CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS at NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS
Saturday, Aug. 30, 2:30 p.m. CT/12:30 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN2 (ABC in Bay Area) - Mark Jones (Play by Play), Rod Gilmore (Analyst), Jessica Mendoza (Sideline)Radio: KGO 810 AM - Joe Starkey (Play by Play), Mike Pawlawski (Analyst), Todd McKim (Sideline)Northwestern leads series 2-0(last meeting: 2013, NW 44, CAL 30)
One year ago this weekend, the 2013 California Golden Bear opened their season--and the Sonny Dykes era--at home against a nationally ranked Northwestern Wildcats team. The Bears showed flashes of brilliance on offense, some creativity on special teams, and a suspect defense on the way to a 44-30 loss to the Wildcats. Despite the loss, Cal fans had some optimism that the Sonny Dykes era would get off to a good beginning.
But then the rest of the season happened. Let's skip what happened next, shall we?
Suffice it to say that we have been waiting a long time to get the bitter taste of 1-11 out of our mouths.
IN CASE YOU MISSED ANY OF IT, CLICK HERE FOR ALL OF CGB'S CONTENT ON CAL-NORTHWESTERN 2014
The numbers aren't pretty. Cal has lost 10 straight games, 14 straight Pac-12 games, and 16 straight games to FBS opponents. The Bears have allowed 30 or more points in 14 straight games and in that span have given up 40 or more points 11 times. It's about as ugly a stretch of Cal football as ever there was.
But all that is out the window. A new season is here. Hope springs eternal. And what better place to start a "hope springs eternal" season than Chicagoland, where the Chicago Cubs' hope springs eternal every year, no matter how misguided that hope turns out to be.
For what it's worth, we have some love in downtown Evanston from one local pizzeria:
via pbs.twimg.com
Well, maybe we're not the "Bears" they mean here. But we'll take it, amirite?!?
At least one Northwestern fan was ready for the game this morning:
Just finished a jog thru Evanston wearing this. I got one "fuck you!" #mustbegameday #GoBears pic.twitter.com/Cxz5DhBqgp
— Vlad Belo (@GoldenBearVlad) August 30, 2014
My guess is that the NW fan was just faking indignation.
This is your pregame open thread. Warm up for the game here. Watch for a link to the gamethread and first quarter thread as kickoff draws near.
And if you're watching on TV, look carefully if they show the Cal crowd. The face you see might be one of a CGBer.
GO BEARS!