So I read comments thinking Spav really turned the offense around. I am not so willing to give him a good grade on what he did at cal. Here are my reasons:
1. For an offense-minded coach with all these supposed QBs he coached, why was Mendoza 3rd string?
2. Why was Jackson #1 when it looked to me like he had never learned to protect the fo…
So I read comments thinking Spav really turned the offense around. I am not so willing to give him a good grade on what he did at cal. Here are my reasons:
1. For an offense-minded coach with all these supposed QBs he coached, why was Mendoza 3rd string?
2. Why was Jackson #1 when it looked to me like he had never learned to protect the football every time he scrambled. Even I, never played football and I’m ’just a girl’, know you don’t run with the ball down your side with 1 hand so easily stripped of it? Wouldn’t this be a top change for the QB whisperer to correct? But he kept doing it.
3. It looked to me that all the games up to Mendoza playing and being discovered as our ‘spark’, where looking like practice scrimmages to figure out who all should start and getting the teams to gel as units. Why is that?
4. Seeing Mendoza and his play, his passion, his leadership, his knowledge, his appetite to play, learn and win, his teammanship (the Driscoll shirt in the post game presser, etc, I was baffled why he wasn’t starting so getting all the practice reps, but if not #1 yet, at least backup to Jackson.
5. More on Mendoza beyond is QB skills. He is the spark for the team, but man also got us fans and the press fired up and hopeful. He is a very unique QB to me and why were we not latching onto him and running with him from the beginning?
6. Also, Wilcox may not be getting us the wins we so desperately want for our team and fans, but I believe he is loved by the team and he is the one that got the team as a whole mentally prepared, to believe that they could do it and to not just pack it up and run to the portal. He got the team believing and I do like that part of his coaching. Maybe Spav didn’t like the amount of coaching respectability that he was given and wanted to be provided more from Wilcox
I could go on, but…
Am I missing the ‘greatness’ of Slav and molding QBs.
Did he not like that his 2 transfer portal QB picks failed under his leadership?
Did he not like Mendoza getting the starting job late in the season? Did Wilcox force Spav’s hand on that?
Was Spav upset that Mendoza would be the starter next year? I know it can’t be Mendoza not gelling with Spav as I can’t imagine that little bundle of energy having enemies - maybe Ben and Sam, but I didn’t hear any rumblings of that.
So I’m not quick to say Spav was the reason for the turnaround.
I’ll end it here. So so saddened by this kick-in-the-gut news. It really really sucks.
Some people are just game-time players. All media reports (and the coaches) made it clear that it was a tight battle in practice and nobody really stood out.
I think your points 1-4 are sport on. I’ve asked similar questions, “How can coaches who are paid boatloads of money to be good at this bury Mendoza as #3 behind Jackson and Finley?” Took them half a season of meh qb production to give Mendoza a start.
Your observations are pretty astute (for a girl). ; )
Why thank you Old Bear 71! I am a Cal grad, after all! Plus I am originally from SC where football is church. My grandmother took me to USC (East Coast) games and taught me all about football. My parents moved to CA when I was in high school, so I went to Cal and remained here since. Love my University and proud to be an alum. Cal football has been the one thing that has provided joy in what has been a pretty difficult year personally. So I follow the team and WFC articles to be a part of a community I love. Go Bears!
Spav and Bloesch were the two major coaching changes on offense, and our offense jumped from three 30-point games to seven 30-point games. You can quibble with his QB management all you want but it's pretty darn clear he contributed to a big jump in the performance of our offense
Its hard to know how much improved we wouldve been under *any* new OC who has a modern college offense, considering the talent we have at the skill positions, and also upgrading the Offensive Line coach, but yeah I def think some credit is warranted/due.
As far as the transfer QBs: Jax n Fin. Their commits were very early in Spav coming aboard, so I wouldnt doubt he favored them, subconsciously or not, as a way of rewarding their commitments at a time when our QB room appeared to be in dire straights.
2. SJV: Super mobile, promising high ceiling; also some experience.
3. FM: Super eager; engaging; built like a QB; and follows directions.
If I were the OC at the start of the year, of course I would lead with one of the two experienced QBs. 1 and 2 both showed promise until they didn't. FM got a start on, I believe, a "let's give him a shot, it's a ranked team, so what do we have to lose" basis.
