California Golden Blogs - Cal can't handle rain, drowned by Oregon 55-16The OG CGB team moved to WriteForCalifornia.com. Cal Golden Bears coverage by SBNation.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48267/cgb-fave.png2013-10-01T07:30:08-07:00http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/rss/stream/45430852013-10-01T07:30:08-07:002013-10-01T07:30:08-07:00Cal run game sputtering
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<figcaption>Steve Dykes</figcaption>
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<p>The Golden Bears run attack is stuck in mud and defenses have taken full advantage of that.</p> <p><b>The Bear Raid needed some ground help on Saturday, but the Cal running attack looks really dysfunctional right now. How much of it is on the offensive line? Who do you trust as the running backs going forward?\</b></p>
<p><b>Norcalnick</b>: I generally put most of the impetus for running the ball on the offensive line. Sure, an above average RB might gain 4 yards rather than 3, and a transcendant back might turn a 5 yard gain into 20. But for the most part, it's the blockers that create space, and the running back just needs to hit the hole. Those holes were largely absent against Oregon, particularly considering the rain meant that Oregon really didn't need to respect Cal's deep passing game . . . or, really, the passing game period. It would be in everybody's interests to ignore the Oregon game. Let's all hope that Cal can move the ball against Wazzu. If they can't, then our premature worries will no longer be so premature.</p>
<p><b>Vlad Belo: </b>I am far from an expert, but I tend to view most of it as falling on the offensive line. We just don't seem to get anything going at the point of attack. There was very little running room against Oregon and we haven't really had decent production in the running game on a consistent basis. As far as whom to trust at the RB position going forward, I still think Bigs should get touches because he is, IMO, still the most explosive back we have. But Lasco is another guy I like for his hard running and (so far) his ability to hang onto the football.</p>
<p><b>Sam Fielder: </b>Not to keep sounding like a broken record here, but as Vlad and others before have said, I think a fair amount falls on the OLine. They just don't seem to be able to open up good holes for the backs to run through and it seems that for whatever reason the backs this year aren't elusive enough to get things done on their own. Lasco seems to be the one I trust the most right now, as in the runs I've seen him make, he always runs hard, seems to be able to move the pile, and also has decent speed. And no fumbles that I remember either...</p>
https://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2013/10/1/4788808/california-golden-bears-football-brendan-bigelow-daniel-lascoAvinash Kunnath2013-09-30T13:00:04-07:002013-09-30T13:00:04-07:00Why couldn't Cal handle the rain in Eugene?
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<figcaption>Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Bears really need more practice in handling the elements after getting doused in Eugene. </p> <p><b>Cal (particularly Goff) looked absolutely unprepared to play in the rain. Can you excuse the performance on the weather, or are you more disappointed at the inability for the Bears to prepare for the elements?</b></p>
<p><b>Vlad Belo</b>: I cannot excuse the Bears' performance because of the weather. We knew it would rain. We knew it might be bad. We could prepare for that. Obviously, we were not as prepared to play in those elements as we should have been. Oregon had to play in it, too, and obviously did it much better than we did.</p>
<p><b>Berkelium97:</b> I can envision two hypotheses for Goff's struggles: 1) the team simply didn't practice its wet ball mechanics or 2) Goff has some ball-handling issues that were exacerbated by the rain. 1 is simply inexcusable. 2 could be possible, especially considering Goff has already dropped multiple balls mid-throw in ideal circumstances. Is he not focusing enough on holding the ball? Are his hands a bit too small to securely grip the ball? Whatever the issue is, it needs to be fixed.</p>
<p>As for the rest of of the fumblers, they need to take better care of the ball. Bigelow's first fumble was particularly frustrating. He HAS to maintain multiple points of contact on the ball in any situation where he's getting hit, especially in the rain.</p>
<p><b>Sam Fielder:</b> I agree with Berkelium that there are two options here. If the team didn't practice wet ball mechanics, then that is a really bad and might point to a larger issue of being unprepared to play in each of the 4 games they've played this season. But we don't know for sure, and now the the worst part of the schedule is behind us, we'll get to see what Cal looks like in normal situations against normal teams. I think that next week will be telling.<br><br>As far as whether or not Goff has ball handling issues, it certainly looked like it, but again, as a freshman coming into that situation, it isn't really all that surprising to see him look a little overwhelmed on the big stage, even though he's been pretty solid up to this point. I have no idea if he has small hands or not, or whether a glove would help, or anything else, but either way, at least we made some changes instead of doing the same thing for the entire game.<br><br>For the rest of the team, it is pretty frustrating to see. I know we're young and we're really over-matched, but I'd still like to see the team at least do well in the fundamentals like ball security. Even more so in a situation like a monsoon when you KNOW it is going to be an issue. Again, I don't know if this points to a larger trend of unpreparedness, but the evidence is starting to mount and I really don't like where it is pointing. We'll see how things look next week.</p>
<p><b>Leland Wong</b>: The weather is helping temper my reaction. We all expected these kinds of mistakes, but the team should still be working to minimize them. The coaches should have conducted practices in simulated rain conditions. They should have stressed to the players the importance of ball security and it's the players' responsibility to execute that. On the KGO pregame show, former QB Mike Pawlawksi mentioned that he advised Goff to hold the ball a little more loosely, whereas one may intuitively try to hold tighter to secure it. I wonder if Goff tried to use that technique without adequate practice, thus holding on too loosely. Goff had a similar fumble, I believe in the Ohio State game, where he just lost his grip on the ball while bringing his arm up to throw, without any contact. That does not seem to related to the weather and he needs to get that fixed.</p>
<p>A forecast of heavy rain and strong winds screamed disadvantage for our pass-heavy team. There's no denying that strong winds are going to mess with a quarterback's ability to throw the ball; slick, wet balls are going to be harder to throw and catch. Teams with a strong running game can rely on that to reduce the risks and variables of passing in these conditions. While the TV commentators may claim there's no luck in recovering a fumble, that's a bunch of poop. While it's critical to teach fumble recovery--how to scoop up the ball or fall on it--it's foolish to suggest the ball is going to bounce in a manner that does not present an advantage to a team or a player.</p>
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<b style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Ruey Yen: </b><font face="arial, sans-serif">The quotes that I have read seem to indicate that the Bears were expecting the weather. Unless they were playing with a brand new Nike ball design that is somehow slicker than the one that they have practiced with (some NBA fans might recall how the new synthetic skinned ball that the league tried to use few years ago ended up being slicker after a little bit of water...and the league ended up reverting back to the old leather ball mid-season), Bears should have done a better job holding on to the ball. On TV, it did not look like the crowd was that huge, particularly after the Ducks go up big, but perhaps the rowdy home crowd had something to do with the fumbles, in addition to the weather.</font><span><br></span>
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https://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/cal-vs-oregon-2013/2013/9/30/4784800/why-couldnt-cal-handle-the-rain-in-oregonAvinash Kunnath2013-09-30T07:30:03-07:002013-09-30T07:30:03-07:00The return of Klingoff? Probably not...
