PITTSBURGH, PA - More heartbreak and frustration was the fate of Cal fans today in the Bears’ 17-15 loss at #22 Pittsburgh in a game that was more than winnable but was ultimately derailed by costly mistakes throughout the game as well as an offensive line that was a sieve against the aggressive Pitt defense.
When QB Fernando Mendoza wasn’t being sacked six times, he was often pressured and hit. The Bears gave up 11 tackles for loss to a team that came into the game with just 12 sacks. Overall, Mendoza went 27-for-37 for 272 yards and a touchdown and no turnovers. TE Jack Endries was the star for the Bears, hauling in 8 receptions for 119 yards and a TD in the loss.
In all, the Bears were whistled for 12 penalties for 110 yards and it would’ve been more if several penalties weren’t declined.
“Penalties were a major issue,” head coach Justin Wilcox said after the game. “Four 15 yarders. We had an unsportsmanlike right before half that cost us big...we had two PI’s on one drive for 30 yards of field position. We had a facemask for 15. Receivers had an illegal substitution, really bad. False start..delay, three holding penalties.
“It’s bad. You just have to focus. It takes physical toughness, mental toughness, emotional toughness.”
In the last four years, the team has been 5-20 in one score games including tonight’s disappointing loss.
“How do you win a one-score game today?” Wilcox asked rhetorically. “You cut the penalties in half. Start there...Let’s go to 4th-and-1. Everyone’s doing their job - 10 out of 11 guys. One guy makes kind of a selfish decision, gets out of his gap. I think we had a great chance to stop them and get the ball in their territory. A guy gets out of his gap and they run 72 yards for a touchdown.”
The Bears were unable to generate much offense on the ground, with running back Jaivian Thomas, starting in place of injured starter Jadyn Ott, gaining 72 yards on 17 carries.
The game got off to a good start for the Bears after stuffing the Pitt offense with a 3-and-out and following up with an opening TD drive.
Facing 3rd-and-17 on the drive at the Cal 44, Mendoza came up with a clutch completion to WR Jonathan Brady for 23 yards, bringing the ball to the Pitt 33. Three plays later, Thomas turned on the jets for a 21-yard TD run to give the Bears a 6-0 lead after a failed 2-point conversion attempt failed.
The Panthers immediately responded with a scoring drive of their own, aided by a pair of facemask and hands-to-the-face penalties and a 4th-and-5 conversion from midfield. Pitt took the lead on a 5-yard Desmond Reid burst up the middle for the score and the Ben Sauls PAT to go up 7-6 with 5:07 left in the quarter.
After a pair of penalties cut short the Bears’ next possession, Cal’s run of 4th-down defensive futility burned them in a big way.
Showing either complete confidence in their offense or in the Cal defense’s recent fourth down struggles, the Panthers went for it with an unusual 4th-and-1 situation from their own 28. Seemingly confused by Pitt’s misdirection, Reid bounced the ball off tackle and found nothing but green grass ahead of him, pulling away for the surprisingly easy 72-yard TD run to put Pitt up 14-6 to start the second quarter.
The Panthers extended their lead after the Bears were forced to abandon going for it on 4th-and-1 at midfield after an illegal substitution penalty. Pitt responded with a 58-yard field goal on the ensuing drive to go up 17-6 with 10:04 left in the half.
The Bears finally stemmed the tide of 17 straight Pitt points, putting together a 9-play, 54-yard drive ending in a 39-yard Ryan Coe field goal to make it 17-9 with 5:57 left in the half to close out the scoring in the half.
The Bears’ 20:43 to 9:17 first-half time of possession advantage yielded little, with 8 penalties for 90 yards derailing any drive continuity in the half.
The third quarter was a stalemate, with either team failing to score, despite two Cal interceptions by cornerback Nohl Williams and nickel back Cam Sidney. Sidney’s return gave the Bears the ball on the Pitt 40 but they only managed to move backward on two sacks and an incompletion.
The Bears finally got things going after taking over at their 22 on their next possession. Tight end Jack Endries put the team on his back on the drive, hauling in catches for 20 and 27 yards with plenty of yards after catch before grabbing a pass up the middle and bulling his way in for the 19-yard TD.
Cal’s special teams woes continued as they failed on their second straight 2-point conversion attempt and trailed 17-15 with 10:30 remaining.
