UCLA Recap

(Oh yeah, that just happened.)

On a night of the rededication of Memorial Stadium, it seemed only fitting that Cal’s football team came out in their most inspired and seemingly rededicated effort to stun a disheveled UCLA squad. The Golden Bears absolutely dismantled the UCLA Bruins to a score of 43-17, notching their first win over a ranked team in three years. The Bears rode the wave of reenergized crowd support and the new shining lights of Memorial Stadium to show that their was still some fight in this program.

Put more simply, it was an absolutely critical win for a team and fanbase that needed it in the worst way possible.

Maynard Rises
Cal enjoyed its best offensive performance of the season and a large part of it had to do with Zach Maynard. Maynard played out of his bloody mind and turned in his best performance of his career.

On Maynard’s first pass of the game, he was picked off at Cal’s own 26 yard line after he made the poor decision of trying to force an out route to Keenan Allen. Immediately following Maynard’s interception, you could almost hear the entire stadium’s collective sigh and everyone thinking, “This is going to be a long night.”

What happened next was simply stunning. Maynard then went on to complete 25 of his next 29 passes, throwing for four touchdowns and rushing for another. You have to credit the Cal coaching staff for creating an offensive gameplan tailored to Maynard’s strengths and the offensive line’s pass blocking deficiencies. It’s what fans have been crying out for weeks now: quick outs, slants, hitches, bubble screens and hitting his tight ends and fullbacks on bootlegs instead of forcing Maynard to sit in the pocket and hit his receivers downfield.

As much as Maynard has taken his knocks and criticisms, you’ve got to him credit when he plays as well as he did on Saturday. It’s arguably the best performance from a Cal quarterback in years, and a lot of it has to do with the coaching staff asking him to play within himself and Maynard executed his duties to the T.

Defensive Brilliance
I don’t think even the most optimistic Cal fans could have expected the type of defensive performance they saw from the Bears on Saturday. The Bruins were held to just 17 points and 381 total yards, both season lows for UCLA.

Clancy Pendergast called a brilliant game on defense which was driven by constant pressure on UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley. It helped that Cal’s defensive line held their gaps and got decent penetration on UCLA’s offensive line, but it was the constant and diverse set of defensive pressure that really disrupted UCLA’s offensive rhythm. From a variety of stunts, slants, and a series of blitzes that came from all angles, sacking Hundley four times hurrying him another four times.

The end result was by far the worst performance from Hundley in his young career. Though Hundley did throw for 253 yards, he threw a career-high four interceptions, three of them to sophomore Kameron Jackson.

Speaking of Kameron Jackson, you gotta give him a helmet sticker for rising to the occasion after starting CB Marc Anthony was knocked out of the game. It seemed evident that UCLA was set on picking on him throughout the game, but the defensive pressure combined with Jackson’s heads up play led to him having the best game from a Cal DB in years. Jackson even deflected the pass attempt that led to Cal’s fourth interception. After losing his nickelback job early in the season after an uneven performance against Nevada, it was nice to see Jackson play so well. He’s got a really bright future ahead of him.

Young Defensive Stars Emerging
This defense has a chance to be pretty special group in a year. I think we forget just how young this defense is. Cal’s starting defense Saturday featured just 2 seniors, 2 juniors, 6 sophomores, 1 freshmen. And this group is just now starting to play fast and not overthink their jobs.

Nick Forbes and Jalen Jefferson have really impressed me with their play so far this season. They’re getting better each week and are flying around to the ball. In my opinion, Nick Forbes’ sack was one of the most impressive plays of the game. He showed tremendous speed in chasing down Brett Hundley (who’s no slouch in the speed department), and mauled him forcing a fumble which sent the Bruins back about 20 yards.

This linebacking corps can be pretty solid if they can play this way each week. With Brennan Scarlett and Chris McCain looking for future NFL players with each week, the Bears have the makings of a very strong linebacking corps.

