Golden Nuggets: Reviewing the Season for Cal and Texas
by Berkelium97 on Dec 8, 2011 3:30 PM PST
in Golden Nuggets
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PrintToday we look at the season recaps for our Bears and their Holiday Bowl opponent, the Texas Longhorns. As we were all aware, our season was on the brink of disaster following the UCLA loss. Thankfully, the Bears bounced back to win 3 of 4 and earned a trip to San Diego. If the Bears cap the season with a win over Texas, the future could be bright as we return to Strawberry Canyon next year.
What's next: Beating Texas would provide a cathartic cap to the season, seeing the the Old Blues still resent Longhorns coach Mack Brown for his aggressive lobbying for his team to eclipse Cal in 2004 and go to the Rose Bowl. As for the future, Cal might be sneaky good in 2012, perhaps even the top contender in the North Division behind Oregon. There's solid talent on both sides of the ball, particularly on defense. If Maynard continues to improve, the Bears could be a threat to win nine or 10 games next fall.
Texas has also had its share of highs and lows this season. Their defense is one of the best in the nation but their offense consists of an injury-depleted yet talented stable running backs who try to make you forget how bad the quarterbacks are.
This season was all about change for the Longhorns, and they made plenty in the offseason, bringing in offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin and defensive coordinator Manny Diaz to inject some youth and new ideas into Mack Brown's coaching staff, as well as a handful of new assistants.
Both were as advertised, though Diaz's side of the ball showed much better results. For a fourth consecutive season, Texas led the Big 12 in total defense, and did so by a wide, wide margin, exactly 67 yards a game. It also finished second in the Big 12 in scoring defense, limiting big plays all season and keeping a struggling offense within reach of several games.
Offensively, youth and injuries were the story all season. Garrett Gilbert made two starts before ceding the quarterback spot to inexperienced sophomore Case McCoy and true freshman David Ash. Their top weapons? True freshman running back Malcolm Brown and receiver Jaxon Shipley, as well as sophomore receiver Mike Davis. That wasn't a recipe for success, at least immediately. Texas didn't bounce back all the way from its 5-7 season in 2010, but it was better this year and much more focused offensively. Injuries to Brown and Shipley, as well as fellow freshman back Joe Bergeron, handcuffed Ash and McCoy late in the season, but the Longhorns had a season to build on.
After the jump Cal basketball posts its largest win differential in 20 years and Zach Maynard may have some difficulty passing against Texas.
Football
- GoldenBearLair recaps seven players' recruiting visits to Cal last weekend, including quotes from several of the players.
- Bryan Anger was awarded the College Football Performance Awards Elite Punter Trophy at yesterday's basketball game against San Jose State.
- Zach Maynard will face a tough challenge passing the ball against the Texas secondary.
- Isi Sofele, Marvin Jones, Justin Cheadle, D.J. Holt, and Sean Cattouse earn spots on Ted Miller's All-Underrated Pac-12 team.
- CalBears.com has quotes and video from yesterday's post-game press conference. Monty said Richard Solomon has been reinstated and will return to the court soon.
- Faraudo recaps the game and includes some photos.
- Faraudo's game thread follows the blowout. The Bears lead 15-2 five minutes in and never looked back.
- BearTerritory.net recaps the game.
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Okay, wait....
…..so the logic goes that because the Texas defense has graced the same field as the top Big 12 quarterbacks, and failed to shut down all but MAYBE one of them, that they might pose a tough test for Maynard? I suppose that the experience gained from their previous games might make Maynard seem a bit easier, but there hasn’t been much evidence yet that they’ve learned anything from those games.
It seems to me that because Texas has, overall, a better than average defense, that the Cal offense may have a big challenge ahead of it. But I just don’t see where bad performances against good quarterbacks would change that.
But Texas demolished Uclol, so by the transitive property …
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Being an Old Blue means embracing the "meh".
