Giving One Away: USC Capitalizes on Cal Mistakes to Beat the Bears, 30-9

He leads the nation in Rec. Yards. Him and Marv are the only bright sports week in and out. Sofele too when he has the chance.

Sad day for us.

“The fact he really telegraphed every ball he was going to throw made it easy,” said USC linebacker Chris Galippo, who picked off one of Maynard’s passes. “When a quarterback stares down his targets like that, you just follow his eyes.”

I think it has to be the cornerbacks. McClure gave up the TD, but otherwise both him and Williams locked down the receivers deep. Barkley didn’t even hit 200 passing yards. Great game by them.

That Cal defense is starting to show glimpses of how special they can be as we transition from one era to the next. Jalil, Wilkerson, McCain, McClure, Williams made some mistakes, but they’re getting better week-by-week.

Nice work out of McClure and Williams, IMO. Unfortunately, I don’t have the energy to feel as good about it as I’d like to.

LINK

Im sorry fans for those 2 drops! Torn finger ligaments or not I always make those plays for yall Lets get it next week! #GoBears

Had it for 3 weeks now it shouldn’t effect anything that’s all I was sayin. No worries

I really dont know what to say about this game. There were so many errors in basic fundamentals, like hand offs, that it was just surprising. I consider a Tedford team better than this and I think for a lot of people this was a turning point in the “Tedford Era.”

I still have faith that this team can win the next 4 games (3 of which are at home). I think there is still a reasonable chance to go 7-5 on the season. That would be EXACTLY where I thought we would be at the start of the year. And so we might end up matching my expectations perfectly.

That being said, having been embarrased two weeks in a row on national television, it’s dificult to look at the big picture. Having sat 3 sections away from the USC marching band all night long, it is VERY difficult to look at the big picture.

The past few years have almost made me miss 2007. At least we were competitive in every game back then.

but I am quickly turning into an Old Blue . . . the new, formerly optimistic freshmen around me are starting to realize why I am so damned pessimistic all the time.

Oh well, basketball is back in three weeks, right? We should be able to exact revenge against some of these schools in that sports, right? RIGHT? Please, for the love of God let our basketball team live up to expectations. ;)

I don’t think I am exaggerating, but there appears to be no improvement in the offense or special teams. The same mistakes that happened in the first couple of games are still being made. When Tedford gives his postgame happy talk, he loses me given tonight’s results. I hope he makes me eat my words, but I doubt it. Damn it!

…you have to fire Sandy…for being a loser as well.

I’m still pissed, but I just want to see us win a few games.

1. I was concerned that the team, the offense in particular, looked like it was not ready for prime time. Specifically, it seemed to me that it was lacking in anticipation and execution.

By anticipation, I mean that too often the players looked unprepared for what they were facing, or predictable in what they were operating. For execution, it seemed that could not perform their responsibilities (making the block, avoiding the penalty, making the catch, holding onto the ball, making the throw.) Some is to be expected, I suppose, but the last two weeks Cal looked a step below Oregon and USC.

I don’t think our athletes are less talented (yes, Barkley is very good, and LaMichael James and Kenyon Barner, etc.). I don’t know how a coaching staff turns around something this systematic.

2. I liked seeing the youth on the field on defense. They were trying hard, and around the ball, but just not making plays yet. I was particularly impressed with the front 7 against the run – both against Oregon and USC (until things slipped away in the second half in both games) I felt our boys had the better of the line of scrimmage. The biggest area of improvement is still getting better pressure on the quarterback, hopefully that will come when the edge rushers get a little stronger and little more experienced.

3. Finally, I think there is an emerging consensus

- Coach Tedford is a good man, has done wonderful things for the program, and is doing things the right way
- the team is under performing, this year and last
- the coach will not be terminated before the end of the 2012 season, at the earliest, due to financial and other considerations

Since it is starting to get redundant on discussions of the games, how about setting up a special thread for those who still feel the need to vent about the coach?

That’s like a Utah stat. If both teams continue this, maybe next week we can set some kind of record for total turnovers in one game.

… wasn’t losing a game by 21 points that we shouldn’t have won. It was how we looked doing it. The players looked like they were giving less and less effort as the game went on, and they were showing visible disgust at each other. Maynard was throwing up his arms on every drop. SC players were stopping to pick up Golden Bears on the ground before our own teammates – seriously, SC was practicing decent sportsmanship.

And I hate the term “intangibles” or blaming player attitudes like some sort of freaking but something was downright foul on the sideline. It’s the same kind of chippy attitude I remember seeing at Wannestat’s Pitt teams or on any Texas team since VY left. It’s a lack of competitiveness and drive with inevitably unfulfilled expectations.

If I had the thought that Tedford might be on the outs at Cal (and I’m not there… yet), it would be because it just doesn’t seem that he has the fire lit under this team that he had in 2003 & 2004. Sometimes, it’s just not there anymore, and that flame may never come back. If a team with this much talent isn’t being led by a solid mind and a spark, it’s never going to fire on all cylinders.

/i know i havent posted in a while but a game like that will get you motivated to go on the internet and be bitchy on a Friday morning

I don’t think anyone’s brought it up: http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2011/10/14/2490156/cal-football-zach-maynard-jeff-tedford

I think I’m the only one who really enjoyed the game! After about the first 6-7 minutes, it was kind of like “oh hey it’s one of THOSE games!” I stopped worrying about all the shit that was about to commence, understood that when we had possession the ball was actually a well-greased, live tilapia, and that ANYTHING could happen! Wheeee!!!

Sure, we played awfully, but did anyone think we could ACTUALLY win the game beforehand? Please. We should be thanking the team for not making it one of those heartbreakingly close affairs. I had a MUCH worse time watching the UW game. This was one of those games where you can only just shrug and laugh.

It was such a nice night in SF. Went to two bars afterwards, and had hella fun in the stands just watching the action. Cheer up, Bwians!

Or hear ESPN crew talk about Andrew Luck for the last hour of the game?

1.) Weren’t we supposed to lose this game? Maybe we’ll beat those hosebags someday in the future, after the loss of scholarships takes effect. ?

2.) Thank to Odin I got season tickets and didn’t have to sit near that damn band

3.) We may still end up going to a bowl – hopefully I won’t be tempted to spend $$ on travel costs

4.) If Tedford is replaced…can anyone else really win here? I just don’y think of Cal, or Stanford or even Notre Dame, as a coaching dream job. Will definitely maintian some hope and look forward to next year.

5.) Good luck to Standurd doing anything next year (at least I hope not)

But I think it’s a big gamble. The schools that seem to consistently dominate the rankins, and their opponents, are either:
 a.) In the SEC
 b.) crooked – either working with crooked agents or don’tcare to investigate and stop what you damn well should know what’s going on
c.) Not intellectual powerhouses – Stanfurd is the exception, and after Luck will leaves, they’ll have their down years too
d). Have lots of cash, either from huge fanbases or big-time donors (quack)
e). Have no pro team, or spring scrimmages with 90,000 fans in attendance
f). A combination of at least b, c, and d
g.) a = b+c+d+e(constant m)

Constant m – breeding factor for the friggin bionic monster-beasts down thar

Oh yeah, the Bay area is the highest cost of living in the U.S., so I doubt we’ll really have enough $$$ for assistants as compared to anywhere else.

Only solution I see is to keep Tedford, and have our Nobel prize winners start focusing on something important, like turning hummus into cash and helping Tedford win every game. I only care about galaxy regression if Cal is playing lights out, and the big Samoan USC fan- that seems to be a permanent fixture at every game – is crying in disbelief. But still doing the peace-sign thing because he’s a loyal dude.