Ohio State Recap

(Goff Rolls, the Bears Stumble)

When you’re dealing with a young team and a brand new coaching staff, it’s hard to tell what you’ll get exactly when facing off against highly ranked teams like the Buckeyes. Sure, we knew the game was likely to get ugly but you still held out hope that things could get interesting.

The game started off with about as bad of a start as I’ve ever seen from Cal. I mean nightmarishly bad. And unlike previous weeks, it was a poor start from both the offense and the defense. Not only did the Bears give up scores on their first three drives, but the offense started off with a 3 and out, a high snap which led to a punt, and a fumble.

The Bears responded well enough in the first half, outscoring the Buckeyes 20-10 to bring themselves within 11 points by the end of the first half. And for a while, the game absolutely was interesting. In the midst of the cringe-inducing big plays and drives were moments of pure entertainment and some grit from the young Bears squad.

Still, the Bears fell apart in a critical third quarter, where Cal’s defense again gave up 21 points, while Cal’s offense was held to just 12 plays and 7 points in the 3rd quarter.

I suppose, in a lot of ways, the game shook out almost exactly the way most people thought it would. Cal’s defense showed it couldn’t stop a nosebleed, the offense, while being more competent, still struggled in a key moments of the game and failed to keep pace with the Buckeyes’ offense.

It’s the type of game that tells you a whole lot while leaving you with even more questions all at the same type.

Let’s get down to the key points.

Defense Scrambling for Answers
Like Sonny Dykes said, at this point, the defense is what it is: pretty awful. They know it, we know it, and opposing teams know it. The defense is just an amalgamation of the worst possible circumstances right now. We’re without some key starters, our young players are learning on the (painful) go, our star players are disappointing, and we’re showing very little creativity or aggressiveness in terms of our defensive schemes.

I don’t know what’s more alarming: the big plays, or the propensity for our defense to get absolutely rolled on long drives. Either way, the Buckeyes had their way with our defense tonight.

The Buckeyes scored on 8 of their 13 drives, with 7 of those going for touchdowns. Six of their eight drives consisted of less than 10 plays, and honestly, the only reason the last few were extended drives were because the Buckeyes wanted to simply grind down the clock.

So what’re going to do? I don’t know about you, but it’s hard to see too much light at the end of the tunnel. The bright side is that it’s hard to imagine things getting that much worse. But here’s I want all Cal fans to remember: so much of this season is going to be about progress. I really liked the way some of our young players like Cameron Walker and Joel Willis did filling in at the safety and CB positions respectively. We got decent pressure on the two or three times we actually dialed up a blitz. Some of our players are going to have to get healthy at some point.

Am I grasping for straws? Probably. But I’m running out of beer, so I have to find other ways to cope.

Jared Goff Keeps Rolling
Let me start off with this: the more this kid plays the more I like his game. His play would be sharp for any collegiate quarterback, but what we’re seeing from a true freshman is really impressive. Honestly, he simply isn’t playing like one. Goff was 31 for 53 for 372 yards, 3 TDs and an INT.

But he’s got a quick release, he makes those 18 yard outs look effortless, and I love that he’s showing off his athleticism and mobility a bit more. He shows real mature poise and an ability to bounce back from bad plays.

Of course I still counted a few throws that were grimace inducing. He still needs to develop some more consistency on his deep passes. There were also at least 3 drops on would-be interceptions from Buckeye defenders.

But overall, what Goff is doing in his earlier career is nothing short of spectacular. He’s the first Cal QB to throw for 300+ yards in three games since Aaron Rodgers back in 2003. Rodgers did that in his last three games this season. Goff is doing is doing it as a true freshman. And honestly, he was less than 30 yards from making it three 400 yard games in a row. Just chew on that.

Boehmcat Package
Credit goes to CGB for coming up with that term, as it fits perfectly. I was pumped to see Kyle Boehm come in on a few snaps to run the wildcat. During the Northwestern game, my brother remarked that Boehm was the most active player on a sideline that he had ever seen. Seriously, the guy was continued running sprints, high knees, throwing balls, you name it.

And you know what? The Wildcat looked pretty good. I honestly thought they should have kept it going, as the drive stalled as soon as they pulled him out.

I’m thinking we haven’t seen the last of him. Not by a long shot. And remember this: he’s a quarterback, so he can actually throw.

