...what it is ain't exactly clear.

But it feels like Utah was a defining moment, in the season, in the program. The oft-maligned Defense believes in themselves, and the coaches believe in them. I don't think they have the depth to be truly good; but they're definitely not awful, and they're coming together and getting better.

This feels like one of those pivotal seasons, like 1990 or 2003 -- when a bad team becomes a not-bad team: flawed and inconsistent but with flashes of brilliance; and then emerges as a powerhouse. Last year was the turnaround, but we were supposed to regress and rebuild this year; so the surprise is that we may not regress as badly as was feared.

While I have the floor, here's my story of Saturday: I had to go to a wedding. (I thought there were rules against October weddings!) We were driving to the venue at the beginning of the third quarter, and arrived just as Utah was about to score. Things were looking grim on both sides of the ball, as other threads here (ye of little faith) have noted. The venue not only had no TV's, but no cell reception. But I figured it was just as well; I don't want this happy event dragged down by the bummer going on in Berkeley.

As we're driving home I got a call from my daughter, who had also been at the wedding, and who was just getting cell service back, with the final score. Well, I'll be damned....

We got home in time for highlights, first on local news, then on ESPN. Watching the goal line stand was nausea-inducing, even knowing the outcome. When the Utah receiver beat his man, and the ball was floating towards him at the goal line, I actually felt: O God, we're going to lose. I still can't believe it bounced off his hands; I can't believe we won that game.

Quote:

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here's my story of Saturday: I had to go to a wedding

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Call in sick next time ....

I truly hope you are right about this as a defining moment, BUT .... one might have said the same thing in the aftermath of the Texas game. But that only lasted through one half of play in the following game. And there are still many troubling things about Cal's FB squad. In the Utah game, we had 2 completely unnecessary personal fouls which kept the Utes in the game, and Webb's tendency for delay of game is a problem. Plus, if the refs hadn't mistakenly charged Utah an unasked for timeout, they would have had one more play to run (and lets not forget that Utah would have won if the receiver had hauled in that last pass of theirs).

So yes, our D stepped up big and kudos go to them. PLUS I like our special teams - they are not flashy but they are doing infinitely better in the kicking game than the last couple of seasons. But I've seen too much Cal football to be convinced we've turned the corner. I'm worried that OSU may be our trap game - we are favored to win, but can we maintain a lead if we establish one quickly? We've had problems there before.

And then looking ahead - the math for achieving a bowl game is still very tough. Yes I think we beat OSU, and right now I think the Oregon game is a 50:50 proposition. That can get us 5 wins, but where is #6? At USC? Well, anything is possible, but the Trojans still have a lot of talent and are resurging and playing at the Coliseum is always tough for us. Washington may be the best team in the conference, and I don't like our chances in that contest. I previously thought we would have a good chance against WSU, but they've now got a good run game, and the contest is up in the Palouse - that may be another 50:50 game. Stanford is a step behind where they were last year, but they still look to be a step ahead of us. UCLA is possible, but I think we'll be underdogs in that one as well.

It does feel that way.

On the other hand, this is pretty much the first time the D has done anything to give us this feeling. They haven't given up less than 31 points and were often pushed around pretty good in the first 4 games. Plus, Utah went fairly one dimensional against us. OSU may not tell us much; games after that will.

We had not held a PAC-12 opponent under 24 points since 2012. So yes, quite a breakthrough.

In my mind the mindset was not there after Texas. That game ended on a sour note. This one was much better in terms of emotion and accomplishment. We still need better CB coverage on the passes. But overall this last game felt more like a defining moment than Texas.

chalcidbear;842739553 said:

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I truly hope you are right about this as a defining moment, BUT .... one might have said the same thing in the aftermath of the Texas game. But that only lasted through one half of play in the following game. And there are still many troubling things about Cal's FB squad. In the Utah game, we had 2 completely unnecessary personal fouls which kept the Utes in the game, and Webb's tendency for delay of game is a problem. Plus, if the refs hadn't mistakenly charged Utah an unasked for timeout, they would have had one more play to run (and lets not forget that Utah would have won if the receiver had hauled in that last pass of theirs).

So yes, our D stepped up big and kudos go to them. PLUS I like our special teams - they are not flashy but they are doing infinitely better in the kicking game than the last couple of seasons. But I've seen too much Cal football to be convinced we've turned the corner. I'm worried that OSU may be our trap game - we are favored to win, but can we maintain a lead if we establish one quickly? We've had problems there before.