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<figcaption>Steve Dykes</figcaption>
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<p>Sonny Dykes says Jared Goff is the starter, but after getting a chance on Saturday, it's hard not to think Zach Kline will do all he can to stay in the race.</p> <p><b>Sonny replacing <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/162538/jared-goff" class="sbn-auto-link">Jared Goff</a> with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/162515/zach-kline" class="sbn-auto-link">Zach Kline</a>. What are your thoughts on that decision? Did Kline do enough (and Goff do not enough) on Saturday night to reconsider reopening the Klingoff debate?</b></p>
<p><b>Vlad Belo: </b>I was surprised at the decision at the time it happened, but I understand it completely. Jared looked rattled out there in his 3 or 4 series, or how ever many it was. Two fumbles and just didn't look comfortable throwing the ball. I read Sonny's quote after the game that he didn't have confidence that Jared could hold onto the football in that weather. If you don't have confidence that your quarterback is going to be able to hold onto the football, much less throw it, you have to make a change.</p>
<p>That said, I don't think the debate is reopened on Goff vs. Kline. Goff won the job in training camp and I think we write this one off as a learning experience for Goff. Besides, while Kline looked okay, I don't think he performed well enough to say, "Wow, he's better than Goff and should be the starter." Going off of Goff's entire body of work so far this season, I think he deserves to start again next week and have his chance at redemption in a winnable game.</p>
<p><b>Berkelium97:</b> The decision made sense. Goff struggled to hold onto the ball and his fumbles were putting our team in terrible situations. Kline looked okay, given the circumstances. Perhaps it was due to the rain, but some of his throws looked odd. The announcers even commented on it and said he looked like he was a shotputter. He certainly didn't play well enough for the Klingoff debate to be reopened. <b></b></p>
<p><b>Sam Fielder:</b> To me it was a solid decision. Goff clearly could not hold on to the ball and looked completely shell-shocked. To leave him in there to get more turnovers or to struggle even more would have been counter productive, or at least to me it would have been. Kline came in, and while he didn't set the world on fire, or lead us to the upset, he still did a fine job. I don't think this reignites the Klingoff debate, so long as Jared comes out next week and plays like he has shown he can. It's a bump in the road for Goff, and as a true freshman, playing in Autzen, in a monsoon, it can be chalked up to a bad night and (hopefully) everyone can more on.</p>
<p><b>Leland Wong: </b>I'm surprised Dykes made the decision after a little less than one quarter of play, but it's understandable given Goff's performance. Kline had a great start on his opening drive, but was unspectacular after that, whereas Goff has been very impressive in the first three games of the season, so Kline didn't exactly kick down the door for a new QB competition. However, it would be very difficult for Kline to be impressive given the weather and the opposition, so I wouldn't write him off based on three quarters. I like Dykes's stance on having all positions under constant evaluation, so hopefully the coaches have been evaluating the quarterbacks during practice.</p>
<p><b>Ruey Yen:</b> I concur with everyone else (hooray for CGB Group think!) that this was the correct decision given Goff's problem holding on to the ball (was this some special new Nike ball that is different from the "wet ball" that the Bears have been practicing with?). Right after Kline enter the game, the Bears offense was definitely moving at a noticeably faster pace. The promising first Kline drive did end in an INT, unfortunately (and my memory of the game started to fade to black after that point). With Goff having such issue holding on to the ball, Sonny had to make a move for no other reason than to show how all those fumbles are not acceptable.</p>
<p>I was excited to see Kline getting some game action. Still, I would not be surprised if Goff finish the year (barring injury) without ever giving Kline another run. It would be very interesting to see how Goff bounce back in the Wazzu game. The Oregon game was the first road game of a true freshman's career, Goff being rattled is perhaps not all that unexpected.</p>
https://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/cal-vs-oregon-2013/2013/9/30/4784748/california-golden-bears-zach-kline-jared-goffAvinash Kunnath2013-09-30T03:00:07-07:002013-09-30T03:00:07-07:00Cal vs Oregon postgame thoughts
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<figcaption>Steve Dykes</figcaption>
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<p>These columns get longer every week, I swear.</p> <h3>In which we attempt to examine this <strike>game</strike> fumblefest in perspective</h3>
<p>Because the Pac-12 and DirecTV remain locked in the longest television beef this side of Charlie Sheen and CBS, most people across the country were unable to watch Cal versus Oregon on Saturday night.</p>
<p>If you were one of those people, lucky you.</p>
<p>Those of us who had the misfortune of doing so received a four hour dose of comically diluted football-related substances, but not an actual football game.</p>
<p>How comical, you ask?</p>
<ul>
<li> Playing in <i>the leftovers of a Japanese typhoon, </i>two teams combined for t-e-n fumbles - six by Oregon, four by Cal. </li>
<li>Cal's first four drives ended via - you guessed it - fumble. Oregon's field possession from those fumbles? The 25, the 33, the 22, and the 40. That's Cal's 25, 33, 22 and 40 yard lines, mind you.<br>
</li>
<li>Our starting quarterback was pulled in the first quarter not for his ineffectiveness, but because he could not handle a soaked football.</li>
<li>At one point, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/162590/bralon-addison" class="sbn-auto-link">Bralon Addison</a> took a punt return in which he ran through pretty much every Cal defender...<i>twice. </i><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135645/stefan-mcclure" class="sbn-auto-link">Stefan McClure</a> even collided with Richard Rodgers. You could have slapped Yakety Sax on the background for a ready made lowlight clip. [Nobody actually do this, please.]</li>
<li>
<p>For the third straight week, Cal got off to a slow start, continuing a rather troubling trend. I'm inclined to give this one a pass compared to the first quarters against Ohio State and Portland State, though. After all, the weather forced Oregon to struggle out of the gate just as we did - they just happened to have all the fumbles bounce their way instead.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Unfortunately, the result - no matter how hilariously awful and fluky - stands. The Cal Bears are 1-3, after having over 50 points dropped on them for the second straight week.</p>
<p>On the flip side, the rain didn't last forever - the torrential downpour gave way to relatively better conditions in the second half, in the same way that dying from a gunshot is relatively better than one by strangulation.</p>
<p>And like the storm that swept through the Pacific Northwest last weekend, the worst of this year should now be over; the daunting task of playing two top-five teams back to back, completed. This is about where most reasonable projections had Cal after four weeks. 1-3, maybe 2-2 at best. In that sense, they are still meeting expectations, although some of the play has been very, very uninspiring. More on that later.</p>
