Category: Cal Bears

More Of The Same, And Less Of What’s Needed: Cal Drops Another Close One, 24-23 to NC State

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA– By default, the Cal Bears are built to compete in close, contentious football games. Currently, winning those games is not part of the mix.

Freshman kicker Derek Morris’ field goal miss from 28 yards with 1:37 remaining left Cal short on the scoreboard in a 24-23 loss to North Carolina State, but a list of plays and issues kept the Bears winless in their inaugural trip through the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Making winning plays simply hasn’t happened for Cal in a painful, four-game losing streak that has been too little in the game’s biggest moments.

“I have to do a better job coaching the team so we can find a way to win these tight games,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “Everyone has to come back and own their part of it. We need to have high expectations and standards for the way we operate around here.”

The Bears looked the part in building a 13-10 halftime lead and extending it to 23-10 after three quarters. But that put gutty freshman quarterback CJ Bailey in position to survive six sacks and the punishment that came with them, and fashion a comeback that would be the Wolpack’s biggest since October 2012. Bailey threw two fourth quarter touchdown passes, the second 41 yards to Hollywood Smothers that gave NC State the lead with 6:32 remaining.

“His ability to keep composure is just very impressive,” Bailey’s teammate Davin Vann said. “He just continues to show me why he has the ability to play at this level and is going to succeed at this level and beyond.”

Bailey not only was under duress for the first three quarters, but he also was essentially without a run game as well. The Bears stuffed the Wolfpack, allowing an insignificant 29 yards on 30 rushing attempts.

But when afforded time, Bailey delivered, with 6’3″ Justin Joly using his height to snag four catches for 95 yards to lead the NC State receivers. The freshman, who began the season behind senior transfer Grayson McCall on the depth chart, finished 25 of 36 for 306 yards.

“He stays positive, and he’s just got that it factor when it comes to how he manages things and overcomes,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said of Bailey. “Even when he makes a bad play, it doesn’t rattle him.”

The Bears should have benefitted from all the upheaval in NC State’s lineup that saw them without leading rusher Jordan Waters and beholden to a new mic linebacker Kamal Bonner. But NC State touted their depth, and it proved to be the case as their first trip west since a 1960 game at UCLA turned out to be a winner.

Cal’s final drive encompassed 13 plays for 65 yards and put Cal in position to retake the lead. It also bought precious minutes for its defense that once again was on the short side of time of possession in part because of Thomas’ damaging, first half fumble. But the drive didn’t end well after a critical holding penalty on first down at NC State’s 16-yard line. Fernando Mendoza misfired on second down, and two short completions left Cal with a fourth down and sufficient time for NC State to respond had Morris converted a go-ahead field goal.

Again, a missed field goal in the final two minutes was not solely the reason for Cal’s loss.

The Bears (3-4, 0-4) have a non-conference game next Saturday against Oregon State in Berkeley.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal looking to snap three game skid against NC State Saturday

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Cal Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) had to run for his life pretty much all afternoon against Pitt Panther tackle Braylan Lovelace (0) and the Panther pass rush at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Oct 12, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 There was no holding down Pitt Panthers last Saturday as they maintained their undefeated record now at 6-0 while Cal drop to 3-3.

#2 Close game but Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza couldn’t get enough points on the board as Cal fell short 17-15.

#3 For Mendoza he threw 27-37 for 272 yards and one touchdown. Did the Panthers have Mendoza running for daylight as he was running out of the pocket and often and ended up getting sacked six times.

#4 Cal’s defense kept the Bears in the game but the offense just couldn’t score enough to get by the Panther in the two point loss.

#5 Cal now focuses on the NC State Wolfpack (3-4)this Saturday with a 12:30pm PT kickoff at Memorial Stadium. The Wolfpack who have lost their last two games the last one against the Syracuse Orange 24-17. Cal comes into this game against NC State snake bitten having losing their last three games all close games against Florida State on Sep 21, to Miami on Sat Oct 5 and to Pitt on Sat Oct 12. Cal will no doubt be driven to get back in the win column after last week’s loss to Pitt with home field advantage.

Join Morris Phillips for the Cal Bears podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal 0 for 3 in the ACC: Big Defensive Effort Not Enough For Bears In 17-15 Loss At No. 22 Pittsburgh

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By Morris Phillips

For Cal, the margin of loss again was small. But the totality of mistakes and penalties were bigger than coach Justin Wilcox could tolerate.

