I was busy with work during the game but had it on in the background. That said, from what I saw and what I remember of the game, the Cal defense really won the game today. It stepped up big (3 picks by Kingston Lopa!) when it counted.
As well as the defense played, the offense was just terrible. Cal doesn't have time for the rookie OC to get his bearings. He needs to be replaced ASAP. Whether he's tarmacked, asked to assist Rolo as Rolo takes over OC duties, or given a different role altogether, he needs to relieved of his duties as OC.
Somerville is just horrible at playcalling. There's no deception whatsoever, so opposing defenses can anticipate exactly what's going to happen without worrying about being burned by overpursuing. Worse, he's wasting a lot of good talent while forcing JKS to run for his life. JKS will get hurt or opt to transfer to a school that will protect him and give him more than one second to get rid of the ball.
What absolutely killed me was when Cal had the ball at the 2 minute Timeout in the first half. It quickly surrendered the ball to 'Cuse with what was essentially a 3 and out after the Timeout. The defense managed to hold the Orange to a 3 and out and got Cal the ball back with about a minute to go. Somerville managed to go 3 and out, again! Holy flarking snit!
Finally, I looked at the pre-season ACC ranking after the game. Syracuse, Wake Forest, and the Furd are the only ACC teams on Cal's schedule this season that were ranked below Cal in the pre-season ranking (https://theacc.com/news/2026/7/28/miami-picked-as-preseason-favorite-to-win-2026-acc-football-championship.aspx). That Cal won on the road (3 time zones earlier, no less!) is something about which I am excited. Unfortunately, given that the Orange is an ACC doormat, tempers my excitement over the win.
At the end of the day, however, Cal is now 1-1. If it can manage to finish with a .500 record (or better!) on the season that will be a pleasant surprise (after the collapse at Memorial last Saturday). But in order to do that, Somerville will likely need to replaced.
As well as the defense played, the offense was just terrible. Cal doesn't have time for the rookie OC to get his bearings. He needs to be replaced ASAP. Whether he's tarmacked, asked to assist Rolo as Rolo takes over OC duties, or given a different role altogether, he needs to relieved of his duties as OC.
Somerville is just horrible at playcalling. There's no deception whatsoever, so opposing defenses can anticipate exactly what's going to happen without worrying about being burned by overpursuing. Worse, he's wasting a lot of good talent while forcing JKS to run for his life. JKS will get hurt or opt to transfer to a school that will protect him and give him more than one second to get rid of the ball.
What absolutely killed me was when Cal had the ball at the 2 minute Timeout in the first half. It quickly surrendered the ball to 'Cuse with what was essentially a 3 and out after the Timeout. The defense managed to hold the Orange to a 3 and out and got Cal the ball back with about a minute to go. Somerville managed to go 3 and out, again! Holy flarking snit!
Finally, I looked at the pre-season ACC ranking after the game. Syracuse, Wake Forest, and the Furd are the only ACC teams on Cal's schedule this season that were ranked below Cal in the pre-season ranking (https://theacc.com/news/2026/7/28/miami-picked-as-preseason-favorite-to-win-2026-acc-football-championship.aspx). That Cal won on the road (3 time zones earlier, no less!) is something about which I am excited. Unfortunately, given that the Orange is an ACC doormat, tempers my excitement over the win.
At the end of the day, however, Cal is now 1-1. If it can manage to finish with a .500 record (or better!) on the season that will be a pleasant surprise (after the collapse at Memorial last Saturday). But in order to do that, Somerville will likely need to replaced.
