Category: Cal Bears

Cal’s come a long way: Defense shines in surprising 12-10 upset win over No. 15 Washington

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, Calif. — Jake Browning passed for nearly 400 yards and six touchdowns on his previous trip to Memorial Stadium. With his pair of fleet receivers repeatedly making big plays, an overmatched Cal defense was completely taken apart, allowing 66 points for only the second time in school history.

Flash forward two years, and Browning’s field of dreams morphed into a house of horrors, as the senior quarterback was intercepted, and benched briefly in Cal’s jaw-dropping, 12-10 upset win.

One touchdown allowed as opposed to nine? Browning on top of the world, then benched in the return engagement? Clearly, Cal’s defense has come a long way in a short period, just ask Coach Petersen and the Huskies.

“Obviously, they had good players and I just think we just did not execute in a lot of stuff,” said UW’s Drew Sample. “We missed some blocks from a tight end perspective. We just, as a whole, were not in good positions so you know it showed. We couldn’t sustain drives. We couldn’t get in rhythm and we had shots at the end. We couldn’t execute.”

Still, Washington led at the half, 7-6, in part due to Cal’s Greg Thomas missing a 41-yard field goal attempt on the final play before halftime. But when Petersen saw his offense sputter on two possessions in the second half, the one-point lead mattered little. Browning, the senior leader with 90 career touchdown passes, was briefly benched.

“That had more to do with me trying to do something to help this offense way more than it did with Jake,” said Petersen. “Jake is a competitor. Jake does everything we ask. But, you know, we got to try help this offense out somehow, someway.”

Instead redshirt freshman Jake Haener helped Cal’s defense. On his second pass attempt, Haener overthrew his man and was picked by Cal’s Evan Weaver. Weaver deftly worked his way to the end zone, reaching for the corner pylon.

Cal assumed the lead, 12-7, add stubbornly held on even as their offense managed just 245 yards the entire game. And that’s after Browning missed just two series before Petersen relented, and put his senior quarterback back in the game.

Cal’s defense never snapped, erased the issues stopping the run they experienced against UCLA, and did it from the start. The Huskies–again without top runner Myles Gaskin–scored just seven points in the opening, their fewest this season. The Bears allowed three points in the second half, the fewest they’ve surrendered after halftime this year.

“It’s a great environment in the locker room as you would expect but I also don’t think anybody’s surprised,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “We weren’t perfect but found a way to win.”

Cal embarks on a brief, two-game road trip starting with a Saturday, November 3 matchup against No. 10 Washington State at 7:45 pm PT on ESPN.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal sigh of relief end 14-game road losing streak; Do the Bears have a chance against UW?

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photo mercurynews.com Cal Bears quarterback Chase Garber (7) had lots of room and lots of time throwing against the Oregon State University Beavers on Saturday

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 How much of relief is it for Cal (4-3) to get back into the conference road win column after 14 straight road tries?

#2 Cal made it no doubt in their 49-7 win in a huge win over Oregon State University (1-6). Was it because Cal came out fired up and prepared or they beat a club who were worse than them?

#3 Changing quarterbacks from Cal Brandon Mcllwain to Chase Garbers. How much did that electrify the offense and why did head coach Justin Wilcox make the change?

#4 The Bears got great held from running back Patrick Laird–a 53-yard run, 193 yards rushing, three touchdowns instrumental in the first half for Cal to take a 21-0 lead.

#5 The Bears host the Washington Huskies on Saturday the Huskies first in the Pac-12 at (6-2). Do the Bears have a chance?

Morris Phillips is a Cal Bears beat writer and does the Bears podcast each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal ends conference road woes with blowout of Oregon State 49-7

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By Morris Phillips

Coach Justin Wilcox called Cal’s trip to Corvallis to meet Oregon State a pivotal moment. Apparently, Wilcox’s team adopted the same urgency laid out by their coach.

In their most impressive outing of the season to date, the Cal Bears wiped out the Beavers, 49-7, ending their 14-game conference road losing streak. The win also ended the three-game skid that prompted all the consternation after Cal opened 3-0.

“There was never a question of want-to or desire,” Wilcox explained. “What we ask them to do in practice, they try to do to the best of their ability. We just have to play more consistently, and we got some of that done today.”