Best TE in the Nation?
What a difference a healthy Richard Rodgers makes for Cal’s passing offense. Rodgers nearly validated Coach Tedford’s preseason comments on Rodger’s abilities in just one game. Richard Rodgers posted the best receiving total from a Cal receiver this season, hauling in 7 catches for 129 yards.

It was great to see Rodgers healthy and involved in this offense. They used Rodgers on simple outs and on playaction passes, and even worked him in the middle of the field, a component of Cal’s offense that had seemingly been extinct until Saturday night. Rodgers showed great hands, speed, and a nice physicality to move piles. It’s just absurd to see how different this offense looks when the tight end is heavily involved, and I’m hoping this gameplan becomes the norm instead of a temporary blip.

CJA Rumbles
CJ Anderson turned in a solid performance as the primary back for the Bears, running 21 times for 155 yards and a late 68 yard TD. He also added a TD reception on a 7 yard slant.

A lot of people are going so far as to say, “See?! CJA should have been the lead back all year!” I’m not so sure about that. I’m perfectly content with the Bears switching off between Isi and CJA depending on their offensive gameplan and the week’s opposing defense.

At this point, barring a miraculous turnaround, the Bears aren’t going to feature a 1,000 yard rusher this season. However, with the Bears averaging 174 yards per game on the ground, I’m fine with the Bears posting their best rushing numbers since 2008. A lot of it has to do with Cal’s run blocking (which has been pretty decent), and Cal having a wealth of riches at the RB position. The Bears can afford to ride their hot hand, whether it’s Sofele, CJA, or Bigelow, which is a nice luxury to have.

Good Use of Bigelow
Bigelow didn’t have the type of night some may have hoped for given the frustrating lack of touches in the past few games. As for me, I was ecstatic with the ways Bigelow was used. I’ve never once stated that Bigelow needed to be starting this season. He isn’t close to being as complete of a back as either Sofele or CJA at this point in his career.

What he is though however is an electrifying playermaker, one who needs to get at least 5-10 touches again, preferably in space. And the Bears’ coaching staff did just that, giving Bigelow 5 carries, though he did get manage just 12 yards on those carries. He also recorded two catches, scoring a TD on a 32 yard swing pass.

Again, that’s exactly the way the Bears need to start incorporating Bigelow into the offense. He provides such a mismatch in certain situations and a spark to an offense that frankly can be stagnant at times.

Red Zone Efficiency
For all the good things Cal did on offense on Saturday, it might have been their red zone efficiency that really made their offense effective. The Bears have struggled mightily in the red zone this year, to the point where my wife and I joke around about the Bears being allergic to the red zone. But Saturday was a different story with the Bears scoring on 4 of their 5 red zone opportunities, with three TDs.

The Bears were far from perfect, settling for a field goal early on in the game, and coughing up the ball on another, but I will certainly take what the Bears showed on Saturday over the red zone ineptitude we had been used to seeing in previous weeks.

Special Teams
It’s the return of the PAT blocks! Blah!

There’s no other way to say it, two blocked PATs in a game is inexcusable and we’re lucky the Bruins shot themselves in the foot enough to keep this from biting the Bears later.

Other than that, Special Teams has been a mixed bag, but they’ve been far from atrocious, particularly in their punt and kickoff return game. It’s helped that kickoffs have moved forward this year and that for all of Vincenzo D’Amato’s rough patches, he’s been pretty strong on kickoffs. Daniel Lasco has quietly emerged as one of the better gunners on the team along with Avery Sebastian, and they’re both good for one good hit on special teams each week.

Usually, I’m simply hoping for Special Teams not to be a liability, but they’ve contributed positively the past few weeks, with a nice punt return from Keenan Allen this week, and recovering a muffed Bruin punt return as well.