Lack of Running Game Killing the Bears
You knew the Bears had their toughest assignment yet against a talented OSU front seven, but I’ve been supremely disappointed with the lack of a rushing attack right now by the Bears.

I’m starting to think that Brendan Bigelow simply isn’t ready to be a primary back right now. Not only has he struggled to find holes in between the tackles, but he’s been up tripped more by his shoelaces more than any college runningback I’ve seen. Muhammad has been very solid for a true freshman, but he still hasn’t been able to make up for our deficiencies in out other areas.

Daniel Lasco easily looked like the best back yesterday, and though he still runs a bit upright, he might be Cal’s best hope in developing any type of inside running game. He did the best job of all the backs in reading his blocks and finding running lanes.

While the lack of push in the trenches has been troublesome, the most disconcerting thing to see has been the poor blocking in the open field. There were way too many instances in which Cal’s backs could have taken it for more yardage had Cal’s blockers (both olinemen and receivers) taken better angles and technique on their blocks.

Wide Receivers Are Studs
I think we’ve got the best overall wide receiving corps in the conference. Chris Harper and Bryce Treggs are spectacular, but what’s been encouraging is that the depth of this unit is really showing, with multiple players seemingly taking turns each week making big plays.

Nine different Cal receivers hauled in passes this week for 345 yards. Kenny Lawler was this week’s Maurice Harris with his highlight grab, and continued to improve in his role of backing up Treggs. And while it was confusing to see Darius Powe and James Grisom in the same spot, you gotta feel good for the former walkon Grisom for scoring his first collegiate TD.

Special Teams Still the Best Unit
For all the hand wringing over the defense, Cal’s special teams has continue to play like the best unit on the field. You can’t say enough about the job the ST coordinator Mark Tommerdahl has done with this unit.

While it’s common for kickers to turn it up for their senior seasons, Vincenzo D’Amato has been tremendous, knocking in two more field goals, bringing his stats to 8 of 9 made this season.

Punter Cole Leininger was again solid, booting the ball 4 times for a 49 yard average, including a long of 60 yards.

And you know what’s been the best? The lack of big returns. You’re just seeing far better angles on from the coverage team and better wedges. Just so much more confidence from this unit.

We’re Playing to Win
I have to say it’s been pretty refreshing to watch this team compete. While the start of the game was an absolute disaster for the Bears, you wouldn’t have been shocked to see the team continue to faceplant and look lost.

But instead, the Bears buckled down and continued to compete, hard. And beyond that, the coaching staff seemed to send a message with every playcall and decision. They were playing to win.

Faced with a 4th and 7 in a punting situation for most teams, Cal showed they weren’t most teams. Goff lined up as the punter and instead threw a beautiful strike to freshman Caleb Coleman for a first down.

On top of that, we saw a flea flicker and a hook and ladder—in the first half.

This is not about moral victories. The Bears are still 1-2. This is simply me being content with a team that’s truly going to go out there and bust their asses and compete, regardless of the odds. Am I happy with the talent, execution and readiness to play? No, but I know my team isn’t going to throw in the towel, regardless of the scoreboard. And that’s something we haven’t had in a while.

Cal Fans, Where Art Thou?
Just a quick word about the huge number of Ohio State fans at Memorial Stadium. I mean, I get it, the Buckeyes travel well.

But what occurred on Saturday was flat out embarrassing. Buckeyes fans pretty much made it a homefield advantage for Ohio State.

What I wanna know is how the heck that happened. Cal reportedly only released 3500 tickets to Ohio State's ticketing office. That means OSU fans got their tickets through third party ticketing websites? And where are those tickets from? Either the ticketing office allocated far too many tickets to these sites, or way too many Cal fans elected to schill off their tickets. Either way, there was some major selling out going on here.

Moving Forward
The bye couldn’t have come at a better time. The Bears need desperately to get healthy, physically and mentally. Will it make a huge difference against Oregon? Probably not, but the Bears just need some time to collect themselves before they start conference play.

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Ohio State Keys to the Game

("Wha, Cal? Oh, we chillin.")

The Bears head into their marquee showdown against the 3rd ranked Ohio State Buckeyes with seemingly everything to gain and nothing to lose. While Cal's offense seems to be on verge of being one of the more productive offenses in the conference, the Bears' defense finds itself struggling to stay healthy and looking for answers altogether.

