Big Game Notes From the Heart

7,228 Views | 57 Replies | Last: 11 mo ago by oski003
heartofthebear
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I was on the fence about going, but as tickets became scarce, jumped on it, getting 2 tickets way up in section 240. Having had sat there 2 years ago, I was okay with that. Then as forecasts turned sour, I kindof regretted it. After all, staying home would mean being able to also match Goergia-Tennessee, USC-UCLA and Washington-Oregon St. Plus I'm fasting right now, so lunch before the game was out.

But, despite many traffic hassles both ways, including a train delay because a car was on the tracks, I will never miss a Cal game in PA again. Here's my take on Cal, Furd, the game and the future:

  • Firstly Palo Alto is absolutely bear territory, at least on big game days at Furd. Cal fans dominated the Stadium, as we did 2 years ago except more so last night.
  • Cal fans stomped their feet on 3rd downs making the whole place shake and rumble. While the only thing that Furd did was the PA guy would yell aggressively that it was 3rd down, which, after Cal continued to convert 3rd downs, sounded pretty lame.
  • I am so sick of Stanford announcing it is Leland Stanford. I shouted "who the **** cares about his first name" because, yeah, nobody cares--No offense to any Cal fans named Leland.
  • Cal plays absolutely their best football at Stanford stadium going back to the Zach Maynard era. Yeah lots of those were losses but they were close losses to Furd team that was far superior in talent.
  • I don't like Wilcox as a HC, but he has figured out how to win big games better than most of our recent HCs.
  • Mendoza and Ott are going to be a dynamic duo at Cal as long as they are here. Ott is now learning to make even better decisions on inside runs, popping outside when needed. And he usually breaks 2 tackles on each run. Maybe it was just the poor Furd defense, but I think Ott may actually be getting better.
  • Mendoza has an elite arm. You heard it here first. It is elite because of the velocity that is still catchable. The ball gets to the receiver very fast. Mendoza is very much like Brock Purdy internally with an even more likeable personality and better leadership skills. Purdy makes better decisions at this point but I think Mendoza may have a better arm. Mendoza needs to sense pressure a bit better, protect himself on runs better and avoid making the risky throw a bit better, although Purdy still makes risky throws too. Mendoza will be in the NFL, which I said before he even took a live snap at Cal.
  • What do you think about Ott taking a knee at the 5 with less than 2 minutes left in the game? I have mixed feelings. Selfishly I wanted him to score, which he could have done easily as there was nobody around him. 34-15 would have looked so much better on the scoreboard and it would have more accurately reflected how much Cal dominated that game. But, after my initial dismay, I realized that Ott's decision had iced the game. It's the decision all the broadcasters and coach preach as the right decision, but rarely is it done, especially in college and especially by a young player. When Ott was first interviewed at Cal, something about the way he talked made me think that he was kind of egotistical and narcissistic. That rapidly changed and I have grown to respect him as a young man as well as an elite athlete. But none of that prepared me for what he did last night. He is very intelligent and knows the game situation, maybe even better than his coaches. And he is selfless and a true team player. That act along with Mendoza's play and Spavitol's coaching will give Cal great leadership on offense moving forward. That will help us pull in offensive talent through the portal during the off-season as we still need to bolster our OL and could use better top end talent at WR.
  • More mind blowingly bad calls from pac-12 refs in the big game: Why is it that the refs. love Furd so much? But the punt return interference called against Cal in the first quarter last night was completely fabricated. There was nobody within several yards of him. The flag was not throw until very late. That call could have cost Cal the game as, at one point, it was a 6 point game with Furd driving for a score. What is disgusting is that they couldn't review it because it wasn't the fumble recovery that was in dispute. It was the penalty call, which cannot be reviewed. It isn't just that calls are blown, but it is when they are blatantly fabricated that bothers me and this has happened in every single big game for as far back as I can remember in favor of Furd. Having said that, I'm not sure that was targetting on Mendoza, Mendoza was knocked out when his helmet slammed on the ground falling backwards. I didn't see the Furd player hit Mendoza in the head at all.
  • This game makes watching next Saturday's game more fun and interesting but I am not very hopeful. Chip Kelly, who somehow has pissed off his employer, is 9-1 against Cal as an HC. And Cal does not have a very good history against UCLA in the rose bowl. Also UCLA has solved their QB problem, which contributed to their losses this season. UCLA has an elite defense so how will the big 3 leaders on offense I mentioned above handle that? That will be interesting to watch. However I am not looking forward to watching Garbers and Sturdivant carve up Cal's pass D, especially since I feel both should be at Cal. I just want the key players to come out of the game healthy enough to play next season.
  • Despite all of the crap this year, I am actually looking forward to next season. But we have to get much better coaching and talent on defense immediately.
golden sloth
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heartofthebear said:

I was on the fence about going, but as tickets became scarce, jumped on it, getting 2 tickets way up in section 240. Having had sat there 2 years ago, I was okay with that. Then as forecasts turned sour, I kindof regretted it. After all, staying home would mean being able to also match Goergia-Tennessee, USC-UCLA and Washington-Oregon St. Plus I'm fasting right now, so lunch before the game was out.

But, despite many traffic hassles both ways, including a train delay because a car was on the tracks, I will never miss a Cal game in PA again. Here's my take on Cal, Furd, the game and the future:

  • Firstly Palo Alto is absolutely bear territory, at least on big game days at Furd. Cal fans dominated the Stadium, as we did 2 years ago except more so last night.
  • Cal fans stomped their feet on 3rd downs making the whole place shake and rumble. While the only thing that Furd did was the PA guy would yell aggressively that it was 3rd down, which, after Cal continued to convert 3rd downs, sounded pretty lame.
  • I am so sick of Stanford announcing it is Leland Stanford. I shouted "who the **** cares about his first name" because, yeah, nobody cares--No offense to any Cal fans named Leland.
  • Cal plays absolutely their best football at Stanford stadium going back to the Zach Maynard era. Yeah lots of those were losses but they were close losses to Furd team that was far superior in talent.
  • I don't like Wilcox as a HC, but he has figured out how to win big games better than most of our recent HCs.
  • Mendoza and Ott are going to be a dynamic duo at Cal as long as they are here. Ott is now learning to make even better decisions on inside runs, popping outside when needed. And he usually breaks 2 tackles on each run. Maybe it was just the poor Furd defense, but I think Ott may actually be getting better.
  • Mendoza has an elite arm. You heard it here first. It is elite because of the velocity that is still catchable. The ball gets to the receiver very fast. Mendoza is very much like Brock Purdy internally with an even more likeable personality and better leadership skills. Purdy makes better decisions at this point but I think Mendoza may have a better arm. Mendoza needs to sense pressure a bit better, protect himself on runs better and avoid making the risky throw a bit better, although Purdy still makes risky throws too. Mendoza will be in the NFL, which I said before he even took a live snap at Cal.
  • What do you think about Ott taking a knee at the 5 with less than 2 minutes left in the game? I have mixed feelings. Selfishly I wanted him to score, which he could have done easily as there was nobody around him. 34-15 would have looked so much better on the scoreboard and it would have more accurately reflected how much Cal dominated that game. But, after my initial dismay, I realized that Ott's decision had iced the game. It's the decision all the broadcasters and coach preach as the right decision, but rarely is it done, especially in college and especially by a young player. When Ott was first interviewed at Cal, something about the way he talked made me think that he was kind of egotistical and narcissistic. That rapidly changed and I have grown to respect him as a young man as well as an elite athlete. But none of that prepared me for what he did last night. He is very intelligent and knows the game situation, maybe even better than his coaches. And he is selfless and a true team player. That act along with Mendoza's play and Spavitol's coaching will give Cal great leadership on offense moving forward. That will help us pull in offensive talent through the portal during the off-season as we still need to bolster our OL and could use better top end talent at WR.
  • More mind blowingly bad calls from pac-12 refs in the big game: Why is it that the refs. love Furd so much? But the punt return interference called against Cal in the first quarter last night was completely fabricated. There was nobody within several yards of him. The flag was not throw until very late. That call could have cost Cal the game as, at one point, it was a 6 point game with Furd driving for a score. What is disgusting is that they couldn't review it because it wasn't the fumble recovery that was in dispute. It was the penalty call, which cannot be reviewed. It isn't just that calls are blown, but it is when they are blatantly fabricated that bothers me and this has happened in every single big game for as far back as I can remember in favor of Furd. Having said that, I'm not sure that was targetting on Mendoza, Mendoza was knocked out when his helmet slammed on the ground falling backwards. I didn't see the Furd player hit Mendoza in the head at all.
  • This game makes watching next Saturday's game more fun and interesting but I am not very hopeful. Chip Kelly, who somehow has pissed off his employer, is 9-1 against Cal as an HC. And Cal does not have a very good history against UCLA in the rose bowl. Also UCLA has solved their QB problem, which contributed to their losses this season. UCLA has an elite defense so how will the big 3 leaders on offense I mentioned above handle that? That will be interesting to watch. However I am not looking forward to watching Garbers and Sturdivant carve up Cal's pass D, especially since I feel both should be at Cal. I just want the key players to come out of the game healthy enough to play next season.
  • Despite all of the crap this year, I am actually looking forward to next season. But we have to get much better coaching and talent on defense immediately.



