Kline was a good soldier and Bear. I wish him all the best.

The Duke!;842246855 said:

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He had two amazing runs. But he also had inexplicable fumbles and tons of missed assignments.

The thinking on this board was that it was all JT's fault for picking the wrong RB to play. As soon as a new staff came on board with a simplified playbook, Bigelow would shine.

But once that scenario unfolded, it became clear that maybe JT and Gould knew what they were doing more than we all thought.

---

Doesn't work that way. Just as likely jt and Gould were idiots fir not letting the talented guy run in an offense suited to him, but that he's just the wrong type of back for TFS running. (Actually maybe could switch, last years rbs for this)

UCBerkGrad;842247113 said:

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Wouldn't that mean that every player that was recruited under Tedford's system got a raw deal with the Sonny hire?

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to a certain extent, id say so. it also goes without saying, goff may be the best for the TFS but im not so sure the TFS as currently constructed will work. i think that theyll have to adjust

MiZery;842246854 said:

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you cant blame the losses on Goff. Considering this was a 1-11 team, he had pretty good numbers (for a true Frosh).

Passing 320/531 for 3508 yards and 18 TD and 10 INTs is not bad. He also had a decent game against a tough Stanfurd D on the road.

So .. not good O-line + average running game = more pressure on the QB. Considering everyone knows that Cal is going to pass,, he still had decent numbers.

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The only numbers that have meaning are in the won-loss column. Goff was at the helm when the team lost 11 times in one season.

NYCGOBEARS;842247169 said:

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Kline was a good soldier and Bear. I wish him all the best.

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+1

gobears725;842247194 said:

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to a certain extent, id say so. it also goes without saying, goff may be the best for the TFS but im not so sure the TFS as currently constructed will work. i think that theyll have to adjust

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This. I understand Cal was under-manned due to injuries and age. Still there weren't adjustments by the staff with personnel. Dykes sorts horded players on offense while watching the D backfield wilt.

There must have been a few WR/athletes who played D in HS, who would welcome playing time. There must have been 2-3 decent candidates. Deltha O'neal made the switch and played in the NFL for a good chunk of time.

Besides better talent and depth, how/if Dykes adjusts will tell if he can succeed. He's going to have to adjust a bunch. Also while not the same system, looks like Chip Kelly adjusted to Foles, and the NFL but he's also a very good coach.

I'm hoping SD adjusts well and figures it out, because the alternative is painful. It's the lack of any demonstrated improvement over the season that has me worried. 4-5 wins and being competitive in most games would be progress next season. Cal got blown out of every game, minus Portland St. and Arizona.

beelzebear;842247201 said:

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This. I understand Cal was under-manned due to injuries and age. Still there weren't adjustments by the staff with personnel. Dykes sorts horded the most talent guys on offense while watching the D backfield wilt.

There must have been a few WR/athletes who played D in HS, who would welcome playing time. There must have been 2-3 decent candidates. Deltha O'neal made the switch and played in the NFL for a good chunk of time.

Besides better talent and depth, how/if Dykes adjusts will tell if he can succeed. He's going to have to adjust a bunch. Also while not the same system, looks like Chip Kelly adjusted to Foles, and the NFL but he's also a very good coach.

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that will be what defines dykes. his ability to adjust. theyll have all winter to look at how we were beat. short passing game i mean its worked before, look at the 49ers. the answers are out there, its a matter of whether he finds the right solution

Masau80;842246921 said:

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Supposedly, the new kid coming in is a perfect fit for this offense (although he is awful short) - much more dynamic a runner than Goff. Coach Dykes has shown that he is not against starting a true freshman at QB. Could be that this was Goff's one and done year as a starter?

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If Goff isn't the starter for the NU game I will be shocked. Unless he really is the second coming, Rubenzer's odds are slim considering he isn't enrolling early.

There is always the chance that Rubenzer could be worked in gradually over the course of the season. If they don't redshirt him then this is what we should expect.

gobears725;842247106 said:

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coaching changes happen and it was a bit of the risk he took signing with Cal when it was pretty clear that tedford was on the hot seat. i think that Kline will be in a very good situation up at Oregon st learning under Riley in an offense suited more towards his strengths.

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Well said.

gobears725;842247216 said:

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that will be what defines dykes. his ability to adjust. theyll have all winter to look at how we were beat. short passing game i mean its worked before, look at the 49ers. the answers are out there, its a matter of whether he finds the right solution

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I honestly wish the staff chose to make better use of existing personnel this past season. At the same time I also see the long-term advantages, particularly on offense, to fully implementing your system so the players either get it and grow with it or don't. Defense is hard to gauge considering the injuries and inexperience. Can't really separate all that from any apparent deficiencies in scheme.

