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112th Big Game Photo Essay II: Game Action

Photo Essay I

And how did this game start off again?

AVERT YOUR GAZE!

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IMG_9478 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9482 (via Monica's Dad)

Hopefully, no children or pregnant women saw those photos.  It could be dangerous on the eyes!

From my seats in row 4,000 on the second level, I got very few great game action photos.  However, Monica's Dad, who had MUCH better seats, has a great series of photos.  Using his, we can follow along and remember some of the great moments of this game.  Or, as seen above, some of the not so great.  But it takes adversity to create a classic game.  Of course, any other Cal photographer who wants to post their photos up, feel free!

And Cal's offense in the early going was looking like this:

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IMG_9503 (via Monica's Dad)

 

And this:

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IMG_9506 (via Monica's Dad)

 

But then, we started getting some really solid of this:

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IMG_9535 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9529 (via Monica's Dad)

We were definitely starting to pick up some steam:

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IMG_9536 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9538 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9573 (via Monica's Dad)


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IMG_9571 (via Monica's Dad)



But it wasn't all great.

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IMG_9540 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9541 (via Monica's Dad)


Thankfully, Cal wasn't the only team having trouble with the snap:

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IMG_9616 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9618 (via Monica's Dad)


Cal was mostly able to neutralize Stanford's offense after that initial 2 TD outburst.  And as we entered the latter parts of the first half, things were turning up Milhouse.  Also, Cal.

Vereen was starting to chug along:

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IMG_9650 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9687 (via Monica's Dad)

And Riley was making plays with both his feet and his arms:

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IMG_9679 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9683 (via Monica's Dad)


We had a great drive at the end of the first half to score a key TD to make it 14-10 Stanford.  Riley and Vereen marched Cal down the field.

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IMG_9702 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9704 (via Monica's Dad)


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IMG_9706 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9715 (via Monica's Dad)


It was a tough game, but even though Vereen's jersey differs, he made it look effortless sometimes.

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IMG_9722 (via Monica's Dad)

Then, at halftime, came the Historic And, In No Way Racist, Booing Of Tiger.  I started chanting "CHEAT ON YOUR WIFE!  CHEAT ON YOUR WIFE!  THEN ADMIT IT DURING THANKSGIVING EVENING!  ADMIT IT DURING THANKSGIVING EVENING!"

I think he listened to me

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IMG_9741 (via Monica's Dad)

The California Marching Band was trying to fight back against my terrible, terrible advice by promoting love:

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And, I guess, the post office?

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They had an odd ad for Stanford that involved Toby Gerhart joining an a capella group:

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"Bumble Bee Bumble Bee Bumble Bee Bumble Bee!"

And then Harbaugh coaching him on the intracacies of arpeggios.

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I briefly attempted to go to the bathroom during halftime, but the lines were insane.  The men's line was even longer than the women's line.  HISTORY IN THE MAKING!

Soon, the team was out and practicing before the start of the 3rd quarter:

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IMG_9763 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9754 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9750 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9760 (via Monica's Dad)



And with those warm ups, we ended halftime and prepared to start the second half, one of the most memorable halves in Cal football history.  Cal started to PUMP UP THE JAMS!  We were seeing a lot of this:

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IMG_9771 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9772 (via Monica's Dad)


Riley was looking gooooooooooood:

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IMG_9776 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9777 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9782 (via Monica's Dad)


And soon, the momentum from the latter part of the first half had continued on to the early part of the second half.  TOUCHDOWN, BEARS!

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IMG_9787 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9793 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9797 (via Monica's Dad)

But wait, WE'RE NOT DONE! 

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IMG_9827 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9826 (via Monica's Dad)


And pounding the ball is apparently contagious as Isi Sofele was killing it, too, out there:

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IMG_9831 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9833 (via Monica's Dad)

 

Vereen was running so well, they tried to get him involved as much as possible.

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IMG_9842 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9844 (via Monica's Dad)


I know sometimes people feel we go to the well a bit much on the WildBear, but hey, when it works, it works!  TOUCHDOWN, BEARS!

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IMG_9859 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9868 (via Monica's Dad)


Riley is always so excited out there when Cal scores.  He jumps around with his hands in the air.  Good to see him so excited!

The Cal D was shutting down the Stanford O:

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IMG_9933 (via Monica's Dad)

 

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IMG_9935 (via Monica's Dad)


I distinctly remember this play where the ref blocked Vereen's route:

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IMG_0016 (via Monica's Dad)

And Cal was just moving up and down the field again and again and again and again:

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IMG_9942 (via Monica's Dad)

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IMG_9959 (via Monica's Dad)


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IMG_9966 (via Monica's Dad)



What's that?  Oh ya!  TOUCHDOWN, BEARS!

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IMG_9968 (via Monica's Dad)

 

What a great game!  Up soon, we'll have photos and videos of the post-game scrum on the field.  What a delight to relive this game!  GO BEARS!