Great Atmosphere
For those of you who were unable to attend Saturday night’s game, it was thoroughly enjoyable. First off, every game at Memorial Stadium should be played at night. Seriously, you get the entire day to watch college football, live it up with friends, and the trek to Memorial Stadium as the sun is setting is one of the more beautiful experiences in the Bay Area. Also, the stadium simply sparkles under the lights. Gone are the days when Cal had to rent out temporary lights on gameday. The permanent lights around the stadium shine literally and figuratively, and the entire field and stadium looks fantastic. It also beats sitting out in the blazing sun for those of us on the East side of the stadium.

Second of all, the crowd was electric that night. I don’t know what it is, whether it was Cal’s early lead in the game, or the fantastic turnout, but the crowd was feeling it from the getgo. It was almost surreal to experience given the negative juju surrounding the program this past month, but it was evident that the Cal fanbase that showed up on Saturday, much like the team showed they were down but certainly not out.

All in all, it was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had at a game in a while. At one point in the night, it might have been after one of Cal’s four interceptions, I remember turning to my wife and just smiling. She asked, “You look like a kid on Christmas.”

I simply responded, “These are the kind of games I remember enjoying as a Cal fan. I mean, c’mon, this is fun!”

Moving Forward
Last night was a fantastic game and a great experience. Despite that, it doesn’t change the fact that the Bears are just 2-4 on the season. It also doesn’t answer some of the biggest questions surrounding the current coaching regime. It also doesn’t change that the Bears have a huge battle ahead of them in becoming bowl eligible.

Still, last night’s game was an absolutely critical win. You also have to hope that if the Bears are going to turn this season around, that yesterday would be looked back as being the turning point.

So many of these positive feelings will be easily wiped away if the Bears lose to WSU next week. But at least for one night, it was fun to be a Golden Bear again.

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Keys to the Game: UCLA

This is going to be a briefer post given that I did a bit of a preview in my Q&A for GoJoeBruin. We also have a look at the UCLA squad when they answered some of my questions, so there isn't too much more to say, but here are a few thoughts.

Comes Down to Hundley
As far as matchups go, the Bears seem to be at a disadvantage in nearly every way. Cal's defense has struggled against some spread offenses this year, and they face one of the most efficient and balanced offenses in the country. The Bruins rank 4th in the nation in total offense, averaging a ridiculous 560.4 yards per game. They're averaging more than 300 yards on the ground and aren't too far behind in their passing numbers (243 ypg).

In the new Jim Mora regime, the Bruins have ditched the pistol option (smiley face!) in favor of Noel Mazzone's spread attack (sad trombone noise). This was an offense that ripped up the Bears last season in Tempe, and Cal's defense isn't nearly as good as last years.

UCLA's offense likes to spread the field and get the ball out quickly. They run a lot of 3 back sets, and you'll often see the Bruins send a slot receiver and back in motion which creates a bit of a triple option in look. Defenses have to account for the receiver running the sweep, the HB dive up the middle and then the QB look. Even after diagnosing when it's a pass play, QB Brett Hundley does a real good job of quickly going through his motions and hitting the open receiver or dumping it back off to the receiver who had run out wide.

The fact that they're so balanced and run at such at upbeat tempo makes the issue even more troublesome. The Bruins run 90+ plays of offense per game, and are constantly subbing out receivers to keep their playmakers fresh.

It's going to come down to pressure and rattling QB Brett Hundley. He's done a great job this year in managing the offense, not turning the ball over, and getting the ball out his playmakers quickly.

The Bears will get torn a new one if they decide to play soft zone on this guy. I'm hoping to see far more man looks, with each Bruin player accounted for. In terms of individual matchups, I like how we stack up. But we need to make sure halfbacks and receivers running the fly sweep don't get lost and aren't viable options for when Hundley checks down and dumps the ball off.

Similarly, I'm not always a fan of QB spying as it leaves the team fairly vulnerable in other areas, but I like the idea with Hundley. For as good as he is, he's far less dangerous when a defender is able to take away the QB scramble away from his arsenal, so this might be one of those situations where you see the gameplan employed against Oregon two years used here.

The Bears have to find a good balance of attacking Hundley with diverse blitzes, but also make sure they've got the other players accounted for at all times.