Regarding the targeting. It absolutely was targeting. Mendoza was running, and never dipped his head, and sinclair made direct helmet to helmet contact. Sinclair deserved to be kicked out. He could have easily hit him in the chest, but instead hit him in the head. Sinclair is a dirty player, and has no business being on the field. **** him.
DiabloWags
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heartofthebear said:


  • What do you think about Ott taking a knee at the 5 with less than 2 minutes left in the game? I have mixed feelings. Selfishly I wanted him to score, which he could have done easily as there was nobody around him. 34-15 would have looked so much better on the scoreboard and it would have more accurately reflected how much Cal dominated that game. But, after my initial dismay, I realized that Ott's decision had iced the game. It's the decision all the broadcasters and coach preach as the right decision, but rarely is it done, especially in college and especially by a young player.


  • In 2004, Jeff Tedford took a "knee" against Southern Mississippi on the road and it cost us dearly with a #5 in the BCS standings when we were #4 heading into the game.. That was our last (and best chance) to go to a Rose Bowl.

    To this day, I still recall former Domer head coach Bob Davie in the broadcast booth claiming that Cal didn't win by enough to keep its position in the BCS at #4.

    "Cults don't end well. They really don't."
    heartofthebear
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    DiabloWags said:

    heartofthebear said:


  • What do you think about Ott taking a knee at the 5 with less than 2 minutes left in the game? I have mixed feelings. Selfishly I wanted him to score, which he could have done easily as there was nobody around him. 34-15 would have looked so much better on the scoreboard and it would have more accurately reflected how much Cal dominated that game. But, after my initial dismay, I realized that Ott's decision had iced the game. It's the decision all the broadcasters and coach preach as the right decision, but rarely is it done, especially in college and especially by a young player.


  • In 2004, Jeff Tedford took a "knee" against Southern Mississippi on the road and it cost us dearly with a #5 in the BCS standings when we were #4 heading into the game.. That was our last (and best chance) to go to a Rose Bowl.

    To this day, I still recall former Domer head coach Bob Davie in the broadcast booth claiming that Cal didn't win by enough to keep its position in the BCS at #4.


    Different situation. And, despite the rhetoric, Texas was always going to get voted in because the money first NCAA always is biased towards the better market. It had nothing to do with taking a knee, imo that is just a red herring to excuse the political bias that is rampant in the NCAA. And Davie knows it.
    Joegeo
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    The only worry if Ott scored was a defensive player getting hurt or a targeting call that influences the game vs UCLA.

    I am not sure if Wilcox has enough backup bodies he can put in at the end of the game so I am fine with kneeling it and reduce the risk.
    OdontoBear66
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    heartofthebear said:

    I was on the fence about going, but as tickets became scarce, jumped on it, getting 2 tickets way up in section 240. Having had sat there 2 years ago, I was okay with that. Then as forecasts turned sour, I kindof regretted it. After all, staying home would mean being able to also match Goergia-Tennessee, USC-UCLA and Washington-Oregon St. Plus I'm fasting right now, so lunch before the game was out.

    But, despite many traffic hassles both ways, including a train delay because a car was on the tracks, I will never miss a Cal game in PA again. Here's my take on Cal, Furd, the game and the future:

    • Firstly Palo Alto is absolutely bear territory, at least on big game days at Furd. Cal fans dominated the Stadium, as we did 2 years ago except more so last night.
    • Cal fans stomped their feet on 3rd downs making the whole place shake and rumble. While the only thing that Furd did was the PA guy would yell aggressively that it was 3rd down, which, after Cal continued to convert 3rd downs, sounded pretty lame.
    • I am so sick of Stanford announcing it is Leland Stanford. I shouted "who the **** cares about his first name" because, yeah, nobody cares--No offense to any Cal fans named Leland.
    • Cal plays absolutely their best football at Stanford stadium going back to the Zach Maynard era. Yeah lots of those were losses but they were close losses to Furd team that was far superior in talent.
    • I don't like Wilcox as a HC, but he has figured out how to win big games better than most of our recent HCs.
    • Mendoza and Ott are going to be a dynamic duo at Cal as long as they are here. Ott is now learning to make even better decisions on inside runs, popping outside when needed. And he usually breaks 2 tackles on each run. Maybe it was just the poor Furd defense, but I think Ott may actually be getting better.
    • Mendoza has an elite arm. You heard it here first. It is elite because of the velocity that is still catchable. The ball gets to the receiver very fast. Mendoza is very much like Brock Purdy internally with an even more likeable personality and better leadership skills. Purdy makes better decisions at this point but I think Mendoza may have a better arm. Mendoza needs to sense pressure a bit better, protect himself on runs better and avoid making the risky throw a bit better, although Purdy still makes risky throws too. Mendoza will be in the NFL, which I said before he even took a live snap at Cal.
    • What do you think about Ott taking a knee at the 5 with less than 2 minutes left in the game? I have mixed feelings. Selfishly I wanted him to score, which he could have done easily as there was nobody around him. 34-15 would have looked so much better on the scoreboard and it would have more accurately reflected how much Cal dominated that game. But, after my initial dismay, I realized that Ott's decision had iced the game. It's the decision all the broadcasters and coach preach as the right decision, but rarely is it done, especially in college and especially by a young player. When Ott was first interviewed at Cal, something about the way he talked made me think that he was kind of egotistical and narcissistic. That rapidly changed and I have grown to respect him as a young man as well as an elite athlete. But none of that prepared me for what he did last night. He is very intelligent and knows the game situation, maybe even better than his coaches. And he is selfless and a true team player. That act along with Mendoza's play and Spavitol's coaching will give Cal great leadership on offense moving forward. That will help us pull in offensive talent through the portal during the off-season as we still need to bolster our OL and could use better top end talent at WR.
    • More mind blowingly bad calls from pac-12 refs in the big game: Why is it that the refs. love Furd so much? But the punt return interference called against Cal in the first quarter last night was completely fabricated. There was nobody within several yards of him. The flag was not throw until very late. That call could have cost Cal the game as, at one point, it was a 6 point game with Furd driving for a score. What is disgusting is that they couldn't review it because it wasn't the fumble recovery that was in dispute. It was the penalty call, which cannot be reviewed. It isn't just that calls are blown, but it is when they are blatantly fabricated that bothers me and this has happened in every single big game for as far back as I can remember in favor of Furd. Having said that, I'm not sure that was targetting on Mendoza, Mendoza was knocked out when his helmet slammed on the ground falling backwards. I didn't see the Furd player hit Mendoza in the head at all.
    • This game makes watching next Saturday's game more fun and interesting but I am not very hopeful. Chip Kelly, who somehow has pissed off his employer, is 9-1 against Cal as an HC. And Cal does not have a very good history against UCLA in the rose bowl. Also UCLA has solved their QB problem, which contributed to their losses this season. UCLA has an elite defense so how will the big 3 leaders on offense I mentioned above handle that? That will be interesting to watch. However I am not looking forward to watching Garbers and Sturdivant carve up Cal's pass D, especially since I feel both should be at Cal. I just want the key players to come out of the game healthy enough to play next season.
    • Despite all of the crap this year, I am actually looking forward to next season. But we have to get much better coaching and talent on defense immediately.