We'll see what Dykes has in his 3 notebooks full of things that need to be changed.

Well if Kline ends up at OSU he will probably torch us.
Would be no surprise to me given current state of our defense as well as our track record against the Beavs. Only can hope we don't play them last game of season as Sonny is heading out the door ala Tedford 2012.

beelzebear;842247201 said:

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This. I understand Cal was under-manned due to injuries and age. Still there weren't adjustments by the staff with personnel. Dykes sorts horded players on offense while watching the D backfield wilt.

There must have been a few WR/athletes who played D in HS, who would welcome playing time. There must have been 2-3 decent candidates. Deltha O'neal made the switch and played in the NFL for a good chunk of time.

Besides better talent and depth, how/if Dykes adjusts will tell if he can succeed. He's going to have to adjust a bunch. Also while not the same system, looks like Chip Kelly adjusted to Foles, and the NFL but he's also a very good coach.

I'm hoping SD adjusts well and figures it out, because the alternative is painful. It's the lack of any demonstrated improvement over the season that has me worried. 4-5 wins and being competitive in most games would be progress next season. Cal got blown out of every game, minus Portland St. and Arizona.

---

+1
Sonny was dealt a bad hand, but I wanted to see him/the staff play the hand they were dealt better:

1. As you say, seek a CB or two among our great crop of WRs.

2. Even if Goff is your guy, when Kline is in, adjust the TFS to Kline for Kline strengths, rather than require Kline to adjust to the TFS.

3. Before the season, they talked about jumbo offenses in short yardage and in the red zone, but we didn't see them. Harbaugh/Stanford/Niners has shown how devastating this strategy can be. Alternating between jumbo and spread to create personnel advantages can be part of what defines us.

4. Use the TEs as blockers in the running game. Rodgers is not just a big receiver.

5. Find a place on the field for a great athlete like Tagaloa (TE, DL?).

Unfortunately some of these cannot be acted on because the players have left.

Going forward, I am really hoping that the staff maximizes recruiting of the California JCs (It looks like they are), considers position changes, and modifies the offense to take advantage of jumbo sets and the ability of TEs to block on the edge for the run game.

"What might have been" may be 4 of the saddest words ever spoken but they are also among the most frequently uttered. I understand the angst over Kline's departure. He was a rare, very highly touted recruit for whom the hands down first choice was Cal. We don't get many of those in Berkeley, thus making him a highly endearing icon. That he didn't fit the system as well as Goff probably swung the decision more than his actual skill set but when you go 1-11 with a prep all-american on the bench, it's easy to overlook that he didn't light it up in his few opportunities. I hate it when touted athletes come to Cal and don't wind up as stars; I hate it more when there is the prospect one might transfer to a conference foe and blossom, a scenario that I suspect is very possible for Kline at OSU. And I suspect a lot of folks feel as I do.

BerlinerBaer;842247237 said:

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If Goff isn't the starter for the NU game I will be shocked. Unless he really is the second coming, Rubenzer's odds are slim considering he isn't enrolling early.

There is always the chance that Rubenzer could be worked in gradually over the course of the season. If they don't redshirt him then this is what we should expect.



Well said.



I honestly wish the staff chose to make better use of existing personnel this past season. At the same time I also see the long-term advantages, particularly on offense, to fully implementing your system so the players either get it and grow with it or don't. Defense is hard to gauge considering the injuries and inexperience. Can't really separate all that from any apparent deficiencies in scheme.

We'll see what Dykes has in his 3 notebooks full of things that need to be changed.

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there were in my opinion a lot wrong with our defensive scheme in terms of matchups. some of the reasons i feel that we were beat so badly on some plays was just matching up so poorly.

a few off the top of my head-drew on the best receiver against ohio st and goes 90 yards over the top

mickens from UW on lowe

montgomery single covered nearly the entire Big Game

i like to go by how bellichick plays defense, which is his rule of thumb is to take away the opponents best player and make someone else beat you. some of the schemes they had, its like we were daring the opponents best player to beat us and they usually did

This may have already been discussed, but I guess Hinder is set to graduate in May. His graduation would allow him to transfer to another school and play immediately (similar to Bridgford). If this happens, I think we would be down to two scholarship QB's in 2014 (Goff and Rubenzer). This scenario is assuming that Rubenzer honors his commitment....yikes!!!

Is Boehm gone too?

59bear;842247371 said:

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Is Boehm gone too?

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Nope, but he's keep getting his position moved around. I think he'll still be around as a 3rd string guy and potentially that wildcat QB if they want to incorporate that a bit more.

calumnus;842247301 said:

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+1
Sonny was dealt a bad hand, but I wanted to see him/the staff play the hand they were dealt better:

1. As you say, seek a CB or two among our great crop of WRs.

2. Even if Goff is your guy, when Kline is in, adjust the TFS to Kline for Kline strengths, rather than require Kline to adjust to the TFS.