Let's face it, the Bears will need to be near perfect in all three phases of the game to pull off the monumental upset. I've looked at how the Bears have done against Top 5 teams, and the history isn't pretty. But make no mistake about it: the Buckeyes aren't invincible nor are they unbeatable. This team can be had. Can they be had by a young team with red zone issues and defensive questions? Absolutely not, but still, they can be had.

While most points are obvious, let's break down the specifics.

Limit the Big Play
The Buckeyes are going to get theirs against Cal's D. Anyone who expects to shutdown Ohio State's offense is out of their bloody mind. Ohio State has all they need to put up considerable yards and points on any defense. The Buckeyes boast a starting offensive line sharing 100 career starts, solid receivers in Corey Brown and Devin Smith, a host of NFL talent in the backfield even without starter Carlos Hyde, and oh, a Heisman candidate in QB Braxton Miller.

Yeah, I know HC Urban Meyer is playing coy about Braxton Miller's chances of playing on Saturday, but did you watch his backup Kenny Guiton play last Saturday? Guiton could start for half the teams in college football right now.

So yeah, this offense is pretty good. And that's a scary prospect for a defense that could be without 5 of their starters and oh yeah, gave up over 500 yards to an FCS squad just a week ago.

I'm not expecting Cal's offense to stymie Ohio State's offense. But Cal needs to do a far better job of not giving up the big plays. The Bears are ranked 110th in the country on plays more than 10 yards allowed. Last week against Portland State, roughly 15% of the Vikings' plays went for more than 10 yards, which shakes out to about 1 play for every possession. That shizzle won't fly against the Buckeyes.

The good news is that Cal's defense has been a bit Jekyll and Hyde in that when they're not giving up explosive plays, they've appeared to look like a halfway decent defense.

The Bears' defense needs to force Ohio State into stringing together 15+ down drives. If so, they put themselves in a prime position to give their offense opportunities to make this a competitive game. While Cal's offense is ahead of the defense at this point, they are nowhere close to being able to compensate for quick scores on defense.

Finish in the Redzone
I have far more confidence that this offense is beginning to put it together. I feel pretty confident that the Bears' offense can move the ball as they've shown in the past few weeks. The issues though are that they are struggling to find a consistent rushing attack and have sputtered in the red zone. Stat whores will tell you the Bears have scored on 100% of their chances in the redzone, and that much is true.

What those Kardashians will fail to mention is they've only scored touchdowns on 50% of their red zone opportunities. While that's led to career numbers for kicker Vincenzo D'amato, that isn't going to cut it against a top 5 team.

The Bears' need that number to be closer to the 66% mark to hang with a Buckeyes' offense that averages close to 40 points per game.

No Turnovers
Seriously. None.

Outlook
It's pretty simple really. The Bears are not so outclassed in talent that the game is immediately out of reach. Cal can very much win this game despite what the pundits and Vegas (Cal +16) might be saying.

And despite what I said earlier, I don't think they need to be perfect. But they can't afford to turn the ball over, they need to capitalize in the redzone, and they can't let the Buckeyes score in less than 10 play drives.

I want to say that Cal can do that, but honestly I'm not sure they're yet. Had this game been played as a bowl, I'd like our chances much better. But with a defense featuring starters making their 2nd or 3rd career starts, I'm far less optimistic about our opportunities.

But sweet jeebus, can you imagine the scene if the Bears finally get it clicking?

Prediction:
Cal 27 Ohio State 42

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Portland State Recap

Oh the life of a Cal fan. Just when I thought I could kick back and enjoy a Saturday afternoon game against an FCS squad, you had to go and have us sweating down to the final possession. IS NOTHING SACRED ANYMORE?

Cal hung on to slip Portland State 37-30 after a 19 hour contest. On one hand, I was incredibly relieved to come out with the win. Now I can go back to being incredibly snobby and judgmental towards teams who fall to FCS teams. Here’s looking at you Oregon State.

On the other, why the hell should I have to be relieved? Cal went down to the wire against a team that had no business upsetting an FCS squad (after having previously gone 0-12 against Pac-12 teams). I know there’s less of a disparity between FBS and FCS teams these days, but there’s still a reason why we play in the Pac-12 and not in the MAC.