“I’m not sure you ever go through a game perfectly, but we don’t have the margin for error to play bad football from time to time and expect to win against a Top 25 team,” Wilcox said of Cal’s 12 penalties that left his Bears on the short end of a 17-15 loss at Pittsburgh. “Nobody feels sorry for us. Those are things we have to fix. If we do that, than we can win these one-score games.”

Cal’s resourceful 3-0 start to the season has dissolved into a three-game conference losing streak with an aggregate loss total of eight points. At Acrisure Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the Bears shut out the host Panthers for the final 40 minutes but couldn’t regain a lead at any point.

“If we were able to take the lead, I felt good about our defense stopping them,” Wilcox said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that.”

Cal’s counter to Pitt’s surprising 5-0 start that now has them at 6-0 for the first time since 1982 in the glory days of Dan Marino and Hugh Green should have been the story. Prolific Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein was forced into a defensive posture as Cal added to their nationally-leading interception total of 13 with picks by Nohl Williams and Cam Sidney.

“That’s a great defense we played right there,” Holstein said. “They played every coverage in the book. They gave me different looks. It was hard to tell what they were playing in certain situations.”

Games aren’t normally decided on the first play of the second quarter, but ultimately, this one was. Coach Pat Narduzzi rolled the dice and elected to attempt a fourth down conversion on his side of the field. A handoff to Desmond Reid was the perfect call as the speedy back went 72 yards untouched against Cal’s unbalanced set.

That was Reid’s second scoring run and put the Panthers up 14-6. A few minutes later, they would increase their lead to 17-6 on Ben Sauls booming, 58-yard field goal.

Fernando Mendoza played well with 27 of 37 passing for 272 yards. But his offensive line again incurred critical penalties that stopped drives and limited Cal’s scoring. With Cal’s defense in control for the vast majority of the game, Mendoza and the offense could only muster Ryan Coe’s 39-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Jack Endries 19-yard scoring catch with 10:30 remaining.

Twice Cal failed to convert two-point conversions, including backup quarterback Chandler Rogers rushing attempt that was stuffed after Endries score.

Jaivian Thomas got the majority of Cal’s rushing attempts as Jadyn Ott was scratched before the game due to lingering ankle issues. Thomas opened the scoring with a 21-yard run in the first quarter.

The Bears return to Berkeley for Homecoming and a meeting with North Carolina State on Saturday. At 0-3 in the ACC, the Bears won’t earn a championship game appearance in their first year in the new conference. But they do figure to be favored in all of their remaining games, which could lead them to a significant bowl game invitation.

For Pitt, a day dangerously thin on offense but propped up with their best defensive effort of the season stood up. Far from what Narduzzi would have preferred and less than the subdued, nervous home crowd wanted, but it worked.

“I don’t know if there’s ever been a perfect game,” Narduzzi said. “I wish. We strive for perfection and take excellence. It’s never going to be perfect. There’s too many scholarship athletes out there.”

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal faces another undefeated team Pitt (5-0) Saturday at Acrisure Stadium

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The Cal Bears running back Jaydn Ott (1) takes the football in for a 66 yard score in the second quarter while being pursued by a Miami Hurricane defensive back Jaden Harris (7) at Cal Memorial Stadium in Berkeley on Sat Oct 5, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Morris, the Miami Hurricane (6-0) rallied from 25 points down to edge the Cal Bears (3-2) last Saturday night 39-38 that took some doing by the Hurricanes to have to score three unanswered touchdowns in that fashion.

#2 Morris taking a look at Miami’s scoring at 10:28 left in the game the Hurricanes Isaiah Horton scored on an 18 yard pass from quarterback Cam Ward to make it 38-25. The Hurricanes scored once again at 4:04 when Ward carried for a 24 yard rush to cut Cal’s lead down to six 38-32.

#3 The Hurricanes scored the winning touchdown with 26 seconds left when Ward hit wide out Elijah Arroyo for five yards for the 39-38 win. Miami stays perfect at 6-0. How true is it that good teams can rally late and win.

#4 Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza was 11-22 for 285 yards for two touchdowns and one interception. For Mendoza was it a matter of not getting enough protection or Mendoza just didn’t the completions and conversions he needed to create some offense in that fourth quarter.

#5 Cal tries to get back in the win column once again this time at Pitt where the Panthers are another team that comes in undefeated at 5-0. The Panthers won their last game against the North Carolina Tar Heels 34-24. The Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein can do it all throwing 381 yards for three touchdowns. Do you see Cal having a busy day trying to keep the Panthers offense down to a low roar?

