Thank goodness he has the size to see over the OL and the weight to absorb all the hits

Nofado said:

---

Thank goodness he has the size to see over the OL and the weight to absorb all the hits

---

I'd be happier if (1) he put in another 25lbs of muscle mass and (2) he didn't take those hits.

I think that would make them 250 pounds

If he added 10 more pounds, he'd be close to Andrew luck size

Nofado said:

---

Thank goodness he has the size to see over the OL and the weight to absorb all the hits

---

Cal has an OL?

I need Axe pics!

No idea how we won that but I'm super glad we did. Stanford switched off. 4th quarter was total domination. I think they must have thought the game was won.

Hate the staredown. But we keep the Axe.

LFG!

GO BEARS!

ANOTHER EPIC FINISH

Nofado said:

---

I think that would make them 250 pounds

---

Is he 225lbs? He looks like he's closer to 210lbs to my eye. With his height and build, I thibk he can put on a good 20+ lbs of muscle. It should help even out the odds when getting tackled by LBs.

cubzwin said:

---

Nofado said:

---

Thank goodness he has the size to see over the OL and the weight to absorb all the hits

---

Cal has an OL?

---

It's the turnstile that used to be at the BART station.

He's listed 6'5" 225lbs

I know my numbers. Played a lot of football in my younger days.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4837248/fernando-mendoza

Well he a lot faster than I thought. He was outrunning some dbs on that 50 yard run.

I'm excited for the recruits that were there today. What a wonderful atmosphere to experience Cal football.

Quote:

---

Paws was before my time. What was he like as a player? I've heard he was tough and all heart. But what was he like as a QB?

---

I go back to Ferragamo/Bartkowski days, so I've seen a LOT of Cal football. Paws was the leader on that 1991 team that went 10-2. That was the best Cal team we had until Tedford/Rodgers showed up. Paws was unique in that he had inner toughness that showed in how he played. It always felt like he would figure out a way to win. Close loss to UW that year messed things up. He played a great bowl game and got drafted by Tampa Bay but never broke though in the NFL. That was disappointing. But went on to star and set records in Arena ball. I have tons of respect for him.

Nofado said:

---

He's listed 6'5" 225lbs

I know my numbers. Played a lot of football in my younger days.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4837248/fernando-mendoza

---

Thanks for that link. I honestly didn't know he's listed at 225. (He doesn't look that thick, especially given his height.) Still, I wouldn't mind if he were 250lbs, then at least DBs might bounce off him when they try to blitz him!

LarsBear74 said:

---

Quote:

---

Paws was before my time. What was he like as a player? I've heard he was tough and all heart. But what was he like as a QB?

---

I go back to Ferragamo/Bartkowski days, so I've seen a LOT of Cal football. Paws was the leader on that 1991 team that went 10-2. That was the best Cal team we had until Tedford/Rodgers showed up. Paws was unique in that he had inner toughness that showed in how he played. It always felt like he would figure out a way to win. Close loss to UW that year messed things up. He played a great bowl game and got drafted by Tampa Bay but never broke though in the NFL. That was disappointing. But went on to star and set records in Arena ball. I have tons of respect for him.

---

Thanks!

Paws was a tough quarterback and a superior leader. What he lacked in skill he made up with guts and grit.

If we can only put together Evan an average offensive line next year…..

Grrrrah76 said:

---

Paws was a tough quarterback and a superior leader. What he lacked in skill he made up with guts and grit.

---

The Cal QB who most resembled that that I can remember watching live would be Chase Garbers. That kid was tough and played with grit. I liked him a lot.

We are so f***ing lucky we found Fernando Mendoza. This game was won on his moxie.

Evan would be a solid addition to the line.

GoOskie said:

---

No matter Fernando's flaws, you gotta love him.

---

What flaws?!?!?

Cal88 said:

---

GoOskie said:

---

No matter Fernando's flaws, you gotta love him.

---

What flaws?!?!?

---

He definitely needs to learn when to go down and avoid hits.

At ⁦@CalMemorialStad⁩ after ⁦@CalFootball⁩’s 24-21 win over ⁦@StanfordFball⁩ in the 127th #BigGame ⁦@ACCFootball⁩ pic.twitter.com/5GCFztUU4g

— Steve Kroner (@SteveKronerSF) November 24, 2024

The onel flaw I see is that he holds onto the ball too long. Even on roll outs, he needs to recognize coverage, throw the ball away and not take a needless sack. Yes our oline is shyte. But he could get it out faster or just throw it away.

sycasey said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

GoOskie said:

---

No matter Fernando's flaws, you gotta love him.

---

What flaws?!?!?

---

He definitely needs to learn when to go down and avoid hits.