Sonny Dykes previously stated that anyone who didn’t expect a dogfight against Portland State was out of their mind. He probably said that after having watched our defense in practice for two months now. We’ve got some major trouble there. The offense, though better, isn’t out of the woods either. Special Teams, you are again the best unit on the field this week.

Whew. Ok, let’s to get the specifics.

Defense in Major Trouble
This defense has issues. Major issues. Like Amanda Bynes and Miley Cyrus type of batshit-out-of-our-mind issues. They look like a mess right now.

You knew we were screwed on Portland State’s second play of the game, when Cal’s entire defense was sucked in on PSU’s playaction, and Vikings quarterback Kieran McDonagh found his receiver wide open down the field for an 81 yard score. On the replay, not only did you see all of Cal’s young LBs stutter inside, but also witness free safety Alex Logan caught completely out of position.

On the ensuing drive, Portland State marched right back down the field for 75 yards and a score, making the Bears look like the FCS team in the process.

The first half feature the Bears showing poor gap discipline, struggling to make their defensive reads, playing out of position, slow to react, shoddy tackles, I mean you name it. Every symptom of a bad defense was on full display in the first half. It was easily one of the worst defensive performances from a Cal team I’ve ever seen. And I’ve see a lot of them.

The Bears did buckle down a bit more in the second half, holding Portland State to just 119 yards and 7 points in the second half, but it does little to erase the horrible memory of giving up 421 yards and 23 points in the first.

There are a couple of factors here. Injuries are obviously a big one. Cal’s currently without both of their starting defensive ends, both starting safeties, their starting middle linebacker and a key defensive lineman. That’s potentially 6 of their 11 defensive starters out with injuries.

Some of it clearly youth. I think when you have a team come out flat in the first half, only to turn it up a notch in the second half in back to back games, it’s obviously a case of a young, injured defense learning to settle in and catch up with the speed of the game.

At the end of the day though, you have to take ownership of a systematic failure on the defense by the coaches and players. Andy Buh needs to step up and continue to find ways to improve his young defense. Not only is technique poor right now, but schematically, this defense is behind the 8 ball.

Real Lack of Pass Rush
More specifically, the Bears went way too long without exerting any pressure on the quarterback, often electing to only send four pass rushers who did absolutely nothing to disrupt the pocket.

I understand that Buh favors staying in base formations to prevent any big plays, but there are ways to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks without sending the house. Yet, I saw just a handful of twists and stunts in the second half.

In addition to that, Cal’s defensive linemen have been a supreme disappointment so far in disrupting the pocket. Part of that is having Brennan Scarlett and Chris McCain out, but seemingly all four of Cal’s defensive linemen are getting stonewalled and pushed back by an FCS line. Incredibly disconcerting.

Defensive Future?
It’s going to be a long season. There’s no other way to sugarcoat it. All you can really hope is that some of the young defensive players grow up quickly, some of the more injured veterans come back sooner than later, and that Buh finds a way to make some adjustments because right now it isn’t working.

It’s not about trying to blank teams each week. It’s about having pride as a defense, and trying to become a one that’s one to be feared by opposing offenses. Right now, Cal’s defense looks hesitant, confused, and is clearly learning on the job.

Jared Goff
Switching to offense, you’ve got to be impressed with the job Jared Goff has done in his young career. While the freshman gungslinger had a few misthrows, including a few behind his receiver in the endzone and a few deep balls you know he’d want back, he has continued to look pretty sharp.

Goff again went over the 400 yard mark in back to back weeks, going 33-51 for 485 yards and 2 TDs. Goff’s performance marks the first time a Cal QB has gone over 400 yards since Pat Barnes did it back in 1996. Goff’s yardage total through two games is the most from a true freshman since Colt Brennan back in 2007.

Yardage is one thing, but you have to really watch Goff to appreciate what he’s doing as a true freshman. He has an ability to make some really difficult throws look routine, and has been incredibly poised on 3rd downs. I continue to be impressed with the way he goes through his progressions, and makes fairly decent decisions with the football.

On the flip side, you do want to see him take a little better care of the ball. Though he didn’t actually turn the ball over, he did have two fumbles in the first half. He had a few coverage sacks in the first half, and there were a few throws where he could have been picked off.

