Golden Nuggets: How Could Cal Reach 10+ Wins?

Football

• Cal Bears Maven has done five scenarios for Cal Football starting from worst to best. Here is their best case scenario and how Cal could achieve a dream 10+ win season.

Potential factors that could lead to this result:

---Third-year sophomore quarterback Chase Garbers makes a huge jump in efficiency and confidence, as quarterbacks in their second year as starters sometimes do.

---Running back Chris Brown Jr. becomes a consistent 100-yard rusher, thanks in large part to the improvement of an offensive line that was erratic at best last season.

---Two of Cal’s collection of wide receivers become big-play threats, giving the Bears some easy touchdowns and stretching defenses every week.

---Cal reduces its turnovers from the 31 it committed last year to just eight in 2019.

• Speaking of Chase Garbers, Rusty Simmons breaks down what he’s seen from Garbers and the offense in camp.

As a 19-year-old redshirt freshman who didn’t emerge as the team’s quarterback until the final seven games of last season, Garbers completed 159 of 260 passes (61.2 percent) for 1,506 yards and 14 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.

In the spring game, he went 7-for-10 for 60 yards and scored on a 4-yard scamper. During training camp, coaches said the quarterback has recognized defenses even more quickly, completed passes at a higher clip, and showed the ability to choose the right spots to loft deep throws.

“He’s always been a steady character, but playing (experience) and being confident is showing up,” Wilcox said. “He’s throwing the football with authority and knowing where to go with it. … Definitely, you see the growth from last year until now, and even from the start of camp until now.”

• Makai Polk will be ready to play wide receiver in his first season at Cal.
• Jeremiah Hawkins will be one of the major targets as well.
• Under the radar recruit Craig Woodson could be a factor in the safety position this year.
• Evan Weaver learned how to play golf this summer, and he had some help from Cal Men’s Golf coach Walter Chun.

• The football assistant coaches played some remote control car racing, and video was posted recently set to Mario Kart 64 music and graphics.

Misc.

• Men’s Water Polo is back in camp, looking for another special season.
• Find out how recent graduate Kristen Vredeveld used her women’s swimming career to help learn the skills she needed to get accepted into Boston University this fall to study international humanitarian law. Good luck to her!