Washington Recap 2010

(AP)

In what has been a supremely disappointing season for Cal football, it seemed almost fitting that Cal’s season would abruptly come to an end in stunning heartbreak.

With Cal’s offense again struggling to put up points, and the defense again giving an inspired effort, the Bears saw their season dissolve right before their eyes on the final play of the game. Holding onto a 13-10 lead with just over four minutes to go, the Bears failed to pick up a first down, leaving the Huskies with the ball on their own 21 yard line.

Yet, the football gods would ensure the heavy rain would taste like piss for the Cal fans in attendance before the day was over. The Huskies drove down the field, with the Bears defense suddenly unable to stop Locker’s rushing attempts after shutting him down all afternoon. Washington drove the length of the field and looking at 2nd and goal at the one yard line. Each of Locker’s subsequent QB sneak attempts were then squashed by the Bears.

Washington coach Steve Sarkisian decided to go for the win on 4th and goal instead of electing to kick the game tying field goal to send the game into overtime. The Cal defense flapped their arms into the air, urging the crowd to lend their support. This would be the final play in Memorial Stadium before the renovations. This would be the stop that would give the Bears the win and send them to a 9th consecutive bowl game. This would be forever be known as “the Stop” and the play that would forever embody the notion of protecting “our house.”

But despite our attempts to rally behind our courageous defense, any Cal fan knew what was about to happen.

The Cal defense predicted a third consecutive sneak, and crashed the middle, only to watch in horror as Jake Locker handed the ball off to Chris Polk as he rumbled into the endzone as time expired. The game was over. The Huskies had won. Cal’s season was over.

And someone in the athletic department decided to blast “Chariots of Fire” while showing a video montage of Memorial Stadium as Washington players and fans celebrated.

Wow.

Might as well get to a couple of game notes, although it will take a few days for me to force this one down.


Offense Ineptitude
It’s really difficult for me to think back to a time when Cal’s offense was as consistently inept as it has been for the second half of this season, at least under Tedford. I mean, this Cal team had been characterized the past decade as being a high scoring offense, although most Cal fans will tell you how much of that stereotype has been slowly fading for the past several years.

The Bears offense has been averaging just over 10 points a game since their ASU game back in October. That’s terrible. In fact, even if you were to include defensive scores, that would still be the worst scoring offense in the nation. Out of 120 teams. Blah.

Again, the asshole in me wishes I could pin it on one player or coach, and though it seems tempting at times, I know it’s not true. That would be as simple as a personnel change, and boom, working offense.

But no. The Bears are facing a system malfunctioning at various levels, which makes it hard to pin it on any one aspect. The Cal players have been quoted in the past as saying that each player has taken turns making mistakes in their blowout losses. That was never more true than Saturday’s performance.

It wasn’t as if the Bears had difficulty moving the ball at times. Cal ran the ball pretty well generating 191 yards on the ground. Shane Vereen was his regular consistent self piling up 106 yards on 23 carries. Keenan Allen also ran well out of the wildcat, with 60 yards on 7 carries. Sofele also showed some nice shiftiness, bouncing it to the outside, though his carries were limited.

But it seemed like every single time the Bears got something going, they shot themselves in the foot. The Bears were flagged 7 times for 74 yards, with multiple false start penalties by the offensive line. It wasn’t just the number of yellow flags, it was the times in the game they were being thrown that absolutely killed drives. It was as if the Bears were allergic to the red zone. Every time they got close, they just sneezed themselves backwards with some type of missed blocking assignment or penalty.

It’s so disheartening to see, because so much of the identity that characterized Tedford’s early teams is missing. The discipline, the focus on execution, the drive, all appeared to be absent for most of the game on Saturday. That’s not to say the players didn’t try out there, but whether it’s focus or the right level of coaching, whatever it is, it was nowhere to be seen.

Final Note on Mansion
At this point, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen all there is to see with Brock Mansion. I feel the sample size is large enough with 4 starts including one road game and three at home (and at OSU game where he played a majority of the game). He’s played against very good defenses, and poor ones. He’s had a full month as the starter, and I’m just not seeing it with him.

I really have nothing bad to say about Brock Mansion as a student athlete. By all accounts, he’s an upstanding individual, a total team player, and works his tail off on and off the field.

Yet, if you take in what you’ve seen over the last month, how can you really put your confidence in him as next year’s starting quarterback?

Mansion was just 12 for 22 for 92 yards and an interception. Most of his completions came on quick screens and swing passed that went for little no yardage, and I really saw only two passes in the game I was impressed with. Mansion can deliver beautiful passes when he sets his feet, but he doesn’t have the field vision nor the pocket awareness at this point to set himself up for success.

He again continues to underthrow his receivers, with Washington’s Quinton Richardson being the lucky recipient of this week’s Mansion give-away.

