I don't thiink these guys are close to being top top football analysts but the topic sure was fun.

Looks like a full replay of last weeks Memphis -- FSU game is shown after the commentary
I just posted ends. I just watched the first play from scrimmage -- a FSU fumble recovered by Memphis.

Go Bears!

The thing about DJ Uiagalelei that concerns me is that he walloped Cal last year at the head of Oregon State's offense last year, in Berkeley! Yeah, he may have struggled in the past three games, but he's seen Cal play. He knows what the defense looks like. He knows Cal's coverages; he knows where the soft spots are. He knows how to beat Cal's defense; he did it last year.

Yes, I get that he's playing in a different offensive scheme. Yes, he's playing for a different offensive coordinator. Yes, he's got different teammates. But the guys he's playing with now are more talented (on paper anyway) than his teammates in Corvalis. His offensive coordinator is arguably better than his OC last year. He should be able to carve up Cal's defense on Saturday.

Of course, that's why the games are played, right? What's on paper may not always play out in real life. After all, Auburn was supposed to be better on paper than Cal, but Cal managed to win that game. Still, Cal should be careful here; FSU's due to have its superior talent win a game. I'd rather that not happen at Cal's expense.

01Bear said:

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The thing about DJ Uiagalelei that concerns me is that he walloped Cal last year at the head of Oregon State's offense last year, in Berkeley! Yeah, he may have struggled in the past three games, but he's seen Cal play. He knows what the defense looks like. He knows Cal's coverages; he knows where the soft spots are. He knows how to beat Cal's defense; he did it last year.

Yes, I get that he's playing in a different offensive scheme. Yes, he's playing for a different offensive coordinator. Yes, he's got different teammates. But the guys he's playing with now are more talented (on paper anyway) than his teammates in Corvalis. His offensive coordinator is arguably better than his OC last year. He should be able to carve up Cal's defense on Saturday.

Of course, that's why the games are played, right? What's on paper may not always play out in real life. After all, Auburn was supposed to be better on paper than Cal, but Cal managed to win that game. Still, Cal should be careful here; FSU's due to have its superior talent win a game. I'd rather that not happen at Cal's expense.

---

I know that especially with Cal's record it's absolutely a possibility that we lose on Saturday. Heck, even the betting lines still have us as the underdog.

But the entirety of your post is written as if you haven't followed FSU this season. FSU hasn't gone 0-3 to Georgia Tech, BC, and Memphis where DJU has thrown for 1 TD and 2 INTs, been sacked 8 times (was sacked 11 times the entirety of last year), and has a negative rushing yardage total with 0 TDs thus far because they have an insurmountable talent differential.

Again, it'd be totally plausible that FSU gets right just in time for Cal. We've seen that story happen before. But everything this season suggests that DJU's performance against Cal last year is the outlier rather than the norm and his 2024 suggests that it wasn't DJU that was the X-Factor but rather the Oregon State playcalling and scheme that was beating us.

Plus Cal also has the benefit of 3 games this season of the FSU offense and DJU within it where their whole offense was pretty solved to build a defense off of as well which is not nothing. I am loath to count chickens before they hatch, but I do think we can aim for a reasonable degree of apprehension (based mostly on our ability to execute rather than being fearful of the opposition).

StillNoStanfurdium said:

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01Bear said:

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The thing about DJ Uiagalelei that concerns me is that he walloped Cal last year at the head of Oregon State's offense last year, in Berkeley! Yeah, he may have struggled in the past three games, but he's seen Cal play. He knows what the defense looks like. He knows Cal's coverages; he knows where the soft spots are. He knows how to beat Cal's defense; he did it last year.

Yes, I get that he's playing in a different offensive scheme. Yes, he's playing for a different offensive coordinator. Yes, he's got different teammates. But the guys he's playing with now are more talented (on paper anyway) than his teammates in Corvalis. His offensive coordinator is arguably better than his OC last year. He should be able to carve up Cal's defense on Saturday.

Of course, that's why the games are played, right? What's on paper may not always play out in real life. After all, Auburn was supposed to be better on paper than Cal, but Cal managed to win that game. Still, Cal should be careful here; FSU's due to have its superior talent win a game. I'd rather that not happen at Cal's expense.

