Berkelium97: Only one game remains in our four-game stretch of impossibility. Sure, it’s our third game in the last month against a top-ten team, but after that it’s all smooth sailing. What’s that? The AZ backup QB ran for over 300 yards last weekend? Fantastic.

If you swap the offense and defense scores, this looks remarkably similar to last year’s UW report card. Everything was terrible, but some categories were slightly more terrible than others. Even the win probability against the Cougs plummeted, just as it did when we lost to the Huskies last year. It probably doesn’t help our chances that Wazzu is ranked in the top-10 for the first time since 2003. As you may remember, they didn’t beat us that season. And if we’re lucky, a combination of Friday the 13th and Pac-12 After Dark may keep them from beating us this season.

Awards

You know the drill: we have our usual triumvirate of awards. We start with the lowest scores of the week.

Justindefensible!

Wow. That’s terrible.

Justinfulminating!

And next we have the highest grades of the week.

Those are also terrible grades for our most optimistic readers!

The Voice of Reason

Finally, some good news! NinjaNed posts the lowest deviation we’ve seen this year. At least something went right this weekend.

Let’s take a look at your comments. One bright spot about these losses is that it tends to bring out some great gallows humor in the comments sections of these report cards. So maybe two things went right this weekend.

GoldenBearsBandwagon: Woof

Gameday Experience

Canes: Purple helmets look cool

Heyalumnigo: Sat down with my boys to watch the game. Very excited and based on the starters, was nervous and not quite expecting a win. The start of the game wasn't so good. But we grinded and grinded. Flying around and real physical. No tongue wagging tonight though.

Oh...we're not talking about the Dodgers game?

BearMD: Wasn't there.

Bowlesman: ESPN turkeys actually had some insight and balanced comments. Albeit the vast majority of the comments was all UW, I can live with that versus USC, UCLA, Furd, and/or SEC lovefests. Love how they argued that late games are a "good thing." What?

Oh, and the game. Uh, I love Oski, Dubs, our "D," and some of our offense. Merciful God allowed the game to end. Saint Darnold, why have you forsaken us?

Calpaladin: Flew up for the game and had seats 10 rows behind the Cal bench at the 30 yard line, courtesy of a UW alum coworker who is a 3rd generation season ticket holder. Got to sleep in due to the super late start, ate and drank like a pig. I then enjoyed the new stadium (can't make fun of the high school track anymore), was pleasantly surprised with the pre-game show by the Cal Band, and then strapped in for 3+ difficult hours. It was cold, but the rain stopped just before the game.

Flying home, I got to chat with a few parents of the players - as disappointed as they are, they love and believe in this coaching staff.

Pass Offense

Yogi Bear: Our receivers couldn't get separation or hold on to the ball. The dropped long pass to Hawkins that wasn't caught typified this game. We couldn't pass block and our QB's refuse to throw the ball away rather than take a sack.

Canes: People are going to crap on Bowers, but there's nothing he can do when receivers can't get separation and the o-line collapses immediately.

Heyalumnigo: Didn't see the game but I just couldn't give 0s because effort earns at least a 0.2. I'm here just so I don't get fined.

BearMD: I don't know if having DRob would have made any difference against this defense. This only proves the following: either Bowers is experiencing the true first year blues or this is the best of Bowers we're going to see. Our receivers also need to keep the hands on the ball!

Yosemite Golden Bear: Offensive Line was simply overmatched by Washington. Bowers had zero pocket, no wonder he was ineffective. Having 3 WRs out didn't help either. But 133 yards? 53 by Chase in garbage time? The OL was hard to watch.

BrooklynBear: We can caveat losing #1, #8, and #9 with tremendous abundance and indulgence. Yet, the remaining receivers need to do two things with certain consistency: separate and catch. Right now, we have no receiver that consistently does both. Perhaps the young #84 is most capable. This combined with diminishing upfront blocking renders #3 incapable.