The Bears had a golden opportunity to milk the clock and take the lead after taking over at their 20 with 8:22 left in the game and methodically moving it to the Pitt 22 where they faced 3rd-and-9. Rather than trying to pass for a first down, backup QB Chandler Rogers had a short run that positioned the Bears for the potential game-winning field goal, though there was still 1:50 left on the clock.
Set up for a 40-yard field goal in the center of the field, well within Coe’s range, the senior kicker missed wide right, crushing the Bears’ hopes for victory.
The Bears still had a chance for a late comeback after forcing a 3-and-out and getting the ball back at their 20 with :52 left but three straight incompletions sandwiched around another false start penalty found the Bears in 4th-and-15. Finally hitting on a completion to WR Mason Starling, it was again short of the sticks as was the case so often all game and the Bears turned over the ball on downs, leaving Pitt to kneel down and run out the clock.
The Bears fell to 3-3 (0-3) after the loss. Pitt runs their record to 6-0 (2-0) after their victory.
I can think of at least two, both very much resemble Wilcox's position. Pro sports (guaranteed contracts) and being a corporate executive (golden parachutes).GoCal80 said:
The athletic director, head coach and players are all getting paid handsomely win or lose. I can't think of any other activity with such a complete lack of performance incentive.
Because this is exactly the type of game he WANTS and is AIMING for. He just wishes the players did it slightly better.WalterSobchak said:
Yeah I started to watch and all he was doing was blaming players so I had to turn it off. Really detestable stuff.
WalterSobchak said:
Yeah I started to watch and all he was doing was blaming players so I had to turn it off. Really detestable stuff.
No coach gets a "for cause" firing unless something heinous is uncovered, and Wilcox is the epitome of a nice fellow who is terrible at this job and therefore gets sympathetic treatment01Bear said:This is, yet, another reason why Wilcox needs to be booted for cause.WalterSobchak said:
Yeah I started to watch and all he was doing was blaming players so I had to turn it off. Really detestable stuff.
Strykur said:No coach gets a "for cause" firing unless something heinous is uncovered, and Wilcox is the epitome of a nice fellow who is terrible at this job and therefore gets sympathetic treatment01Bear said:This is, yet, another reason why Wilcox needs to be booted for cause.WalterSobchak said:
Yeah I started to watch and all he was doing was blaming players so I had to turn it off. Really detestable stuff.
ducky23 said:
So Wilcox is like 6-17 in one score games since 2020. And then hes asked about one score games and he then starts to blame the players? Do I have that right?
So since 2020, all those losses in 1 score games were all the fault of the players? It's not possible it's something more systemic? This guy could not possibly be this stupid.
How hard is it to just look in the mirror and ask yourself, what can I do differently in close games
Gobears49 said:
Has anyone ever seen a coach going for two in the first quarter when a kicked extra would tie the game? Very strange. We have a very strange head coach.
people are strange videos
sounds positive! I dont think it's possible to be "too negative" after what we've just witnessed. This latest coaching decision ( made by the HC) to drive for a 40 yd field goal with a very shaky kicker, 1:50 on the clock and 3 TO's leaves one with very little hope for change.dha said:
Being at the game, I can say I understood the decision to got for 2 after the first TD. I was surprised they did, but could not fault the caches for being aggressive. Pitt had a high scoring offense and were favorites playing at home. Not sure I understood why a trick play was needed, but they had plenty of time to overcome that missed opportunity.
The decision by the OC that was harder fo me to undertstand, was in the drive in Q4 that ended with the missed FG. Mendoza was rolling at that point and then they went conservative Had the ball on the Pitt 25 with 3 minutes left. Three straight runs, including what looked like a designed run by Mendoza that went nowhere. Then even worse, brining in Rogers, facing a 3rd and nine. Everyone in the stadium knew it would be a run. Why not let Mendoza try a pass to keep the drive going - they know Coe is inconsistent - too afraid of a sack?
On the positive side, Endries had a breakout game. Pitt couldn't contain him. He was a beast. Pitt was averaging over 500 yards on offense and Cal's D shut them down in front of a hostile loud crowd on Pitt's home coming day.
