Golden Nuggets: Post-Game Quotes, Takes, and More!

What are the Cal players and coaches saying after the tough win versus Weber State? And what about the media? Find out here!

Football

• Post-game quotes from Justin Wilcox, Ross Bowers, Patrick Laird, and more (including Weber State players) can be found here! Here are some excerpts.

Wilcox:

"First and foremost, we need to give a ton of credit to Weber State. They are a well-coached team. They've got good players. They did some really good things. You have to give them a lot of credit. We had a ton of respect for them going in and even more so coming out. We didn't play well today. We were fortunate to get a win. You never minimize a win because it's hard to get a win in college football. There's a ton of parity, and you have to show up every week. We executed poorly today. We're fortunate to get out with a win. I think we're going to learn a lot from it.

...

"(The secondary was) Totally unacceptable. We like our secondary, and we didn't play well today in the secondary. Give Weber State credit. They executed the plays and we didn't do a good enough job, whether it was a technique breakdown or a communication error, whatever it was, there was a multiple of self-inflicted wounds. If you compete and the guy beat you, that's one thing, but if we make a mistake, whether it's communication or technique, that's just something we can't have.

Bowers:

(Regarding next week)

"It's still all about us. We are just really focusing on how we can get better as a team, specifically how can I get better as a quarterback and a leader. I can really make this offense go and I didn't feel like I helped at all in critical moments on third down. It seems like we will take two steps forward then one step back. We have to figure out a way when we get in these big-time games coming up to eliminate those steps back. So it'll be something we hit on tomorrow in film.

Laird:

(Regarding the last TD)

"It was a little pin and pull to the left, one of my housemates Addi (Addison) Ooms pulled around and sealed the outside. I heard Patrick Mekari had a big block on that play. When I saw Addi hook the defender, I got outside and I didn't realize there would be that much open grass so I just ran straight, credit to the guys up front."

• From Rivals: Trace Travers’ takeaways from the game yesterday.
• Learn more about safety Quentin Tartabull, courtesy of Rusty Simmons and the SF Chronicle. Published before the Weber State game.
• From scientist to Cal coach, learn about strength and conditioning coach Cheryl Cox. Yes, this is the football section, I did not make a mistake. One of the few female coaches in college football, she still fits right in with the Cal football program. Awesome story!

Misc.

• On Friday, 10 Cal legends were enshrined in the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame. They were also honored in the first half of Saturday’s game. Learn more about the inductees, which includes Jason Kidd, here. After every home game, folks attending the game can check out the HoF in the West Side of the Stadium.
• Pitching prospect Grant Holman, who in 2013 became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the Little League World Series under the 2007 pitch count rule, has committed to Cal! He will join the following academic year.
• Thank you to “hawaiigradstudent” and “lEastCoastBears” for informing me of these respective next two links in the previous Golden Nuggets’ comments section: The HOKA ONE ONE Long Island Mile run will be renamed the “David Torrence Mile” in honor of the Olympic runner of the same name (and Cal alum) who passed away recently. The organization also has a few more honors for him which you can read about here. In addition, a GoFundMe has been started by former teammate Alysia Montano. You can help out his family with burial and other costs at this link.

Eredj Medvék!