<p>There isn't too much reason to be upset following this loss, seeing as Cal was never going to reach six wins this season by beating Ohio State or Oregon - to expect that we would bordered on foolish optimism. And while I understand there might be some upset at the <i>way </i>we lost, let's not forget that this is what Oregon does pretty much every week, regardless of opponent - overwhelm you with their athleticism and then bury you under a deluge of points.</p>
<p>Ask Tennessee or Virginia.</p>
<p>We are only the latest to succumb to the Oregon scoring machine, not the first.</p>
<p>Plus, with the elements and the way the game unfolded, I actually find it rather difficult to piece together any coherent conclusions. Again, more on that later.</p>
<h3>In which Washington State is somehow the biggest non-Big Game game of the year</h3>
<p><b>It is where the team goes from here that will be truly telling, and particularly in how they respond next weekend.</b></p>
<p>As this first month has shown, Cal does not yet have the talent and depth to compete against top tier teams, but there should be more than enough to handle the Washington States of the world - especially a Washington State team that could start their second team quarterback next weekend. [Connor Halladay was knocked out of WSU's 55-17 loss to Stanford with an apparent hip injury.]</p>
<p>As bad as the defense has looked, a bowl game is still possible - however unlikely it might currently seem. A win over the Cougars will be essential in that, though - middle of the Pac/lower-tier teams are the ones that the Bears must best for a bowl berth, not the Ducks or the Buckeyes.</p>
<p>If they cannot manage a decent, complete performance against this caliber of opponent, then a bowl is likely out of reach, although that isn't necessarily a death knell for the Sonny Dykes era or anything.This was always going to be a rebuilding year of some sort, and it'll take at least another year or two to be able to gauge his adequacy as head coach. Realizing that we are not bowl capable would just be a sad realization, and in my mind, indicative of little more than that at this point.</p>
<p>But until we know for sure otherwise, let's remember that there are still five <i>possible</i> wins on the schedule - USC, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon State and Wazzu. Yes, it will take dramatic improvement to sweep that slate, but it very much remains in the realm of possibility, which is why Wazzu is so crucial. Drop this one and the forecast for the season becomes immediately dimmer, as it puts our backs are against the wall and into the unenviable situation of having to beat UCLA, Stanford or Washington to qualify for post-season play.</p>
<p>Cal has been tested thoroughly this first month, and starting now is when the lessons need to begin paying off. We'll know how good - or bad - the 2013 Bears really are from this point forward, I think.</p>
<p>Let's see if Saturday's rain spurs the growth they now desperately need to show.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Keep calm, and drop bombs <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BearRaid&src=hash">#BearRaid</a></p>
— Trigga (@BryceTreggs) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryceTreggs/statuses/384054736351006720">September 28, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<h3>In which I write about the Kline situation</h3>
<p>In a very weird and admittedly twisted way, I think we dodged a bullet on Saturday - the worst possible thing for this team would have been for Kline to come in and play brilliantly, thereby setting off a renewed Longshore-Riley type debacle. As it stands, though, Kline was only fairly mediocre and did little to sho<i>w </i>he was better than Goff. Count me among those who would be surprised if the freshman loses his job after this one.</p>
<p>Some of Kline's poor play can be blamed on the weather, which obviously affected compromised his ability to throw normally. Still, a good amount of his throws sailed off target or were behind receivers, showing that his accuracy in the short game remains an issue. [Chris Harper had to jump on one completed tunnel screen.]</p>
<p>More concerning was the fact that he could not get much velocity on the ball, no matter what type of route he was throwing - so much so that it was even mentioned several times on air by the announcers.</p>
<p>How much of Saturday was rust, how much of it was him being unable to plant his foot solidly and how much of it was due to a lack of reps with the first string, I'll let you decide.</p>
<p>Whatever the case,<b> I think Kline performed quite admirably given the conditions he was thrust into </b>- a four touchdown deficit on the road - <b>but that he did not show enough to reclaim the starting quarterback job. That being said, the coaches will not hesitate to switch the two if they think Kline gives us a better chance to win. </b>The ongoing competitions at left tackle, right guard and linebacker should prove that much.</p>
<p>On the flip side, it was good to get Kline game action of any kind after over a season on the bench - if he has to play again, I expect that he will be significantly better than he was on Saturday night, having had a chance to re-acclimate himself a bit. Staring down the number two team in the country and coming away relatively unscathed can be nothing but a good growing experience for him. Plus, no fumbles or turnovers [that were his fault, anyway]!</p>
<p>As far as Goff goes, some people may think that being pulled early might hurt his development in the long-term, but I don't think this will be the case at all.</p>
<p>For one, even Goff felt like it was the right thing to do:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>It was probably the best decision ... I just couldn't grip the wet ball," Goff says</p>
— Ryan Gorcey (@RGBearTerritory) <a href="https://twitter.com/RGBearTerritory/statuses/384204276567789570">September 29, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<p>And for two, it was a very unique situation on Saturday night, with almost nothing to be gained by leaving him out there in monsoon-like conditions. You could make the case that Goff's confidence would be equally damaged if he continued to fumble every other snap and played us into an even larger hole. Goff <i>literally could not catch, let alone throw the ball</i><i>.</i></p>
<p><i> </i>Keeping possession is paramount in his offense, and he had <i>immense </i>difficulty doing so in the inclement weather, forcing the coaches to go to someone who could. Because he has shown a repeated ability to do these things in less freakish conditions, I do not think there is any more to read into than that, and am doubtful it did anything to his confidence.</p>
<p>I would, however, like to see Goff practice with a Ben Roethlisberger/Kurt Warner type throwing glove for future rainy situations. I am also not sure what Saturday's game says about Goff and wet weather just yet, since it wasn't your garden variety rainy game. Is Goff just unable to hold slick footballs of any kind? Was his issue with the absurd, Perfect Storm amount of rain? If it's the former...then we have a long-term problem. Perhaps - and I float this idea only half jokingly - we could prep Kline as our designated rainy day quarterback...</p>
<p>I haven't been to practices in a while, but it's not common for teams to gameplan or give reps to any more than their first two quarterbacks, so I would surmise that that is why we did not see Hinder.</p>