3. Before the season, they talked about jumbo offenses in short yardage and in the red zone, but we didn't see them. Harbaugh/Stanford/Niners has shown how devastating this strategy can be. Alternating between jumbo and spread to create personnel advantages can be part of what defines us.

4. Use the TEs as blockers in the running game. Rodgers is not just a big receiver.

5. Find a place on the field for a great athlete like Tagaloa (TE, DL?).

Unfortunately some of these cannot be acted on because the players have left.

Going forward, I am really hoping that the staff maximizes recruiting of the California JCs (It looks like they are), considers position changes, and modifies the offense to take advantage of jumbo sets and the ability of TEs to block on the edge for the run game.

---

The jumbo is a good example. The staff rolled it out early and it sure seemed to make sense, especially given the problems scoring in the red zone. You get a second completely different look. They even had Broehm at QB as run/pass threat. I thought that was mildly inspired coaching/strategy...but then they abandoned it.

Agree on Tagaloa and TEs. He played hoops, he might have made one crazy, scary TE. The biggest LBs in the conference would have to think, "wait a second!" Not using TEs is just giving up too much given the size/skill of Pac12 players.

Hopefully the JC recruits keep coming and fill positions gaps and depth.

If Tags didn't have the foot speed to play OT, no way he'd be able to handle life at TE.

turkey02;842247438 said:

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If Tags didn't have the foot speed to play OT, no way he'd be able to handle life at TE.

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i didnt think Tags got off the ball quick. not sure if thats foot speed, so much as just needing to get out of his stance quicker. its related to quickness though for sure

SmellinRoses;842247057 said:

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^This.

Never understand the knee-jerk reaction to always side with/support the current head coach regardless of his body of work at hand.

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Agreed. Same thing happened with Holmoe and this staff has proven even less competent than Holmoe whose staff although always lacking at HC and OC had a majority of pac10 caliber coaches and usually at least an OK or good RB (thanks to Gould), a legit defense (Dutton, Stewart, Lyle S. at times) and OK special teams (Deltha, Nick Harris) and decent recruiting (Holmoe, Gould). Every facet of our team last year exhibited incompetence. So when we see our highly touted QB being picked up by a superior coach and coaching staff it's a bummer and there's just no reason to trust in Sonny.

turkey02;842247382 said:

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Nope, but he's keep getting his position moved around. I think he'll still be around as a 3rd string guy and potentially that wildcat QB if they want to incorporate that a bit more.

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Big, strong, fast kid. Gotta find a place for him.

wifeisafurd;842247464 said:

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Big, strong, fast kid. Gotta find a place for him.

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He seemed productive the few times they put in his wildcat package, he was also at inside receiver a bit during camp.

gobears725;842247442 said:

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i didnt think Tags got off the ball quick. not sure if thats foot speed, so much as just needing to get out of his stance quicker. its related to quickness though for sure

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Um... the OL was ALREADY pretty much standing up at the snap, right? No "stance" to get out of.

The Duke!;842246850 said:

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The Bigelow stuff last year was in the same ball park. But I agree that many posters' attachment to Kline is really bizarre.

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Nice way to end the year, Duke, in total agreement with you !!!

gobears725;842247442 said:

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i didnt think Tags got off the ball quick. not sure if thats foot speed, so much as just needing to get out of his stance quicker. its related to quickness though for sure

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Not just his foot speed ... Tag's pad level was poor to awful, standing straight up then DEs running around him or pushing him back.
OG, wherever he ends up will probably be his position and he wouldn't start next year at any position so it's good for him that he's going to try elsewhere.

Looperbear;842246870 said:

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Yeah, and then some. Bigs looked much worse than this staff than he did with JT and Gould. Which shouldn't be that surprising, many were raising questions as SD's staff was being put together.

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Looper, is there anything in your life about which you're actually positive?
Your negativity oozes from every post but, to your credit, sometimes it's so absurd that it's humorous.

SonOfCalVa;842248274 said:

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Not just his foot speed ... Tag's pad level was poor to awful, standing straight up then DEs running around him or pushing him back.
OG, wherever he ends up will probably be his position and he wouldn't start next year at any position so it's good for him that he's going to try elsewhere.

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agreed... the latest trend in the NFL is to have HUGE guards and more mobile tackles... maybe Tags stills sees himself as a tackle because thay get paid more

I don't think there are a lot of 6'8" guards in the NFL (or anywhere else). If his problem is lateral movement, putting him inside at least limits the range of lateral movement he needs to make. It may just be that he is one of the many big guys who dominated in HS through sheer physical advantage but who struggle at the next level against people who are as large (or nearly so) but more athletic.