And then looking ahead - the math for achieving a bowl game is still very tough. Yes I think we beat OSU, and right now I think the Oregon game is a 50:50 proposition. That can get us 5 wins, but where is #6? At USC? Well, anything is possible, but the Trojans still have a lot of talent and are resurging and playing at the Coliseum is always tough for us. Washington may be the best team in the conference, and I don't like our chances in that contest. I previously thought we would have a good chance against WSU, but they've now got a good run game, and the contest is up in the Palouse - that may be another 50:50 game. Stanford is a step behind where they were last year, but they still look to be a step ahead of us. UCLA is possible, but I think we'll be underdogs in that one as well.

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This does put us trending the right way though. We play OSU next week. Then a bye and the Ducks. Who may very well get crushed by a dub team that hates them and has been getting their asses handed to them for a long time. #drop100 is in play. We could be 5-2 going into the SC game. Flying high and playing in a half empty stadium. And on a Thursday with a at best 4-3, maybe 3-4 team, it will be empty.

Go Bears

Put a winning team on the field, and the fans will come around (eventually). Word will get out about how it felt to be at the end of the Utah game.

This team is one that we're going to love one week, and drive us crazy the next. I go through the same Jekyll/Hyde emotions as I did for Men's hoops last year. I try to remind myself that we could just as easily be 5-0 as we could be 1-4 right now. Sure makes it interesting and gives one cause to go to the game and yell my a$$ off. There are ZERO easy wins on this schedule and our consistency will fall squarely on the shoulders of our coaching staff.

If the D can tighten up and make a couple of big plays and the offense can put some polish on their game and consistently move downfield, there is a lot of potential for this to be a magical season.

chalcidbear;842739553 said:

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I truly hope you are right about this as a defining moment, BUT .... one might have said the same thing in the aftermath of the Texas game. But that only lasted through one half of play in the following game. And there are still many troubling things about Cal's FB squad. In the Utah game, we had 2 completely unnecessary personal fouls which kept the Utes in the game, and Webb's tendency for delay of game is a problem. Plus, if the refs hadn't mistakenly charged Utah an unasked for timeout, they would have had one more play to run (and lets not forget that Utah would have won if the receiver had hauled in that last pass of theirs).

So yes, our D stepped up big and kudos go to them. PLUS I like our special teams - they are not flashy but they are doing infinitely better in the kicking game than the last couple of seasons. But I've seen too much Cal football to be convinced we've turned the corner. I'm worried that OSU may be our trap game - we are favored to win, but can we maintain a lead if we establish one quickly? We've had problems there before.

And then looking ahead - the math for achieving a bowl game is still very tough. Yes I think we beat OSU, and right now I think the Oregon game is a 50:50 proposition. That can get us 5 wins, but where is #6? At USC? Well, anything is possible, but the Trojans still have a lot of talent and are resurging and playing at the Coliseum is always tough for us. Washington may be the best team in the conference, and I don't like our chances in that contest. I previously thought we would have a good chance against WSU, but they've now got a good run game, and the contest is up in the Palouse - that may be another 50:50 game. Stanford is a step behind where they were last year, but they still look to be a step ahead of us. UCLA is possible, but I think we'll be underdogs in that one as well.

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Wow. Is it so hard to see the glass half full? No one is thinking playoffs or National Title this year - just that "something" is going on in a year many expected us to regress badly.

Heck, I could say the fumble overturned, in my mind, didn't have indisputable evidence (best angles had players in the way at the crucial moments of replay) and if we recover that ball and score (even a FG) we win without the drama. Or the refs shouldn't have picked up of the flag after a clear block in the back which would have offset the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on our last punt, forcing the Utes to go another 15 yards... in a game like Saturday, there will always be a handful of "what if's" on both sides of the ball.

OSU might be a trap game - it might be a blowout win. I think we can all agree Washington has earned the title (for at least one week) "King of the Pac" so that is a pretty daunting game.

But Oregon, @USC, @WSU, UCLA and Stanford can all be seen as 50:50 games. For every "that team COULD cause problems for [name the unit on our team]", you could also say, "our [name the unit on our team] could really give [that team's unit] fits"

We're a few plays from 1-4 and we're a few plays from 5-0 - its who we are this year.

As it stands, we're 3-2 and assuming we beat OSU, will be 4-2. Assuming we lose to UW, we'd be 4-3. Can we go 2-3 against Oregon, @USC, @WSU, Stanford and UCLA? Yes - I think we go 3-2 because I like the way we're starting to play at home the last 10 games or so. Do we "KNOW" where those 2 wins will come from? No - its why we play the games.

