Seriously, if we wear gold on white once again, I'm going to rant all over the internet and demand a refund-slash-written apology from Sandy Barbour, Jeff Tedford and God Almighty. I am PISSED. Seriously, people, when will we learn? Say it with me: Gold-on-White Just-Ain't-Right. But before I extol the virtues of gold TOPS and blue bottoms, here are some immediate post-game reactions of mine that I'd like to share with TV Land:

 

 

1. I hope Jahvid a full and speedy recovery. I'm sure he'll want to get back on the field asap, but I want him to take his time... kick up his feet, relax, and get some serious R&R. 

2. Heat Seeking Missile Award goes to...Syd'Quan Thompson. Aside from an iffy penalty, he had a stellar game, especially in run defense. He blew up a lot of plays and made this a closer game than it could have been. You can't coach that kind of killer instinct he showed today - I hope our young corners are taking notes.

3. Offensive Line - There were many small battles that were lost today, but the biggest one that comes to mind (at least from the stands) is that our o-line is getting overpowered. It *felt* like Riley was under pressure during every play...obviously, it's difficult to run or pass effectively when our o-line is getting beat. ...not sure if this is due to schemes, talent, or what, but it's something we need to address.

4. Best > Quizz. Just saying.

5. Today is Bizzaro Day. No rushing offense from either Cal or OSU? WEIRD. Stanford beating Oregon? CRAZY. USC and ASU playing beach volleyball on the gridiron? TOTALLY WEIRD. At least Iowa lost - that made everything seem as right as rain.

Lastly, there's no one, big reason why we lost today, in my opinion. If our QB puts a little less zip on a ball...if our DE's were a step quicker, if the playcall was a bit more of THIS than THAT...well, things could have been a lot different. Kudos to Gregory for making some much needed adjustments during halftime...unfortunately, our offense couldn't capitalize.  We could have won, but we just couldn't put together a complete game. There's a lot to learn from this game, and I hope that we learn our lessons, regroup and execute during the final stretch. Keep your heads up, Bear fans. Get ready for Arizona.