UCLA sppotted them, what, 21 points before they switched qbs in the 1st quarter?
by Glanko on Dec 8, 2011 8:48 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
That article is such bullshit, Big-12 ego-stroking nonsense. Check this out:
Big-12 QB Rating and Rank:
1-Robert Griffin III (Baylor)
11-Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State)
37-Landry Jones (Oklahoma)
40-James Franklin (Missouri)
45-Seth Doege (Texas Tech)
60-Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M)
60/61-Case McCoy (Texas – not qualified)
69-Collin Klein (Kansas State)
71-Jordan Webb (Kansas)
108-Steele Jantz (Iowa State)
108/109-David Ash (Texas – not qualified)
Pac-12 QB Rating and Rank
5-Andrew Luck (Stanfurd)
8-Matt Barkley (USC)
12-Keith Price (Washington)
14-Darron Thomas (Oregon)
29-Nick Foles (Arizona)
42-Brock Osweiler (Arizona State)
47-Marshall Lobbestael (Washington State)
51-Kevin Prince (UCLA)
67-Zach Maynard (Cal)
70-Sean Mannion (Oregon State)
79-Tyler Hansen (Colorado)
83-Jon Hays (Utah)
Whereas Texas faced 5 of the top 50 QBs ranked by QB rating, the Pac-12 features no less than 7 QBs in the top 50 and 8 if you include Kevin Prince at 51 (how the hell is that possible? But I digress.). Heck the Pac-12 has 4 QBs in the Top 15 while the Big-12 only has 2. Give me a fucking break.
If their point is “wow the Big-12 has such great QBs and Maynard is so mediocre, it should be a cakewalk,” they should take a look in the mirror because Cal’s defense faced Luck, Barkley, Price, Thomas, Osweiler, Lobbestael and Prince so by their reckoning, stopping McCoy and Ash should “be a breeze” for Cal’s defense too.
After reading that article, I thought, “wow, Texas has the #1 defense in the conference despite getting lit up by the conference’s top qbs.” What does that say about the other qbs?
In the end, I think it will be the run game that determines the success of the passing game. If we can continue to control the LOS, the passing game should be fine.
Well, Texas ranked first in the Big 12 and #14 nationally in total defense. Meanwhile the Big 12 has six of the top 14 scoring offenses in the country. So, they’ve been quite stout on defense despite playing in one of the best offensive conferences in the country. We’re definitely going to have our work cut out for us on offense.
On the other hand, I guess you could argue that those offenses are inflated by playing in a conference that doesn’t play any defense, and Texas is the only team with a pulse on defense. In that case, I like our chances!
Actually, looking further, it looks like the toughest defense they’ve faced in conference this season is Missouri, who rank #61 nationally. That was a game that Missouri won 17-5. Cal’s defense ranks #26 nationally, so I like our chances of keeping Texas off the scoreboard.
On the other hand, I guess you could argue that those offenses are inflated by playing in a conference that doesn’t play any defense, and Texas is the only team with a pulse on defense. In that case, I like our chances!
Actually, looking further, it looks like the toughest defense they’ve faced in conference this season is Missouri, who rank #61 nationally. That was a game that Missouri won 17-5. Cal’s defense ranks #26 nationally, so I like our chances of keeping Texas off the scoreboard.
Interesting.
I revise my prediction to 23-16 California.
by Nasal Mucus Goldenbear on Dec 8, 2011 5:32 PM PST up reply actions
Their pass defense looks pretty good to me
especially when you compare how their opponents did against Texas compared with their season averages
Vs Texas
Average
Jones, Doege, and Griffin did well against them, but everyone else (except Franklin) struggled.
"Some people watch adult videos on their computer - I go to YouTube and watch Jahvid Best highlight clips. That’s what gets me going."- Jim Schwartz, Detroit Lions head coach
California Golden Blogs
Doege stats misleading
Tech only had 14 points until the end of the game when the 2nd team Texas defense was in and permitted the final, meaningless score. The game was over by half time, 31 to 6.
I, too, was scratching my head after that article. I was expecting, after that headline, to see those QBs perform way worse against the Texas D, but all of them but one performed as they were expected to. Not to mention those QBs averages are likely inflated by some patsy out-of-conference play, its not that impressive to say Texas gave up those kind of yards.
by Glanko on Dec 8, 2011 8:53 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
You guys have it all wrong!