Join Morris Phillips for Cal Bears football podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Clock Strikes Midnight On Upset-Minded Cal in 39-38 Loss To No. 8 Miami

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–At some subtle, hard to determine juncture approaching the three-hour mark of a lengthy, college football game, Cal lost its grip.

Miami coach Mario Cristobal sensed it, then framed it after his Hurricanes scored 29 of the game’s final 32 points to stun the Bears, 39-38 to remain unbeaten and squarely in the hunt for a national championship.

“I don’t know how many teams in the country would have come back against that defense,” Cristobal said of Cal, which held Miami to 10 points until 3:02 remained in the third quarter.

Damian Martinez’ 1-yard touchdown run and Xavier Restrepo’s two-point reception didn’t trigger an avalanche for the Canes. Instead, Cal proved steadfast and took another three plus minutes off the clock in increasing their lead to 38-18 on Ryan Coe’s 37-yard field goal.

Three Miami touchdowns would follow, capped by Elijah Arroyo’s 5-yard catch and score with 26 seconds remaining.

“We kept clawing and scratching, and the defense held up,” Cristobal recounted.

“How many people cut this off?” he said, touching on the fact that the Hurricanes’ comeback didn’t hit maximum thrust until after 1:00am in Florida.

What caused the television audience to rest was Cal’s defense. Nohl Williams picked off Miami’s Cam Ward, his fifth of the year, which leads the nation. Linebackers Cade Uluave and Teddye Buchanan combined for 23 tackles while Cal built a 25-point lead. But the experienced Ward played the waiting game, and the result was 35 completions, 437 yards, and two fourth quarter touchdown passes that sandwiched his 24-yard touchdown run.

“That’s two games straight we had to do that. We have to lock in,” Ward said. “It’s good to get a win. We’re not going to complain. An ugly win is better than a good loss.”

Ward improved to 2-1 against California with the first win and loss coming when the quarterback was with Washington State in 2022 and 2023. Conversely, the Bears missed a rare opportunity to upset a team ranked in the top ten nationally. The last time was 2017 versus the Cougars prior to Ward’s arrival.

Ward’s 437 yards passing gives him six consecutive performances of 300 plus yards passing to put him squarely in contention for the Heisman trophy.

Fernando Mendoza led Cal with 285 yards passing. Jadyn Ott made the most of a slow night with a 66-yard touchdown catch and run. That production helped the Bears build a sizeable lead, but 2 of 10 third down conversions left the Bears defense vulnerable to fatigue that surfaced in Miami’s comeback.

Coach Justin Wilcox didn’t appear to agree with a targeting situation that didn’t draw a penalty on Miami after a review. That non-call on third down forced Cal to punt and gave the ball back to Miami for their game-winning, six-play drive.

Wilcox was close-lipped regarding that play but was open regarding the game in its entirety.

“We had every opportunity to win that game, obviously,” Wilcox said. “We didn’t get it done, so every individual has to own it.”

The Bears travel to meet undefeated Pittsburgh (5-0) next week. The Panthers posted an impressive 34-24 road win over North Carolina on Saturday.

Cal Says Emphatically, “We’re College GameDay, And You’re Not!”

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Before things became fun and wicked smart along Memorial Glade on UC Berkeley’s campus, they grew dark and sinister in the middle of the night.

The Cal Bears fans gathered for the first-ever football ESPN College GameDay in Berkeley grew restless, and in a fit of rage, as noted by Fox News, and in the absence of sufficient security blew through the barriers to get closer to the ESPN production stage. The crowd’s actions were spiritedly defiant, unchecked, and entirely successful.

“Complete chaos in Berkeley,” Avinash Kunnath of “Write for California” reported at 12:30am. “There is not enough security to organize the crowd.”

Luckily, the playful crowd wasn’t destructive or menacing, just hyped. And that was the beginning of Cal’s triumphant appearance on GameDay, which peaked hours later as Marshawn Lynch displayed his curious driving habits, and the crowd demanded that coach Nick Saban remove his disgusting red tie.

After Cal was left scrambling by USC and UCLA’s pre-emptive move to the Big 10, and subsequently forced to join forces with the ACC for pennies on the dollar of the conference’s already determined television deal, the campus community was forced to get wise and money smart to find their way through the changing major college sports landscape. The Bears’ encouraging start to the season was the first step, and ESPN’s decision to bring its road show to Berkeley was next in Cal’s athletic department closing the gap on its financially positioned competitors.