    The announcers, like myself, were incensed at the call, until we found out the ruling which they explained later on. Apparently the kick returner must be given a chance to catch the ball, including if he bobbles it and it shoots up in the air. I guess that means it must hit the ground as fumble before it is not interference. Some how sounds logical but a bit ridiculous. We interfered during the bobble and thus the penalty. Interesting. Maybe a rule that needs reviewing.
    heartofthebear
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    golden sloth said:

    heartofthebear said:

    I was on the fence about going, but as tickets became scarce, jumped on it, getting 2 tickets way up in section 240. Having had sat there 2 years ago, I was okay with that. Then as forecasts turned sour, I kindof regretted it. After all, staying home would mean being able to also match Goergia-Tennessee, USC-UCLA and Washington-Oregon St. Plus I'm fasting right now, so lunch before the game was out.

    But, despite many traffic hassles both ways, including a train delay because a car was on the tracks, I will never miss a Cal game in PA again. Here's my take on Cal, Furd, the game and the future:

    • Firstly Palo Alto is absolutely bear territory, at least on big game days at Furd. Cal fans dominated the Stadium, as we did 2 years ago except more so last night.
    • Cal fans stomped their feet on 3rd downs making the whole place shake and rumble. While the only thing that Furd did was the PA guy would yell aggressively that it was 3rd down, which, after Cal continued to convert 3rd downs, sounded pretty lame.
    • I am so sick of Stanford announcing it is Leland Stanford. I shouted "who the **** cares about his first name" because, yeah, nobody cares--No offense to any Cal fans named Leland.
    • Cal plays absolutely their best football at Stanford stadium going back to the Zach Maynard era. Yeah lots of those were losses but they were close losses to Furd team that was far superior in talent.
    • I don't like Wilcox as a HC, but he has figured out how to win big games better than most of our recent HCs.
    • Mendoza and Ott are going to be a dynamic duo at Cal as long as they are here. Ott is now learning to make even better decisions on inside runs, popping outside when needed. And he usually breaks 2 tackles on each run. Maybe it was just the poor Furd defense, but I think Ott may actually be getting better.
    • Mendoza has an elite arm. You heard it here first. It is elite because of the velocity that is still catchable. The ball gets to the receiver very fast. Mendoza is very much like Brock Purdy internally with an even more likeable personality and better leadership skills. Purdy makes better decisions at this point but I think Mendoza may have a better arm. Mendoza needs to sense pressure a bit better, protect himself on runs better and avoid making the risky throw a bit better, although Purdy still makes risky throws too. Mendoza will be in the NFL, which I said before he even took a live snap at Cal.
    • What do you think about Ott taking a knee at the 5 with less than 2 minutes left in the game? I have mixed feelings. Selfishly I wanted him to score, which he could have done easily as there was nobody around him. 34-15 would have looked so much better on the scoreboard and it would have more accurately reflected how much Cal dominated that game. But, after my initial dismay, I realized that Ott's decision had iced the game. It's the decision all the broadcasters and coach preach as the right decision, but rarely is it done, especially in college and especially by a young player. When Ott was first interviewed at Cal, something about the way he talked made me think that he was kind of egotistical and narcissistic. That rapidly changed and I have grown to respect him as a young man as well as an elite athlete. But none of that prepared me for what he did last night. He is very intelligent and knows the game situation, maybe even better than his coaches. And he is selfless and a true team player. That act along with Mendoza's play and Spavitol's coaching will give Cal great leadership on offense moving forward. That will help us pull in offensive talent through the portal during the off-season as we still need to bolster our OL and could use better top end talent at WR.
    • More mind blowingly bad calls from pac-12 refs in the big game: Why is it that the refs. love Furd so much? But the punt return interference called against Cal in the first quarter last night was completely fabricated. There was nobody within several yards of him. The flag was not throw until very late. That call could have cost Cal the game as, at one point, it was a 6 point game with Furd driving for a score. What is disgusting is that they couldn't review it because it wasn't the fumble recovery that was in dispute. It was the penalty call, which cannot be reviewed. It isn't just that calls are blown, but it is when they are blatantly fabricated that bothers me and this has happened in every single big game for as far back as I can remember in favor of Furd. Having said that, I'm not sure that was targetting on Mendoza, Mendoza was knocked out when his helmet slammed on the ground falling backwards. I didn't see the Furd player hit Mendoza in the head at all.
    • This game makes watching next Saturday's game more fun and interesting but I am not very hopeful. Chip Kelly, who somehow has pissed off his employer, is 9-1 against Cal as an HC. And Cal does not have a very good history against UCLA in the rose bowl. Also UCLA has solved their QB problem, which contributed to their losses this season. UCLA has an elite defense so how will the big 3 leaders on offense I mentioned above handle that? That will be interesting to watch. However I am not looking forward to watching Garbers and Sturdivant carve up Cal's pass D, especially since I feel both should be at Cal. I just want the key players to come out of the game healthy enough to play next season.
    • Despite all of the crap this year, I am actually looking forward to next season. But we have to get much better coaching and talent on defense immediately.



    Regarding the targeting. It absolutely was targeting. Mendoza was running, and never dipped his head, and sinclair made direct helmet to helmet contact. Sinclair deserved to be kicked out. He could have easily hit him in the chest, but instead hit him in the head. Sinclair is a dirty player, and has no business being on the field. **** him.
    Okay, all I know is that I didn't see it. I'm glad the call was correct and Mendoza was able to return.
    heartofthebear
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    OdontoBear66 said:

    heartofthebear said:

    I was on the fence about going, but as tickets became scarce, jumped on it, getting 2 tickets way up in section 240. Having had sat there 2 years ago, I was okay with that. Then as forecasts turned sour, I kindof regretted it. After all, staying home would mean being able to also match Goergia-Tennessee, USC-UCLA and Washington-Oregon St. Plus I'm fasting right now, so lunch before the game was out.

    But, despite many traffic hassles both ways, including a train delay because a car was on the tracks, I will never miss a Cal game in PA again. Here's my take on Cal, Furd, the game and the future:

    • Firstly Palo Alto is absolutely bear territory, at least on big game days at Furd. Cal fans dominated the Stadium, as we did 2 years ago except more so last night.
    • Cal fans stomped their feet on 3rd downs making the whole place shake and rumble. While the only thing that Furd did was the PA guy would yell aggressively that it was 3rd down, which, after Cal continued to convert 3rd downs, sounded pretty lame.
    • I am so sick of Stanford announcing it is Leland Stanford. I shouted "who the **** cares about his first name" because, yeah, nobody cares--No offense to any Cal fans named Leland.
    • Cal plays absolutely their best football at Stanford stadium going back to the Zach Maynard era. Yeah lots of those were losses but they were close losses to Furd team that was far superior in talent.
    • I don't like Wilcox as a HC, but he has figured out how to win big games better than most of our recent HCs.
    • Mendoza and Ott are going to be a dynamic duo at Cal as long as they are here. Ott is now learning to make even better decisions on inside runs, popping outside when needed. And he usually breaks 2 tackles on each run. Maybe it was just the poor Furd defense, but I think Ott may actually be getting better.
    • Mendoza has an elite arm. You heard it here first. It is elite because of the velocity that is still catchable. The ball gets to the receiver very fast. Mendoza is very much like Brock Purdy internally with an even more likeable personality and better leadership skills. Purdy makes better decisions at this point but I think Mendoza may have a better arm. Mendoza needs to sense pressure a bit better, protect himself on runs better and avoid making the risky throw a bit better, although Purdy still makes risky throws too. Mendoza will be in the NFL, which I said before he even took a live snap at Cal.
    • What do you think about Ott taking a knee at the 5 with less than 2 minutes left in the game? I have mixed feelings. Selfishly I wanted him to score, which he could have done easily as there was nobody around him. 34-15 would have looked so much better on the scoreboard and it would have more accurately reflected how much Cal dominated that game. But, after my initial dismay, I realized that Ott's decision had iced the game. It's the decision all the broadcasters and coach preach as the right decision, but rarely is it done, especially in college and especially by a young player. When Ott was first interviewed at Cal, something about the way he talked made me think that he was kind of egotistical and narcissistic. That rapidly changed and I have grown to respect him as a young man as well as an elite athlete. But none of that prepared me for what he did last night. He is very intelligent and knows the game situation, maybe even better than his coaches. And he is selfless and a true team player. That act along with Mendoza's play and Spavitol's coaching will give Cal great leadership on offense moving forward. That will help us pull in offensive talent through the portal during the off-season as we still need to bolster our OL and could use better top end talent at WR.
    • More mind blowingly bad calls from pac-12 refs in the big game: Why is it that the refs. love Furd so much? But the punt return interference called against Cal in the first quarter last night was completely fabricated. There was nobody within several yards of him. The flag was not throw until very late. That call could have cost Cal the game as, at one point, it was a 6 point game with Furd driving for a score. What is disgusting is that they couldn't review it because it wasn't the fumble recovery that was in dispute. It was the penalty call, which cannot be reviewed. It isn't just that calls are blown, but it is when they are blatantly fabricated that bothers me and this has happened in every single big game for as far back as I can remember in favor of Furd. Having said that, I'm not sure that was targetting on Mendoza, Mendoza was knocked out when his helmet slammed on the ground falling backwards. I didn't see the Furd player hit Mendoza in the head at all.
    • This game makes watching next Saturday's game more fun and interesting but I am not very hopeful. Chip Kelly, who somehow has pissed off his employer, is 9-1 against Cal as an HC. And Cal does not have a very good history against UCLA in the rose bowl. Also UCLA has solved their QB problem, which contributed to their losses this season. UCLA has an elite defense so how will the big 3 leaders on offense I mentioned above handle that? That will be interesting to watch. However I am not looking forward to watching Garbers and Sturdivant carve up Cal's pass D, especially since I feel both should be at Cal. I just want the key players to come out of the game healthy enough to play next season.
    • Despite all of the crap this year, I am actually looking forward to next season. But we have to get much better coaching and talent on defense immediately.