Most disappointing though were the handful of overthrows on deep passes that could have really put the Bears in a comfortable position throughout the game.

All in all, the quarterback position is about the least of our concerns right now, which is something Cal fans haven’t been able to say for a while. Given that what we’re witnessing is coming from a true freshman, you’ve got to be pretty optimistic moving forward.

Offensive Line Continues to Stutter
You’ve got to be alarmed though at the poor run blocking performance so far in the season by this offensive line. It was easy dismiss part of it after seeing how many of Cal’s runs were aimed to hit the edges, but there were times when defenders were knifing into the backfield completely untouched. Brendan Bigelow had 18 carries for 75 yards (4.2 ypc) and true freshman Khalfani Muhammad earned 68 yards on 13 carries (5.2 ypc). Not awful numbers, but certainly disappointing considering the opposing defense involved here.

On top of that, it’s shocking to me how often Cal gives up sacks when opposing defenses send just 3-4 rushers. Cal’s flat out losing one on one battles, and Cal’s guards are making the wrong decisions on who to help out on when opposing defenses are just sending three rushers.

Like I’ve said, in proportion to the number of passing plays we run, I’ll take a handful of sacks. I’m far more concerned with the runblocking at this point, and am afraid that we’re going to be closer to a true air raid rather than the type of balanced attack that Sonny Dykes, Tony Franklin, or frankly, anyone would like at this point.

Special Teams Continues To Shine
The best unit on the field was again Cal’s special teams. They get an A in nearly every category.

The Bears didn’t surrender a kickoff return for more than 19 yards, holding Portland State to 8.25 yards per kickoff return. Also, for back to back weeks, they prevented an opposing punt return team without a return.

Punter Cole Leininger continued to showcase a solid sophomore campaign, averaging 39.5 yards on 4 punts, while senior Vincenzo D’Amato continues a very solid final season. He avoided any kicks out of bounds this week, and notched 3 more field goals this week, bringing his early season total to 6.

I will say though, as soon as he lined up for the 45 yarder, I knew he was doomed. D’Amato has been reportedly automatic on anything 40 yards or less. Beyond that? Just pray, my friend. Just pray.

Some Impressive Individual Performances
Other than Goff, you have to hand out a couple of helmet stickers to a couple of offensive studs (That's what he said).

Richard Rodgers earned Cal's longest offensive play of the season, taking a Goff pass 75 yards down the field with a nice stop and go, in which he flat out juked a Portland State defender out of bounds.

Bryce Treggs is play like an all-conference receiver, again topping the century mark with 121 yards on 8 catches. He already has more receiving yards (266) through 2 games than he did all of last season (216).

Finally, you have to clap it up for true freshman Khalfani Muhammad who looked like the best Cal running back on the field on Saturday. He had 172 total yards, including a beautiful 62 yard deep reception.

There’s not more to say other than the fact that the future looks bright with this young padwan.

Moving Forward
Saturday was supposed to be Cal’s easiest chance at a win, but with the way the defense played, you can’t help but think that it might have been their only win.

The only encouragement has been Cal’s better play in the second half of games, but you can officially color me scared. There are a lot of reasons for optimism, particularly on offense, and you can only hope the defense begins to put it together. But as it stands, it looks like it’s going to be a loooooong, long season.

F it. Let’s go shock the world against Ohio State. Go Bears.

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Portland State Keys to the Game

(Source: Photo by Stephen Lam/Getty Images)

If you've been following this blog at all over the past few years, you know that I don't really do an actual Keys to the Game any time Cal faces an FCS team. It's not really arrogance...okay, there's probably a bit of arrogance involved here, but it's more that I don't always have a lot of information about opposing FCS schools. Breaking down their statistics are usually meaningless given the competition they face off against.

Instead, I always try to make the preview about what the Bears need to do and things that I hope to see in the game.

Let's get right to it.

Continued Intensity and Focus
This week, Sonny Dykes downplayed the possibility of Zach Kline and Austin Hinder playing, saying something to the effect that anyone who didn't think the upcoming game against Portland State would be a dogfight was "out of their mind."

Uh huh.

Here's the thing though. As dubious as that statement is, I want him saying that. I want him actually believing that, and I want the team running through that tunnel on Saturday expecting to execute at the highest level.