The Texas D faced some of the best QB’s in the nation and got gashed by them so clearly all of their bad luck has been used up already. Now, they’ll be facing us in a game where they’ll use all of that stored up good luck to completely annihilate us. It’s so obvious!
by FromCtoShining(Blue)C on Dec 8, 2011 11:16 PM PST up reply actions
The teams look like they are mirrors of each other in some respects,
questionable qb play at times during the year
great defenses in their conferences that have kept their teams in games they didn’t belong in (for us, at least the first half)
5-7 last year breaking years of bowl appearances, 7-5 this year
young talent making appearances with varied results
This should be a fun one.
"Our hearts shall sing and our voices ring for the dear old Blue and Gold!"
MACK!
Tedford and Brown at Holiday Bowl Press Conference
I’ve got great respect for Jeff and what he does, what he stands for as a coach and a man and Donna, their family. Sally and I have gotten to know them really well and also what he’s done with his program. And my wife is a Cal graduate, so we got a little problem there at home right now that we are trying to work through. We are not separated, but we are having some discussions about who she’s going to pull for. Our President Bill Powers is a Cal graduate, so we’ve got a lot of Cal influence in our house, but we respect the university. What a great institution. Jeff does it as good as anybody. He does it within the rules and had a string of success that is very, very impressive.
And then some people ask about the BCS in ‘04, well the BCS got us back in ’08, so Jeff may be mad about ’04, we’re mad about ‘08 and I am sure Oklahoma State is mad today, so that’s just part of the BCS.
I wish we’d change some of that stuff up too, but when you go to a bowl game and you are going to spend a week with the other team, you like to have other people you like, you like to have people that you respect, you like to have people that run their program right and you know that your kids will get along really well with their kids.
Mack Brown fails to mention his begging, pleading and lobbying for votes as if it was “just part of the BCS” who got us in ’04.
Oh boo fucking hoo for Texas in 2008. We still don’t have a BCS game.
"i, for one, welcome our new atomic overlords" - GoldBlooded
by atomsareenough on Dec 8, 2011 10:35 PM PST up reply actions
I was checking out UT’s SBN site and a lot of their readers don’t understand our venom towards Mack Brown. Therefore, I propose that every article on CGB leading up to the bowl game be a complete character assassination of Brown, inevitably comparing him to the most vile works of Satan or Hitler.
I imagine it is difficult to understand the perspective of a long suffering fanbase if the team you support has played in two national championships in the past seven years and won one of them.
I can understand it
In fact, I find it oddly reassuring that there is still so much lingering discontent among Cal fans regarding 2004.
Many of us prefer college football to the NFL specifically because it is a decidedly more regional game, and because it better integrates its tradition and its history into its own culture. So in a modern NCAA landscape that sees its geographic and historic signifiers growing ever more vague (and perhaps meaningless), I find it genuinely refreshing that the Rose Bowl still carries so much weight on the West Coast.
As a Longhorn, I’ve waged a lonely battle this Fall by contending to my fellow Longhorns that we should sustain our rivalry with Texas A&M. I find the death of our Thanksgiving Day game thoroughly disheartening, as is the utter lack of nostalgia Longhorn fans seem to exhibit toward the Cotton Bowl.
So I do have some sympathy for 04.
I guess what I’m trying to say is: please, by all means, continue to hate Mack Brown, because, well, you should, damn it! And because it keeps things interesting.
by BrooklynHorn on Dec 8, 2011 7:19 PM PST up reply actions 9 recs
rec'd
Thanks for posting btw! Glad to hear your views and for the record I agree. Same reason why I enjoy college football more than the NFL
In other words, Go Bears!
Thanks for coming and saying that, I promise I won’t report you to BON. And remember, we don’t hate your school, I’m not even sure I hate Mack Brown any more, I just hate what happened. And yes, as loathsome as the Aggies are, you should find a way to keep up the rivalry with them.
Rec’d
Am I known as Cugel the Clever for nothing?
Your boys still get to go to the Chicken Ranch right?