The one thing Cal had to address was a rash of turnovers in the three, previous games that ultimately cost Brandon McIlwain his position as the starting quarterback. Wilcox went back to Chase Garbers as the starter against OSU, and the sophomore engineered a high octane attack that produced eight plays of 20-yards or more including a 55-yard pass play to Vic Wharton III that set up Cal’s first touchdown of the game.

The Bears also got a 53-yard run from Patrick Laird, who erased a surprisingly slow, first half to his season with a 193-yard rushing performance and three touchdowns. Laird scored on a 29-yard pass play and a 4-yard run in the second quarter as Cal sprinted to a 21-0 halftime lead.

After 15 turnovers in the three, previous games, the Bears only hiccup was a first quarter fumble by Garbers on the 14th play of a drive that brought them to Oregon State’s 2-yard line.

But the Bears defense forced a three-and-out and a short punt put them in prime position in the second quarter, a sequence that ended with Laird’s touchdown reception.

The Cal defense continued to make noise after halftime, finishing with 12 tackles for losses along with seven sacks of OSU quarterbacks Josh Drayden and Traveon Beck.

The Bears improved to 4-3 on the season with five games remaining, all against conference opponents with better records than Cal, starting with No. 15 Washington at Memorial Stadium next Saturday at 3:00 pm PT.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Winless UCLA Bruins (1-5) make great work of Cal in 37-7 pounding

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photo from californiagoldenblogs.com: Cal quarterback Brandon Mcllwain (5) is sacked by UCLA linebackers Krys Bryant (14) and Keisean Lucier-South (11) Saturday at Memorial Stadium in the Bruins first win of the season

On the Cal podcast with Morris:

#1 UCLA came in 0-5 to Memorial Stadium in Berkeley and they were an angry bunch and hungry for a win and took it to the Cal Bears (3-3) in a 37-7 win.

#2 The Bruins Joshua Kelly carried for 157 yards and three touchdown quite and afternoon for Kelly, who went all out.

#3 The Bears quarterback Brandon McIlwain turned the ball over so many times that it played heavily into the Bears’ loss on Saturday.

#4 What does it mean for Cal dropping to 3-3 with six games left in the regular season?

#5 Oregon State (1-5) will host the Cal Bears next Saturday at 1pm the Beavers have also had their share of getting banged around dropping a game to Washington State Saturday by a huge deficit 56-37.

The Bears podcasts are heard with Morris each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal overwhelmed by UCLA, 37-7, as bowl aspirations take a hit

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, Calif. — The Cal Bears needed their best performance against the UCLA Bruins at California Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. Instead, they came up with one of their worst.

The Bruins picked up their first win of the season–after an 0-5 start–throttling the Bears from start to finish, 37-7. Bruins running back Joshua Kelly ran for 157 yards and three touchdowns while Cal’s Brandon McIlwain continued his streak of crippling turnovers.

The Bears fell to 3-3 on the season and 0-3 in the Pac-12. With six games remaining, the Bears appear unlikely to achieve bowl eligibility with Washington, Stanford, USC and Washington State still remaining on their schedule.

UCLA head coach Chip Kelly picked up his first collegiate win since 2012 when he left Oregon to coach in the NFL. Ironically, Kelley had won just two of the previous 22 games he had coached after going 2-14 in his one and only year with the 49ers.

And the always stoic Kelly’s response to getting back into the win column?

“Any win is good. 1-0 on Saturday night, that’s what we’re rooting for,” Kelly said in an interview with Pac-12 Network’s Jill Savage.

Cal was beaten in the trenches on both sides of the ball as UCLA took a decidely physical approach on offense, running the ball on 55 of their 70 offensive snaps. That approach took the pressure off freshman quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who had started all five games for UCLA but completed just half of his pass attempts and only three touchdowns in his first four starts. Against Cal’s confounding roster of defensive alignments, the Bruins stayed physical and impervious to the Bears’ maneuverings.

“Guys are coming up trying to make a play and we didn’t make them,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “We have to finish better. It’s not a lack of want to but it goes back to accountability and performance. No phase of our team played well enough to win tonight.”

Cal linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk had 22 tackles in the ballgame, the most by a Cal defender since Jerrott Willard recorded 22 in October 1993, but the feat was merely indicative of how the Cal defense couldn’t get off the field, and how poor their defensive line play was against Kelly and the sizeable UCLA offensive line.