<h3>In which there is some talk about defense</h3>
<p>Let's take a look at the injury list for a second:</p>
<ul>
<li><span>OUT: Scarlett (hand), Jalil (knee), Forbes (back), Sebastian (achilles)</span></li>
</ul>
<p>That's four starters Cal played without in this one. Throw in <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135654/chris-mccain" class="sbn-auto-link">Chris McCain's</a> unfortunate dismissal and you have <i>five </i>starters who will be out for the year or indefinitely. Then there's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/162511/michael-lowe" class="sbn-auto-link">Michael Lowe</a>, who was injured in the fourth quarter, and Kam Jackson (knee) who came out in the first. Updates on their health are still unavailable, but that brings the list up to seven.</p>
<p><span>I mean, at this point, i</span>t's fair to say they're playing with less than the first string, right? This is basically the 1.5 string Cal defense, if even that.</p>
<p>So, keep that health situation in mind as I say this next part - despite giving up 55 total points, I think the defense arguably had one of its better games this season.<b> </b><b>It was by no means acceptable in its level of performance, but there were some signs of life, even after factoring in the weather. </b></p>
<p>Consider, if you will:</p>
<ul>
<li><span>14 points came off of special teams, meaning Oregon's offense really scored 41 points on Cal's defense. Again, this is unacceptable, but it is a sign of improvement, no matter how small. I also realize that they pulled their starters by the early third quarter. </span></li>
<li> <span>To add onto that last point, t</span>he 55 points Oregon scored was a season low for them, and it's not like they didn't pull their starters against the likes of Nichols State. </li>
<li>See also the yardage totals totals below, which are somewhat skewed due to the short fields they started on. Still, holding Oregon to 5.14 yards per play, no matter how you do it is pretty good. </li>
</ul>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td width="213" valign="top">
<p>Nichols State</p>
</td>
<td width="213" valign="top">
<p>771 yards on 71 plays (26 passes, 45 rushes)</p>
</td>
<td width="213" valign="top">
<p>10.85 yards per play</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="213" valign="top">
<p>Virginia</p>
</td>
<td width="213" valign="top">
<p>557 yards on 69 plays (29 passes, 40 rushes)</p>
</td>
<td width="213" valign="top">
<p>8.07 yards per play</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="213" valign="top">
<p>Tennessee</p>
</td>
<td width="213" valign="top">
<p>687 yards on 76 plays (35 passes, 41 carries)</p>
</td>
<td width="213" valign="top">
<p>9.03 yards per play</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="213" valign="top">
<p>California</p>
</td>
<td width="213" valign="top">
<p>381 yards on 74 plays (26 passes, 48 carries)</p>
</td>
<td width="213" valign="top">
<p>5.14 yards per play</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><span>Oregon managed to drop the football four times in the first quarter, but lost possession a grand total of zero times. Zilch. None. Nada. Nil. Think the game doesn't look a bit different if Cal can recover a couple of those? Or, you know, hang onto their own? Conventional football theory says that forcing fumbles is a controllable skill, but recovering them is largely luck. On Saturday, we didn't have any.</span></li>
<li> <span>I wrote this above, but I'll put it down here again: </span>Oregon's four possessions following their opening drive came at the Cal 25, the 33, the 22, and the 40. It is hard to expect a defense play lights out when they've already lost half the field to start. Quite frankly, it could have [should have?] been worse than 27-0 at the end of the first quarter.</li>
<li>The defense did manage to force two turnovers on downs early on, despite the massively disadvantageous position they were put in, and appeared to have a pretty decent preparation for the stuff Oregon was running. Their longest play was only 28 yards.</li>
</ul>
<p><span>Still unacceptable, but there's some good signs. Signs of something, at least. </span></p>
<p><span>I'm not against firing Buh at the end of the season, but let's actually get there, first. Let's see if there's improvement from a defense that has been worst in the </span><a href="http://t.co/wyFlyK4mi1">program's history through four games</a>, and examine his body of work in context after that.</p>
<p><span></span>Now, onto other stuff.</p>
<p>The first concerning thing here is the fact that some players exhibited poor effort and body language, even in the first quarter - if you take a look at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/162527/damariay-drew">Damariay Drew</a> on Oregon's fourth touchdown, he very, very clearly quit on the play and stops giving chase to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/162589/byron-marshall">Byron Marshall</a> at about the 13 yard-line. This despite having a decent shot at him, mind you. It's too early for stuff like this to start happening, and part of why Wazzu will be so telling for this team is to see what the staff does about situations like these. Hopefully it was an isolated instance.</p>
<p>It may never come out publically as to what Chris McCain did to be kicked off the team, but one telling thing is that he did not play in the second half. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135663/puka-lopa" class="sbn-auto-link">Puka Lopa</a> took his spot at end.</p>
<p><span>The Bears are continuing to toy around with different looks. On the first play of the game, they had <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/77650/deandre-coleman">Deandre Coleman</a> lined up at nose, flanked by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/77651/dan-camporeale">Dan Camporeale</a> and Viliami Moala. Chris McCain was standing up at end, as Michael Barton. Khairi Fortt and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/162540/hardy-nickerson">Hardy Nickerson</a> played linebacker. Though they only have three down linemen here, it is apparently still a 4-3 under front - <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/38710/hunter-hewitt">Hunter Hewitt</a> corrected me about this, so thanks to him for expanding my knowledge of the game. [I told you guys I'm still learning!] </span></p>
<p><span>There's more on that 4-3 front with 3 down linemen concept here in this </span><a href="http://www.ninersnation.com/2013/5/2/4294242/football-university-49ers-defensive-fronts-vic-fangio-3-4-nickel-4-3-under">article</a>, if you're interested.</p>
<p>Anyway, back to that previous point - it's clear they're still tinkering around with the pieces they have available to them...the few they have left, anyway. Anyone who says the coaches are twiddling their thumbs and doing nothing just isn't playing attention. I believe the idea behind this one is to get Chris in a better position to make plays, since standing him up to allow him to crash gaps is a better use of his athleticism.</p>
<p>Sometimes both ends stood up - this one courtesy of Hunter Hewitt again.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/AGuyNamedNam">@AGuyNamedNam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/THEADMIRAL6">@THEADMIRAL6</a> They repped it sometimes with both ends up. Regardless, it was a 4-3 by front structure</p>