    The announcers, like myself, were incensed at the call, until we found out the ruling which they explained later on. Apparently the kick returner must be given a chance to catch the ball, including if he bobbles it and it shoots up in the air. I guess that means it must hit the ground as fumble before it is not interference. Some how sounds logical but a bit ridiculous. We interfered during the bobble and thus the penalty. Interesting. Maybe a rule that needs reviewing.
    Absolutely. It's another stupid rule. But I guess it's the correct call. It used to be the ball is live once the player touches it. I can't believe they actually changed that. I guess it's to protect from injury.
    89Bear
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    heartofthebear said:

    OdontoBear66 said:

    heartofthebear said:

    I was on the fence about going, but as tickets became scarce, jumped on it, getting 2 tickets way up in section 240. Having had sat there 2 years ago, I was okay with that. Then as forecasts turned sour, I kindof regretted it. After all, staying home would mean being able to also match Goergia-Tennessee, USC-UCLA and Washington-Oregon St. Plus I'm fasting right now, so lunch before the game was out.

    But, despite many traffic hassles both ways, including a train delay because a car was on the tracks, I will never miss a Cal game in PA again. Here's my take on Cal, Furd, the game and the future:

    • Firstly Palo Alto is absolutely bear territory, at least on big game days at Furd. Cal fans dominated the Stadium, as we did 2 years ago except more so last night.
    • Cal fans stomped their feet on 3rd downs making the whole place shake and rumble. While the only thing that Furd did was the PA guy would yell aggressively that it was 3rd down, which, after Cal continued to convert 3rd downs, sounded pretty lame.
    • I am so sick of Stanford announcing it is Leland Stanford. I shouted "who the **** cares about his first name" because, yeah, nobody cares--No offense to any Cal fans named Leland.
    • Cal plays absolutely their best football at Stanford stadium going back to the Zach Maynard era. Yeah lots of those were losses but they were close losses to Furd team that was far superior in talent.
    • I don't like Wilcox as a HC, but he has figured out how to win big games better than most of our recent HCs.
    • Mendoza and Ott are going to be a dynamic duo at Cal as long as they are here. Ott is now learning to make even better decisions on inside runs, popping outside when needed. And he usually breaks 2 tackles on each run. Maybe it was just the poor Furd defense, but I think Ott may actually be getting better.
    • Mendoza has an elite arm. You heard it here first. It is elite because of the velocity that is still catchable. The ball gets to the receiver very fast. Mendoza is very much like Brock Purdy internally with an even more likeable personality and better leadership skills. Purdy makes better decisions at this point but I think Mendoza may have a better arm. Mendoza needs to sense pressure a bit better, protect himself on runs better and avoid making the risky throw a bit better, although Purdy still makes risky throws too. Mendoza will be in the NFL, which I said before he even took a live snap at Cal.
    • What do you think about Ott taking a knee at the 5 with less than 2 minutes left in the game? I have mixed feelings. Selfishly I wanted him to score, which he could have done easily as there was nobody around him. 34-15 would have looked so much better on the scoreboard and it would have more accurately reflected how much Cal dominated that game. But, after my initial dismay, I realized that Ott's decision had iced the game. It's the decision all the broadcasters and coach preach as the right decision, but rarely is it done, especially in college and especially by a young player. When Ott was first interviewed at Cal, something about the way he talked made me think that he was kind of egotistical and narcissistic. That rapidly changed and I have grown to respect him as a young man as well as an elite athlete. But none of that prepared me for what he did last night. He is very intelligent and knows the game situation, maybe even better than his coaches. And he is selfless and a true team player. That act along with Mendoza's play and Spavitol's coaching will give Cal great leadership on offense moving forward. That will help us pull in offensive talent through the portal during the off-season as we still need to bolster our OL and could use better top end talent at WR.
    • More mind blowingly bad calls from pac-12 refs in the big game: Why is it that the refs. love Furd so much? But the punt return interference called against Cal in the first quarter last night was completely fabricated. There was nobody within several yards of him. The flag was not throw until very late. That call could have cost Cal the game as, at one point, it was a 6 point game with Furd driving for a score. What is disgusting is that they couldn't review it because it wasn't the fumble recovery that was in dispute. It was the penalty call, which cannot be reviewed. It isn't just that calls are blown, but it is when they are blatantly fabricated that bothers me and this has happened in every single big game for as far back as I can remember in favor of Furd. Having said that, I'm not sure that was targetting on Mendoza, Mendoza was knocked out when his helmet slammed on the ground falling backwards. I didn't see the Furd player hit Mendoza in the head at all.
    • This game makes watching next Saturday's game more fun and interesting but I am not very hopeful. Chip Kelly, who somehow has pissed off his employer, is 9-1 against Cal as an HC. And Cal does not have a very good history against UCLA in the rose bowl. Also UCLA has solved their QB problem, which contributed to their losses this season. UCLA has an elite defense so how will the big 3 leaders on offense I mentioned above handle that? That will be interesting to watch. However I am not looking forward to watching Garbers and Sturdivant carve up Cal's pass D, especially since I feel both should be at Cal. I just want the key players to come out of the game healthy enough to play next season.
    • Despite all of the crap this year, I am actually looking forward to next season. But we have to get much better coaching and talent on defense immediately.

    The announcers, like myself, were incensed at the call, until we found out the ruling which they explained later on. Apparently the kick returner must be given a chance to catch the ball, including if he bobbles it and it shoots up in the air. I guess that means it must hit the ground as fumble before it is not interference. Some how sounds logical but a bit ridiculous. We interfered during the bobble and thus the penalty. Interesting. Maybe a rule that needs reviewing.
    Absolutely. It's another stupid rule. But I guess it's the correct call. It used to be the ball is live once the player touches it. I can't believe they actually changed that. I guess it's to protect from injury.
    It is a stupid rule!! So can the returner stand there juggling the ball the rest of the game? What makes the play over?
    Cal88
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    -Apparently the punt return interference call was technically speaking the right call, as the receiver is entitled to bobble the ball without interference. The play goes live and receiver becomes a target once the ball touches the ground. That's the rule, as communicated by the P12 crew of Lincoln Kennedy and the other guy, who once again did a very good job covering the game, with the minor caveat of Kennedy being a bit too much of an outsider as far as Big Game history and traditions are concerned.

    -Digging deeper, the thing that made me not like Jaydn's kneeling is that the call conveyed a lack of trust in the team and lack of killer instinct, winning mentality. If we had more of that we would have put in the final nail on SC and also beaten Auburn. You don't bother computing odds and ranking outcomes with 3 or 4 standard deviations, you finish the game emphatically and score the crowning TD and go 19 points ahead.