So I read comments thinking Spav really turned the offense around. I am not so willing to give him a good grade on what he did at cal. Here are my reasons:
1. For an offense-minded coach with all these supposed QBs he coached, why was Mendoza 3rd string?
2. Why was Jackson #1 when it looked to me like he had never learned to protect the football every time he scrambled. Even I, never played football and I’m ’just a girl’, know you don’t run with the ball down your side with 1 hand so easily stripped of it? Wouldn’t this be a top change for the QB whisperer to correct? But he kept doing it.
3. It looked to me that all the games up to Mendoza playing and being discovered as our ‘spark’, where looking like practice scrimmages to figure out who all should start and getting the teams to gel as units. Why is that?
4. Seeing Mendoza and his play, his passion, his leadership, his knowledge, his appetite to play, learn and win, his teammanship (the Driscoll shirt in the post game presser, etc, I was baffled why he wasn’t starting so getting all the practice reps, but if not #1 yet, at least backup to Jackson.
5. More on Mendoza beyond is QB skills. He is the spark for the team, but man also got us fans and the press fired up and hopeful. He is a very unique QB to me and why were we not latching onto him and running with him from the beginning?
6. Also, Wilcox may not be getting us the wins we so desperately want for our team and fans, but I believe he is loved by the team and he is the one that got the team as a whole mentally prepared, to believe that they could do it and to not just pack it up and run to the portal. He got the team believing and I do like that part of his coaching. Maybe Spav didn’t like the amount of coaching respectability that he was given and wanted to be provided more from Wilcox
I could go on, but…
Am I missing the ‘greatness’ of Slav and molding QBs.
Did he not like that his 2 transfer portal QB picks failed under his leadership?
Did he not like Mendoza getting the starting job late in the season? Did Wilcox force Spav’s hand on that?
Was Spav upset that Mendoza would be the starter next year? I know it can’t be Mendoza not gelling with Spav as I can’t imagine that little bundle of energy having enemies - maybe Ben and Sam, but I didn’t hear any rumblings of that.
So I’m not quick to say Spav was the reason for the turnaround.
I’ll end it here. So so saddened by this kick-in-the-gut news. It really really sucks.
Some people are just game-time players. All media reports (and the coaches) made it clear that it was a tight battle in practice and nobody really stood out.
I think your points 1-4 are sport on. I’ve asked similar questions, “How can coaches who are paid boatloads of money to be good at this bury Mendoza as #3 behind Jackson and Finley?” Took them half a season of meh qb production to give Mendoza a start.
Your observations are pretty astute (for a girl). ; )
Why thank you Old Bear 71! I am a Cal grad, after all! Plus I am originally from SC where football is church. My grandmother took me to USC (East Coast) games and taught me all about football. My parents moved to CA when I was in high school, so I went to Cal and remained here since. Love my University and proud to be an alum. Cal football has been the one thing that has provided joy in what has been a pretty difficult year personally. So I follow the team and WFC articles to be a part of a community I love. Go Bears!
Go Bears!
Amen.
On behalf of Write, welcome to the community! I live in NC now and know what you mean by church. LOL.
I’m only 15 minutes away from Wake Forest.
I hope your year improves!
Yeah,
My neighbors are UNC alums. Hear about it a lot.
But in ‘24 the Bears are coming to Winston-Salem to play Wake F. I’ll be there with all my Cal gear!
Represent.
Indeed. With extreme pride!
Go Bears!
Spav and Bloesch were the two major coaching changes on offense, and our offense jumped from three 30-point games to seven 30-point games. You can quibble with his QB management all you want but it's pretty darn clear he contributed to a big jump in the performance of our offense
Its hard to know how much improved we wouldve been under *any* new OC who has a modern college offense, considering the talent we have at the skill positions, and also upgrading the Offensive Line coach, but yeah I def think some credit is warranted/due.
As far as the transfer QBs: Jax n Fin. Their commits were very early in Spav coming aboard, so I wouldnt doubt he favored them, subconsciously or not, as a way of rewarding their commitments at a time when our QB room appeared to be in dire straights.
1. Fin: Experience; decent pocket passer.
2. SJV: Super mobile, promising high ceiling; also some experience.
3. FM: Super eager; engaging; built like a QB; and follows directions.
If I were the OC at the start of the year, of course I would lead with one of the two experienced QBs. 1 and 2 both showed promise until they didn't. FM got a start on, I believe, a "let's give him a shot, it's a ranked team, so what do we have to lose" basis.