Joking aside, yes traditions are to be upheld first and foremost, because as you said they are the major difference between the college and professional games. One of the things I truly love about Memorial Stadium that was so desperately missed this past season was the design of the stadium itself: its a classic bowl—its not multiple decks, it isn’t broken apart (one of the reasons Big Games after Stanford tore up their old stadium have been less fun on the Farm). One bowl, one sound, one loud roar as a Golden Bear goes across the 50 yard line with the ball. Tiers are the mark of professional stadiums that want to jam as many people in as possible for the sake of money. Bowl stadiums are classic, provide atmosphere, and unite the fans.
Next fall can not come soon enough.
"Our hearts shall sing and our voices ring for the dear old Blue and Gold!"
by Joe Bandsmen on Dec 9, 2011 1:15 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
I’d recommend you read a post scheduled for 3 AM tomrorow!!
In the Game of Trolls, you either troll or you die.
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Dudes
As a fan of both teams (dont ask!) I can say the following:
*The Texas D is indeed salty with a strength at LB, some good DL (but little depth) and decent corners. The safeties are exploitable with both Brewster and Scott out and Gideon will play with a broken hand. Also, Diaz calls a very complex D with blitzes coming from every direction.
*The Texas O is a mess with a mediocre OL, shit QBs (Ash can run a bit, McCoy is an ok passer) inconsistant WRs (outside of Shipley who is really good) and god RBs who are hurt. Whittacre is out and Bergeron is probably not going to be healthy (rumors of a torn hammy) leaving Brown who should be healthy and a bunch of stiffs behind him. TEs are decent.
Cal SHOULD win this game. Maynard needs to not have an SC INT-fest so if the Bears play it conservative and run to set up the roll out passes, I expect Cal to pull it out.
Inspiring and completing since1997 since2010!
*The Texas D is indeed salty with a strength at LB, some good DL (but little depth) and decent corners. The safeties are exploitable with both Brewster and Scott out and Gideon will play with a broken hand. Also, Diaz calls a very complex D with blitzes coming from every direction.
Have these blitzes actually worked, though? Texas has very pedestrian 23 sacks this season (translating to about one sack per every 18 pass attempts).
"Some people watch adult videos on their computer - I go to YouTube and watch Jahvid Best highlight clips. That’s what gets me going."- Jim Schwartz, Detroit Lions head coach
California Golden Blogs
Not that great
Texas got a much better pass rush from the DL in the latter part of the season so they stopped blitzing so much. That seemed to work much better. The LBs play good pass defense and the corners are also good. One of the Texas safeties is really good (will probably go to the NFL next year even though he is just a junior). The other starting safety is not so good so his injury might turn out to be addition by subtraction.
It will probably be a low scoring game. The big edge Cal has is at QB.
The big edge Cal has is at QB.
Haven’t heard that in a while…
by FromCtoShining(Blue)C on Dec 8, 2011 11:17 PM PST up reply actions
Depends on which Cal QB shows up. Good Maynard can be decent. Bad Maynard. . . well, that’s 4 extra possessions.
Ways Texas might win
My impression is that Cal has the edge in this game because Cal has a good DL that can defend the run. Texas is definitely a run first team. Trying to think of ways that Texas might win this game, I came up with the following (starting with most likely):
- Texas D forces a bunch of turnovers and either score or give the Texas offense very short fields, basically the Texas D wins the game
- Texas TBs Brown and Bergeron are healthy and Texas runs so efficiently so that the Texas QBs mostly pass in play action passing situations. The healthy Texas TB part could happen but I doubt that the Texas OL will dominate the Cal DL.
- Texas OC Harsin works his magic and figures out how to get one of the Texas QBs to perform at average div 1 QB competence. This is the least likely way for Texas to win.
Cal DL can be good and yes we have and can shut down the run. But sometimes we don’t.
So probably we don’t
In other words, Go Bears!
Texas has almost no threat at TE
Texas TE’s have made about 5 good plays in the passing game this year, with 3 of them coming off of trick plays. We’ve gotten better run blocking from one spot where we moved an underachieving OL to TE, but have no true dual threat TE.
I don’t think we’ve thrown a pass to the FB once this year.
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