---

I know that especially with Cal's record it's absolutely a possibility that we lose on Saturday. Heck, even the betting lines still have us as the underdog.

But the entirety of your post is written as if you haven't followed FSU this season. FSU hasn't gone 0-3 to Georgia Tech, BC, and Memphis where DJU has thrown for 1 TD and 2 INTs, been sacked 8 times (was sacked 11 times the entirety of last year), and has a negative rushing yardage total with 0 TDs thus far because they have an insurmountable talent differential.

Again, it'd be totally plausible that FSU gets right just in time for Cal. We've seen that story happen before. But everything this season suggests that DJU's performance against Cal last year is the outlier rather than the norm and his 2024 suggests that it wasn't DJU that was the X-Factor but rather the Oregon State playcalling and scheme that was beating us.

Plus Cal also has the benefit of 3 games this season of the FSU offense and DJU within it where their whole offense was pretty solved to build a defense off of as well which is not nothing. I am loath to count chickens before they hatch, but I do think we can aim for a reasonable degree of apprehension (based mostly on our ability to execute rather than being fearful of the opposition).

---

Totally fair arguments. I don't disagree. I'm just concerned that DJ Uiagalelei figured out Cal's defense.

I also agree that in practice, Oregon's coordinator and scheme last year were much better than (what we've seen this year of) FSU's. If Cal were playing the same offensive scheme on Saturday, I'd lean toward a heavy Cal loss. Keep in mind, the Beavs went 9-4 last year, with their four losses coming against ranked teams (at the time they played). With the exception of the bowl game and the last game of the season (a rivalry game against Oregon), the losses were really close.

Granted, Uigalelei's accuracy was only ever really good his freshman year. Still, he managed to pull out a 9-win season with a sub-60% accuracy rate last year. This suggests the OSU OC knew how to maximize his upside while minimizing turnovers due to his inaccuracy.

Based on that body of work, I suspect DJ Uiagalelei is just being mismanaged at FSU and not that he doesn't know how to play (let alone how to play against Cal). While normally I'd blame the offensive scheme on the OC, it looks like he's actually been suspended for the past three games. That suggests Mike Norvell has been calling the plays on offense. Given Norvell was an OC and QB coach before, his failure to integrate Uigalelei into his offensive scheme is surprising.

Still as long as Norvell (and Atkins) stubbornly refuse to follow the OSU schemes from last year, I think Cal will have a good chance to shock the Noles in Tallahassee. OTOH, if Norvell (and Atkins now that he's back from suspension) does borrow liberally from Jonathan Smith's offense from last year, it'll be a loooong day for Cal's defense.

Speaking of Atkins, I'm really curious whether his absence from the sidelines contributed to FSU's 0-3 start. On some level, I suspect it did, but to what extent? Will his return right FSU's ship offensively? Will the OL open more holes for runners? Will it be able to keep Uiagalele upright more and also buy him more time to get off a pass? For Cal's sake, I hope the answer to all these questions is a resounding "No."

01Bear said:

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StillNoStanfurdium said:

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01Bear said:

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The thing about DJ Uiagalelei that concerns me is that he walloped Cal last year at the head of Oregon State's offense last year, in Berkeley! Yeah, he may have struggled in the past three games, but he's seen Cal play. He knows what the defense looks like. He knows Cal's coverages; he knows where the soft spots are. He knows how to beat Cal's defense; he did it last year.

Yes, I get that he's playing in a different offensive scheme. Yes, he's playing for a different offensive coordinator. Yes, he's got different teammates. But the guys he's playing with now are more talented (on paper anyway) than his teammates in Corvalis. His offensive coordinator is arguably better than his OC last year. He should be able to carve up Cal's defense on Saturday.

Of course, that's why the games are played, right? What's on paper may not always play out in real life. After all, Auburn was supposed to be better on paper than Cal, but Cal managed to win that game. Still, Cal should be careful here; FSU's due to have its superior talent win a game. I'd rather that not happen at Cal's expense.

---

I know that especially with Cal's record it's absolutely a possibility that we lose on Saturday. Heck, even the betting lines still have us as the underdog.