BacherBear: Bowers was clearly not able to pass under pressure. He few good passes all game and had several instances where he should have thrown the ball out of bounds and we lost yardage because of it. Part of me actually feels Forrest passed better at the end of the game (admittedly they weren't trying as hard on defense but still).

Bowlesman: Loved seeing Forrest bring D1 experience into play for us. Veasy and Laird were mighty, but with so many key players out, as ESPN talking heads said, it was a long shot to make the pass offense work. I want to believe Bowers has the right stuff, but it was painful watching him go through this learning curve and upon the third sack or so, I just screamed "No!," but, to no avail.

Bearturd: Time to sit Bowers down. Beside the lack of a offensive line, since the 4TH quarter of the USC game he has completely lost his confidence. He is unsure and then holds on to the ball too long.

Texashaterforlife: I'm sure it has been said: learn to throw the ball away early. Or perhaps take a sack with a loss of five yards then to run around, trying to scramble and lose 15-20 yards

Run Offense

Yogi Bear: What run offense?

The Outhouse: What run offense?

Heyalumnigo: Didn't see the game but I just couldn't give 0s because effort earns at least a 0.2. I'm here just so I don't get fined.

Yosemite Golden Bear: Oh Tre, where are you? -40 yards? Sure, skewed by sacks and that great FG attempt at the end of the game.

CalBear91: No horses, No offensive line.

Bowlesman: You mean Laird? He was great.

Uthaithani: NEGATIVE running game?? LOL at the fans who attacked Dykes' running game. At least he had one. Baldwin is a terrible OC

Texashaterforlife: Letter to the O-line:

Just try to stay healthy until the end of the season. After next season ends, start a program to get stronger and better conditioned. Work on communication and blocking technique. Run block better next season. Become bowl eligible next season. Repeat message on loop.

Old Bear 71: Family blog

Pass Defense

Yogi Bear: Not too bad, all things considered. They were still able to drive down the field and get scores, but nobody got beat too badly. Unfortunately we couldn't generate much of a pass rush.

Mitchgobears: improved

The Outhouse: Fairly solid. Some lapses, and a dropped potential pick six, although it would have been a 90 yard return. Can't drop those though.

Heyalumnigo: Didn't see the game but I just couldn't give 0s because effort earns at least a 0.2. I'm here just so I don't get fined.

Yosemite Golden Bear: I want to rank the defense higher, they did score after all. But TOP was +10 minutes for UW. I guess giving up 215 yards is OK.

CalBear91: Solid

BacherBear: Couldn't stop Browning; no surprise there

Bowlesman: Who are these guys? I cannot believe how well the long passes were shut down. Helped keep the score down.

Bearturd: Could have been worse!

Uthaithani: Not impressed with this supposedly "improved" Cal defense.

Calpaladin: Nothing terrorizes me more than a wide open tight end. Aside from that, we weren't too bad.

Run Defense

Yogi Bear: The compete level and the tackling were better than last week, but our line still loses the battle at the line of scrimmage most of the time and gets very few tackles for loss.

Mitchgobears: improved

The Outhouse: Played well. A nice effort.

Heyalumnigo: Didn't see the game but I just couldn't give 0s because effort earns at least a 0.2. I'm here just so I don't get fined.

BearMD: Holding a guy like Gaskin to <100 yards rushing deserves some credit.

Yosemite Golden Bear: I want to rank the defense higher, but the push that UW was getting was like 5-6 yards for a total of 162 yards. And had 22 first downs.

CalBear91: Better than expected

Bowlesman: It's tough when you are against a line like Washington's, but this was much improved over last week. We lost in the trenches, but were outgunned.

Bearturd: Same running plays that worked last week worked this week, enough said.

Texashaterforlife: Letter to the D-line and Linebackers:

See message to O-line and substitute "shed blockers and then tackle ball carrier" for "blocking technique and run block". Apply message.

Calpaladin: UW had the ball 10 minutes longer than Cal did. Defense did what it could, but they ran out of steam in the 2nd half when UW just ran it down our throats.

Special Teams

Canes: At least the onside kick didn't go out of bounds.