    The knee reflects, at some level, a lack of confidence. In any case the team and program have climbed the p12 hill and improved over the course of the season, and put itself in a position to climb to the top half of the toughest Pac10/12 in 40+ years and put itself in contention for what is the hardest bowl berth in the NCAA this year.

    -If you live in the Bay Area you shouldn't even think about not going to the Big Game, short of extreme family circumstance (extreme as in health reasons, not a kid's game, or somebody's birthday).

    -traffic in and out of Furd is a breeze, if you know your way around.

    philly1121
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    I'm mixed about the kneel down. I don't think it conveyed a lack of trust. What it did convey was that, once he got through the line, he recognized he had the first down. Whether he scored or not - the game was over. He scores, they have to kick off Special teams goes out there. The defense goes out for one more series. A Stanford touchdown would have made no difference. But injuries would. So, I think its a recognition of the moment, the score. You show a bit of class by not scoring, take the knee, the win, keep the Axe. That's all that mattered.
    01Bear
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    golden sloth said:

    heartofthebear said:

    I was on the fence about going, but as tickets became scarce, jumped on it, getting 2 tickets way up in section 240. Having had sat there 2 years ago, I was okay with that. Then as forecasts turned sour, I kindof regretted it. After all, staying home would mean being able to also match Goergia-Tennessee, USC-UCLA and Washington-Oregon St. Plus I'm fasting right now, so lunch before the game was out.

    But, despite many traffic hassles both ways, including a train delay because a car was on the tracks, I will never miss a Cal game in PA again. Here's my take on Cal, Furd, the game and the future:

    • Firstly Palo Alto is absolutely bear territory, at least on big game days at Furd. Cal fans dominated the Stadium, as we did 2 years ago except more so last night.
    • Cal fans stomped their feet on 3rd downs making the whole place shake and rumble. While the only thing that Furd did was the PA guy would yell aggressively that it was 3rd down, which, after Cal continued to convert 3rd downs, sounded pretty lame.
    • I am so sick of Stanford announcing it is Leland Stanford. I shouted "who the **** cares about his first name" because, yeah, nobody cares--No offense to any Cal fans named Leland.
    • Cal plays absolutely their best football at Stanford stadium going back to the Zach Maynard era. Yeah lots of those were losses but they were close losses to Furd team that was far superior in talent.
    • I don't like Wilcox as a HC, but he has figured out how to win big games better than most of our recent HCs.
    • Mendoza and Ott are going to be a dynamic duo at Cal as long as they are here. Ott is now learning to make even better decisions on inside runs, popping outside when needed. And he usually breaks 2 tackles on each run. Maybe it was just the poor Furd defense, but I think Ott may actually be getting better.
    • Mendoza has an elite arm. You heard it here first. It is elite because of the velocity that is still catchable. The ball gets to the receiver very fast. Mendoza is very much like Brock Purdy internally with an even more likeable personality and better leadership skills. Purdy makes better decisions at this point but I think Mendoza may have a better arm. Mendoza needs to sense pressure a bit better, protect himself on runs better and avoid making the risky throw a bit better, although Purdy still makes risky throws too. Mendoza will be in the NFL, which I said before he even took a live snap at Cal.
    • What do you think about Ott taking a knee at the 5 with less than 2 minutes left in the game? I have mixed feelings. Selfishly I wanted him to score, which he could have done easily as there was nobody around him. 34-15 would have looked so much better on the scoreboard and it would have more accurately reflected how much Cal dominated that game. But, after my initial dismay, I realized that Ott's decision had iced the game. It's the decision all the broadcasters and coach preach as the right decision, but rarely is it done, especially in college and especially by a young player. When Ott was first interviewed at Cal, something about the way he talked made me think that he was kind of egotistical and narcissistic. That rapidly changed and I have grown to respect him as a young man as well as an elite athlete. But none of that prepared me for what he did last night. He is very intelligent and knows the game situation, maybe even better than his coaches. And he is selfless and a true team player. That act along with Mendoza's play and Spavitol's coaching will give Cal great leadership on offense moving forward. That will help us pull in offensive talent through the portal during the off-season as we still need to bolster our OL and could use better top end talent at WR.
    • More mind blowingly bad calls from pac-12 refs in the big game: Why is it that the refs. love Furd so much? But the punt return interference called against Cal in the first quarter last night was completely fabricated. There was nobody within several yards of him. The flag was not throw until very late. That call could have cost Cal the game as, at one point, it was a 6 point game with Furd driving for a score. What is disgusting is that they couldn't review it because it wasn't the fumble recovery that was in dispute. It was the penalty call, which cannot be reviewed. It isn't just that calls are blown, but it is when they are blatantly fabricated that bothers me and this has happened in every single big game for as far back as I can remember in favor of Furd. Having said that, I'm not sure that was targetting on Mendoza, Mendoza was knocked out when his helmet slammed on the ground falling backwards. I didn't see the Furd player hit Mendoza in the head at all.
    • This game makes watching next Saturday's game more fun and interesting but I am not very hopeful. Chip Kelly, who somehow has pissed off his employer, is 9-1 against Cal as an HC. And Cal does not have a very good history against UCLA in the rose bowl. Also UCLA has solved their QB problem, which contributed to their losses this season. UCLA has an elite defense so how will the big 3 leaders on offense I mentioned above handle that? That will be interesting to watch. However I am not looking forward to watching Garbers and Sturdivant carve up Cal's pass D, especially since I feel both should be at Cal. I just want the key players to come out of the game healthy enough to play next season.
    • Despite all of the crap this year, I am actually looking forward to next season. But we have to get much better coaching and talent on defense immediately.



    Regarding the targeting. It absolutely was targeting. Mendoza was running, and never dipped his head, and sinclair made direct helmet to helmet contact. Sinclair deserved to be kicked out. He could have easily hit him in the chest, but instead hit him in the head. Sinclair is a dirty player, and has no business being on the field. **** him.

    Yup. On the Pac-12's broadcast, there was a video showing the crown of dirty Furd Sinclair's helmet hitting Mendoza's chin. It was definitely targeting.
    72CalBear
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    Agree with the kneel down for the reasons posted. Cannot be compared to JT not scoring at So Miss at all.
    MrGPAC
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    It's probably something that will make the highlight reel for Ott for NFL scouts.

    He has the wherewithall to know the game situation and take the knee. Score didn't matter. In an NFL game up 1 going against Tom Brady you want a running back that knows you can finish the game right then and there. It's one thing to m ow these things logically. It's another to demonstrate you can do it in a game in real time.
    chalcidbear
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    Agree with philly about Ott taking the knee. Not only was it smart football play, but it was classy.
    Cal88
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    philly1121 said:

    I'm mixed about the kneel down. I don't think it conveyed a lack of trust. What it did convey was that, once he got through the line, he recognized he had the first down. Whether he scored or not - the game was over. He scores, they have to kick off Special teams goes out there. The defense goes out for one more series. A Stanford touchdown would have made no difference. But injuries would. So, I think its a recognition of the moment, the score. You show a bit of class by not scoring, take the knee, the win, keep the Axe. That's all that mattered.

    With a TD score, the game would have either ended on a sack of Daniels or a Cal interception. they might have scored once, but they needed 3 scores, and Daniels is not Elway, or Jim McMahon circa 1980 Holiday Bowl. Our D shut down their best player Elic Ayomanor all game, he had been averaging ~150ypg since midseason, only had 3 receptions for 43 yds yesterday.




    philly1121
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    With a kneel down - all of what you said might happen - was rendered moot. It was the right call.
    calumnus
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    philly1121 said:

    I'm mixed about the kneel down. I don't think it conveyed a lack of trust. What it did convey was that, once he got through the line, he recognized he had the first down. Whether he scored or not - the game was over. He scores, they have to kick off Special teams goes out there. The defense goes out for one more series. A Stanford touchdown would have made no difference. But injuries would. So, I think its a recognition of the moment, the score. You show a bit of class by not scoring, take the knee, the win, keep the Axe. That's all that mattered.