But the entirety of your post is written as if you haven't followed FSU this season. FSU hasn't gone 0-3 to Georgia Tech, BC, and Memphis where DJU has thrown for 1 TD and 2 INTs, been sacked 8 times (was sacked 11 times the entirety of last year), and has a negative rushing yardage total with 0 TDs thus far because they have an insurmountable talent differential.

Again, it'd be totally plausible that FSU gets right just in time for Cal. We've seen that story happen before. But everything this season suggests that DJU's performance against Cal last year is the outlier rather than the norm and his 2024 suggests that it wasn't DJU that was the X-Factor but rather the Oregon State playcalling and scheme that was beating us.

Plus Cal also has the benefit of 3 games this season of the FSU offense and DJU within it where their whole offense was pretty solved to build a defense off of as well which is not nothing. I am loath to count chickens before they hatch, but I do think we can aim for a reasonable degree of apprehension (based mostly on our ability to execute rather than being fearful of the opposition).

---

Totally fair arguments. I don't disagree. I'm just concerned that DJ Uiagalelei figured out Cal's defense.

I also agree that in practice, Oregon's coordinator and scheme last year were much better than (what we've seen this year of) FSU's. If Cal were playing the same offensive scheme on Saturday, I'd lean toward a heavy Cal loss. Keep in mind, the Beavs went 9-4 last year, with their four losses coming against ranked teams (at the time they played). With the exception of the bowl game and the last game of the season (a rivalry game against Oregon), the losses were really close.

Granted, Uigalelei's accuracy was only ever really good his freshman year. Still, he managed to pull out a 9-win season with a sub-60% accuracy rate last year. This suggests the OSU OC knew how to maximize his upside while minimizing turnovers due to his inaccuracy.

Based on that body of work, I suspect DJ Uiagalelei is just being mismanaged at FSU and not that he doesn't know how to play (let alone how to play against Cal). While normally I'd blame the offensive scheme on the OC, it looks like he's actually been suspended for the past three games. That suggests Mike Norvell has been calling the plays on offense. Given Norvell was an OC and QB coach before, his failure to integrate Uigalelei into his offensive scheme is surprising.

Still as long as Norvell (and Atkins) stubbornly refuse to follow the OSU schemes from last year, I think Cal will have a good chance to shock the Noles in Tallahassee. OTOH, if Norvell (and Atkins now that he's back from suspension) does borrow liberally from Jonathan Smith's offense from last year, it'll be a loooong day for Cal's defense.

Speaking of Atkins, I'm really curious whether his absence from the sidelines contributed to FSU's 0-3 start. On some level, I suspect it did, but to what extent? Will his return right FSU's ship offensively? Will the OL open more holes for runners? Will it be able to keep Uiagalele upright more and also buy him more time to get off a pass? For Cal's sake, I hope the answer to all these questions is a resounding "No."

---

It's true that the FSU OC has been previously suspended but I believe that Norvell always has been the playcaller.

Please do note that CAL is playing a very different type of defense than we have done recently. The style is very aggressive and active.

TomBalk said:

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Please do note that CAL is playing a very different type of defense than we have done recently. The style is very aggressive and active.

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The defense just seems better than the last two years. Much more disruption at the line of scrimmage.

sycasey said:

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TomBalk said:

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Please do note that CAL is playing a very different type of defense than we have done recently. The style is very aggressive and active.

---

The defense just seems better than the last two years. Much more disruption at the line of scrimmage.

---

Is that due to a change in scheme or personnel?

TomBalk said:

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Please do note that CAL is playing a very different type of defense than we have done recently. The style is very aggressive and active.

---

Do you think that's the result of a change in scheme or personnel?

01Bear said:

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sycasey said:

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TomBalk said:

---

Please do note that CAL is playing a very different type of defense than we have done recently. The style is very aggressive and active.

---

The defense just seems better than the last two years. Much more disruption at the line of scrimmage.

---

Is that due to a change in scheme or personnel?

---

I think it's personnel. Our DL this year is better able to occupy blockers on the line and not get blown off the ball, so our LBs are better able to make plays.

sycasey said:

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01Bear said:

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sycasey said:

---

TomBalk said:

---

Please do note that CAL is playing a very different type of defense than we have done recently. The style is very aggressive and active.