Really, Cal's defense will have to play their best game of the season to stop this bunch. UCLA isn't going to lose a shootout, and Cal's offense haven't shown an ability to even be included in such a conversation.

Get the ball out quickly
Defensively, the Bruins are a fast and really aggressive bunch. This is a squad that likes to take their chances, and it shows with the Bruins ranking 4th in the nation with 41 tackles for loss this season. That's bad news for a Cal offense that's ranking last in the nation in sacks allowed and tackles for loss allowed.

The Bears need to take advantage of an overzealous defense, one that is intent on pressuring the QB and having their DBs play press coverage in hopes of forcing indecision in opposing QBs. The Bears can find mismatches if they can find ways to get the ball out quickly. Oregon State lulled the Bruins to sleep by constantly hitting their tight ends out on 5 and 8 yards outs on the play action. If the Bears go back to some of the offensive schemes they showed against Ohio State, in hitting their tight ends and slot receivers on quick hitches, this can begin to force UCLA's defense to backing out of the box which can open things up for Cal's running game.

Outlook
Objectively, it doesn't look good any way you swing it. The Bears are at every statistical disadvantage, and the Bruins are looking like one of the worst possible matchups for the Bears right now.

With that said, that's why you play the game. We're all still clinging on to some hope, and what little I have lies in two things. One, I still don't think UCLA's as good as some are making them out to be. They're vastly improved, but I'm not sure they're as good as their numbers might indicate. Rolling bad Rice and Houston squads doesn't make you the 4th best offense in the nation.

Secondly, I think the Bears have some fight left in them. I think we'll see a bit more offense balance, and some weird part of me is blindly thinking that we can't look worse than we did last week against Arizona, right? I mean, we can't give up another 6+ sacks for a fourth straight game, can we? At some point a line is drawn, right? RIGHT???

Prediction:
Cal 17 UCLA 31

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Q&A with UCLA fansite GoJoeBruin

(September 21, 2012 - Source: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images North America)

We're a day away from gameday and despite any negativity some may feeling, it's freaking homecoming. The way I sees it, we're almost halfway through the see, and I'll be damned if I don't try to enjoy every game that I can. Part of being a good fan is making sure you're edjumucated on the opposition.

For this reason, we've got a Q&A with GoJoeBruin.com. You can check 'em out for any other extra info on our baby sisters like Brett Hundley's favorite ice cream flavors or Jim Mora's wife's thoughts on our defense (I'm actually not kidding on that last one).

1. Are you completely sold on Jim Mora as a coach? Do you see him as the answer to UCLA’s past coaching woes?

UCLA fans have a hard-on for this guy. I did a poll recently, and with nearly 100 voters, almost 60% give the guy an "A" so far, and the other 40% gave him a "B." No one -- absolutely no one -- gave him a D or F. Personally? He looks fantastic and he's made even the worst UCLA games seem like an improvement. He could win 10 games this year, but we know coaches have ceilings and there never is really an answer. A good example is Jeff Tedford, who is a fantastic coach that may have hit his ceiling up there in Berkeley. So I'm not totally sold, but he's done incredibly well.

2. QB Brett Hundley has somehow managed to meet even the highest of Bruins fans’ expectations. His maturity and poise has been impressive to watch for a freshman. What are the areas that he needs to improve upon to take his game to the next level?

He needs to stay more poised in the pocket, and that's something he actually does kind of well. He can get antsy, though. He also needs to learn to not stare down his receivers and continue to look down field. Also, sliding is a major thing, because he tends to do so awkwardly, and he's hurt his ankle that way against Nebraska. Other than continuing to develop, this dude looks like the real deal and possibly quite easily the best UCLA QB since Cade McNown.

3. What should we know about UCLA’s defense? And honestly, does Cal’s offensive line have a chance at giving Maynard some time to get a play off?