Bear Backers started with the phrase “Calgorithm” and quickly built a full-fledged comedy review. From all the live reports and cemented by GameDay host Rece Davis, Cal aced the test.

“Cal is one of the best crowds we’ve ever had,” Davis proclaimed at 9:05am as the television lights were extinguished for the day and the crowd dispersed.

“Sometimes it’s about feeling good,” a University Library librarian said. “And clearly, people felt good about this.”

So good that people spent the night, characteristically did not use drugs, and maintained the exposure fever until shortly after sunrise when fatigue and the live broadcast vapors waned slightly. 

But the sunlight revealed a bunch of kids, families, young alumni couples, and a smattering of smugsters from the U who couldn’t have honestly said they knew what to expect. The mix was respectful even before security materialized, and new friendships sprung up all over the place.

“We’re happy to be in the ACC,” said Charles Karren, class of ’90. “It was that or death.”

Karren, whose son is also pursuing a Cal degree, was quick to mention chancellor Rich Lyons as an advocate and savior for Cal athletics. Undoubtedly, Cal has successfully navigated the gauntlet of NIL, the transfer portal and budget concerns from the top, with Lyons, on down.

Back on television, suddenly, and perfectly calculated, Cal’s Memorial Glade was like the Today Show with the bluster of network personality Pat McAfee at his zenith as the loud mouthed galvanizing force.

“You know it! You tell the story! You tell the whole damn world this is Bear Territory!” McAfee bellowed with seamless support from the crowd.

Sitting next to McAfee was Saban, fiercely determined to be his somewhat cranky self until the crowd demanded he yank off his Stanford red tie. Finally, the Hall of Fame coach relented and swapped in a traditional Cal rep tie that enriched his blue blazer. Was Saban prepared to interview for a graduate assistant position under Coach Justin Wilcox? He was.

The signs didn’t disappoint. Instead, they shimmered as every smart aleck grew biceps in displaying their humorous takes.

Woke vs. Coke (carried by an unsuspecting 9-year old. Cal parents do better!)

This Game Is Past My Bedtime (also carried by a 9-year old. This is better.)

We Do Lines Of Code

The Miami Playbook is Shorter Than My Syllabus

Hitting the Slopes vs. Isotopes

Bow To Oski

U People Were Blocking the Library

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal offensive line needs to look out for the Miami pass rush this Saturday in Berkeley

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Cal Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) gets dragged down by the Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Marvin Jones Jr (7) at Florida State on Sat Sep 21, 2024. Cal’s offensive line will need to protect Mendoza all day Sat Oct 5, 2024 as the Miami Hurricanes have a potent offensive line in ACC action. (AP News photo)

On Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 For Cal ESPN is hosting a Game Day visit which features lots of celebrities for a first time ever appearance at UC Berkeley coming this Saturday. This no doubt has to be exciting for Cal and alumnus.

#1 The Miami Hurricanes the Cal Bears next opponent. The Hurricanes are living up to their namesake and blowing away the competition at 5-0 in their last game they played a tight game with the Virginia Tech Hokies 38-34 but have been dominant against their opponents this season.

#2 Hurricanes quarterback Cameron Ward is throwing the football with much accuracy in his last game against the Virginia Tech Hokies went 24-38 for 348 yards with 4 touchdowns and was picked off two times.

#3 Cal dropped to 3-1 taking their first loss of the season against a struggling Florida Seminoles who picked up their first win. Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza was 22-36 for 303 yards but didn’t throw for any touchdowns. Do you see him getting those kinds of yards once again but completing passes for scores will that be a question for this week as well?

#4 Miami has a very good pass rush against Virginia Tech but the Hokies also countered with putting pressure on the quarterback as well. Do you seeing Cal focusing on protecting the quarterback from the Hurricanes pass rush this Saturday.

#5 Morris, just wanted to get your prediction on this upcoming game as Miami comes calling this Saturday at Cal Memorial in Berkeley in ACC action between the Miami Hurricanes and the Cal Bears with that 7:30pm PT?

Morris Phillips does Cal Bears podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal hopes to get back in win column face Miami Sat Oct 5

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Florida Seminoles lineman Marvin Jones (right) drags down Cal Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) in second half action at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Sat Sep 21, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Morris, a tough difficult loss for the Cal Bears (3-1) to the Florida Seminoles last Saturday in Tallahassee in low scoring defensive game 14-9.

