fun place to live especially for 18-22 yos, weather good, big athletic dept in a premier conference with lots of athletes in all sports. Imagine trying to recruit kids to a cold place with poor academics and similar institutional support - it could be worse!
No doubt. Not arguing that, although the academics does cut both ways. Not necessarily an advantage except for certain types of student athletes, but a selling point for others. I just think that you probably need to give him a small handicap if you’re measuring success in wins and losses.
"...because our administration is such a drag on the program."
Admin:
"Oh, wait, our football team is actually improving?
Quick, bring out the dampers, increase the academic requirements, and fire Wilcox.
The barbarians are at Sather Gate!"
Maybe we can go to the bowl game and start “wait and see but cautiously optimistic on Wilcox” chants.
LOL.
"Maybe stay!
Maybe stay!"
The only play that could be considered partly “lucky” would be the fumble bouncing into the arms of Luckhurst (given the shape of the ball). ALL the other plays in the article were the result of our Bears doing their assignments well, the result of being coached well.
It took half the season for the Cal coaches to install Fernando Mendoza as the QB. I have no idea what went on in practices before going to Mendoza, but one does wonder “what took so long?”
Going forward, I get a hint of Cal people taking the ACC as some sort of booby prize for Cal Football. IT IS NOT: We keep furd as our arch rival, get to play a bunch of new programs to Cal, and are taking an excellent program into next season.
I am sick and tired of the inane u$c band playing constantly during every game, aren't you?
In terms of "what took so long", sometimes QBs are great in practice but not in-game and vice versa. It's possible SJV/Finley just couldn't ever play in games like they did in practice, whereas Mendoza could.
Edit: Also, get ready to start complaining about FSU playing one piece over and over.
USC: "We gained one yard! 2nd and 9; cue the fight song!!!"
I have to watch USC games on mute, or after 5 minutes I'm ready to stab my eardrums.
Cal had more lucky breaks than that, or at least benefitted from some shocking UCLA blunders. Two off the top of my head were the hooked short field goal and completely missing that one punt return.
OMG. The shocked look on Luckhurst as he clutched the rock and sort of tripped.
He caught too much flak for his troubles early on, when the coach(es) should have vetted him for pressure kicking situations, before Auburn.
$C band got the perfect, final snub, as we allowed a rapper to sing, instead of their performance. So, yeah, thanks $C for playing over our moments of silence in the past, d-bags.
Very respectfully, while I recall reading comments here regarding his misses from the North Texas blowout, the coaches first opportunities to see Luckhurst attempt kicks in pressure situations occurred during the Auburn game.
100% with you on the USC band. It's like some sort of sound based weaponry designed to numb anyone who hears it. My mind feels dull just listening to them play.
The only song they know.
It's boring and it's slow
It’s really got to go
Look at how much dough we've aired,
Pretending we're as tough as the players down there.
I am too!
I'm glad "Post-game Thoughts" will still exist in the ACC; makes the move almost palatable......
Nick, this weekly article is what I look forward to most during football season. Thank you for both your excellent analysis and writing. Oh, and your wit......
ditto!
This is an excellent, well written, game recap and observations that are spot on. There’s reason for hope and expectations for a strong entry to the ACC! As I told a bRuin tailgater on Saturday: I hope you enjoy tailgating in Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska in late November! Go Bears!!
Cosmic Justice and Great Football go well together.
Go Bears
I hadn't visited the Rose Bowl in close to four decades. What a jewel of a stadium, damn it. Surprisingly lively tailgate scene on the golf course. Really no jarring between tribes. People were mostly there to party on a Saturday night. The UCLA alumni band playing on the concourse on the south end sign was a great touch, as are the plaques for each Rose Bowl match-up on that side (had to do a long bit of scanning to spot us. Might have dragged my nuts across the '05 Texas team.). Inside the bowl, the ambiance was, uh, mellow, except for rowdy Cal fans. I'm really not being objective when I say that UCLA has a very chill fan base (Twitter not withstanding). We took the life out of the fan base early, but they were unusually docile from the start. Each call "to make some noise" mostly went unheeded. Also, like Stanford, they really need to wosrkshop some chants. Really, kind of a weird fan-going experience. Pretty sure that had they not announced they would be opening the field up after the game, it would have been only Cal fans, as many UCLA folks started heading to the gate by the start of the 4th.
Excellent point: "In weird way, I think the THREAT of UCLA pressure had more impact than actual pressure." It was the most obvious time Spavital had a game plan for a specific defense. Now please, in the bowl game, no more WR screens to the boundary side!
Special Teams winning this game for us has to be the all-time rope-a-dope.