UCLA's strength is the entire front-seven. They're really damn aggressive up front and the Bruins have some serious playmakers out there. Datone Jones has been fantastic on the defensive line (finally) and Anthony Barr and Damien Holmes -- both linebackers -- have looked great. If there's one player you're going to see in Cal's backfield a lot, it's Barr, who looks like the fastest guy on the field at all times, and he hits as hard as you'd love any linebacker to hit. What's impressive is that he was a running back last year and knew nothing about playing on defense prior to getting switched.

If that offensive line gets it together and Maynard starts to become a better thrower? Cal's scoring some serious points, because our secondary is subpar at the very damn best.

4. Bruins fans can clearly empathize with a Cal fan base that’s frustrated with their coach. What would you tell Cal fans who are clearly discontent with the current direction of their program? What are your personal views of Jeff Tedford and the Cal program?

I tend to be more moderate and reasonable. I'm not a "FIRE [someone], FIRE THE F*** OUT OF HIM RIGHT NOW" type of fan and most UCLA fans are not (unless you frequent with the crazies at BruinsNation). That said, first-year head coaches in the Pac-12 have been fantastic, save for the most high-profile one (Mike Leach). Rich Rod, Jim Mora and Todd Graham have all been terrific hires so far, so maybe it's time to move on from Jeff Tedford. Lord knows he'll get another shot somewhere else, because he's really great.

5. If you could trade Dan Guerrero for any player on the Cal team, who’d you take?

Zach Maynard. Dan Guerrero is basically Maynard with a few thousand ice cream sandwiches in him.

6. UCLA will win if....

They put pressure on Maynard and if they play at a fast-pace on offense. UCLA averages 84 plays a game and ran 98 and 94 plays against Houston and Nebraska respectively. When OC Noel Mazzone slows down the offense, our guys on that side of the ball stall quite a bit.

7. Cal will win if...

Cal's offensive line can stop the aggressive pass rush from the UCLA defensive line and linebackers, and can take advantage of the UCLA corners. They also need to exploit the UCLA o-line, which is super talented but wya, way young.

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Pac-12 Predictions Week 6

Gotta make it quick this week with USC and Utah kicking off in less than three hours. My goal is not to overthink anything here given that I'm 27-16 on my picks this season.

USC 31 Utah 17
USC's got a veeeeery tricky game here. Thursday night games are prone to some wackiness and this could be a potential upset with Utah's stout interior line and ability to get after opposing quarterbacks. But Utah's defense has also been exposed in lacking speed defensively on the outside, and that could spell trouble with USC's speedy playmakers at both the wideout and TE spots. For as much as USC's defense has shown to be far from elite, they'll have more than enough to handle Utah's struggling offense. Jon Hayes is trying but still just a mediocre QB and Jon White IV is struggling to move the chains with Utah's offensive line.

Arizona 24 Stanford 31
Interesting matchup which will tell a whole lot about both teams. I'll be paying particular attention to how Arizona's struggling defense matches up against Stanford's offense which needs to show they can move the ball even when defenses are stacking the box. It will also be interesting to watch how Stanford's secondary does against a Wildcat offense that is putting up videogame like numbers right now. Few forget that Stanford was 2 or 3 defensive plays away from completely shutting out the Huskies. I think Stanford's defense does enough to hold down Arizona, while QB Josh Nunes does enough to hold off critics for another week. Plus, Stanford's a different squad at home.

Washington State 20 Oregon State 31
It's a battle of the State schools up north! Both are headed in opposite directions however. Beaver fans would be remiss to completely dismiss a Wazzu team that played a good half against the Ducks. But Sean Mannion is playing out of his mind right now and Washington State's offense is about as one-dimensional as it gets. Throw in the Corvallis home crowd, and you've got the Beavers holding on for a win, though the Cougars will certainly make it interesting.

Oregon 42 Washington 23
I can't see how it doesn't come crashing down to earth for the Huskies. They were fortunate to get an inspired defensive performance against 9th ranked Stanford, but they were also playing against a one-dimensional offense. That won't be the case here with the Ducks having weapons at every position. Plus, Oregon's defense might quietly be one of the best in the conference.