Through the season, Mansion has completed just 48.9 percent of his passes with 2 TDs (one coming on a hook at lateral) and 5 interceptions. He’s averaging under 130 yards per game passing, and his 85.5 passer rating wouldn’t put in him the Top 100 in the nation in that category. I understand Mansion wasn’t thrown in the most ideal circumstances, but as a redshirt junior, it’s hard to justify such numbers.

Now final note, it’s difficult as to where to place the blame. It’s clearly not all on Brock, as much of it is on his coaches’ inability to both develop and prepare him to be the starter. However, very few other sports defend the player as much as football does to quarterbacks. If a basketball player can’t hit wide open outside jumpers, very rarely do we see ourselves screaming at the head coach for his inability to develop his young talent. When a player doesn’t appear to have it, sometimes they just don’t.

Special Teams Continues Regression
I continue to long for days when special teams no longer is an issue with this team. Unlikely, but still, I long.

The Bears seem unable to put a complete game together on special teams. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another.

On a career day from Giorgio Tavecchio, the Italian Stallion booted a career long 53 yard field goal to give the Bears a 3-0 lead at halftime. He would later add a 47 yarder that Cal fans hoped would give them the lead for good.

Yet, it was Cal’s kickoff return team that would be its undoing. Some very poor tackling gave the Huskies great field position for a drive that would end up with three points for the Huskies. There was also some very poor tackling on the opening kickoff return, and I think the only reason this isn’t a bigger story is because the Bears rarely kicked off on Saturday.

Cal’s special teams appeared to have made such a turnaround at the beginning of the season, although it will be its regression over the course of the season and inconsistency that will leave Cal fans continuing to be restless.

Defense: All for Naught
While the Cal defense has had its share of headshaking inconsistency (Nevada, USC, OSU, Stanford), the season will likely be remembered moreso as the one in which brilliant defensive efforts were wasted by offensive mediocrity (Arizona, Oregon, and Washington).

It really is shame that season ends the way it did, particularly for some of the senior defensive players who have churned out some very solid careers, and fantastic senior seasons.

Mike Mohamed put out another double digit tackle performance with 14 on the day, including a sack and a forced fumble that led to Cameron Jordan’s 20 yard scoop and score. Jordan also recorded 6 tackles including two for a loss.

Chris Conte, who has been an absolute revelation at safety also had 7 tackles as he ended his up and down career at Cal on an upnote. Darian Hagan had two tackles, and Derrick Hill had just one, but both played their respective positions pretty well.

Fortunately, the Bears also saw some nice performances from the defensive underclassmen, with Mychal Kendricks having a very nice game with 8 tackles, including 3 TFLs and 2 sacks. He showed some nice speed off the edge on the sack on Washington's 3rd and 5. He also stopped the Husky receiver from getting a first down on the previous drive. He will be one of the senior leaders who will have to step up next year and lead Cal’s linebacking corps.

DJ Holt also had six tackles and a fumble recovery. Holt is one of the defense’s most improved players, and has really come into his own as a very solid inside linebacker.

Marc Anthony also recorded his second career interception, and will likely be back as the starter at the CB position.

Keenan Allen Excels
As I’ve watched this season, I continue to tell myself, “Ahh, this is what a 5 star recruit will do for you.”

Allen continues to shine in nearly every role he’s put in. Whether it’s throwing, running the ball on reverses or in the wildcat, catching the ball, the guy’s a natural athlete. Now that he’s healthy, I do appreciate the offense’s efforts to get him more touches.

Allen accounted for 106 yards of total offense. The guy has 496 receiving yards on the season, the most by a true freshman since Desean Jackson’s 2005 campaign. If Cal’s passing game can show a pulse next season, this guy will have a spectacular year next year.

Final note: Please put the bubble screen away. For every nice gain, it's sniffed out at least 3 other times. And it’s going to get Allen killed. Please?

Outlook
Woher kommen wir Wer sind wir Wohin gehen wir

(Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?)

Jeff Tedford may want to stare at Gauguin’s painting for a while as he asks himself these questions. I can tell you that this season hurts as much as any in quite some time. It’s a bitter end to a bitter season.

The football program has hit its lowest point since Tedford had taken over a moribund program, but that’s not to say it’s far from saving. Are we likely at least a season away from competing for a conference title? Probably, but it really depends on our ability to find a quarterback, because without one, we’re likely stuck in mediocrity (at best) for the next few seasons.

However, the evaluation will need to be honest and objective at every position, not just QB. The Bears have shown some great things this year. But with the first ever losing season under Tedford, it’s about as good of a time as any to shake things up.

I’m disappointed as any to have this be the last game of the season, but I’m hoping in the long run, we’ll look back at these moments and say it was for the best.

Thank you to the team, both players and coaches for your efforts this season. Despite our frustrations, I hope I speak for many of the Cal faithful when we say are continually appreciative and committed to the California Golden Bears.

Go Bears!