Cal Football

Cal Football Tuesday 9/19 Notebook

By Michael Wagaman

September 19, 2023

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Heading into this week’s game against No. 8 Washington, California head coach Justin Wilcox says there is still some uncertainty over who the Bears starting quarterback will be.

Injuries and inconsistent play have combined to slow the development of Sam Jackson V, who was named the starter coming out of fall camp. Likewise, Ben Finley has also had some inconsistencies in his game, leaving Wilcox and offensive coordinator Jake Spavital with key decisions to make in the days ahead.

Like he has most of the season, Wilcox said Tuesday that all options are on the table and that it’s possible that both Jackson and Finley will play Saturday at Husky Stadium.

“Both of those guys have got a chance to play,” Wilcox said. “They’re both different styles of quarterbacks. We feel like we’ve got to continue to get better at that position. We have to be more efficient at that position. We’ll evaluate that every day throughout the week.”

Because neither Jackson nor Finley have much experience at the college level, the Bears have relied more heavily on the running game. Jadyn Ott, who was unable to play last week against Idaho because of an unspecified injury sustained on an attempt to hurdle a defender in their loss to Auburn, leads a ground game that is averaging 243.3 yards a game, second-best among Pac-12 teams.

Wilcox said Ott practiced Tuesday and is expected to play against Washington.

Still, the focus for Cal is trying to determine which quarterback will be the one handing the ball off to Ott while trying to ignite a passing game that has averaged fewer than 200 yards in the Bears’ first three games.

“These kids know it, we’ve made it clear to them that it’s a week-by-week opportunity for them to separate themselves,” Spavital said. “In the long run, we wish we had somebody just separate themselves completely and be like, ‘this is our guy,’ and go from there. But right now there’s just the inconsistent play from everybody. We have to be more stable in that room.”

Jackson, who absorbed a big hit and had to leave the win against Idaho, has completed 53.7 percent of his throws (29 of 54) for 270 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Finley, who started against Auburn due to concerns over Jackson’s health in the days leading up to the game, has been a little sharper, completing 68.1 percent of his throws (32 of 47) for 326 yards and one touchdown with one interception.

Both have been splitting reps in practice and both have made big plays in games, with Jackson’s athleticism and ability to get out and run when a play breaks down being an added bonus in the big picture. But both quarterbacks have also made their share of mistakes as well, which is why neither has been able to establish himself as the No. 1 guy.

“Both of those guys are improving daily but we need to see consistency with the decision-making and really the ability to stretch the ball vertically and score,” Spavital said “It is open (competition) every week.”

One issue facing both quarterbacks has been the inability to stretch the field. The middle passing game has not opened much and the offense hasn’t taken many deep passing shots down the field, something Spavital says has to change.

“We need to be able to have more confidence in throwing it down the field,” Spavital said. “We’re snapping the ball a lot but we’re not being as explosive as we need to be. In order for us to be a top-tier offense we have to be more explosive, especially with our downfield throws.”

Wide receiver Taj Davis has eight catches for 81 yards and one touchdown through three games and said it doesn’t matter to him which quarterback starts.

“I have confidence in both guys and all the guys that are back there operating.,” Davis said. “When the ball’s in the air, at the end of the day being a receiver, it’s ours. It doesn’t really matter who it is that’s throwing it. It’s just when the ball comes, we’re supposed to go get it.”

While the Bears try to figure things out at quarterback, Wilcox said there will be no change at kicker despite Michael Luckhurt’s struggles. Luckhurst has missed six of his nine field goal attempts, including three in the 14-10 loss to Auburn.

The sophomore kicker has had at least one miss in each of Cal’s first three games, with his longest make coming from 39 yards.

The Bears have two other walk-on freshman kickers on their roster, Spencer Brien and Mateen Bhagani, but Wilcox is sticking with Luckhurst for now.

“He’s still getting better and better,” Wilcox said. “He’s a talented young man and just needs to find his rhythm. Once he’s in his rhythm he’s got the talent to be a very good kicker. We’re going to continue to support him and work with him. I’m excited for what he can do.”

Besides getting Ott back, Wilcox expects nickel Matthew Littlejohn to be able to play after he sat out the game with Idaho. Defensive tackle Ethan Saunders, who also missed the win over Idaho, is week to week, while running back Justin Williams-Thomas is doubtful to play against Washington.