The Outhouse: Onside attempt was cool. They kept Pettis in check for the most part. Klumph wasn't as good as usual. Last field goal attempt kind of ruined a decent day.

Yosemite Golden Bear: The punter got good reps in. The FGing wasn't, uhm, good.

Bowlesman: Uh, 60 yard FG? I was hoping for a fake. Some good runbacks.

Bearturd: They were OK. At least Pettis didn't set the record.

Uthaithani: Nothing special about Cal special teams. Meh.

Old Bear 71: uh, no

Calpaladin: Adequate - we contained Pettis for the most part, though UW started with excellent field position on almost every drive. The missed field goal attempt at the half was understandable - I think it was a 63 yard attempt? But the botched snap to end the game was painful to watch.

Coaching

Yogi Bear: The team effort level and tackling was improved from last week. Unfortunately, you can't scheme around an extreme talent disparity. We're gonna run into that next week as well and then we'll see where we're at with the rest of the schedule.

Canes: At least we could score with Sonny Dykes

Mitchgobears: The offense looked completely unprepared

BearMD: None of what happened here, personally, goes to the coaches. I do think that they tried to make the best of what personnel was available to them. Wilcox and Co can come up with the greatest set of plays to win, but if the personnel just don't have the skills to make it happen, then it will be for naught.

Yosemite Golden Bear: I like the coaching staff and it is year one and it will take time for them to recruit, get, and develop the players into their system. But they were outclassed in every phase of the game last night.

CalBear91: Hard to judge but I think this is not their fault.

Bowlesman: I still believe in this staff. Offense suffers more from injuries than coaching. I hope this does not turn Bear fans against Wilcox and company, because I think he will eventually give us a competitive edge. Oh, please play Forrest more. And I know that goes against the prevailing wisdom that QBs are fragile egos, but maybe that;'s just the reason to play Forrest more. Maybe burn a blueshirt or two for some play time to get ready for next year?

Bearturd: Offensive play calling was terrible. It appeared they had no plan to attack Washington. They didn't know if they wanted to pass or run and looked totally confused.

Uthaithani: The wheels are off the program and I don't see it getting any better. Coaches seem lost. Now the players are calling a meeting to deal with vortex that is their football program. I feel bad for them, Wilcox & Co have done a disservice to these players and should take some accountability.

Old Bear 71: You could pay me enough to be in their shoes at this moment. But in two years we will all be on the bandwagon again.

Calpaladin: We really could use a bye week to recover, but that's not until week 11. I think all our problems are related to injuries to key players, the lack of depth stretching our lines thin, and teams adjusting to our offense now that they can watch some tape. We knew this would be a tough stretch and I hope Wilcox can hold the team together.

Overall Performance

Yogi Bear: I've been more entertained

Mitchgobears: We were dominated in every phase of the game.

Heyalumnigo: I'm just doing my best impersonation of East Coast AP and coaches voting based on final score and stats.

BearMD: this is the ultimate reality of cal football we should have had from the beginning. Honeymoon is over. Let's reset our expectations and hope we can win 1, maybe 2 more wins rest of the year. I think bowl chances are nonexistent. Setting my expectation for year 2.

Yosemite Golden Bear: Ugh. But at least they don't quit!

Bowlesman: Well, we knew this was gonna' be hard.

*swallows hard.

Bearturd: Unfortunately, CAL will not win another game this year. It could be another century before CAL sees itself playing in a Rose Bowl game.

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL!!! Except for the CAL football program.

Texashaterforlife: This fugly performance will be a measuring stick for next year. As in "I hope to God I don't see a performance worse than this one all of next year."

Old Bear 71: No, because I was asleep before kick off. Petersen is right. ESPN is out to lunch.and,

GO BEARS!!!

Calpaladin: Offense was amazingly putrid, while the defense fought as hard as it could till the end. Still, I had us down for 3 wins this season, so everything from here on out should be focused on learning, growing, and building towards redemption next season. I only hope we avoid any more injuries, especially to the O-line.