    So if you are trying to run out the clock, assure victory and avoid injuries do a Desean and stand on the one until time elapses or a Stanford player runs at you, then take a knee or step in for the score.
    Big C
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    Cal88 said:

    philly1121 said:

    I'm mixed about the kneel down. I don't think it conveyed a lack of trust. What it did convey was that, once he got through the line, he recognized he had the first down. Whether he scored or not - the game was over. He scores, they have to kick off Special teams goes out there. The defense goes out for one more series. A Stanford touchdown would have made no difference. But injuries would. So, I think its a recognition of the moment, the score. You show a bit of class by not scoring, take the knee, the win, keep the Axe. That's all that mattered.

    With a TD score, the game would have either ended on a sack of Daniels or a Cal interception. they might have scored once, but they needed 3 scores, and Daniels is not Elway, or Jim McMahon circa 1980 Holiday Bowl. Our D shut down their best player Elic Ayomanor all game, he had been averaging ~150ypg since midseason, only had 3 receptions for 43 yds yesterday.






    Ayomanor had one of the most amazing catches I've ever seen against Colorado. Nohl Williams did a great job on him!
    Anarchistbear
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    A kneel down is a bigger insult, says you can score but don't care.
    graguna
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    philly1121 said:

    With a kneel down - all of what you said might happen - was rendered moot. It was the right call.
    Yup

    CAL takes a knee and wins. Miami doesn't and loses.
    That's why.
    Ya never know.

    Also showed incredible selflessness. Great leader!
    OdontoBear66
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    89Bear said:

    heartofthebear said:

    OdontoBear66 said:

    heartofthebear said:

    I was on the fence about going, but as tickets became scarce, jumped on it, getting 2 tickets way up in section 240. Having had sat there 2 years ago, I was okay with that. Then as forecasts turned sour, I kindof regretted it. After all, staying home would mean being able to also match Goergia-Tennessee, USC-UCLA and Washington-Oregon St. Plus I'm fasting right now, so lunch before the game was out.

    But, despite many traffic hassles both ways, including a train delay because a car was on the tracks, I will never miss a Cal game in PA again. Here's my take on Cal, Furd, the game and the future:

    • Firstly Palo Alto is absolutely bear territory, at least on big game days at Furd. Cal fans dominated the Stadium, as we did 2 years ago except more so last night.
    • Cal fans stomped their feet on 3rd downs making the whole place shake and rumble. While the only thing that Furd did was the PA guy would yell aggressively that it was 3rd down, which, after Cal continued to convert 3rd downs, sounded pretty lame.
    • I am so sick of Stanford announcing it is Leland Stanford. I shouted "who the **** cares about his first name" because, yeah, nobody cares--No offense to any Cal fans named Leland.
    • Cal plays absolutely their best football at Stanford stadium going back to the Zach Maynard era. Yeah lots of those were losses but they were close losses to Furd team that was far superior in talent.
    • I don't like Wilcox as a HC, but he has figured out how to win big games better than most of our recent HCs.
    • Mendoza and Ott are going to be a dynamic duo at Cal as long as they are here. Ott is now learning to make even better decisions on inside runs, popping outside when needed. And he usually breaks 2 tackles on each run. Maybe it was just the poor Furd defense, but I think Ott may actually be getting better.
    • Mendoza has an elite arm. You heard it here first. It is elite because of the velocity that is still catchable. The ball gets to the receiver very fast. Mendoza is very much like Brock Purdy internally with an even more likeable personality and better leadership skills. Purdy makes better decisions at this point but I think Mendoza may have a better arm. Mendoza needs to sense pressure a bit better, protect himself on runs better and avoid making the risky throw a bit better, although Purdy still makes risky throws too. Mendoza will be in the NFL, which I said before he even took a live snap at Cal.
    • What do you think about Ott taking a knee at the 5 with less than 2 minutes left in the game? I have mixed feelings. Selfishly I wanted him to score, which he could have done easily as there was nobody around him. 34-15 would have looked so much better on the scoreboard and it would have more accurately reflected how much Cal dominated that game. But, after my initial dismay, I realized that Ott's decision had iced the game. It's the decision all the broadcasters and coach preach as the right decision, but rarely is it done, especially in college and especially by a young player. When Ott was first interviewed at Cal, something about the way he talked made me think that he was kind of egotistical and narcissistic. That rapidly changed and I have grown to respect him as a young man as well as an elite athlete. But none of that prepared me for what he did last night. He is very intelligent and knows the game situation, maybe even better than his coaches. And he is selfless and a true team player. That act along with Mendoza's play and Spavitol's coaching will give Cal great leadership on offense moving forward. That will help us pull in offensive talent through the portal during the off-season as we still need to bolster our OL and could use better top end talent at WR.
    • More mind blowingly bad calls from pac-12 refs in the big game: Why is it that the refs. love Furd so much? But the punt return interference called against Cal in the first quarter last night was completely fabricated. There was nobody within several yards of him. The flag was not throw until very late. That call could have cost Cal the game as, at one point, it was a 6 point game with Furd driving for a score. What is disgusting is that they couldn't review it because it wasn't the fumble recovery that was in dispute. It was the penalty call, which cannot be reviewed. It isn't just that calls are blown, but it is when they are blatantly fabricated that bothers me and this has happened in every single big game for as far back as I can remember in favor of Furd. Having said that, I'm not sure that was targetting on Mendoza, Mendoza was knocked out when his helmet slammed on the ground falling backwards. I didn't see the Furd player hit Mendoza in the head at all.
    • This game makes watching next Saturday's game more fun and interesting but I am not very hopeful. Chip Kelly, who somehow has pissed off his employer, is 9-1 against Cal as an HC. And Cal does not have a very good history against UCLA in the rose bowl. Also UCLA has solved their QB problem, which contributed to their losses this season. UCLA has an elite defense so how will the big 3 leaders on offense I mentioned above handle that? That will be interesting to watch. However I am not looking forward to watching Garbers and Sturdivant carve up Cal's pass D, especially since I feel both should be at Cal. I just want the key players to come out of the game healthy enough to play next season.
    • Despite all of the crap this year, I am actually looking forward to next season. But we have to get much better coaching and talent on defense immediately.

    The announcers, like myself, were incensed at the call, until we found out the ruling which they explained later on. Apparently the kick returner must be given a chance to catch the ball, including if he bobbles it and it shoots up in the air. I guess that means it must hit the ground as fumble before it is not interference. Some how sounds logical but a bit ridiculous. We interfered during the bobble and thus the penalty. Interesting. Maybe a rule that needs reviewing.
    Absolutely. It's another stupid rule. But I guess it's the correct call. It used to be the ball is live once the player touches it. I can't believe they actually changed that. I guess it's to protect from injury.
    It is a stupid rule!! So can the returner stand there juggling the ball the rest of the game? What makes the play over?
    Run out the clock, eh?
    NorCalFBFan
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    I think that was his third personal foul that game. He had two previous for unnecessary roughness, as I recall. So I agree that, at least for this game, he could fall into the category of "dirty player."
    LunchTime
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    DiabloWags said:

    heartofthebear said:


  • What do you think about Ott taking a knee at the 5 with less than 2 minutes left in the game? I have mixed feelings. Selfishly I wanted him to score, which he could have done easily as there was nobody around him. 34-15 would have looked so much better on the scoreboard and it would have more accurately reflected how much Cal dominated that game. But, after my initial dismay, I realized that Ott's decision had iced the game. It's the decision all the broadcasters and coach preach as the right decision, but rarely is it done, especially in college and especially by a young player.


  • In 2004, Jeff Tedford took a "knee" against Southern Mississippi on the road and it cost us dearly with a #5 in the BCS standings when we were #4 heading into the game.. That was our last (and best chance) to go to a Rose Bowl.

    To this day, I still recall former Domer head coach Bob Davie in the broadcast booth claiming that Cal didn't win by enough to keep its position in the BCS at #4.




    That's how we lost the Rose Bowl 20 years later folks.
    LunchTime
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    89Bear said:

    heartofthebear said:

    OdontoBear66 said:

    heartofthebear said:

    I was on the fence about going, but as tickets became scarce, jumped on it, getting 2 tickets way up in section 240. Having had sat there 2 years ago, I was okay with that. Then as forecasts turned sour, I kindof regretted it. After all, staying home would mean being able to also match Goergia-Tennessee, USC-UCLA and Washington-Oregon St. Plus I'm fasting right now, so lunch before the game was out.