---

The defense just seems better than the last two years. Much more disruption at the line of scrimmage.

---

Is that due to a change in scheme or personnel?

---

I think it's personnel. Our DL this year is better able to occupy blockers on the line and not get blown off the ball, so our LBs are better able to make plays.

---

On the one hand, I'm stoked our personnel is better. On the other hand, that also suggests depth can be a concern.

These guys are trying to trick the woofing gods. It might work.

01Bear said:

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sycasey said:

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01Bear said:

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sycasey said:

---

TomBalk said:

---

Please do note that CAL is playing a very different type of defense than we have done recently. The style is very aggressive and active.

---

The defense just seems better than the last two years. Much more disruption at the line of scrimmage.

---

Is that due to a change in scheme or personnel?

---

I think it's personnel. Our DL this year is better able to occupy blockers on the line and not get blown off the ball, so our LBs are better able to make plays.

---

On the one hand, I'm stoked our personnel is better. On the other hand, that also suggests depth can be a concern.

---

Let's see - we've got more, better players and that gives us a depth concern? Do I have that right?

Dude! Never mention the woughing gods by their proper name! Don't wanna attract attention. . .

Sometimes I use Wu Fing and it seems to work. The gods sort of skim past it; maybe they think I'm talking about martial arts.

01Bear said:

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StillNoStanfurdium said:

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01Bear said:

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The thing about DJ Uiagalelei that concerns me is that he walloped Cal last year at the head of Oregon State's offense last year, in Berkeley! Yeah, he may have struggled in the past three games, but he's seen Cal play. He knows what the defense looks like. He knows Cal's coverages; he knows where the soft spots are. He knows how to beat Cal's defense; he did it last year.

Yes, I get that he's playing in a different offensive scheme. Yes, he's playing for a different offensive coordinator. Yes, he's got different teammates. But the guys he's playing with now are more talented (on paper anyway) than his teammates in Corvalis. His offensive coordinator is arguably better than his OC last year. He should be able to carve up Cal's defense on Saturday.

Of course, that's why the games are played, right? What's on paper may not always play out in real life. After all, Auburn was supposed to be better on paper than Cal, but Cal managed to win that game. Still, Cal should be careful here; FSU's due to have its superior talent win a game. I'd rather that not happen at Cal's expense.

---

I know that especially with Cal's record it's absolutely a possibility that we lose on Saturday. Heck, even the betting lines still have us as the underdog.

But the entirety of your post is written as if you haven't followed FSU this season. FSU hasn't gone 0-3 to Georgia Tech, BC, and Memphis where DJU has thrown for 1 TD and 2 INTs, been sacked 8 times (was sacked 11 times the entirety of last year), and has a negative rushing yardage total with 0 TDs thus far because they have an insurmountable talent differential.

Again, it'd be totally plausible that FSU gets right just in time for Cal. We've seen that story happen before. But everything this season suggests that DJU's performance against Cal last year is the outlier rather than the norm and his 2024 suggests that it wasn't DJU that was the X-Factor but rather the Oregon State playcalling and scheme that was beating us.

Plus Cal also has the benefit of 3 games this season of the FSU offense and DJU within it where their whole offense was pretty solved to build a defense off of as well which is not nothing. I am loath to count chickens before they hatch, but I do think we can aim for a reasonable degree of apprehension (based mostly on our ability to execute rather than being fearful of the opposition).

---

Totally fair arguments. I don't disagree. I'm just concerned that DJ Uiagalelei figured out Cal's defense.

I also agree that in practice, Oregon's coordinator and scheme last year were much better than (what we've seen this year of) FSU's. If Cal were playing the same offensive scheme on Saturday, I'd lean toward a heavy Cal loss. Keep in mind, the Beavs went 9-4 last year, with their four losses coming against ranked teams (at the time they played). With the exception of the bowl game and the last game of the season (a rivalry game against Oregon), the losses were really close.

Granted, Uigalelei's accuracy was only ever really good his freshman year. Still, he managed to pull out a 9-win season with a sub-60% accuracy rate last year. This suggests the OSU OC knew how to maximize his upside while minimizing turnovers due to his inaccuracy.