The injury to Ott is hurting. We had 40 rushing attempts average 1.6 yards (with the sacks). Cardwell showed some promise hitting the holes quickly. Calloway less so. I don't need to see anymore of Rogers this season, unless they are going to let him throw the ball from time to time. How about giving CJ Morris a shot in run situations - 6'4" 220 -- at least he is a load to bring down.
Let's not be too negative. Lot of close games in college football yesterday. USC, Ohio State, South Carolina, Colorado, all lost games they might have won. We were not expected to beat FSU, Miami and Pitt. But we came close, We can still be bowl eligible given the schedule going forward. Beginning next week with NCState. Go Bears.
BearSD said:ducky23 said:
So Wilcox is like 6-17 in one score games since 2020. And then hes asked about one score games and he then starts to blame the players? Do I have that right?
So since 2020, all those losses in 1 score games were all the fault of the players? It's not possible it's something more systemic? This guy could not possibly be this stupid.
How hard is it to just look in the mirror and ask yourself, what can I do differently in close games
Well, players have to make plays. They are not immune from blame.
But who recruited those players, either choosing them over other players or failing to recruit better talent? And who makes coaching decisions? Yes, even winning coaches make poor decisions in-game, but they also recruit superior talent that can overcome many of those coaching decisions and still have to accept responsibility for coaching decisions that should have been made differently.
I have to add.dha said:
Being at the game, I can say I understood the decision to got for 2 after the first TD. I was surprised they did, but could not fault the caches for being aggressive. Pitt had a high scoring offense and were favorites playing at home. Not sure I understood why a trick play was needed, but they had plenty of time to overcome that missed opportunity.
The decision by the OC that was harder fo me to undertstand, was in the drive in Q4 that ended with the missed FG. Mendoza was rolling at that point and then they went conservative Had the ball on the Pitt 25 with 3 minutes left. Three straight runs, including what looked like a designed run by Mendoza that went nowhere. Then even worse, brining in Rogers, facing a 3rd and nine. Everyone in the stadium knew it would be a run. Why not let Mendoza try a pass to keep the drive going - they know Coe is inconsistent - too afraid of a sack?
On the positive side, Endries had a breakout game. Pitt couldn't contain him. He was a beast. Pitt was averaging over 500 yards on offense and Cal's D shut them down in front of a hostile loud crowd on Pitt's home coming day.
The injury to Ott is hurting. We had 40 rushing attempts average 1.6 yards (with the sacks). Cardwell showed some promise hitting the holes quickly. Calloway less so. I don't need to see anymore of Rogers this season, unless they are going to let him throw the ball from time to time. How about giving CJ Morris a shot in run situations - 6'4" 220 -- at least he is a load to bring down.
Let's not be too negative. Lot of close games in college football yesterday. USC, Ohio State, South Carolina, Colorado, all lost games they might have won. We were not expected to beat FSU, Miami and Pitt. But we came close, We can still be bowl eligible given the schedule going forward. Beginning next week with NCState. Go Bears.
dha said:
The injury to Ott is hurting. We had 40 rushing attempts average 1.6 yards (with the sacks). Cardwell showed some promise hitting the holes quickly. Calloway less so. I don't need to see anymore of Rogers this season, unless they are going to let him throw the ball from time to time. How about giving CJ Morris a shot in run situations - 6'4" 220 -- at least he is a load to bring down.
Let's not be too negative. Lot of close games in college football yesterday. USC, Ohio State, South Carolina, Colorado, all lost games they might have won. We were not expected to beat FSU, Miami and Pitt. But we came close, We can still be bowl eligible given the schedule going forward. Beginning next week with NCState. Go Bears.
Bowlesman80 said:
I have to add.
Another upside is that we are competitive versus Top Twenty and/or uber-talented teams this year. Contrast that with just last year.
*waits for rainfall of angry comments.
Our defense is elite. Yes, they make a huge difference.gobears15 said:Bowlesman80 said:
I have to add.
Another upside is that we are competitive versus Top Twenty and/or uber-talented teams this year. Contrast that with just last year.
*waits for rainfall of angry comments.
Sure, but I can't ignore how bad our fundamentals are on offense. Refer to my previous post for our rankings in sacks allowed, penalties per game, and rushing offense.