Far too often, we've seen Cal teams float through games against opposing teams, and quite frankly, not look great against them. Remember the dread Blue Hose two years ago? Remember Southern Utah last year? Remember what those games ended up telling us on the focus and mental resolve of those Cal squads?

Exactly.

Do I actually expect that Zach Kline will see some snaps? Absolutely. And I'm sure Dykes does as well, but you know he isn't going to trot out any reserves until he's convinced that his team has come to play and has taken care of business on the field.

Let me put it this way: if the Bears can't put away Portland State by the end of the first half, then this is going to be a long season.

Run Defense Needs to Step Up
Here's the bad news: Portland State runs the pistol, a defense that has given the Bears fits for years now.

Here's the good news: Current defensive coordinator Andy Buh and defensive line coach Barry Sacks have both coached for Nevada, the birthplace of Chris Ault's infamous shooter-named offense. So you have to think that they're going to be coaching up this defense this week.

And they had better. Last week, the Bears surrendered 209 yards on the ground, giving up over 5 yards a carry. That's awful, given that Northwestern was without its option quarterback Kain Colter for the vast majority of the game.

The Bears need to show much better technique and gap integrity than they did last Saturday. I though DL Villiami Moala and Deandre Coleman played ok, but the Bears' defensive ends struggled to seal the edge, and Cal's linebackers struggled to located the ball on runs up the gut. It did improve throughout the Northwestern game, but they need to show far more consistency in this area.

With Ohio State and Oregon (two spread option offenses) on the horizon, Portland State will at the very least give the Bears' D plenty of practice in terms of reading opposing lines and locating the ball. Rumor has it that Portland State uses "pin blocks" often pulling multiple offensive linemen to create a wall of blockers for backs. Sounds like a good test.

Rushing Offense
Speaking of running the ball, the Bears need to do just as good of a job running the ball as they plan to defend it.

I was ecstatic with Cal's first drive, where Brendan Bigelow carved up Northwestern's defense, taking advantage of the rushing lanes paved on the inside.

Then they went away from it. Far too many rushes aimed for the edges were called, with Cal's backs trying to find lateral rushing lanes instead of hitting the inside.

The Bears need to get back to calling plays that will build the offensive line's confidence in running the ball between tackles. Cal's RBs need more experience finding running lanes and pounding the ball inside. Further, Cal's WRs can do a far better job in maintaining their blocks when runs do indeed bounce to the outside. There were a couple of runs on Saturday that could have gone for far more yardage had a WR held their block for a second or two longer.

Also, I expect a healthy dose of Brendan Bigelow on Saturday. I know Cal doesn't expect to wear him down, but I'd be surprised if they don't give him at least 20 touches on Saturday.

Portland State just gave up 154 yards to Eastern Oregon. EASTERN OREGON. If Cal doesn't churn out at least 200 yards on the ground on Saturday (assuming we run the ball at least 30 times), you're going to find me in the freakout corner in full out panic mode for the rest of the season? Over exaggeration? Of course, but still rooted in honesty.

Extended Playing Time
This team is going to continue to need to play as much as it can. The more snaps the better. I know none of the coaches want to wear down any of the players, but given the youth of this team, they need to grow up quickly. Only playing can actually do that.

And given the injury prognosis this week (Sebastian out for the year, with Brennan Scarlett and Nick Forbes still likely sidelined), the reserves need to get in and take their licks. The sooner the better.

Ideally, the starters go out there and execute at a high level that the reserves are able to play at least a quarter to a quarter and a half. Not a single player or unit on this team is solid enough right now to warrant taking a game off though, so again, you hope there's some solid play in the first half.

Outlook
This isn't meant to be a knock on Portland State, but the only way I see the Bears keeping it close is if there's some type of emotional hangover from Saturday. I don't think that's the case though, and the Bears roll.

Prediction
Cal 55 Portland State 17

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Northwestern Recap

(Source: Mercury News)

A new era in Cal football kicked off on Saturday night in an electric evening game in Memorial Stadium. Though the game did much to energize a fanbase that has been starving for excitement, the Bears still showed their youth with a number of critical mistakes ultimately left them on the losing end of a 44-30 contest.

Let’s get to a couple of main thoughts.

Offense Can Be Great
In my Keys to the Game feature, I stated that I’d be shocked if the new, vaunted #BearRaid offense didn’t sputter early on. And despite a terrific opening 82 yard drive that was capped by a thrilling fake field goal attempt for a TD, the Bears struggled to move the ball for much of the first half.