    But, despite many traffic hassles both ways, including a train delay because a car was on the tracks, I will never miss a Cal game in PA again. Here's my take on Cal, Furd, the game and the future:

    • Firstly Palo Alto is absolutely bear territory, at least on big game days at Furd. Cal fans dominated the Stadium, as we did 2 years ago except more so last night.
    • Cal fans stomped their feet on 3rd downs making the whole place shake and rumble. While the only thing that Furd did was the PA guy would yell aggressively that it was 3rd down, which, after Cal continued to convert 3rd downs, sounded pretty lame.
    • I am so sick of Stanford announcing it is Leland Stanford. I shouted "who the **** cares about his first name" because, yeah, nobody cares--No offense to any Cal fans named Leland.
    • Cal plays absolutely their best football at Stanford stadium going back to the Zach Maynard era. Yeah lots of those were losses but they were close losses to Furd team that was far superior in talent.
    • I don't like Wilcox as a HC, but he has figured out how to win big games better than most of our recent HCs.
    • Mendoza and Ott are going to be a dynamic duo at Cal as long as they are here. Ott is now learning to make even better decisions on inside runs, popping outside when needed. And he usually breaks 2 tackles on each run. Maybe it was just the poor Furd defense, but I think Ott may actually be getting better.
    • Mendoza has an elite arm. You heard it here first. It is elite because of the velocity that is still catchable. The ball gets to the receiver very fast. Mendoza is very much like Brock Purdy internally with an even more likeable personality and better leadership skills. Purdy makes better decisions at this point but I think Mendoza may have a better arm. Mendoza needs to sense pressure a bit better, protect himself on runs better and avoid making the risky throw a bit better, although Purdy still makes risky throws too. Mendoza will be in the NFL, which I said before he even took a live snap at Cal.
    • What do you think about Ott taking a knee at the 5 with less than 2 minutes left in the game? I have mixed feelings. Selfishly I wanted him to score, which he could have done easily as there was nobody around him. 34-15 would have looked so much better on the scoreboard and it would have more accurately reflected how much Cal dominated that game. But, after my initial dismay, I realized that Ott's decision had iced the game. It's the decision all the broadcasters and coach preach as the right decision, but rarely is it done, especially in college and especially by a young player. When Ott was first interviewed at Cal, something about the way he talked made me think that he was kind of egotistical and narcissistic. That rapidly changed and I have grown to respect him as a young man as well as an elite athlete. But none of that prepared me for what he did last night. He is very intelligent and knows the game situation, maybe even better than his coaches. And he is selfless and a true team player. That act along with Mendoza's play and Spavitol's coaching will give Cal great leadership on offense moving forward. That will help us pull in offensive talent through the portal during the off-season as we still need to bolster our OL and could use better top end talent at WR.
    • More mind blowingly bad calls from pac-12 refs in the big game: Why is it that the refs. love Furd so much? But the punt return interference called against Cal in the first quarter last night was completely fabricated. There was nobody within several yards of him. The flag was not throw until very late. That call could have cost Cal the game as, at one point, it was a 6 point game with Furd driving for a score. What is disgusting is that they couldn't review it because it wasn't the fumble recovery that was in dispute. It was the penalty call, which cannot be reviewed. It isn't just that calls are blown, but it is when they are blatantly fabricated that bothers me and this has happened in every single big game for as far back as I can remember in favor of Furd. Having said that, I'm not sure that was targetting on Mendoza, Mendoza was knocked out when his helmet slammed on the ground falling backwards. I didn't see the Furd player hit Mendoza in the head at all.
    • This game makes watching next Saturday's game more fun and interesting but I am not very hopeful. Chip Kelly, who somehow has pissed off his employer, is 9-1 against Cal as an HC. And Cal does not have a very good history against UCLA in the rose bowl. Also UCLA has solved their QB problem, which contributed to their losses this season. UCLA has an elite defense so how will the big 3 leaders on offense I mentioned above handle that? That will be interesting to watch. However I am not looking forward to watching Garbers and Sturdivant carve up Cal's pass D, especially since I feel both should be at Cal. I just want the key players to come out of the game healthy enough to play next season.
    • Despite all of the crap this year, I am actually looking forward to next season. But we have to get much better coaching and talent on defense immediately.

    The announcers, like myself, were incensed at the call, until we found out the ruling which they explained later on. Apparently the kick returner must be given a chance to catch the ball, including if he bobbles it and it shoots up in the air. I guess that means it must hit the ground as fumble before it is not interference. Some how sounds logical but a bit ridiculous. We interfered during the bobble and thus the penalty. Interesting. Maybe a rule that needs reviewing.
    Absolutely. It's another stupid rule. But I guess it's the correct call. It used to be the ball is live once the player touches it. I can't believe they actually changed that. I guess it's to protect from injury.
    It is a stupid rule!! So can the returner stand there juggling the ball the rest of the game? What makes the play over?


    It's a fair catch. If he were Ronaldo he could probably bounce it on his head down the field and fair catch a touchdown.

    But what makes the play over is possession.
    LunchTime
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    72CalBear said:

    Agree with the kneel down for the reasons posted. Cannot be compared to JT not scoring at So Miss at all.


    To put in perspective how idiotic the comparison to 2004 is...

    Ott was not even two years old when that happened.

    Mendoza had just had his first birthday.

    And people are acting like this is recent history. It was the first year ESPN had 720p broadcasts. We took one knee with 35 seconds. Maybe we score, but we didn't take a knee on a free run, which JJ didn't do the drive before when he ripped 56 yards or lynch right after, while trying to ice the game with 5 minutes left and winning by 3 points. And that was only because we took a PAT back for a three point swing.

    The SoMiss game was close because it was super ****ing close, close. Not because we took a knee instead of "running up the score". Cal went into SoMiss and almost ****ing lost. It was a pubic-hair away from being 17-17 with 5 minutes left. And it has nothing to do with Ott or modern Cal football, or the BCS system we have now. And we got booted to the holiday bowl for a 3 loss team, not Texas. Bottom line was Cal was happy to get out with a win there, and the voters knew it because they watched the whole game.
    LunchTime
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    calumnus said:

    philly1121 said:

    I'm mixed about the kneel down. I don't think it conveyed a lack of trust. What it did convey was that, once he got through the line, he recognized he had the first down. Whether he scored or not - the game was over. He scores, they have to kick off Special teams goes out there. The defense goes out for one more series. A Stanford touchdown would have made no difference. But injuries would. So, I think its a recognition of the moment, the score. You show a bit of class by not scoring, take the knee, the win, keep the Axe. That's all that mattered.



    So if you are trying to run out the clock, assure victory and avoid injuries do a Desean and stand on the one until time elapses or a Stanford player runs at you, then take a knee or step in for the score.


    Ah. He did it right the wrong way in your clownworld interpretation.

    And it ... Cost us the game? No... Made us take an extra knee? No, he couldn't have stood around for 50 game seconds... What could it be?

    I'm confused. How would standing on the 1 yard line with 151 seconds left have changed anything, except for you not trying portray yourself to be smarter than Ott?

    Is it because with 149 seconds left we only have to take one knee? That couldn't be it.

    Seriously. Explain how it would have been so vastly better that it deserves a post from you.
    drizzlybear
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    NorCalFBFan said:

    I think that was his third personal foul that game. He had two previous for unnecessary roughness, as I recall. So I agree that, at least for this game, he could fall into the category of "dirty player."

    Yup. Imagine 45 yards of penalties and ejection from a single player. Wow. He made a few nice tackles but boy did he hurt his team.
    mbBear
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    heartofthebear said:

    OdontoBear66 said:

    heartofthebear said:

    I was on the fence about going, but as tickets became scarce, jumped on it, getting 2 tickets way up in section 240. Having had sat there 2 years ago, I was okay with that. Then as forecasts turned sour, I kindof regretted it. After all, staying home would mean being able to also match Goergia-Tennessee, USC-UCLA and Washington-Oregon St. Plus I'm fasting right now, so lunch before the game was out.

