Golden Nuggets: Honoring The Seniors

Although the Big Game was moved to December 1, the Bears will still hold the Senior Day ceremony on Saturday before the Colorado game. (Can’t exactly tell all the families who made arrangements to re-schedule with a week’s notice, after all) So that is the focus on a lot of the articles today. The focus all seems to be on one guy...

• Chase Forrest could have transferred for more playing time, as most “backup” QBs do these days (Possibly only one other fifth-year senior QB in the FBS who hasn’t started a game and has only played for one school). But he’s still here and he’s one of the leaders on the Cal FB team.

Forrest arrived from Santa Ana (Orange County) and has helped sharpen the skills of Jared Goff, Luke Rubenzer, Davis Webb, Ross Bowers, Chase Garbers and Brandon McIlwain by providing intense competitions for snaps. His impact behind the scenes is even bigger.

He logged long hours breaking down video with Goff and Webb and continued those midnight-oil lessons with Bowers, Garbers and McIlwain. Even after he missed his last shot to start, Forrest has spent time this season running pregame routes as a receiver to help the development of Garbers and McIlwain.

When Forrest, who has attempted only 28 passes in six games during his college career, was named a captain before last month’s game against UCLA, no one on the team batted an eye.

“Everyone was like, ‘Of course, he has one of the most respected voices on the team,’” said senior center Addison Ooms, who has started 34 consecutive games. “Guys have to respect him because he’s put in the time, the work, the years. He comes from a place of love. There’s nothing selfish about that guy.”

• Should Forrest play on Saturday? Maybe he’d come in if there’s a blowout, but Cal Bears Maven actually thinks he should start (then leave after one play).

Let quarterback Chase Forrest take Cal’s first offensive snap against Colorado on Saturday, Senior Day.

To glamorize the moment, Cal should call timeout after that play, letting the crowd soak it in and show its appreciation as Forrest, a fifth-year senior, trots off the field, replaced by redshirt freshman Chase Garbers.

You see, Forrest stayed. Five years. No starts. Six career games, all in mopup situations. And not one single snap this season.

These days quarterbacks who are not starters simply transfer, sometimes even before they attend their first class. It is a given.

• Trace Travers also thought to write about Chase Forrest, plus some other notes.
• Haven’t seen anyone think Colorado will beat Cal, here are the Pac-12 picks from Cal Bears Maven. Prior to the Big Game, UCLA will have a chance to end an even longer drought than ours (by 1 year) against Stanford and CBM is split on who will win.
• Trace analyzes the depth chart. Forrest is now a 2nd-string QB along with McIlwain (rather than BMac solely at 2nd and Chase at 3rd)
• Nam’s “Five Things” for Colorado ponders if the Bears can avoid complacency.

Happy Giving of Thanks