---

When you can make plays like these, that item is trivial:

Cal with a big Touchdown to make it a 1 score game! pic.twitter.com/vNRMkaOqGw

— College Football Live (@CollegeFBonX) November 23, 2024

Cal comes back after trailing 21-7 at half to win that most classic of ACC rivalries, Big Game, 24-21, and is bowl eligible!

pic.twitter.com/Q8t9XCQYql

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) November 23, 2024

Legacy win for Fernando

Not a great game by us by any stretch but there were some huge moments. The 98 yard 'Mendoza March' Will live on in Big Game lore but I think my favorite was seeing BMW absolutely level Ayomanor on a legal hit to the midsection. When you see a guy prone on the ground like that usually it's because they got their head taken off with a nasty concussion hit but this time it was because Myles Williams turned all of his ribs to dust at the same time

Anarchistbear said:

---

Legacy win for Fernando

---

Big Game Hero 2 - Jonathan Brady, 2 TD catches FTW.

Bearly Clad said:

---

Not a great game by us by any stretch but there were some huge moments. The 98 yard 'Mendoza March' Will live on in Big Game lore but I think my favorite was seeing BMW absolutely level Ayomanor on a legal hit to the midsection. When you see a guy prone on the ground like that usually it's because they got their head taken off with a nasty concussion hit but this time it was because Myles Williams turned all of his ribs to dust at the same time

---

That hit was about on par with Pain Train's blind side hit on Erik Ainge for sheer explosiveness.

01Bear said:

---

bearister said:

---

blungld said:

---

Mendoza is perhaps the thing that has kept me rooting for Cal. Maybe the most "Cal" guy since Pawlawski.

---

Pawlawski is his mentor, by the way…and it's taking!

---

Paws was before my time. What was he like as a player? I've heard he was tough and all heart. But what was he like as a QB?

---

Solid college QB. Tough? If there was a fumble or he threw a pick all of a sudden he would turn into Jack Tatum and put a vicious hit on the defensive player trying to advance the ball.

Leader? My wife and I attended the Copper Bowl (vs Wyoming) in Tucson on New Year's Eve 1990/91. We stayed at the same hotel as the team, the Westin La Paloma. We were waiting to tee off and we saw Pawlawski walking around the putting greens and driving range with 10 players following him. As he was discussing golf matters they were all looking at him and listening attentively like he was their dad. I looked at my wife and said, "That's what a leader looks like." Mike is a f@ucking Winner. That's what he is.

bearister said:

---

01Bear said:

---

bearister said:

---

blungld said:

---

Mendoza is perhaps the thing that has kept me rooting for Cal. Maybe the most "Cal" guy since Pawlawski.

---

Pawlawski is his mentor, by the way…and it's taking!

---

Paws was before my time. What was he like as a player? I've heard he was tough and all heart. But what was he like as a QB?

---

Solid college QB. Tough? If there was a fumble or he threw a pick all of a sudden he would turn into Jack Tatum and put a vicious hit on the defensive player trying to advance the ball.

Leader? My wife and I attended the Copper Bowl (vs Wyoming) in Tucson on New Year's Eve 1990/91. We stayed at the same hotel as the team, the Westin La Paloma. We were waiting to tee off and we saw Pawlawski walking around the putting greens and driving range with 10 players following him. As he was discussing golf matters they were all looking at him and listening attentively like he was their dad. I looked at my wife and said, "That's what a leader looks like." Mike is a f@ucking Winner. That's what he is.

---

Man, I wish I got to see him play, then. I've always liked the gritty and tough as nails players who could will their teams to victories.

Mendoza's March erasing 3.5 quarters of sloppy, unmemorable play on both sides of the ball is why you have to love college football and the particular corner of it that is the Big Game. He has etched himself into BG lore, rightfully, and what presence of mind to beautifully and honestly sum it up on the mic afterwards. He clearly gives a damn and that counts for a lot.

I'm just happy that I coined 'Mendoza March' and it's already caught on. Disclaimer: yes I know it's not that creative and someone else would've come up with it.

I'll never get credit but for the rest of my life, I'll know. It's my Cal fan badge of honor. Alright, enough patting myself on the back; enjoy the win everyone!

An entire Stanford undergrad class will graduate without ever having seen their team win the Big Game and us rushing the field annually. Most of them probably don't even know or care but it means something to me

Bearly Clad said:

---

I'm just happy that I coined 'Mendoza March' and it's already caught on. Disclaimer: yes I know it's not that creative and someone else would've come up with it.

I'll never get credit but for the rest of my life, I'll know. It's my Cal fan badge of honor. Alright, enough patting myself on the back; enjoy the win everyone!

An entire Stanford undergrad class will graduate without ever having seen their team win the Big Game and us rushing the field annually. Most of them probably don't even know or care but it means something to me

---

It means something to me, too! I was on the other end of that, since Holmoe was the HC at Cal during all four of my undergraduate years..