Based on that body of work, I suspect DJ Uiagalelei is just being mismanaged at FSU and not that he doesn't know how to play (let alone how to play against Cal). While normally I'd blame the offensive scheme on the OC, it looks like he's actually been suspended for the past three games. That suggests Mike Norvell has been calling the plays on offense. Given Norvell was an OC and QB coach before, his failure to integrate Uigalelei into his offensive scheme is surprising.

Still as long as Norvell (and Atkins) stubbornly refuse to follow the OSU schemes from last year, I think Cal will have a good chance to shock the Noles in Tallahassee. OTOH, if Norvell (and Atkins now that he's back from suspension) does borrow liberally from Jonathan Smith's offense from last year, it'll be a loooong day for Cal's defense.

Speaking of Atkins, I'm really curious whether his absence from the sidelines contributed to FSU's 0-3 start. On some level, I suspect it did, but to what extent? Will his return right FSU's ship offensively? Will the OL open more holes for runners? Will it be able to keep Uiagalele upright more and also buy him more time to get off a pass? For Cal's sake, I hope the answer to all these questions is a resounding "No."

---

I read elsewhere that Norvell calls the plays on offense. Where the OC will help is working with the OL. So if protection looks better this game, you can put some of that on Atkins.

i think we've all watched cal football long enough to know we have 0% chance of winning this game.

01Bear said:

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TomBalk said:

---

Please do note that CAL is playing a very different type of defense than we have done recently. The style is very aggressive and active.

---

Do you think that's the result of a change in scheme or personnel?

---

Seems like the personnel dictates the type of scheme we can run. Having confidence in you secondary allows your linemen and linebackers to play aggressive.

01Bear said:

---

The thing about DJ Uiagalelei that concerns me is that he walloped Cal last year at the head of Oregon State's offense last year, in Berkeley! Yeah, he may have struggled in the past three games, but he's seen Cal play. He knows what the defense looks like. He knows Cal's coverages; he knows where the soft spots are. He knows how to beat Cal's defense; he did it last year.

Yes, I get that he's playing in a different offensive scheme. Yes, he's playing for a different offensive coordinator. Yes, he's got different teammates. But the guys he's playing with now are more talented (on paper anyway) than his teammates in Corvalis. His offensive coordinator is arguably better than his OC last year. He should be able to carve up Cal's defense on Saturday.

Of course, that's why the games are played, right? What's on paper may not always play out in real life. After all, Auburn was supposed to be better on paper than Cal, but Cal managed to win that game. Still, Cal should be careful here; FSU's due to have its superior talent win a game. I'd rather that not happen at Cal's expense.

---

That's not really true....he had one of the top running backs in the country to hand it off to last year, and one of the stronger o-lines in the league protecting him, including a rare first round offensive line draft pick for the Beavs. And he still managed to be underwhelming (except for the Cal game). So I think he is who he is....I think Cal wins this one.

Rushinbear said:

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01Bear said:

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sycasey said:

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01Bear said:

---

sycasey said:

---

TomBalk said:

---

Please do note that CAL is playing a very different type of defense than we have done recently. The style is very aggressive and active.

---

The defense just seems better than the last two years. Much more disruption at the line of scrimmage.

---

Is that due to a change in scheme or personnel?

---

I think it's personnel. Our DL this year is better able to occupy blockers on the line and not get blown off the ball, so our LBs are better able to make plays.

---

On the one hand, I'm stoked our personnel is better. On the other hand, that also suggests depth can be a concern.

---

Let's see - we've got more, better players and that gives us a depth concern? Do I have that right?

---

How many players deep does this go, though? Is there a noticeable dropoff between the first and second string? That's been a mainstay of Cal's defense: a really good starting DL, but the next guys on the depth chart behind them aren't as good. So when the starters (inevitably) get injured, the Cal DL can't maintain the same level of play.

