Election Day Changes Preparation Schedule for Washington

Tuesday prior to a Saturday college football game is usually one of the most important practices of the week. Having given his players Election Day off to do their civic duty and vote, Justin Wilcox has to adjust the rest of the practice schedule leading up the season opener against Washington Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

“Tomorrow will be a combination four day, three days out,” Wilcox explained in a Zoom interview with Bay Area media. “We base everything on how many days out we are. … After tomorrow then our traditional two out and one out and then play.”

He then detailed the days leading up to the game. “The players on Friday will be here (Memorial Stadium) and we will do our normal Friday preparation. And when they go the hotel it’s to eat.” 

Normally the Bears do some last-minute meetings at the hotel Friday.. Not this time. “They grab some to-go food and then they go to sleep,” Wilcox said’ “We won’t have anything at the hotel meeting-wise. It is just not available to us, When they go to the hotel they are going to grab their dinner, and then go to bed.:

On Saturday Wilcox said the Bears would be bussed to the stadium in the morning, have a walkthrough, and then return to the hotel to rest prior to the 7:30 p.m. kickoff. 

“We don’t want them banging their heads against the wall in the locker room,” he said. “We want them to rest up and play.”

When the Bears released their depth chart this week, there were few surprises. But one name, unfamiliar to most Cal followers turned up. Matt Horwitz, a redshirt junior who has yet to appear in a game, was listed as the primary backup to Cameron Goode at outside linebacker. 

“Matt has shown up every day and worked extremely hard,” Wilcox said. “He earned his way the last couple of years on scout team and special teams. He is behind some guys that are pretty good, Cam Goode, Braxten Croteau, Orin Patu, we also have repped some other guys at those spots. Matt has worked pretty hard to make his way here. We appreciate him for that.”

The defensive line, left thin with the transfer of Luc Bequette to Boston College, shows two true freshmen in the two-deep Ethan Saunders and Stanley McKenzie.

“They are talented guys, That jumps out at you when you see them in drills and watch them move around,” Wilcox said. “You see their size, their athleticism. Both have come in and practiced really hard and taken to the way we do things from a practice perspective. Andrew Browning is a helluva coach and has done a great job preparing those guys. They are still getting a lot better daily and weekly, the more they play the more reps they get the better they’re going to be.”

Wilcox also lauded the four players, Cam Bynum, Kuony Deng, Michael Saffell, and Chase Garbers, who were voted season captains. 

He was asked about injuries, and he said everyone on the depth chart should be considered good to go on Saturday.