Kelly ran for 106 yards in the first half alone as UCLA took a 13-0 lead that could have been worse had a couple of Bruins’ drives not stalled out deep in Cal territory. When Cal sliced the lead to 13-7 midway through the third, the Bears self-destructed with a targeting penalty and unsportsmanlike behavior penalty that allowed UCLA to answer back.

In the fourth quarter, McIlwain’s run of turnovers continued as he was stripped while scrambling which resulted in a 38-yard scoop and score for Kesian Lucier-South.

Cal’s next opponent will be Oregon State. That game has been scheduled for Saturday, October 20 at 1:00 pm PT on PACN.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal looks to make amends against winless UCLA at home this Saturday

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photo from 247sports.com file photo: Cal quarterback Brandon McIlwain is all smiles before a game against BYU on Sep 8th who threw against the Arizona Wildcats last Saturday

On the Cal podcast with Morris:

#1 The Bears (3-2) gave the Arizona Wildcats (3-3) two touchdowns in a 24-17 give away. How badly did the defense falter?

#2 Cal head coach Justin Wilcox said looking ahead Cal is going to play in some tough environments and Saturday’s game performance was unacceptable.

#3 Cal quarterback Brandon McIlvain became Cal’s third starting quarterback platooning with quarterback Chase Garbers the three previous games. When Cal got into their third quarterback, you knew there were problems on offense.

#4 McIlwain threw 43 times, 32 completions, 2 touchdowns, 20 carries for 107 yards and passed for 315 yards. He did it all.

#5 This Saturday, October 13th, Cal hosts UCLA (0-5). Do you see Cal, who started out 3-0–now 3-2, having a chance to get back into the win column against the Bruins?

Morris does the Cal Bears podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Too Many Turnovers in Tucson: Cal coughs it up in 24-17 loss at Arizona

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By Morris Phillips

Brandon McIlwain did some good things. McIlwain also did some stuff that didn’t turn out good at all.

What didn’t turn out included the final score as the sophomore transfer’s first start fell short in a 24-17 loss at Arizona. Painful was the fact that the Bears had the ball, down three points with three minutes remaining when Scottie Young Jr. picked McIlwain for the game deciding touchdown.

“We gave them two touchdowns and we can’t do that,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “We’re going to play in tough environments and it’s unacceptable to play like that. We have smart guys so we have to play smarter. We can’t make dumb mistakes like that.”

McIlwain became the third quarterback to start for Cal this season on Saturday night after he played in a platoon role with Chase Garbers the three previous games. The South Carolina transfer was again dynamic running the football (20 carries, 107 yards, 2 touchdowns) but faltered ever so slightly in throwing the ball 43 times, completing 32 for a career-best 315 yards.

With the Bears trailing from the first quarter on, but buoyed by a defense that stiffened considerably over the final three quarters, the close game hinged on McIlwain and the Bears constructing one big drive or a game-changing pass play. But due to McIlwain’s inability to stretch the defense, and numerous penalties, the Bears spent more than half the ballgame trailing by fewer than seven points but unable to assume the lead.

“We made a lot of plays and did a good job moving the ball between the twenties, but we just need to finish better,” McIlwain admitted. “I need to personally be able to get rid of those turnovers and take care of the ball a little better, but in general, we just need to finish.”

Cal fell to 3-2, 0-2 in Pac-12 play and failed to fully take advantage of a schedule that had them matched with three, beatable opponents following their lopsided, home loss to Oregon.

Cal Bears Football podcast with Morris Phillips: Perfect no more, the Ducks sink Cal’s defense in first loss 42-24

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Photo from calbears.com: Cal Bears’ Patrick Laird rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown against Oregon last Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 How effective was Oregon’s (2-2) quarterback Justin Herbert against the Cal (3-1) defense on Saturday?

#2 The Ducks who lost to Stanford were after blood after Cal got a 10-7 lead the Ducks and Herbert managed a comeback for Oregon to a 28-10 lead.

#3 Herbert ended up throwing for 225 yards and a 42-24 win over the Bears.

#4 How much help were Herbet’s teammates on both sides of the ball for Oregon?