— Hunter Hewitt (@HunterHewitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/HunterHewitt/statuses/384521516764778496">September 30, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<p>One pleasant surprise on defense - yes, there has been at least one - has been the emergence of Kam Jackson as a flat-out shutdown corner, far out-playing his counterparts in the defensive secondary. He hadn't played the best in the open practices or heading up to the season, but something clearly went on in Kam's head once we kicked off this year. The junior from Long Beach Poly (that one's for you, Josh) has allowed very, very few catches this season - if any at all - and avoided the over-aggressive play that has been a repeated point of concern with him. This is a roundabout way of telling you that Jackson has probably been the best Cal defender this season, and literally the last person they could have afforded to lose back there.</p>
<p><span><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135648/joel-willis" class="sbn-auto-link">Joel Willis</a> can replace some of the physicality and most of the athleticism, but he is behind in his technical development overall, having not played cornerback full time for a while. Expect us to rotate between Willis and Lapite until someone looks serviceable. Lapite took reps for most of the Oregon game.</span></p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/136013/marcus-mariota">Marcus Mariota</a> didn't have his best day, which helped things a bit. The rain affected him too, because like Kline, Mariota had many easy passes simply fall off-target or behind his receiver.</p>
<p>The missed tackles monster was back, although some of it was simply slipping from the rain. If you go back and watch the tape, it's common to see guys desperately trying to make shoestring tackles because they've fallen out of position. Things should be better in drier conditions next week. Hopefully.</p>
<p>Oregon's wide receivers blocked the shit out of our secondary. Like, all of the guys in the secondary. Their entire team is full of Harpers and Treggs. That's what makes the little bubble screens and quick passes go - wide receiver blocking, and we had only a little success getting off the blocks out there, some of which were of a rather dubious legality. And yes, they were helped on some holds too - Oregon's second touchdown is made possible when Kam Jackson is tangled up on the outside, making it impossible for him to come down and help on <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/113646/josh-huff">Josh Huff</a>.</p>
<p>Stefan McClure headed the defense, breaking up a career high three passes and having a fairly stout evening on the outside. Deandre Coleman had his most visibly disruptive game to date, finding himself in the backfield pretty often. He ended up leading the team in tackles and forcing one nine yard loss, and I thought Moala had some fairly strong moments of his own. The man known as ManBearCal has a take:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Fun to see Deandre Coleman flash what he can do, but also depressing because it only comes in flashes.</p>
— Marc Tausend (@ManBearCal) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManBearCal/statuses/384184563653562368">September 29, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<p>Good to see Dan Camporeale stuff a screen in the first quarter to force a turnover on downs and for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37415/kyle-kragen">Kyle Kragen</a> to record his first sack. We're going to need a lot more production on from those guys going forward, though their effort is not in question - Camporeale particularly. I would label Lopa as another guy we'd need more from, too.</p>
<p>And a haiku:</p>
<p>Defense: D+ (maybe a C- if you feel really generous)</p>
<p>Short fields all game long</p>
<p>Should have been a lot worse, really</p>
<p>Once again caught no breaks</p>
<h3>In which we try to say some things about the offense</h3>
<p>Seeing as Goff played half a quarter and backups from both teams took most of the work the rest of the way, these observations are decidedly limited.</p>
<p>Damariay Drew was not alone in his occasional lapse of effort. On Kline's interception, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135641/drake-whitehurst">Drake Whitehurst</a> gets tangled up with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/136016/ifo-ekpre-olomu">Ifo Ekpre-Olomu</a>, but then appears to look to the refs for a flag, rather than up for an incoming pass. I am not sure what the route was supposed to be, here, but it does look like Drake kind of gives up on the play, although less obviously than Drew did.</p>
<p>As best I can tell, the running back situation remains in flux. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/207285/khalfani-muhammad">Khalfani Muhammad</a> took the first series, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/162529/jeffrey-coprich">Jeffrey Coprich</a> has more touchdowns than <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135635/brendan-bigelow">Brendan Bigelow</a>, and on Saturday, he nearly had as many carries, too. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135646/daniel-lasco">Daniel Lasco</a> did not follow up his strong game last week with anything substantial in this one.</p>
<p>It's hard not to label the Fresno Flash as the major offensive disappointment so far, and because we continue to rush for a middling 3.whatever yards per carry, I'm mostly on board with Avi about this:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>These <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Cal&src=hash">#Cal</a> running backs are distressingly average. Could you imagine Jahvid-Shane in the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BearRaid&src=hash">#BearRaid</a>? Forsett-Marshawn?</p>
— avinashkunnath (@avinashkunnath) <a href="https://twitter.com/avinashkunnath/statuses/384182159516254208">September 29, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The holes haven't been particularly large, though, and perhaps all Bigelow needs is more time to develop trust in his knee and stuff.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135661/jordan-rigsbee">Jordan Rigsbee</a> is sure as hell not a quitter - no matter what the score is, he plays with a mean streak and attitude, although you'd really like to see him get a better handle on that. Sometimes it runs him into penalty trouble. I don't think <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/162542/steven-moore">Steven Moore</a> is either - I saw him charge down field to try to make a block for Treggs, despite the 27-0 score.</p>
<p>So, here's that disastrous first quarter sequence, as we try to figure out what happened:</p>
<p>Fumble number one came when Goff tried to throw, but it slipped out of his hands.</p>
<p>Fumble number two was a result of Bigelow juking backwards to try to find a hole, only to have an Oregon defender slap it out.</p>
<p>Fumble number three came when Goff was sacked on a six man blitz - Oregon brought more men than Cal's empty backfield could protect against, and there was no time for him to try to dump it off anywhere. That last part is due to Deforest Buckner dodging a cut block by Jordan Rigsbee and taking away Goff's last available passing lane with his insane wingspan. The result is that he had to take a loss.</p>
<p>Fumble number four came when Khalfani took an accidental forearm to the helmet. He did not play again the rest of the night, so I assume that is the play he got injured on.</p>