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My Experience in the ESP

So admist the negative feelings surrounding Saturday's loss, a few lucky season ticket holders were actually upgraded to the Field Club section of the ESP on Saturday. Through some other circumstances, my wife and I were actually able to watch the game from the Stadium Club level of the ESP section of the stadium on Saturday. After having taken a tour of all three sections from the Premium Sales and Service Representative and all-around cool dude Josh Hermann, I can only say this:

The ESP section of Memorial Stadium just might by my favorite place on earth.

Not in the stadium, but on this entire planet. It's that a-freaking-mazing. Watching a game in the ESP section is like sitting in a sandwich of the best ingredients in life: To the east you my favorite pastime in Cal football, in the middle you find yourself enjoying some amazing amenities (which I'll get to later), and to the west you have arguably one of the most gorgeous views in a lookout of the Bay Area.

I wanted to share my experience with my readers with some thoughts and photos (courtesy Mrs. BearswithFangs).

So for those of you not in the know, the ESP section of the stadium is split into three different sections: the Field Club, the Stadium Club, and the most premium level, the University Club. Each club is broken up into several sections, and each club literally ascends in terms of view level as well as the provided amenities.

We didn't spend too much time in the Field Club, but here's what I can tell you. The Field Club seats are your typical seat backs that you'd find in any ball park around the country. They're a vast improvement over the benches around the stadium in terms of comfort and general leg space. They're the lowest of the three ESP sections, but are aligned right smack dab in the middle of the field, so you're going to get a pretty angle of the action. I didn't actually walk all the way down to the lowest part of the Field Club section, so I can't actually attest to the view level, but you have to think that the first couple of rows are going to make it a bit difficult to see the opposite side of the field. The field's been lowered of course, but it's still worth noting.

(Our view from our Stadium Club seats. Quite the angle.)

As for the Field Club amenities, they're super nice with ample televisions, bar tables, and rest room facilities. They're located right by the Cal Hall of Fame section, so they're one of the first sections you hit as you enter the west side of the stadium, and subsequently, one of the first sections to get out of the stadium. Keep in mind that the field club is one of the only section where you can buy alcohol, and yes, full bars and food stands are available. I've been here twice now, and have yet to see much of a line for food or drinks. It's certainly a different feel from fighting for a space in line at the port-a-potties.

Now, moving on to the Stadium Club, the section of the ESP where we spent the majority of our afternoon. The Stadium Club is located on the 4th floor, and sweet jeebus is it sweet. I've been impressed with the general renovations of the stadium, but I was blown away by the Stadium Club. Hats off to the designers, because everything looks polished and impressive.

Once you get to the Stadium Club level, your enjoy some plush cushion seats. I usually lean forward watching most games, but even being able to lean back during game was a huge plus.

With the press box and upper ESP lounge sections, anyone in the Stadium Club and above gets natural shade and some cover during inclement weather. I'm already 19 shades darker three home games into the season, so it was nice to be able to get a break from the sun.

(Thank you press box, our skin thanks you.)

But if you're not one to be simply swayed by grand architecture, here's what else Stadium Club gets you: free food and booze. Yes, buying into the Stadium Club means you help yourself to as much as you want. And we didn't once stand in line at any point in the day. In addition to simple hot dogs (which we've been told are still the fan favorites), you've got burger bars where you can help yourself from anything from premium chicken breasts to Niman Ranch hamburgers with a variety of toppings from nacho cheese sauce to sauteed mushrooms and onions. Throw on some pesto red potato salad and slaw, and you've got a substantial upgrade over waiting 40 minutes for a $9 hot link.

(It may look crowded, but never had to a wait a minute to get my burger on)

And the booze, by golly the booze. I'm not advocating for heavy drinking, but I've never had an easier, more friendly experience getting drinks. And we're talking top shelf stuff here, so I made sure to get my Maker's Mark whiskey on the rocks in between my glasses of Blue Moon throughout the game.

