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The 2020 California Golden Bears football season is still a ways away, but since it’s set to be the biggest return of sports in college, we’re already diving deep into it’s return.
With that in mind, we’re jumping into the returning production for the Golden Bears on the offensive side of the ball, and continuing it with the returners who should be running the ball in 2020.
Before we jump into it, though, I wanted to discuss what data is involved. Grabbing data from all sources possible (Cal’s Sports Information Department, PFF, SportsInfo SIS and more), we’re taking a look at every rushing category available:
Total Attempts
Scrambles
Total Rushing Yards
Yards Per Attempt
TDs
1st Downs
Yards After Contact
Yco./Attempt
Fumbles
Missed Tackles Forced
So we looked at the returning receiving production already, now we look to the ball carriers for 2020. Important thing to note here, the only player who carried the football last year for Cal who is not returning in 2020 is Alex Netherda. We all know that these numbers are going to be big but did you know they were going to be THIS BIG?
Returning Cal Stats - Rushing
| Category | 2019 | Returning in 2019 | % Returning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | 2019 | Returning in 2019 | % Returning |
| Attempts | 360 | 356 | 98.89% |
| Scrambles | 67 | 67 | 100.00% |
| Total Yards | 2020 | 2005 | 99.26% |
| Designed Yards | 1539 | 1524 | 99.03% |
| Scramble Yards | 486 | 486 | 100.00% |
| YPA | 5.61 | 5.63 | - |
| 10+ Runs | 67 | 67 | 100.00% |
| TDs | 16 | 16 | 100.00% |
| 1st Downs | 96 | 96 | 100.00% |
| Long | 54 | 54 | - |
| MT Forced | 92 | 91 | 98.91% |
| Yds After Contact | 1268 | 1258 | 99.21% |
| Yco./Att | 3.62 | 3.53 | - |
| Fumbles | 9 | 9 | 100.00% |
That’s right, the Golden Bears return 99.3% of their rushing yards from last year. They return all of their rushing touchdowns and all of their rushing first downs. They return all but one missed tackle they forced on the ground and they return an average yards per carry of 5.63 yards.
This is a stacked rushing attack, of course led by Christopher Brown Jr. Brown was oh so close to 1,000 yards last year and he seemed to catch fire down the stretch, reaching the 100-yard plateau in the final two games on just 37 combined carries, totaling 229 yards and two scores.
Brown broke 57 tackles according to PFF’s numbers and most importantly, Brown did not fumble a single carry last year.
This is a stacked rushing attack with a ton of returning pieces and with the new, more pro-style offensive approach expected as well as the talented offensive line coming back, this should be a feared, formidable rushing attack that no one wants to face in 2020.