Go Bears!

chalcidbear;842739553 said:

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I truly hope you are right about this as a defining moment, BUT .... one might have said the same thing in the aftermath of the Texas game. But that only lasted through one half of play in the following game. And there are still many troubling things about Cal's FB squad. In the Utah game, we had 2 completely unnecessary personal fouls which kept the Utes in the game, and Webb's tendency for delay of game is a problem. Plus, if the refs hadn't mistakenly charged Utah an unasked for timeout, they would have had one more play to run (and lets not forget that Utah would have won if the receiver had hauled in that last pass of theirs).

So yes, our D stepped up big and kudos go to them. PLUS I like our special teams - they are not flashy but they are doing infinitely better in the kicking game than the last couple of seasons. But I've seen too much Cal football to be convinced we've turned the corner. I'm worried that OSU may be our trap game - we are favored to win, but can we maintain a lead if we establish one quickly? We've had problems there before.

And then looking ahead - the math for achieving a bowl game is still very tough. Yes I think we beat OSU, and right now I think the Oregon game is a 50:50 proposition. That can get us 5 wins, but where is #6? At USC? Well, anything is possible, but the Trojans still have a lot of talent and are resurging and playing at the Coliseum is always tough for us. Washington may be the best team in the conference, and I don't like our chances in that contest. I previously thought we would have a good chance against WSU, but they've now got a good run game, and the contest is up in the Palouse - that may be another 50:50 game. Stanford is a step behind where they were last year, but they still look to be a step ahead of us. UCLA is possible, but I think we'll be underdogs in that one as well.

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I love the Cal fans on BI. Many of them are so willing to focus on how bad Cal is and ignore the good. Some keep insisting Cal should have lost. Was lucky to win And Sonny and Kaufman are brain dead.

As for Sonny, the TV announcers were eager to praise the Utah coach calling him a genius for calling a time out with 20seconds left instead of allowing the click to wind down (instead of burning the click to 4 seconds as they themselves were suggesting)

But even those announcers gave Sonny some coaching credit. Saying how the last few minutes Sonny and KW were masterful strategists battling it out. They were not reporting that KW was a genius and Sonny was just making lucky guessed.

Also some on this board were saying that Cal was lucky that this Utah pass was dropped or that that Utah runner failed to follow his blocker. Giving the D little credit for putting pressure, never giving up and knowing to be at the right place at the right time.

If we want to play shoulda woulda coulda. The Cal D shoulda had an interception on Utah's first pass of the final series. The Cal defender got into the right position for an INT and almost had a game saving INT if he could have held onto the ball. In fact he had as much of a better chance for in INT than the Utah receiver had a chance for a TD on the den con play after the PI.

If Cal was just lucky, I guess they were lucky 7 times seven times in a row. Maybe Sonny and the Bears should go to Reno or Vegas with that kind of luck.

ucmicman;842739590 said:

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This team is one that we're going to love one week, and drive us crazy the next.

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Very much this, as the defense is still young and improving. They need to build on the first half of the ASU game and the end of the Utah game.

In the end, this might not turn out to be a magical season for Cal. However, this team plays exciting games that draw you in, unless you can only appreciate SEC/Stanford style football. It seems to me that the foundation of the program has been set rather well, and this coaching staff has my support for now.

Let's take it to Oregon State.

chazzed;842739647 said:

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Let's take it to Oregon State.

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My fear is that this victory correlates with the 2003 USC home win and subsequent debacle at Corvallis. We definitely do not need a negative downturn. Run it up!

KingPosibear;842739692 said:

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My fear is that this victory correlates with the 2003 USC home win and subsequent debacle at Corvallis. We definitely do not need a negative downturn. Run it up!

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They better be focused and hungry!!!

KingPosibear;842739692 said:

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My fear is that this victory correlates with the 2003 USC home win and subsequent debacle at Corvallis. We definitely do not need a negative downturn. Run it up!

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The Oregon State game in 2003 was in Berkeley. And Oregon Stete does not have Steven Jackson anymore.

grandmastapoop;842739722 said:

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The Oregon State game in 2003 was in Berkeley. And Oregon Stete does not have Steven Jackson anymore.

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And 2016 Utah is no 2003 USC.

They do look consistently sharper than most times in recent memory. And given that defense has been this head coach's bugaboo from the get- go, winning on a walk off defensive stand is huge. In my mind what's still missing is the focus to put people away. We have teams on the ropes then let them back in- we don't close the deal when we have the chance, and particularly not early, or on the road. If we do manage an easy win in Corvalis, I'll be a whole lit more convinced that the improvement is real and sustainable.