I was pretty close to the Cal bench for the game, and following a Cal drive that stalled after back to back false start penalties, you could see the frustration from the offense. Freddie Tagaloa slammed his helmet down, Jordan Rigsbee laid into his offensive line, while offensive coordinator Tony Franklin laid into...well everyone.

The Bears really got going in the second half however, and when they did, the offense was a thing of beauty. The Bears moved at a blistering pace, showcasing the wealth of talent at its skill positions. It became almost difficult to keep up with the “1st and 10, do it again, GO BEARS!” chants.

But ultimately, the Bears’ offense did stall for good. With all of the momentum on the Bears’ side, the Bears seemed as if they were going to run away with the game, scoring on back to back drives to lead 24-20 in the 3rd quarter. They were undone by two tipped passes that were returned for TDs. One was tipped by an opposing defensive end while the other bounced off the chest of receiver Darius Powe right into the arms of Wildcat linebacker. After watching the replay, I wouldn’t say they were fluky plays, but there was certainly a level of luck involved. I’m not sold that both those passes are returned for TDs week in and week out.

So here’s the good news with the offense: I’ve already got a lot of confidence that we can move the ball on defenses. When Cal’s rolling, we all witnessed its greatness: the ball gets out quickly, it gets spread out to various targets, and Cal’s playmakers are able to get into space.

The problem is that despite racking up 548 yards of offense, Cal was only able to score two offensive touchdowns. They were just 1-5 in red zone opportunities, having to settle for 3 field goals and the aforementioned fake field goal TD. And frustratingly, all of the biggest mistakes from the missed blocking assignments and false starts occurred in the red zone.

It's an issue if these mistakes are still occurring midway through the season, but it's a bit more understandable when you consider that it's the first game. Despite all the issues, I think it's telling that the offense has already been able to instill a level of confidence in itself and in the fanbase after just one game. This offense can move the ball, and we haven't been able to say that about Cal's offense in a few years.

Jared Goff Impresses
I've been pretty high on Goff for a while, but what I saw on Saturday was just incredibly impressive. Goff threw for a record 445 yards, 2 TDs and 3 INTs in his debut. Were there throws that I'm sure he wanted back? Absolutely. A few of his swing passes were low and in the dirt, while a few of his deeper balls drifted a bit too far in front of the receiver. And for all the teeth gnashing about the "fluky" pick sixes, I counted at least two other passes that could easily have been picked off.

But almost everything else highlighted a brilliant performance for a true freshman. Goff really shook a slow first half with some absolutely beautiful passes in the second half. There was one particular pass in the 3rd quarter: Goff felt pressure from his left and began rolling to his right before throwing a perfect pass on the run to Chris Harper for a 20 yard gain and a first down. I immediately looked at my brother afterwards and said, "Wow. I don't think most people here understand how difficult of a pass that was to make." And Goff made it look effortless.

His accuracy on outs were fantastic, and I honestly can say it's been at least two years since I've seen a quarterback go through his progressions. Go back and watch the tape, and you'll see the speed at which Goff checks down and his one of his inside receiver over the middle.

And beyond that, Goff seemed unflappable. Other than one delay of game penalty, he managed the game and his teammates as well. After Jordan Rigsbee's false start penalty that ultimately stalled a Cal drive, Goff rushed over to Rigsbee on the sideline and repeatedly told him, "It's OK, it's OK." It's just not the type of maturity and poise you'd expect from an 18 year old.

And he's going to get better. He's got the potential to play like an all-conference player. I'm really excited to see how he grows as a quarterback, but even if it this is as good as it's going to get (and it's not), it's still a heck of a lot better than what we've seen at the QB position for quite some time.

Receiving Corps = Great
This was probably a little less of a story given that the wide receiving corps was a slightly more known quantity going into the game, but man, you have to like what you saw from Cal's WRs. 9 different receivers caught balls on Saturday, with 6 of them being WRs. And from the way the offense is set up, expect this to be more of the norm than an exception.

But none were more impressive than Cal's start outside receivers Chris Harper and Bryce Treggs. Harper hauled in 11 passes for 151 yards and 2 TDs, while Treggs caught 13 catches for 145 yards. Just awesome days for the two of them, and the type of performances that make me think back to some of Sean Dawkins and Brian Treggs' best games.