#2 The Bears really needed to scratch out a touchdown and they could have been able to get away with their fourth straight win but the Seminoles didn’t allow Cal one touchdown all game long.

#3 Cal had to rely on their kicker Ryan Cole to put the ball through upright three times for all their scoring twice in the second quarter and once in the third quarter.

#4 As opposed to the kind of game that Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza had the previous week against San Diego State in a 31-10 win the Seminoles shutdown Mendoza’s passing game. Mendoza throwing 22-36 for 303 yard, and one interception. The Seminoles defense prevented Mendoza from getting the ball in the end zone.

#5 The Miami Hurricanes (5-0) will come calling Sat Oct 5 at Cal Memorial. The Canes upended South Florida last Sat Sep 21, 50-15 and on Sat Sep 29 the Canes did it again getting by Virginia Tech 38-34. Look out for Canes quarterback Cameron Ward who threw 24-34 for 404 yards and three touchdowns against So Florida. Also having a big day against Virginia Tech throwing for 343 yards and four touchdowns. The question is can the Cal defense stop Ward?

Join Morris Phillips Thursdays for Cal Bears football podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Florida State Says No To Cal Staying Undefeated, Wins 14-9 in Tallahassee

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By Morris Phillips

Cal knows how hard going 4-0 in the ACC is now.

Host Florida State wasn’t much better than they were in an 0-3 start, but this time, they didn’t fall behind, and they didn’t go away in a tense, gritty 14-9 win over the Bears.

D.J. Uiagalelei completed 16 of 27 passes for 177 yards, with the biggest connection coming with 11:08 remaining.  The 35-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Khi Douglas was the play of the game, allowing the Seminoles to regain the lead after they trailed for the first time, 9-7 late in the third quarter.

“I just tried to give him a good ball. Ja’Khi made him miss early. He had a good release and got separation, I just had to put a good ball, and he did the rest,” Uiagalelei said.

“When you play a team like Florida State with that much talent, you can’t make mistakes and expect to win,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “We had plenty of opportunities and couldn’t capitalize on it. They did, so they deserve credit for that.

Cal’s playmakers–quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Jadyn Ott, back from an injury absence and Mason Starling–played well, but playing well didn’t include scoring a touchdown.

Cal kicker Ryan Coe converted three of five field goal attempts, but four was the magic number. Coe missed from 36 yards in the third quarter after Cal ran 15 plays and put FSU on their toes to start the second half.

Coe missed again from 38 yards with 6:07 remaining while converting from 25, 29, and 51. Had the first year specialist converted either of his misses, Cal’s penetration on both of their concluding drives would have afforded Coe an opportunity to give Cal the lead with little time left.

Linebackers Cade Uluave and Teddye Buchanan combined for 20 solo tackles as Cal made sure the Noles would go a fourth consecutive game with no more than 21 points. Cal forced six FSU punts, and the Noles converted 7 of 17 third down opportunities. Nohl Williams added to Cal nationally-leading interception total of ten with his second quarter pick.

“We don’t want to be at this point scoring 14 points, but at the end of the day, a win is a win,” Uiagalelei said.

“We can’t dwell on this,” Uluave said. “We just have to put our head down and keep going.”

Patrick Payton keyed Florida State’s defense with three sacks and three more tackles for loss yardage. Payton’s pressure and the Doak Campbell Stadium crowd noise contributed to Cal’s offensive line woes. The Bears suffered two critical penalties in the red zone for a false start and delay of game.

The Bears’ first taste of ACC play and Cal’s first visit to Tallahassee seemed to measurably flummox both squads. Coe’s missed kicks and Cal’s 10 penalties displayed the visitors’ nerves. But the home crowd was subdued by Cal’s measured attack and consistent effort on defense.

The Bears host first place Miami and familiar face, quarterback Cam Ward on October 5 at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley.

ACC Weekly: Wary Golden Bears Commit to Grab Utensils Before Attempting To Eat The Picnic

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Successful college football coaches compartmentalize. That’s what they do: within the hyped-up world of rabid fan bases, blithering blitherers, realignment, and further talk regarding realignment, the big-time head coaches emphasize blocking assignments, play calling, and seizing and maintaining momentum within a game.

If the only thing that floats your boat is high-flying, cross-country storylines that zeros in on perennial, heavyweight squads losing for a second, third, or even a fourth, consecutive week, don’t tread here. Coaches and players don’t have time for that stuff, blitherers do. For seven plus seasons, Coach Justin Wilcox has always been among the best at keeping the main thing the main thing.