<p>Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Terrance Mitchell pretty much erased Treggs and Harper on Saturday night, thanks to a strong pass rush and Cal's inability to get anything going downfield. Meanwhile, Courtney Roby and Ohio State allowed over 200 receiving yards to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/77770/jared-abbrederis" class="sbn-auto-link">Jared Abbrederis</a> - after letting Harper and Treggs rack up a bunch of yardage just two weeks ago. Hey, NFL scouts. Pretty sure the corner you want is in Oregon.</p>
<p>As mentioned up top, Kline struggled to hit anything accurately at all, especially down the field, which is why the Bears averaged 4.5 YPA. Didn't help that Bouza, Rodgers and Treggs all dropped some fairly ordinary passes. By my count, Rodgers had at least three.</p>
<p>There was another fairly questionable play call after the turnover, this one with a throwback pass from Harper to Kline. Thankfully it only landed incomplete.</p>
<p>Oregon's Torrodney Prevot is going to be a problem for the next couple of seasons.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/162544/christian-okafor" class="sbn-auto-link">Christian Okafor</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/113636/geoffrey-gibson" class="sbn-auto-link">Geoffrey Gibson</a> came in in the second half at right tackle and right guard, respectively.</p>
<p>Even a normally reliable special teams unit failed in this one, allowing two punt return touchdowns to Bralon Addison and then missing an extra point. Props to them for attempting to remain aggressive and running a fake punt with Leininger, though.</p>
<p>Here are two haikus:</p>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="1"><tbody><tr>
<td width="319" valign="top">
<p>Offense: F</p>
<p>A wretched rainstorm</p>
<p>Results in no pass offense</p>
<p>No run game either</p>
</td>
<td width="319" valign="top">
<p>Special Teams: F</p>
<p>Vince D'Amato missed</p>
<p>an extra point in this one</p>
<p>Tommerdahl's nightmare</p>
</td>
</tr></tbody></table>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/AGuyNamedNam">@AGuyNamedNam</a> The parallels between his start at LTU and Cal are fun, though: take over sub-.500 program. First year - barely beat FCS...</p>
— Ethan Novak (@EthanNovak) <a href="https://twitter.com/EthanNovak/statuses/384591615798431744">September 30, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
https://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2013/9/30/4783510/cal-vs-oregon-postgame-thoughtsNam Le2013-09-29T19:00:00-07:002013-09-29T19:00:00-07:00Chris McCain Dismissed from Cal Football Team
<figure>
<img alt="Chris McCain has been dismissed from the team" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hhsvfNtY6GaIVvxicEjvLhOh1yo=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/20385571/20130831_lbm_ax5_150.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chris McCain has been dismissed from the team | Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Chris McCain has been dismissed from the Cal football team, per an official statement from Cal media relations.</p> <p>Cal media relations released the following brief <a href="http://calbears.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30100&ATCLID=%20209271507">statement</a> shortly after 6pm Sunday:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Junior linebacker <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135654/chris-mccain">Chris McCain</a> has been dismissed from the Cal football team due to <b>conduct detrimental to the team</b>, head coach Sonny Dykes announced Sunday.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Coach Sonny Dykes to make no comment on McCain situation until after Monday practice. One more obstacle for struggling <a href="https://twitter.com/CalFootball">@CalFootball</a> team.</p>
— Jeff Faraudo (@JeffFaraudo) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffFaraudo/statuses/384488477267464192">September 30, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Coaches and players are not available to the media on Sundays, so there's nothing more in terms of information on McCain's dismissal</p>
— <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link">Hunter Hewitt</span></span> (@HunterHewitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/HunterHewitt/statuses/384488741928050688">September 30, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The talented junior defender had overcome injuries and a suspension earlier this summer - reportedly to work on academics - to reclaim a starting spot on the defensive line. His dismissal leaves an already thin Cal defense even thinner, particularly considering the number of injured defensive starters:</p>
<p>- <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135634/avery-sebastian">Avery Sebastian</a> (season-ending Achilles tear)</p>
<p>- <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135643/brennan-scarlett">Brennan Scarlett</a> (has not played yet this year due to a slow-to-heal hand injury dating back to last season)</p>
<p>- <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135671/mustafa-jalil">Mustafa Jalil</a> (has not played yet this year due to a knee injury suffered last season)</p>
<p>- <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/113633/nick-forbes">Nick Forbes</a> (gradually working his way back from a lower back injury)</p>
<p>- Kam Jackson (hurt in the 1st quarter of the Oregon game, status uncertain until after Monday practice)</p>
<p>DC Andy Buh will need to look deep down the DE depth chart to fill the void left by McCain's departure: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37415/kyle-kragen">Kyle Kragen</a> (who had his first career sack against Oregon yesterday), <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135663/puka-lopa">Puka Lopa</a>, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135655/todd-barr">Todd Barr</a> should all see increased playing time going forward. This may also mean that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/77651/dan-camporeale">Dan Camporeale</a> will continue to log significant minutes at rush end.</p>
<p>Per a report by <a href="http://twitter.com/HunterHewitt">Hunter Hewitt</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>According to Cal officials, his dismissal was not related to academics, nor was it a legal issue.</p>
<p>The 6-foot-6, 250-pound defensive end played in three games this season, starting two. He recorded 11 tackles, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry.</p>
<p>Entering the season, McCain had played in 21 games with 16 starts. He was an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection last season and was the Bears’ active leader in career sacks and tackles for loss.</p>
</blockquote>
https://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2013/9/29/4785098/chris-mccain-dismissed-from-cal-football-teamEugene Choo2013-09-29T18:00:23-07:002013-09-29T18:00:23-07:00Cal vs. Oregon: Postgame Notes
<figure>