    But, despite many traffic hassles both ways, including a train delay because a car was on the tracks, I will never miss a Cal game in PA again. Here's my take on Cal, Furd, the game and the future:

    • Firstly Palo Alto is absolutely bear territory, at least on big game days at Furd. Cal fans dominated the Stadium, as we did 2 years ago except more so last night.
    • Cal fans stomped their feet on 3rd downs making the whole place shake and rumble. While the only thing that Furd did was the PA guy would yell aggressively that it was 3rd down, which, after Cal continued to convert 3rd downs, sounded pretty lame.
    • I am so sick of Stanford announcing it is Leland Stanford. I shouted "who the **** cares about his first name" because, yeah, nobody cares--No offense to any Cal fans named Leland.
    • Cal plays absolutely their best football at Stanford stadium going back to the Zach Maynard era. Yeah lots of those were losses but they were close losses to Furd team that was far superior in talent.
    • I don't like Wilcox as a HC, but he has figured out how to win big games better than most of our recent HCs.
    • Mendoza and Ott are going to be a dynamic duo at Cal as long as they are here. Ott is now learning to make even better decisions on inside runs, popping outside when needed. And he usually breaks 2 tackles on each run. Maybe it was just the poor Furd defense, but I think Ott may actually be getting better.
    • Mendoza has an elite arm. You heard it here first. It is elite because of the velocity that is still catchable. The ball gets to the receiver very fast. Mendoza is very much like Brock Purdy internally with an even more likeable personality and better leadership skills. Purdy makes better decisions at this point but I think Mendoza may have a better arm. Mendoza needs to sense pressure a bit better, protect himself on runs better and avoid making the risky throw a bit better, although Purdy still makes risky throws too. Mendoza will be in the NFL, which I said before he even took a live snap at Cal.
    • What do you think about Ott taking a knee at the 5 with less than 2 minutes left in the game? I have mixed feelings. Selfishly I wanted him to score, which he could have done easily as there was nobody around him. 34-15 would have looked so much better on the scoreboard and it would have more accurately reflected how much Cal dominated that game. But, after my initial dismay, I realized that Ott's decision had iced the game. It's the decision all the broadcasters and coach preach as the right decision, but rarely is it done, especially in college and especially by a young player. When Ott was first interviewed at Cal, something about the way he talked made me think that he was kind of egotistical and narcissistic. That rapidly changed and I have grown to respect him as a young man as well as an elite athlete. But none of that prepared me for what he did last night. He is very intelligent and knows the game situation, maybe even better than his coaches. And he is selfless and a true team player. That act along with Mendoza's play and Spavitol's coaching will give Cal great leadership on offense moving forward. That will help us pull in offensive talent through the portal during the off-season as we still need to bolster our OL and could use better top end talent at WR.
    • More mind blowingly bad calls from pac-12 refs in the big game: Why is it that the refs. love Furd so much? But the punt return interference called against Cal in the first quarter last night was completely fabricated. There was nobody within several yards of him. The flag was not throw until very late. That call could have cost Cal the game as, at one point, it was a 6 point game with Furd driving for a score. What is disgusting is that they couldn't review it because it wasn't the fumble recovery that was in dispute. It was the penalty call, which cannot be reviewed. It isn't just that calls are blown, but it is when they are blatantly fabricated that bothers me and this has happened in every single big game for as far back as I can remember in favor of Furd. Having said that, I'm not sure that was targetting on Mendoza, Mendoza was knocked out when his helmet slammed on the ground falling backwards. I didn't see the Furd player hit Mendoza in the head at all.
    • This game makes watching next Saturday's game more fun and interesting but I am not very hopeful. Chip Kelly, who somehow has pissed off his employer, is 9-1 against Cal as an HC. And Cal does not have a very good history against UCLA in the rose bowl. Also UCLA has solved their QB problem, which contributed to their losses this season. UCLA has an elite defense so how will the big 3 leaders on offense I mentioned above handle that? That will be interesting to watch. However I am not looking forward to watching Garbers and Sturdivant carve up Cal's pass D, especially since I feel both should be at Cal. I just want the key players to come out of the game healthy enough to play next season.
    • Despite all of the crap this year, I am actually looking forward to next season. But we have to get much better coaching and talent on defense immediately.

    The announcers, like myself, were incensed at the call, until we found out the ruling which they explained later on. Apparently the kick returner must be given a chance to catch the ball, including if he bobbles it and it shoots up in the air. I guess that means it must hit the ground as fumble before it is not interference. Some how sounds logical but a bit ridiculous. We interfered during the bobble and thus the penalty. Interesting. Maybe a rule that needs reviewing.
    Absolutely. It's another stupid rule. But I guess it's the correct call. It used to be the ball is live once the player touches it. I can't believe they actually changed that. I guess it's to protect from injury.
    You might be right, maybe it got changed. But the more I thought about it, the Muff Punt that I picture in my head is in fact the ball hitting the ground. I think the ball popping up a bit more than just a juggle in his hands seems more "significant" and "in play", but I think you have to protect the guy...
    JSC 76
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    philly1121 said:

    With a kneel down - all of what you said might happen - was rendered moot. It was the right call.
    I agree. If Ott had scored, the Bears chance of victory would have been 99.9%. By taking a knee, he made it 100%. No miracles allowed. He gave up some meaningless personal stats to secure the win for the team.
    DiabloWags
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    drizzlybear said:

    NorCalFBFan said:

    I think that was his third personal foul that game. He had two previous for unnecessary roughness, as I recall. So I agree that, at least for this game, he could fall into the category of "dirty player."

    Yup. Imagine 45 yards of penalties and ejection from a single player. Wow. He made a few nice tackles but boy did he hurt his team.

    He had 10 tackles before he was ejected.
    "Cults don't end well. They really don't."
    JSC 76
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    89Bear said:

    It is a stupid rule!! So can the returner stand there juggling the ball the rest of the game? What makes the play over?
    Just FYI, baseball has a similar situation. Runner on 3rd, fly ball to deep left field. The runner can tag up and score easily after the catch...so why doesn't the left fielder just juggle the ball as he walks it back to the infield?

    Because the rule says that the runner can tag up and advance once the ball is *touched*, not *caught*.

    6956bear
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    drizzlybear said:

    NorCalFBFan said:

    I think that was his third personal foul that game. He had two previous for unnecessary roughness, as I recall. So I agree that, at least for this game, he could fall into the category of "dirty player."

    Yup. Imagine 45 yards of penalties and ejection from a single player. Wow. He made a few nice tackles but boy did he hurt his team.
    I have not watched much Furd football this season. But Sinclair was playing on the edge Saturday. At times he did seem a bit out of control. I agree with the targeting call, but I do not think it was intentionally a dirty hit. He was a real thorn for the Bears though despite his penalties. He made a lot of plays.
    DiabloWags
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    6956bear said:

    drizzlybear said:

    NorCalFBFan said:

    I think that was his third personal foul that game. He had two previous for unnecessary roughness, as I recall. So I agree that, at least for this game, he could fall into the category of "dirty player."

    Yup. Imagine 45 yards of penalties and ejection from a single player. Wow. He made a few nice tackles but boy did he hurt his team.
    I have not watched much Furd football this season. But Sinclair was playing on the edge Saturday. At times he did seem a bit out of control. I agree with the targeting call, but I do not think it was intentionally a dirty hit. He was a real thorn for the Bears though despite his penalties. He made a lot of plays.

    He's a force on the field.
    Like I said, he had 10 tackles before he got ejected.
    "Cults don't end well. They really don't."
    TedfordTheGreat
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    One thing i was super impressed with was the offensive scheme and creativity.

    I love the multiple motions that we do before we snap the ball. For example, In the attempted 2 point conversion, we overloaded the right and then threw a slant to our best WR on the left, creating a 1:1 matchup. Didn't work but it was inches away. In addition, the announcers commented on how some of the motions confused Furd in the second half.

    I still think our OL is not all world, but we don't put our QB in the pocket for 3+ seconds (like we did last year) over and over again. Our number of sacks we suffered are way down this year.

    You can tell that we are trying to coach around our strength and weaknesses. I am liking what I am seeing from Spav. We need better talent but as it stands our offense is functional in the P5 level with the talent we have.

    A small gripe I have is that we gotta stop going to empty backfill (or motion Ott away). A couple of the sacks we suffered are due to the LB blitzing unblocked. Our threat for the running game is one of our biggest strength. We need to leave Ott there to at least slow the LB down, and if they don't come, move up field as an outlet option. Small gripe, only saw it 2 to 3 times for a few sacks. I am confident our team can clean that up
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