SonOfCalVa;842248274 said:

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Not just his foot speed ... Tag's pad level was poor to awful, standing straight up then DEs running around him or pushing him back.
OG, wherever he ends up will probably be his position and he wouldn't start next year at any position so it's good for him that he's going to try elsewhere.

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His best spot is RT with a righthanded QB. Doesn't have to pull. Pass pro against the bigger, slower of the two DEs. More drive blocking (although his low pad level compromises that, too).

He turned out not to have it. Maybe they'll do something with him at UA. Wish him well.

SonOfCalVa;842248280 said:

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Looper, is there anything in your life about which you're actually positive?
Your negativity oozes from every post but, to your credit, sometimes it's so absurd that it's humorous.

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Well, I guess you haven't been reading my posts over the years. I was accused of being a sunshine pumper in JT's later years. I'm very complimentary of Monty, Gottlieb and Clark.

And, more on point about our current situation, I'm much more complimentary of our players than you are. You think the players are the problem and aren't sufficiently talented and prefer to side with the coaches and throw our players under the bus. I think the coaches are the problem and aren't sufficiently competent and prefer to side with the players rather than throwing them under the bus like you do.

Looperbear;842248764 said:

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Well, I guess you haven't been reading my posts over the years. I was accused of being a sunshine pumper in JT's later years. I'm very complimentary of Monty, Gottlieb and Clark.

And, more on point about our current situation, I'm much more complimentary of our players than you are. You think the players are the problem and aren't sufficiently talented and prefer to side with the coaches and throw our players under the bus. I think the coaches are the problem and aren't sufficiently competent and prefer to side with the players rather than throwing them under the bus like you do.

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You're saying that I've dissed our players ??????????????????
Are you drunk ... or just stupid? Or both?
I choose Both.

SonOfCalVa;842248794 said:

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You're saying that I've dissed our players ??????????????????
Are you drunk ... or just stupid? Or both?
I choose Both.

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You have a pattern of harassing people you don't agree with. Is this how you deal with people in real life?

Rushinbear;842248760 said:

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His best spot is RT with a righthanded QB. Doesn't have to pull. Pass pro against the bigger, slower of the two DEs. More drive blocking (although his low pad level compromises that, too).

He turned out not to have it. Maybe they'll do something with him at UA. Wish him well.

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I just don't get how folks are writing off Tags so early. I have seen many huge high school linemen take a lot longer than Tags got at Cal to 'get' the position of OT. He had his true freshman year (last year) wasted with little playing time and he started only half the games this year. So with about 6 starts we are ready to say that he doesn't have it? I don't buy it. I think Tagaloa is one of the better moving huge guys I've seen coming out of high school on the OL. (Most of you are too young to remember Kevin Gogan but he made Tags look like Desean Jackson early in his college career at UW.) He's still young. He's had two completely different OL systems to learn and the jury is definitely out on his current OL coach. I am really sorry to see him leave. I still think he'll be a good college offensive lineman. And we need those.

82gradDLSdad;842248845 said:

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I just don't get how folks are writing off Tags so early. I have seen many huge high school linemen take a lot longer than Tags got at Cal to 'get' the position of OT. He had his true freshman year (last year) wasted with little playing time and he started only half the games this year. So with about 6 starts we are ready to say that he doesn't have it? I don't buy it. I think Tagaloa is one of the better moving huge guys I've seen coming out of high school on the OL. (Most of you are too young to remember Kevin Gogan but he made Tags look like Desean Jackson early in his college career at UW.) He's still young. He's had two completely different OL systems to learn and the jury is definitely out on his current OL coach. I am really sorry to see him leave. I still think he'll be a good college offensive lineman. And we need those.

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Yep, some people are so quick to write him off and even go so far as to say he won't be successful anywhere. I can only guess that it's sour grapes and easier to think that the guy has no talent than entertain the possibility he didn't have the right OL coaching.

If we had an OL recruit with his stats and rating commit right now, those same people would be head over heels.

freshfunk;842248849 said:

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Yep, some people are so quick to write him off and even go so far as to say he won't be successful anywhere. I can only guess that it's sour grapes and easier to think that the guy has no talent than entertain the possibility he didn't have the right OL coaching.

If we had an OL recruit with his stats and rating commit right now, those same people would be head over heels.

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Or entertain the fact that he simply wasn't ready to start yet and had to because of injuries and lack of depth. Perhaps he'll excel at AZ. Perhaps, he'd excel if he stayed.

oski003;842248866 said:

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Or entertain the fact that he simply wasn't ready to start yet and had to because of injuries and lack of depth. Perhaps he'll excel at AZ. Perhaps, he'd excel if he stayed.

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Uh yeah. You're pretty much repeated what 82dls said which I was agreeing with.