Reasons To Be Optimistic

The Jersey Shore guys like to pump fists and sunshine.

Part 2 in a two-part series listing the reasons to be either pessimistic or optimistic about this season. You can read my pessimism here.

This is the much more enjoyable of the two posts, as I allow myself to get carried away with excitement. I didn’t really buy into all the garbage I wrote yesterday.

5. More Spread Please
This one is a bit more incorporeal, and harder to describe, but please, let me try.

I had previously dismissed the hoopla about Cal running more zone-read option plays. It simply wasn’t who we were. Yes, we ran the occasional option when Aaron Rodgers or Kevin Riley were at the helm, but the plays were far too risky and outside the real identity of Tedford’s offenses to be consistent threats. And our most mobile QB to that point, Aaron Rodgers, was too good of a threat through the air to jeopardize by running too many option plays.

Trying to adopt the spread seemed too much like a middle-aged salesman buying skinny jeans just because it was what all the cool kids were doing. Our pro-style offense was that middle-aged salesman, and by golly, we were going to run it effectively or die trying.

But all it took was just one play in practice. This one play during spring ball suddenly got me excited about Cal’s resolution to incorporate new spread elements with the more mobile starting QB, Zach Maynard.


Maynard motions the slot receiver to the halfback position out of the shotgun. Maynard then proceeds to handoff the ball to the receiver who promptly gets nailed by the rushing defensive end, but oh wait! The receiver doesn’t have the ball at all! It’s Maynard with the pigskin, and he nimbly rushes forward for a nice eight yard gain.



Yes, it was just one run. But it was, wait for it--effective. It looked natural. It was something the Bears had always threatened with in shotgun formations, but rarely followed through on. How many times had we seen Nate Longshore fake the handoff out of the shotgun before dropping back to pass, all the while thinking amongst ourselves, “Why even bother faking it? We know Nate ain’t gonna run.”

But suddenly, I allowed myself to get carried away with the possibilities. How much more effective could Isi Sofele be if he were given lanes by misdirection plays knowing full well Maynard were a solid option to run? How much could this simplify blocking assignments for the linemen if the playbook were reduced to but a few simple but diverse options?

I could imagine it now, Maynard motions Allen into the backfield to form a wishbone formation. Maynard fakes the handoff to Sofele, but keeps it and takes off to his right. Just before he gets tackled he options it off to his younger brother for a 14 yard gain and a first down.

Yes, it’s preeeettty idealistic, as the Bears showed first hand how to shutdown the zone read last year against Oregon. But the incorporation of more spread elements, in addition to strong execution of Tedford’s pro-style offense could lead to the diversity and identity necessary to produce some of the best offensive output the Bears have seen in years.

4. Coaching staff returns
Let me get this out of the way: Yes, there’s a slight fear that the return of wide receiver coach Eric Kiesau and offensive line coach Jim Michalczik won’t lead to the same level of offensive success the Bears had during their first go-around. But that fear is easily battled by assurance in this: these guys can flat out coach.

Seriously, they’re some of the best in what they do, and nearly everything they’ve touched (that sounds bad) turns to gold.

Consider what Kiesau was able to do with some less regarded wide receiver recruits in Burl Toler, Jonathan Makonnen, and Geoff MacArthur. They contributed to a school record 278 receptions in 2003, in addition to several years of receiving success.

Coach M was responsible for some of the best offensive line play in the conference of the decade, and turned the moribund Raiders offensive line to one of the more respectable rushing teams in the country.

Let me restate that for added effect: Michalczik turned the Raiders, the bloody Raiders, into one of the more respectable rushing the teams.

Let that just sink in, and simmer. Delicious.

I’m just flat out excited about what they’ll do with their players this season. Coach Kiesau has a bit of an easier task with wide receiver being one of the stronger personnel groups on offense this season, but Coach Michalczik also has a veteran line to make some noise with. More so than seeing the established players thrive, I’m even more interested to see what happens with some of the players who have been on the verge of breaking through. Players like Colemon Edmond, Michael Calvin, Dominic Galas, and Matt Summers-Gavin come to mind.


3. Strengthened and Conditioned
Of all the coaching staff changes, I’m actually most excited about the arrival of strength and conditioning Coach Blasquez. From everything that I’ve read and seen, the team looks to be in the best shape it’s been in, in like ever.

Finishing last season, one was bound to look at the roster and make a number of wishful thoughts, “Oh, if so-and-so would just gain 80 pounds, they could make some noise here” or “if so-and-so would just drop 30 pounds, I bet they could really move.”