#5 Cal heads to Arizona (2-2) next, the Wildcats got edged by USC Saturday 24-20. Can this be on of those close games on Saturday between these two teams?

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

Still smarting from loss to Stanford, Oregon releases their frustration on Cal in 42-24 win

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, Calif. — Among the numerous elements contributing intrigue to Saturday’s Oregon-Cal matchup, one factor stood out: Ducks’ quarterback Justin Herbert–the loosely defined best player on the field–had the ability to hand deliver the outcome for his team.

And the result? Yeah, Herbert was good as advertised, but he sure had a lot of assistance from his pissed off Oregon teammates. In a mere matter of minutes before halftime the whole puzzle interlocked, and the Bears saw their 10-7 lead evaporate into an insurmountable 28-10 deficit.

Oregon cruised to a 42-24 win behind Herbert’s 225 yards passing and two touchdowns. But the real stars were Herbert’s ax safe teammates–on both sides of the ball–who were fiercely committed to erasing the memory of last week’s epic home loss to Stanford.

As always under coach Justin Wilcox, the Bears were fastidiously prepared and engaged, just outclassed by Oregon. Turnovers hurt; Oregon’s Drayton Carlberg sacked Brandon McIlwain, who fumbled, and watched LaMarr Winston Jr. race 61 yards on a scoop-and- score, the capper to Oregon’s 21-point explosion before halftime.

Bigger issues were presented by the Ducks’ speed and quickness in their defensive front, and their robust run game that was a question coming in due to injuries. Starter Tony Brooks-James, nicked up in the Stanford game, was only used on kickoffs. But backups Travis Dye and CJ Verdell both ran for over 100 yards as the Ducks found success running, which reduced the pressure on Herbert in the passing game.

Cal moves to 3-0, but wary of stiffer Pac-12 competition around the corner

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, Calif. — Linebacker Evan Weaver didn’t want to interrupt the celebratory mood surrounding Cal’s third straight win to open the season, but the defense mistakes were troublesome to him.

“It’s gonna get harder,” Weaver admitted. “We have a tough Pac-12 schedule, and it’s going to get harder to win these games.”

Beating Big Sky opponent Idaho State 45-23 was satisfying no doubt, but conference football is a different animal, and it was apparent that the Bears could be in for a rude awakening when Oregon visits Berkeley in two weeks.

“We scored a touchdown, and then the ball comes back and then we are out of bounds,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “We can’t have that. If it’s 10 out of 11 guys doing it right and one not. They’re trying, doesn’t mean they aren’t trying. No one on our team overlooked the opponent today, we just have to play better. It’s technique, it’s focus, and it’s training. We have to be better across the board, starting with me.”

At the top of the list of irritants, were the two fourth quarter touchdowns scored by ISU after the Bears went up 45-9 with 8:04 remaining. Both Bengals’ drives took less than three minutes and provided too little resistance for the tastes on the California sidelines. To the internal critics, it mattered little that the Bears substituted liberally in the final minutes.

“We made a lot of mistakes today, myself included. Really did not have a great game. It’s a team sport, and when you get individual stats, sure it’s cool, but if we were to play better as a unit, they wouldn’t have 23 points. That’s why I’m mad.”

No one was mad at quarterback Chase Garbers or safety Ashtyn Davis for that matter. Garbers delivered an efficient performance with 20 of 25 passing, three touchdowns, two of those to Jordan Duncan in the first half in which Cal built a 28-3 lead. Garbers was sacked just once, and got the vast majority of snaps over Brandon McIlwain, who sat likely due to ISU’s defense crowding the line of scrimmage. Nine different Bears caught passes preventing ISU from keying on anyone in the absence of leading receiver Kanawai Noa, who was a late scratch.

Davis came up with a momentum changing chase down tackle of ISU’s Mitch Guellar after a 63-yard gain that appeared headed for the endzone. Davis’ tackle at the 8-yard line allowed Cal to limit Idaho St. to a field goal in the first half.

But Davis was just getting started, adding a 89-yard kickoff return after the ISU field goal, and an interception after that.

The Bears have a bye this week before starting Pac-12 play at home against Oregon, the first of nine contests in as many weeks. The Bears are likely to benefit from not having any week night contests mandated by the Pac-12 television contracts.