I'm honestly asking whether the "bigger and better" extends to the second (and possibly even the third) string players. I really don't know the answer to that, hence the query.

freshfunk said:

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01Bear said:

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StillNoStanfurdium said:

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01Bear said:

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The thing about DJ Uiagalelei that concerns me is that he walloped Cal last year at the head of Oregon State's offense last year, in Berkeley! Yeah, he may have struggled in the past three games, but he's seen Cal play. He knows what the defense looks like. He knows Cal's coverages; he knows where the soft spots are. He knows how to beat Cal's defense; he did it last year.

Yes, I get that he's playing in a different offensive scheme. Yes, he's playing for a different offensive coordinator. Yes, he's got different teammates. But the guys he's playing with now are more talented (on paper anyway) than his teammates in Corvalis. His offensive coordinator is arguably better than his OC last year. He should be able to carve up Cal's defense on Saturday.

Of course, that's why the games are played, right? What's on paper may not always play out in real life. After all, Auburn was supposed to be better on paper than Cal, but Cal managed to win that game. Still, Cal should be careful here; FSU's due to have its superior talent win a game. I'd rather that not happen at Cal's expense.

---

I know that especially with Cal's record it's absolutely a possibility that we lose on Saturday. Heck, even the betting lines still have us as the underdog.

But the entirety of your post is written as if you haven't followed FSU this season. FSU hasn't gone 0-3 to Georgia Tech, BC, and Memphis where DJU has thrown for 1 TD and 2 INTs, been sacked 8 times (was sacked 11 times the entirety of last year), and has a negative rushing yardage total with 0 TDs thus far because they have an insurmountable talent differential.

Again, it'd be totally plausible that FSU gets right just in time for Cal. We've seen that story happen before. But everything this season suggests that DJU's performance against Cal last year is the outlier rather than the norm and his 2024 suggests that it wasn't DJU that was the X-Factor but rather the Oregon State playcalling and scheme that was beating us.

Plus Cal also has the benefit of 3 games this season of the FSU offense and DJU within it where their whole offense was pretty solved to build a defense off of as well which is not nothing. I am loath to count chickens before they hatch, but I do think we can aim for a reasonable degree of apprehension (based mostly on our ability to execute rather than being fearful of the opposition).

---

Totally fair arguments. I don't disagree. I'm just concerned that DJ Uiagalelei figured out Cal's defense.

I also agree that in practice, Oregon's coordinator and scheme last year were much better than (what we've seen this year of) FSU's. If Cal were playing the same offensive scheme on Saturday, I'd lean toward a heavy Cal loss. Keep in mind, the Beavs went 9-4 last year, with their four losses coming against ranked teams (at the time they played). With the exception of the bowl game and the last game of the season (a rivalry game against Oregon), the losses were really close.

Granted, Uigalelei's accuracy was only ever really good his freshman year. Still, he managed to pull out a 9-win season with a sub-60% accuracy rate last year. This suggests the OSU OC knew how to maximize his upside while minimizing turnovers due to his inaccuracy.

Based on that body of work, I suspect DJ Uiagalelei is just being mismanaged at FSU and not that he doesn't know how to play (let alone how to play against Cal). While normally I'd blame the offensive scheme on the OC, it looks like he's actually been suspended for the past three games. That suggests Mike Norvell has been calling the plays on offense. Given Norvell was an OC and QB coach before, his failure to integrate Uigalelei into his offensive scheme is surprising.

Still as long as Norvell (and Atkins) stubbornly refuse to follow the OSU schemes from last year, I think Cal will have a good chance to shock the Noles in Tallahassee. OTOH, if Norvell (and Atkins now that he's back from suspension) does borrow liberally from Jonathan Smith's offense from last year, it'll be a loooong day for Cal's defense.

Speaking of Atkins, I'm really curious whether his absence from the sidelines contributed to FSU's 0-3 start. On some level, I suspect it did, but to what extent? Will his return right FSU's ship offensively? Will the OL open more holes for runners? Will it be able to keep Uiagalele upright more and also buy him more time to get off a pass? For Cal's sake, I hope the answer to all these questions is a resounding "No."

---

I read elsewhere that Norvell calls the plays on offense. Where the OC will help is working with the OL. So if protection looks better this game, you can put some of that on Atkins.

---

If that's the case, then I expect the OL to be able to buy DJ Uiagalelei a little more time in the pocket and also to be able to provide better run blocking on Saturday. Hopefully, none of this matters and Cal's D manages to swarm the ball and keep securing turnovers.