(Notice the bar on the left side. More importantly, notice the lack of line)

But beyond the amenities and beautiful surroundings, the accessibility of the section might be the best feature of these sections. Our seats were smack dab in line with the 50 yard line, and just seats away from the entrance back into the Stadium Club. There are ample restrooms and bars located on both sections of the Stadium Club so you never have to travel far. In addition to that, the Stadium Club features full glass windows that offer views of the game so you never really miss a play if you're waiting for food or wolfing down your snacks before you get back to the seats. You could literally run to the restroom and back during timeouts and not miss a second of action. For someone like me who obsessively hates missing plays, the general accessibility of the entire club section was simply glorious.

(Chow down and never miss a moment.)

We didn't get to actually sit in the University Club, but did get to take a tour of the facility. Located on the very top floor of the stadium, the University Club is the grand mecca of football facilities.

First off, the leather seats in the University Club are comparable to some of the best office leather chairs. I felt like I could sleep the afternoon away. All I needed was a beer and Stanford's offense to put me to sleep. Heyo!

The University Club also features free food and an open bar, but the quality of the food available takes a significant jump. We're talking cuts of nigiri sushi which my better half seemed particularly obsessed with.

(Sushi!)

Given the price point of being in the University Club, the section is particularly open and least prone to any level of crowding. In other words, there's tons of open space. We're talking plush leather seats and couches for you to relax in if you need a break from the penalty bath that was Saturday's game.

And if anything, the University's club offers one of the best views in all of California. As you walk westward out of the club, you have a completely open view of the Bay. And don't think you have to stand the entire time, as there are patio tables and seats available here while you enjoy your food or drinks as well.

(It wasn't the most clear day, but you've still got quite a view.)

Takeaways
First things first, as much as I loved the experience, it comes at a steep cost. Without divulging my own finances, I'm nowhere near being able to afford these seats right now, and the I'm pretty sure that most others aren't. The ESP representatives are very well aware that the seats target a very specific audience, namely those who are in the fortunate position to be able to take advantage of such luxuries. But if you've got the money, hot damn, is life good.

I also recognize a huge opportunity for these sections to target not only wealthy alumni, but business leaders in the Bay Area who have an opportunity to be plugged into a pretty unique and influential group. The ESP section provide a great opportunity for some pretty influential people to get plugged in and enjoy a Saturday afternoon with one another. In other words, you can just easily picture a CEO inviting some guests to chow down on sushi and cocktails in a luxury suite just as easily as they could invite them to a round of golf.

With all the above said, this naturally leads me to the most challenging part of selling these seats: the current state of Cal football. It's intrinsically difficult to sell a product, regardless of how spiffy it is, if it isn't matching a standard of quality. And with the Bears reeling with a 1-4 record, Cal Athletics has their work cut out for them. People are going to have a difficult time being convinced to commit to thousands of dollars for a struggling football program.

The experience as a whole, as amazing as it was, only magnified the pressure on Coach Tedford and this Bears' team right now. There's such a burden to sell these seats, it becomes almost insurmountably more difficult with a losing team. You think a season ticket holder in Section T is pissed with the program? Imagine how an ESP ticket holder feels after sinking in more money for their one seat than half of Section T combined? Really, those are the people who are going to rock the boat.

Sure, a fan can get on Twitter and tweet "FireTedford" until their face turns blue. But Coach Tedford's future will be far more likely determined by the state of ESP ticket sales and the general satisfaction of the ESP season ticket holders.

That's what's most influential, and what I had failed to fully comprehend until I sat in a section of the stadium with donors who have donated more to the program than I have earned in my career. If they're booing the team at halftime, you know you're in trouble.

But going back to the ESP facilities themselves, the experience transcends anything I could have possibly expected or hoped for. There really is no better way to watch Cal football. Period.

There's such a value there for people who are able to afford it. But more importantly, the value may only be considered as being a worthwhile purchase if the product of the field shows signs of being real quality.

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