Our defense and our DBs in particular have kept us in games. The problem is we're executing at most 1 or 2 consistent offensive drives per game.
Bowlesman80 said:Our defense is elite. Yes, they make a huge difference.gobears15 said:Bowlesman80 said:
I have to add.
Another upside is that we are competitive versus Top Twenty and/or uber-talented teams this year. Contrast that with just last year.
*waits for rainfall of angry comments.
Sure, but I can't ignore how bad our fundamentals are on offense. Refer to my previous post for our rankings in sacks allowed, penalties per game, and rushing offense.
Our defense and our DBs in particular have kept us in games. The problem is we're executing at most 1 or 2 consistent offensive drives per game.
Offense is damned good except for the inconsistency of the Oline. Mendoza is getting salty.
The points they have scored are not made up. What's hurting is Oline coaching, talent, and depth.oski003 said:Bowlesman80 said:Our defense is elite. Yes, they make a huge difference.gobears15 said:Bowlesman80 said:
I have to add.
Another upside is that we are competitive versus Top Twenty and/or uber-talented teams this year. Contrast that with just last year.
*waits for rainfall of angry comments.
Sure, but I can't ignore how bad our fundamentals are on offense. Refer to my previous post for our rankings in sacks allowed, penalties per game, and rushing offense.
Our defense and our DBs in particular have kept us in games. The problem is we're executing at most 1 or 2 consistent offensive drives per game.
Offense is damned good except for the inconsistency of the Oline. Mendoza is getting salty.
Offense is bad.
Bowlesman80 said:The points they have scored are not made up. What's hurting is Oline coaching, talent, and depth.oski003 said:Bowlesman80 said:Our defense is elite. Yes, they make a huge difference.gobears15 said:Bowlesman80 said:
I have to add.
Another upside is that we are competitive versus Top Twenty and/or uber-talented teams this year. Contrast that with just last year.
*waits for rainfall of angry comments.
Sure, but I can't ignore how bad our fundamentals are on offense. Refer to my previous post for our rankings in sacks allowed, penalties per game, and rushing offense.
Our defense and our DBs in particular have kept us in games. The problem is we're executing at most 1 or 2 consistent offensive drives per game.
Offense is damned good except for the inconsistency of the Oline. Mendoza is getting salty.
Offense is bad.
The offense has shown great bright spots. Look at how Mendoza has been playmaking, even with less than Jared Goff levels of protection. Look at Jet. To make a blanket statement about how bad they are is not fair to them. Serious questions are arising about Bloesch's OC role. When he was a dedicated Oline coach, last year, we saw significant improvement, while this year, we regressed.oski003 said:Bowlesman80 said:The points they have scored are not made up. What's hurting is Oline coaching, talent, and depth.oski003 said:Bowlesman80 said:Our defense is elite. Yes, they make a huge difference.gobears15 said:Bowlesman80 said:
I have to add.
Another upside is that we are competitive versus Top Twenty and/or uber-talented teams this year. Contrast that with just last year.
*waits for rainfall of angry comments.
Sure, but I can't ignore how bad our fundamentals are on offense. Refer to my previous post for our rankings in sacks allowed, penalties per game, and rushing offense.
Our defense and our DBs in particular have kept us in games. The problem is we're executing at most 1 or 2 consistent offensive drives per game.
Offense is damned good except for the inconsistency of the Oline. Mendoza is getting salty.
Offense is bad.
We are averaging only 23 points a game and our defense leads the NCAA in interceptions. The offense is not good. We scored 9 points and 15 points in two of our losses.
Bowlesman80 said:The offense has shown great bright spots. Look at how Mendoza has been playmaking, even with less than Jared Goff levels of protection. Look at Jet. To make a blanket statement about how bad they are is not fair to them. Serious questions are arising about Bloesch's OC role. When he was a dedicated Oline coach, last year, we saw significant improvement, while this year, we regressed.oski003 said:Bowlesman80 said:The points they have scored are not made up. What's hurting is Oline coaching, talent, and depth.oski003 said:Bowlesman80 said:Our defense is elite. Yes, they make a huge difference.gobears15 said:Bowlesman80 said:
I have to add.
Another upside is that we are competitive versus Top Twenty and/or uber-talented teams this year. Contrast that with just last year.
*waits for rainfall of angry comments.