And these guys are sophomores. Sophomores. Let that sink in.

Defense a Mixed Bag
There were times on Saturday where I was flat out terrified about this defense. Quite frankly, there were a few too many drives where it seemed far too easy to move the ball on the Bears.

Cal's youth at linebacker and defensive end showed when they lost contain on some outside runs, as well some runs where they flat out got lost in crowd and allowed a few big runs up the middle including the Wildcats' first score.

The most alarming aspect of the defense though was Cal's pass rush, or lack of it. There were moments where NU QB Trevor Siemian seemingly had all day to throw.

Part of it was scheme. Defensive coordinator Andy Buh hardly sent pressure throughout the game. And when he did try to confuse NU's offensive line, it was often by having 7 or 8 stack the box presnap, only to have 3 or 4 players backpedal back into coverage.

Another part of it was the failure by Cal's defensive line to get pressure on their own. While they did a decent job in run defense, they failed to push back the line on most plays, provide easy passing windows for Siemian.

It doesn't matter how good your secondary is (which it's not, right now), there's not much you can do when your QB has 5-8 seconds to throw. With that said, Cal's coverage needs to improve, particularly in the middle of the field.

Honestly, you could easily point to the number of defensive starters who were out because of injuries. Hell Avery Sebastian had 11 tackles and an INT in the FIRST HALF before getting carted off the field. But you can't deny that things would have looked differently had Fortt, Forbes, Scarlett, Jalil all played the game.

Here's the good news though. I think for the most part, the game played out the way defensive coordinator Andy Buh would have liked. Sure, the Bears gave up huge chunks of yardage. But if you take away Northwestern's first and last drive, they were held to 3 FGs, 2 INTs, and 4 punts. In other words, they scored 16 points on 10 possessions.

And honestly, you saw some really good things on defense. They had some critical stops, and that goal line stand with the Wildcats having a first and goal on the 3 yard line was really impressive.

I think that's about what we can expect with this Buh coached defense. This isn't going to be a Clancy Pendergast "feast or famine" type of approach. It'll be closer to the bend-but-don't-break approach where you're going to see opposing offenses move the ball, but will be pressured into executing at a consistently high level in order to actually score touchdowns. Some times it will work, and some times it won't. You may not like it, but if things get going the way Buh likes, I'd expect opposing offenses to score 20-30 points per game, but rarely see a 40 or 50 point blowout.

And before you point to Saturday's scoreboard, remember that 14 of Northwestern's points were scored on turnovers.

Special Teams Shines
There of course some miscues on special teams, but overall, I was thrilled with the special teams performance on Saturday.

Vince D’Amato was automatic on his field goals (under 40 yards) as reported, going 3-3 on all his attempts. His kickoffs looked greatly improved, though his two kicks out of bounds were disappointing. The Bears were clearly trying to do directional attempts, though to have two fall out of bounds were head shaking. Not critical penalties, but disappointing.

Cole Leininger might be one of the most improved players on the team however, as some of his punts were Anger-esque. Leininger averaged 43.5 yards on 6 punts, downing 3 inside the 20 and an impressive long of 70 yards. He did have one bad shank, but it was overall a great day for the sophomore.

Other highs include the aforementioned fake field goal attempt, keeping the Wildcats to just 59 total kickoff yards, and no actual punt returns. True freshman Khalfani Muhammed gained 126 yards on 6 returns, and I’m absolutely convinced that the kid is going to return one for a score this season if teams continue kicking to him.

In short, it was a great debut for the Mark Tommerdahl led special teams units, and one I’ll easily take every week of the season.

Moving Forward
It wasn't a bad debut, it really wasn't. Disappointing? Hell yes. But nothing that makes you think this team is doomed. There are some incredibly bright spots on this team. Bright enough to outshine some real questions (run blocking, pass rush and coverage, penalties, etc).

It's early, but this honestly looks like a bowl team. If not now, it might be close to it in a few weeks. Of course, with their schedule, they may not actually have a bowl game to show for it, but they look like a bowl team.

I had predicted that Cal would go 7-5 this season with a win over Northwestern, but I'll adjust that to 6-6 with the loss. This team is already better than last year and can only improve.

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