This is the week Wilcox and his unwavering focus really comes into focus.

The Bears play their first-ever ACC football game in a sold-out stadium in Tallahassee, Florida where the team, the coach and the quarterback are about to be run out of town without any wait til season’s end grace period. The Top 25 (for the first time since 2019) and the direct leadup to a bigger showdown in Berkeley on October 5 are at stake. Suddenly, and momentarily, everything is possible for Cal, including an ACC Championship Game berth, if they win.

Wilcox did say enthusiastically, that winning “would mean we went out and played our best game of the season thus far and had an opportunity to go 4-0. And so, as I mentioned, there’s only so many chances you get, and it’s going to be a great venue. We’ve never been down there before. Again, in a different place with some great players and coaches. So it’s an unbelievably exciting opportunity.”

Wilcox knows a great season can only achieve its beginning on September 21. He also knows a failed season starting Saturday could manifest a lot faster. So being level-headed and detail-oriented is what Wilcox is preaching.

“I think they’re a very, very talented football team. The games haven’t gone their way from one reason or another. We recognize how slim the margins are in playing great football and not great football. And they’re a very gifted team. They got really good coaches, and they’re a prideful outfit. So we know what’s in store, and we’ve got to be, we’ll have to play our best game, and our guys are expecting that.”

FSU hasn’t shown pride yet. In their opener, the Seminoles scored first, didn’t commit a turnover, and managed a slight edge in time of possession against gritty Georgia Tech. But the Noles’ defensive line got outplayed, and three lengthy scoring drives by Tech stood up in their 24-21 upset win.

Boston College made big plays early and led Florida State 14-6 at halftime. A deeper lethargy froze FSU’s offense in the third quarter, and they found themselves in an insurmountable hole before losing 28-13.  

Memphis led 20-3 halfway through the third quarter before DJ Uiagalelei and company started making plays. But that was too late, and the Noles fell to an unthinkable 0-3.

Uiagalelei obviously isn’t playing well; missing throws and an inability to stretch the field with deep balls are his biggest faults. But he needs help, and his teammates on both sides haven’t provided any.

“I think it’s a feel from the entire offense,” coach Mike Norvell said. “Obviously, DJ has to help that transition for him individually and offensively. We’ve got to make sure that we’re doing that. That’s something that we’re definitely working to make sure they have a heightened sense of awareness to the detail.”

On the heels of Boston College, especially, the Bears defense could again leave the Noles stuck in the mud. Defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina, linebacker Teddye Buchanan, and corner Nohl Williams are Cal’s stars, but the entire defense has displayed a confident, veteran presence. The Noles rank second-to-last in rushing nationally with just 52 yards per game.

“They are very multiple in what they do, fronts, coverages they mix it up as good as we’ve played up to this point this year. They do a really nice job of just the effort, the passion, the energy. They are a big, long, physical defense,” said Norvell. “They’ve got good playmakers. They’ve done a really nice job in putting together a defense that plays to a standard, and those guys have been very opportunistic when that ball’s in the air.”

The Bears are hoping Jaydn Ott’s return will take pressure off quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who to date hasn’t had to win a game with his arm. Mendoza has completed 70 percent of his passes, and avoided mistakes, but can he maintain that ascent in a game that’s competitive in the fourth quarter on the road?

FSU stopped the run against Memphis, which ranks 90th nationally, but they weren’t stout against Boston College and Georgia Tech. DL Daniel Lyons, linebackers Blake Nichelson and Justin Cryer can make plays, but the third down efficiency has to improve. FSU is 124th in that category and they’ve been repeatedly unable to get off the field.

Norvell could position his young, talented secondary to make plays this week. KJ Kirkland and Conrad Hussey head a group that’s been sticky in coverage while improving each week.

Cal’s Nyziah Hunter will draw the most attention, he has 12 catches this season, four for touchdowns. Jonathon Brady, Corey Dyches, and slot receiver Maven Anderson have been active as well for Mendoza.

A close game feels inevitable between teams that aren’t blessed with explosive offenses. Turnovers will be key, as well as third down situations. Wilcox knows that means execution and belief will be paramount for his Bears.

 “(Won-loss) records are records but if you sit down in our offices and turn on the tape, you see what you see and you trust that, and our players do the same thing,” Wilcox said. “So we know how gifted they are and how good of coaches and scheme they’ve got. So we’re going to need to play great football on Saturday.”