Sure enough, after Coach Blasquez’s arrival, it’s like a magic, buff, genie granted everyone’s wishes. Nearly everyone on the team is approaching their ideal size and weight, and it’s showing in practice. Take for example, Speedy Steve Williams, who already had the best speed of any defensive back, but lacked the strength to stop players in their tracks on tackles. You see him now, and he’s seven pounds heavier, but ripped. The same can be said of burner wide receiver Kaelin Clay who put on 13 pounds.

Similar impressive gains are seen in the offensive line, who seems to have ditched the “lighter is better” mentality that seemed to reside the past few seasons. The offensive line as a whole is noticeably bigger.

Conversely, Covaughn Deboskie-Johnson has dropped close to 20 pounds and looks shredded. Seriously, the guy looks ready to do some damage.

And more than just the physical gains, Coach Blasquez has been instrumental in helping to reconstruct the team’s mentality in every aspect of its preparation. Whether its been the approach to how the team works out in the weight room, to how they practice in voluntary workouts, Blasquez has helped to instill stronger mindsets individually and as a team.

It seems to be paying off in practice, and hopefully, it pays off during the season.

2. Year 2 under Pendergast
This point has gone under the radar a bit, but I think it’s certainly worth noting. Second-year defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast came in last season with plenty of pedigree and attitude, but the one thing that was missing was his familiarity scheming against collegiate offenses.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Bears’ biggest defensive meltdowns occurred when the Bears transitioned from playing against vastly different offenses from one week to another. Remember the vast difference in the defensive gameplan against Nevada to the one against Oregon? Granted, the pistol and Oregon’s no huddle are fairly different, but the approach to the zone read was so much more coordinated the second time around.

Familiarity against opposing offenses will help just as much as the players’ familiarity with their own defensive schemes. Installing a new defense is never easy to do in a year. It will be interesting to see what they can do with another year under their belt.

I do believe Pendergast was a bit more limited in what he could last year, and I do expect to see a bit more aggressiveness in the defense’s approach, if you find that possible to believe. He’s certainly got more up his sleeve.

1. Defensive Riches
The Bears have quietly emerged as a defensive-minded team, partly due to the teams’ offensive struggles the past few seasons, but also due to the defensive success the Bears have had.

Much of that has to do with stockpile of talent the Bears have accumulated in recruiting battles, and some players are ready to shine.

A lot of my unbridled excitement centers around the ridiculous depth the Bears have at the defensive line. Granted, no one has emerged as matching the talent of predecessors Tyson Alualu or Cameron Jordan, but the keyword is “yet.”

Consider a starting lineup of Trevor Guyton (6’3 280), Ernest Owusu (6’5, 270), and Kendrick Payne (6’2, 285). You like that? Boom, here come the second string who are actually bigger than the starters. Yeah, that’s right, slipping right in between downs while you gather your half-dead runningback is Deandre “Biggie” Coleman (6’5, 315), Gabe “the King,” King (6’5, 275), and Villami “Tiny” Moala (6’2, 358). That’s nearly a half ton of a 3 man front.

Oh, we’re not done. Here come Aaron Tipoti, Keni Kaufusi, Brennan Scarlett, and maybe even Mustafa Jalil if the Bears are feeling freaky.

Then, you have arguably the best recruited linebacker class the Bears have seen, ready to emerge at the outside linebacker position. Dave Wilkerson has been nearly unblockable, Chris McCain has been consistently making plays all camp, and Cecil Whiteside just might be the best natural OLB of the bunch. If the Bears struggle off the edges this season, it will be due to lack of experience, not a lack of talent.

Have I forgotten to mention Mychal Kendricks and DJ Holt who might form the best inside linebacker duo in the conference? Both are seniors and will challenge for all-conference honors this year.

Finally, in the secondary, I think Marc Anthony and Steve Williams will quietly form one of the better cornerback duos in the conference, and will be supported by senior safeties Sean Cattouse and DJ Campbell.

Veteran Josh Hill will play a number of positions in the secondary, and it’s been said he’ll be used like a “secret weapon.” My thought is he’ll have a role similar to Charles Woodson’s role at Green Bay last year in the nickelback/safety/linebacker hybrid position.

Oh, and Stefan McClure will be ready to play as true freshman. The last Cal cornerbacks to do that? Dante Hughes and Syd’Quan Thompson.

Mmmm
It feels fun to pump the sunshine, no? This post took me 4 hours to write since I was so busy pumping my fist while writing it. I now have tennis elbow and mogigraphia.