CALiforniALUM said:

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01Bear said:

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TomBalk said:

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Please do note that CAL is playing a very different type of defense than we have done recently. The style is very aggressive and active.

---

Do you think that's the result of a change in scheme or personnel?

---

Seems like the personnel dictates the type of scheme we can run. Having confidence in you secondary allows your linemen and linebackers to play aggressive.

---

Excellent! If that's the case, then I feel a little better about Saturday's matchup.

01Bear said:

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Rushinbear said:

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01Bear said:

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sycasey said:

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01Bear said:

---

sycasey said:

---

TomBalk said:

---

Please do note that CAL is playing a very different type of defense than we have done recently. The style is very aggressive and active.

---

The defense just seems better than the last two years. Much more disruption at the line of scrimmage.

---

Is that due to a change in scheme or personnel?

---

I think it's personnel. Our DL this year is better able to occupy blockers on the line and not get blown off the ball, so our LBs are better able to make plays.

---

On the one hand, I'm stoked our personnel is better. On the other hand, that also suggests depth can be a concern.

---

Let's see - we've got more, better players and that gives us a depth concern? Do I have that right?

---

How many players deep does this go, though? Is there a noticeable dropoff between the first and second string? That's been a mainstay of Cal's defense: a really good starting DL, but the next guys on the depth chart behind them aren't as good. So when the starters (inevitably) get injured, the Cal DL can't maintain the same level of play.

I'm honestly asking whether the "bigger and better" extends to the second (and possibly even the third) string players. I really don't know the answer to that, hence the query.

---

we've got 3 good ng's, a bunch of good dt's and at least 2 deep on the wings. we've got at least 4 good ilb's and the same number of olb's. with 3 or 4 good db transfers in, we're good there, too. and the play of the d shows. guys are flying around more, playing tight coverage and being aggressive.

Sadly, some of this depth is leaving at the end of this year, but with a better record, we should be able to replace them through the portal and recruiting (although we're not excelling there, yet).

Yeah. TypiCal.

I really hope the addition of our two starting OL gives the offense a boost (and on the flip side, that it doesn't lead to an OL that's out of sync with a totally new composition.)

BearSwarm said:

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I really hope the addition of our two starting OL gives the offense a boost (and on the flip side, that it doesn't lead to an OL that's out of sync with a totally new composition.)

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These guys are experienced players and have been working out with the OL all during fall camp. Something happened to each of them (presumably not the same thing) right before the season started. It might take a play or two, but that should be it.

Rushinbear said:

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01Bear said:

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Rushinbear said:

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01Bear said:

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sycasey said:

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01Bear said:

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sycasey said:

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TomBalk said:

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Please do note that CAL is playing a very different type of defense than we have done recently. The style is very aggressive and active.

---

The defense just seems better than the last two years. Much more disruption at the line of scrimmage.

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Is that due to a change in scheme or personnel?

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I think it's personnel. Our DL this year is better able to occupy blockers on the line and not get blown off the ball, so our LBs are better able to make plays.

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On the one hand, I'm stoked our personnel is better. On the other hand, that also suggests depth can be a concern.

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Let's see - we've got more, better players and that gives us a depth concern? Do I have that right?

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How many players deep does this go, though? Is there a noticeable dropoff between the first and second string? That's been a mainstay of Cal's defense: a really good starting DL, but the next guys on the depth chart behind them aren't as good. So when the starters (inevitably) get injured, the Cal DL can't maintain the same level of play.

I'm honestly asking whether the "bigger and better" extends to the second (and possibly even the third) string players. I really don't know the answer to that, hence the query.

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we've got 3 good ng's, a bunch of good dt's and at least 2 deep on the wings. we've got at least 4 good ilb's and the same number of olb's. with 3 or 4 good db transfers in, we're good there, too. and the play of the d shows. guys are flying around more, playing tight coverage and being aggressive.

Sadly, some of this depth is leaving at the end of this year, but with a better record, we should be able to replace them through the portal and recruiting (although we're not excelling there, yet).

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Excellent! Thanks for the breakdown!