Sure, but I can't ignore how bad our fundamentals are on offense. Refer to my previous post for our rankings in sacks allowed, penalties per game, and rushing offense.
Our defense and our DBs in particular have kept us in games. The problem is we're executing at most 1 or 2 consistent offensive drives per game.
Offense is damned good except for the inconsistency of the Oline. Mendoza is getting salty.
Offense is bad.
We are averaging only 23 points a game and our defense leads the NCAA in interceptions. The offense is not good. We scored 9 points and 15 points in two of our losses.
I am trying to be specific in any criticism, so to be constructive.
BearoutEast67 said:Bowlesman80 said:The offense has shown great bright spots. Look at how Mendoza has been playmaking, even with less than Jared Goff levels of protection. Look at Jet. To make a blanket statement about how bad they are is not fair to them. Serious questions are arising about Bloesch's OC role. When he was a dedicated Oline coach, last year, we saw significant improvement, while this year, we regressed.oski003 said:Bowlesman80 said:The points they have scored are not made up. What's hurting is Oline coaching, talent, and depth.oski003 said:Bowlesman80 said:Our defense is elite. Yes, they make a huge difference.gobears15 said:Bowlesman80 said:
I have to add.
Another upside is that we are competitive versus Top Twenty and/or uber-talented teams this year. Contrast that with just last year.
*waits for rainfall of angry comments.
Sure, but I can't ignore how bad our fundamentals are on offense. Refer to my previous post for our rankings in sacks allowed, penalties per game, and rushing offense.
Our defense and our DBs in particular have kept us in games. The problem is we're executing at most 1 or 2 consistent offensive drives per game.
Offense is damned good except for the inconsistency of the Oline. Mendoza is getting salty.
Offense is bad.
We are averaging only 23 points a game and our defense leads the NCAA in interceptions. The offense is not good. We scored 9 points and 15 points in two of our losses.
I am trying to be specific in any criticism, so to be constructive.
I loved the quick passes over the middle to the TE. Worked repeatedly but less well when the blitzer was never touched. Defense played great and shut down a supposed phenomenal freshman QB. I think Longwell should have kicker practice on varying lengths of grass as well as turf.
Now, that's constructive criticism. I must wonder why we have a history of kickers getting the yips. I am sad to think that Miami and Pitt will prove out overrated.BearoutEast67 said:Bowlesman80 said:The offense has shown great bright spots. Look at how Mendoza has been playmaking, even with less than Jared Goff levels of protection. Look at Jet. To make a blanket statement about how bad they are is not fair to them. Serious questions are arising about Bloesch's OC role. When he was a dedicated Oline coach, last year, we saw significant improvement, while this year, we regressed.oski003 said:Bowlesman80 said:The points they have scored are not made up. What's hurting is Oline coaching, talent, and depth.oski003 said:Bowlesman80 said:Our defense is elite. Yes, they make a huge difference.gobears15 said:Bowlesman80 said:
I have to add.
Another upside is that we are competitive versus Top Twenty and/or uber-talented teams this year. Contrast that with just last year.
*waits for rainfall of angry comments.
Sure, but I can't ignore how bad our fundamentals are on offense. Refer to my previous post for our rankings in sacks allowed, penalties per game, and rushing offense.
Our defense and our DBs in particular have kept us in games. The problem is we're executing at most 1 or 2 consistent offensive drives per game.
Offense is damned good except for the inconsistency of the Oline. Mendoza is getting salty.
Offense is bad.
We are averaging only 23 points a game and our defense leads the NCAA in interceptions. The offense is not good. We scored 9 points and 15 points in two of our losses.
I am trying to be specific in any criticism, so to be constructive.
I loved the quick passes over the middle to the TE. Worked repeatedly but less well when the blitzer was never touched. Defense played great and shut down a supposed phenomenal freshman QB. I think Longwell should have kicker practice on varying lengths of grass as well as turf.
Yeah, what's with our top 2 WRs who have not played all season? I assume they are getting NIL money. Now that we are half way through the season, should we consider redshirting them if they can return in time for the 7th game of the season?ducky23 said:
Until our top 2 WRs are back, we really should be running the offense thru the TEs. Both of them are huge mismatches. And Mendoza feels most comfortable throwing in the middle of the field.
