Rule #1- you win a game by playing the full 60 minutes.

None of this foot off the gas crap


Feel free to continue on folks

Rule #2 - avoid the prevent defense.

Score more points than other team.
Ok less snarky and more seriously --
3. win the turnover battle by not fumbling deep in your own territory, not tipping the call into air so opponent can intercept, and not standing by while other team recovers onside kick

4. Related to #3 - no ALOMAR -- don't lose game on special teams.
Make your FGs. Don't give up long kick or punt returns (see eg USC 2004) or onside kick recovery (last night).

We've never really had a decent special teams coach. And it has haunted us numerous times. If I was going to pick a unit that lost this game, I'd pick STs above the Ds. Although, I have to say, the coverage units are generally much better than in recent years.

A first down wins the game. A made field goal still loses to the hail mary.

heartofthebear;842364036 said:

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We've never really had a decent special teams coach. And it has haunted us numerous times. If I was going to pick a unit that lost this game, I'd pick STs above the Ds. Although, I have to say, the coverage units are generally much better than in recent years.

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This is nuts. ST has been much better compared to previous seasons. Coverage has been great so far, as you mention, Langford is booming kickoffs out the back of the endzone (Seriously, who was the last kicker to do that consistently at Cal??), and he is making a perfectly reasonable percentage of FGs.

The D allowed 34 points in the 4th quarter... Before you comment that offense and special teams gifted AZ 2 TDs, recall that the Cal offense made up for that with their own 2 TDs. The D should have been able to preserve the win with a 3 score lead and couldn't do it.

pappysghost;842364043 said:

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A first down wins the game. A made field goal still loses to the hail mary.

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Thank you.

5. On an onside kick, catch the ball and fall on it immediately.

What makes you think they took the foot off the gas? Arizona no doubt made defensive adjustments at half time. Cal is not going to march down the field all the time, and in fact in the 4th period they did rip off drives. I don't even think the offense is designed to slow down, unless it's Sac State and you have a 40 point lead and 3rd-stringers playing.

Rule 6: Pray without faltering that the way it ends up happening is not very unusually odds-beating, play after play.

BearlyClad;842364970 said:

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Rule 6: Pray without faltering that the way it ends up happening is not very unusually odds-beating, play after play.

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I think that's profound ... maybe.

Always play to win.

Never play "not to lose"

Golden One;842364068 said:

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5. On an onside kick, catch the ball and fall on it immediately.

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And prior to seeing the "tap out of bounds" play were you so sure of the ruling on that that you knew it was a penalty? Yes, the players should be held to a higher standard, but we all come on after the fact and talk of the f*** up as if we knew. I didn't, did you? So how good are we at being critics, not knowing the rules ourselves. Hindsight is so very, very good.

BearlyLegal;842364028 said:

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...not standing by while other team recovers onside kick

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I think the special teams coach should spend a couple of minutes explaining the rules of on-side kicks, and telling his players what to do.
It looked like the players had never been talked through the scenarios, nor walked-through, nor practiced at full speed. They looked lost on that first on-side kick. I put that whole first on-side fiasco on the special teams coach.

BearlyClad;842364970 said:

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Rule 6: Pray without faltering that the way it ends up happening is not very unusually odds-beating, play after play.

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Could you parse that sentence, please?

I'm still waiting for the OP to tell me how I can win my very own how to win a football game rule book.

OdontoBear66;842365080 said:

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And prior to seeing the "tap out of bounds" play were you so sure of the ruling on that that you knew it was a penalty? Yes, the players should be held to a higher standard, but we all come on after the fact and talk of the f*** up as if we knew. I didn't, did you? So how good are we at being critics, not knowing the rules ourselves. Hindsight is so very, very good.

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Actually, based on comments from some "fans", their Hindsight sucks. Kind of like they have mirrors and are sighting on their beHinds.

BerlinerBaer;842365777 said:

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I'm still waiting for the OP to tell me how I can win my very own how to win a football game rule book.

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+1

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The NCAA sells it for just $7.80. I'll get in on the next contest if the prize is cooler.