<img alt="Jeff Coprich scored his first career TD" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SkdNn4_FSsGH5KUrgxfqVfdiRxY=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/20381251/20130928_ajw_aa8_454.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeff Coprich scored his first career TD | Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Cal lost to Oregon 55-16, in a game that started in a torrential downpour. Despite the ugly loss, there were a few notable items - including Zach Kline's debut (in relief of Jared Goff), and Jeffrey Coprich's first career rushing touchdown. Let's take a quick look at some postgame notes.</p> <p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/naYB-9goVWk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="http://t.co/CWV3XXG8Ja">pic.twitter.com/CWV3XXG8Ja</a></p>&mdash; Cal Football (@CalFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/CalFootball/statuses/384149442544168960">September 29, 2013</a></blockquote><br><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The picture above says it all - it was "raining sideways" at the start of the game and the monsoon continued well into the 1st quarter. Due in large part to the wet and windy conditions, Cal lost 4 fumbles on its first 4 possessions. Cal couldn't recover any of Oregon's early fumbles, before quickly falling behind 27-0. Cal finally got a recovery of its own at the end of the 1st quarter, but by then the game was already out of hand.</p>
<p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>GM: And then Oregon fumbles the ball and <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Cal&amp;src=hash">#Cal</a> recovers. Never in 13 years of journalism have I covered a game like this.</p>&mdash; Cal Rivals (@CalRivals) <a href="https://twitter.com/CalRivals/statuses/384158113122615297">September 29, 2013</a></blockquote><br><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>For more details on the game, check out:</p>
<p>- Norcalnick's <a href="http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/cal-vs-oregon-2013/2013/9/29/4782124/Cal-oregon-football-blowout-rain-fumbles-why-god-why">game recap</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/HunterHewitt">Hunter Hewitt</a>'s <a href="http://blog.sfgate.com/cal/2013/09/28/cal-vs-oregon-game-recap/">report</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffFaraudo">Jeff Faraudo</a>'s <a href="http://www.insidebayarea.com/sports/ci_24200206/california-golden-bears-soaked-by-oregon-ducks">story</a></p>
<p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PGO7aVOyy4g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>&quot;That was as bad a performance as you could have in a lot of ways ...that falls on me,&quot; Dykes says.</p>&mdash; Ryan Gorcey (@RGBearTerritory) <a href="https://twitter.com/RGBearTerritory/statuses/384203295977254912">September 29, 2013</a></blockquote><br><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>&quot;Jared was just having a really difficult time holding onto the fb, and we felt like we couldn&#39;t get anything done,&quot; says Dykes.</p>&mdash; Ryan Gorcey (@RGBearTerritory) <a href="https://twitter.com/RGBearTerritory/statuses/384203832076410881">September 29, 2013</a></blockquote><br><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Kline came in late in the 1st quarter, after Goff had lost 2 fumbles. When asked at the post-game presser, Coach Sonny Dykes noted that Goff is still the starter. Per Hewitt's game <a href="http://blog.sfgate.com/cal/2013/09/25/cal-football-wednesday-925-notebook-offensive-line-set-additional-notes/">notes</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“We felt like we were having a hard time getting anything done,” Dykes said. “We needed to make a change.”</p>
<p>Goff thought the decision was warranted.</p>
<p>“They made a decision to put Zach in and at the time it was probably the best decision,” he said.</p>
<p>Dykes said following the game he expects Goff to start next week against Washington State, but he liked some of what he saw from Kline.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If we get into a rain situation again, we’ll have to evaluate it at that point,” he said. “But I would think that Jared would be our starting quarterback.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Coprich scores for his 1st career TD as a Golden Bear, 55-10 Ducks <a href="https://twitter.com/CalFootball">@CalFootball</a></p>&mdash; GoldenBlogs (@GoldenBlogs) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoldenBlogs/statuses/384183415542538241">September 29, 2013</a></blockquote><br><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Here are excerpts from Cal's <a href="http://www.calbears.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=749425&SPID=126513&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=30100&ATCLID=209270658">postgame notes</a> [and also the <a href="http://www.calbears.com/ViewContent.dbml?SPSID=749425&SPID=126513&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=30100&CONTENT_ID=816961">official stats</a>]:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Zach Kline made his collegiate debut towards the end of the first quarter. He finished the game completing 18 of 37 passes for 165 yards, one TD (to James Grisom) and one interception.</p>
<p>Entering tonight’s game, Jeff Coprich had one carry for two yards vs. Portland State. Tonight, he posted 14 carries for 51 yards and his first career rushing touchdown.</p>
<p>In the raining conditions, the teams combined for 10 fumbles and six lost (4 Cal, 2 Oregon).</p>
<p>In the first quarter, Jalen Jefferson recovered a fumble by Oregon’s Thomas Tyner. That was the Ducks’ first turnover of the season. Overall, the Bears forced five fumbles, recovering two.</p>
<p>Vincenzo D’Amato kicked a season-long 46-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. The Pac-12 leader in field goals, D’Amato has made 9 of his 10 attempts this season.</p>
<p>Kyle Kragen notched his first career sack in the first quarter. Lucas King garnered his first fumble recovery in the third quarter. Stefan McClure set a personal best in pass breakups with three.</p>
<p>Oregon took two punt returns for touchdowns. The last time Cal allowed a punt return for a touchdown was also by the Ducks in 2010.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>That&#39;s an ESPN Top 10 play. Addison just juked all of Cal&#39;s team on another punt return TD. Ducks up 48-3</p>&mdash; Hunter Hewitt (@HunterHewitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/HunterHewitt/statuses/384177209096671232">September 29, 2013</a></blockquote><br><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/P_jqgFXkqVw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>And some injury news:</p>
<p>Kam Jackson was injured in the 1st quarter, on a cut block by an Oregon receiver. Khalfani Muhammad reportedly left the game in the first half with a head injury, and Mike Lowe appeared to sustain a lower leg injury in the 4th quarter. The statuses of all 3 players should be more clear by Monday.</p>
<p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>DB Kameron Jackson (leg), RB Khalfani Muhammand (head) both out the rest of the game, per Cal.</p>&mdash; Cal Rivals (@CalRivals) <a href="https://twitter.com/CalRivals/statuses/384181667541180416">September 29, 2013</a></blockquote><br><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>RT <a href="https://twitter.com/Kameron3Jackson">@Kameron3Jackson</a>: Thanks for prayers y&#39;all! I&#39;m doing good. Minor setback for a major comeback !</p>&mdash; GoldenBlogs (@GoldenBlogs) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoldenBlogs/statuses/384214364225425408">September 29, 2013</a></blockquote><br><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
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https://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2013/9/29/4779616/cal-vs-oregon-postgame-notesEugene Choo2013-09-29T03:00:04-07:002013-09-29T03:00:04-07:00Cal Flooded Out Of Autzen In Blowout Loss
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<img alt="1,000 words" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qYFyCkWb0nsqAvA-gJuPg36w7F4=/0x20:4000x2687/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/20335395/182264071.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>1,000 words | Steve Dykes</figcaption>
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<p>We had to carry Harry to the ferry
<br>We had to carry Harry to the shore
<br>And the reason that we had to carry Harry to the ferry
<br>Was because we needed to get to a boat before we all drowned in the monsoon.</p> <p>There are two extremes to take regarding this game, and I'm curious as to where on the spectrum you all fall:</p>
<p><b>1. This wasn't a football game</b>. The weather made this game a joke, and by the time conditions stopped resembling something out of the Old Testament, the game was sealed and all that mattered was playing out the string. There is little point in trying to devine any useful information about this game because Sonny has built a football team, not a water polo team.</p>
<p><b>2. No excuses</b>. Oregon played in the same weather, and they destroyed Cal in every phase of the game. The rain didn't put multiple Oregon defenders in the backfield or stop Cal defenders from finishing off a play. If we're not prepared to hold onto the ball in all types of weather, that's on us.</p>
<p>Personally I'm leaning towards option 1, mostly to retain my sanity as a fan. Because if it's option 2, this season might be over before it began.</p>
<p>Regardless, the result was a completely demoralizing blowout. And if you're a Cal fan, your chief concern is that every game Cal plays makes it harder for Cal to win the next one. You can add <a href="#" class="sbn-auto-link">Kameron Jackson</a> (thanks to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/113646/josh-huff" class="sbn-auto-link">Josh Huff</a> and an asinine NCAA rulebook), <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/207285/khalfani-muhammad" class="sbn-auto-link">Khalfani Muhammad</a> and potentially <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/162511/michael-lowe" class="sbn-auto-link">Michael Lowe</a> to the injury list, and I'm sure other names will be added to the list as the Bears take stock and recover from a truly bizarre game.</p>
<p>And if the physical well-being of our players isn't enough of a concern, the mental well-being has to be an issue as well. After a painful but respectable loss to Northwestern, Cal struggled to beat an FCS team and has now been blown out twice in a row, and there are serious questions about the effort level occasionally seen on the field against the Ducks. This is a young team only one year removed from a 3-8 season in which the entire team collapsed down the stretch. The number one concern for the coaching staff is to convince these players that a fresh season starts now, and to somehow wring maximum effort from their charges the rest of the way.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, do we now have a Quarterback Controversy<span>™? Nah, probably not. After a nightmare 1st quarter, Sonny Dykes pulled <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/162538/jared-goff" class="sbn-auto-link">Jared Goff</a> in favor of Zach Kline. That decision, in and of itself, was probably the right one, as Goff had multiple fumbles, two of them unforced. Continuing to throw him to the wolves wouldn't have been productive. But Goff never returned to the game, and while Kline hardly set the world on fire (18-38, 165 yards), he might have done enough to make every Cal fan pause and wonder.</span></p>
<p>What else can we take away from a game so absurd? Mostly that your deity of choice still hates Cal. The first quarter featured eight fumbles. Five Cal fumbles resulted in four Oregon defensive recoveries. Three Oregon fumbles resulted in just one Cal defensive recovery. And that lone defensive recovery was on the last play of the first quarter, and by then it was already 27-0 and the game was functionally over. When the game was early and in doubt and turnovers could have put Cal in position to start strong, the bouncing ball always seemed to end up in the hands of the Ducks.</p>
<p>I don't know what value there is in trying to break down the game further. Thanks to the weather, neither team could effectively pass the ball - even all-everything <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/136013/marcus-mariota" class="sbn-auto-link">Marcus Mariota</a> only averaged 4.6 yards/attempt, which is Maynard-esque. Oregon won because they are pretty good at running the ball and Cal is not, and because they didn't turn the ball over five times. It's a simple game most of the time.</p>
<p>If you're looking for positives, you might note that Cal's much maligned defense held Oregon to just 381 yards and 5.2 yards/play, both well under Oregon's average. Of course, the weather played a huge part in that. Plus, when you get the ball with an incredibly short field you don't have much space to rack up huge yardage totals. And two punt return touchdowns took the ball away from the Oregon offense. Is that enough caveats? In honesty, the defensive performance was mildly encouraging but the conditions make it hard to reach any real conclusions.</p>
<p>After a game so desultory, it's best to forget and move on. Next week, Washington State visits Memorial Stadium coming off of an equally embarrassing beat down, and with injuries all their own to recover from. And I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that Cal's season is on the line. If the Bears want this season to come even close to what they were hoping to achieve, then they beat a reeling Wazzu at home. If Cal loses, then it's going to be really hard to look at Cal's remaining schedule and see wins.</p>
<p>Cal has 'survived' their insane early season schedule. Will this trial by fire give Cal experience in facing strong opposition and dealing with adversity? Or are the Bears so beat up physically and mentally that they give up on the rest of the season?</p>
<p>We'll see what kind of character these players have, and what kind of motivational skills this coaching staff has. Starting next week.</p>
https://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/cal-vs-oregon-2013/2013/9/29/4782124/Cal-oregon-football-blowout-rain-fumbles-why-god-whyNick Kranz2013-09-28T23:06:24-07:002013-09-28T23:06:24-07:00Fill out your Cal v. Oregon report card here!
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jCqZA0dzzRfW4jX3vYY7sgYasQ8=/32x0:3967x2623/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/20336661/182264075.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Steve Dykes</figcaption>
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<p>Report card inside!</p> <p>It's over. It's mercifully over. Three games against three of the top teams in the country, with two competitive losses and now a final blowout. Not to mention we have one of the most inexperienced units in the country and have half our defense out and a freshman quarterback and no real starting running back...</p>
<p>As many of us expected, we're 1-3. Not ideal, but not terrible either.</p>
<p>Now it's time to get ready for the rest of the season. Four winnable games at home + Colorado on the road gives us plenty of opportunity to get to a bowl game. Who knows, maybe we hit our groove and start figuring things out and this Bear Raid experiment starts hitting full stride!</p>
<p>Are you all ready for it?</p>
<p>Time to fill out your reports! Hover over the survey to scroll down or <a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/116H7mD8Lcs99tAp7VNv8c2RAFnIyRBJbUCat4zohFrU/viewform">click here to fill out the report card</a>.</p>
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