Cal Football Weekly Presser - Big Game Week
Cal head coach Justin Wilcox, defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon, offensive coordinator/OL coach Mike Bloesch, tight end Jack Endries, safety Craig Woodson and quarterback Fernando Mendoza spoke with bay area media today to discuss Saturday’s loss to Syracuse and Saturday’s 127th Big Game at Memorial Stadium.
After winning two straight games over Oregon State and Wake Forest, scoring at least 44 points in both games, Saturday’s 33-25 loss to fourth place Syracuse 7-3 (4-3) last weekend was a big comedown for a team looking to build on last season’s 6-6 regular season record, particularly with the worst first half the team has played in a long time.
Wilcox was asked if he saw anything in film review or in the locker room that helped him to understand the letdown in play.
"I don't get the sense there was overconfidence," Wilcox said. "We had great respect for their team. Coming into the game, we felt like, especially their offense was probably one of the top two, maybe three, but certainly one of the top offenses we've seen, personnel-wise. Our players knew that. So it wasn't a lack of respect for their team by any means. Physically they pushed us up front on both sides of the line of scrimmage so we we never really got any negative plays. They were ahead of the chains. And then in all the critical downs, the third downs, whether it was a lack of pass rush or the one on one situations, they beat us. We had missed tackles in some one on one situations. We had a couple fourth down opportunities that we did not make. So ultimately, itwas about the execution of the play and the matchups, and we didn't win near enough of those moment of truth plays, not even close."
Bloesch was asked the same.
"I think the coaching point is every week is a new week," Bloesch said. "Nobody cares what you did last week. And that's the conversation I had with those guys after the Syracuse game is as soon as you start to think you've got it figured out, as soon as you start to think you're good, this game will humble you very quickly. And we have the ability to be explosive. We have the ability to run it and throw it against anybody left on our schedule but it comes with - you've got to pay the price throughout the week of your preparation, the mentality that you're building throughout the week and that's going to be the focus this week is one game season. "We've got a trophy (The Axe) on the line. We've got a bowl game on the line. Let's mentally lock in and get ourselves ready to go.”
With virtually half the roster being new players to the program this season between new signees and portal transfers, Wilcox was asked if the team as a whole has a full appreciation of how much the longtime rivalry means to fans and former players alike.
“Yeah, we educate them, Wilcox said. "We educate them early in camp. They hear about it. We talk about it. It'sone of the great things of college football - I say this every year - is the rivalry games and the history. I mean, this is 127th time this game has been played. A lot of phenomenal players, a lot of pride involved for each institution so educating them on that. We'll talk about it each and every day. We have moments prior to start of the team meeting that we we educate them, we talk about it. We have videos, and we have some special guests that offer up their insight on the Big Game and what it means to them. So absolutely, we want to make sure that our players understand that. I also think being fair to somebody that's been in the program for six months or one year, they don't have the history. So it's our job to explain it, educate them. And the longer you're in it, and the older you get, you have a deeper and deeper appreciation. And it doesn't mean the first year player doesn't appreciate it, but it's his first opportunity to be involved in it. So we're trying to educate them at every chance we get. But the most important thing is that we're preparing the best we can to go out and play the best we can, to give ourselves the absolute best shot to win."
Key portal wide receiver additions Tobias Merriweather and Kyion Grayes played key roles in last week’s win over Wake Forest but were quiet on the field in Saturday’s loss to Syracuse. Bloesch was asked if it was due to an ongoing adjustment period after missing most of the season.
"Yeah, we're going to let them go to work," Bloesch said. "There is definitely when you have not been on the field all season and everybody's played 10 games, you're going to be behind. And you know, really, the one on one ball that that Fernando gave Tobias the opportunity on that ended up getting intercepted, that's where we wanted the ball to go in that look. I mean, we're one-on-one matchup to the field, man coverage, Tobias, one-on-one and we expect him to make that play. He expects to make that play, and we're going to continue to give him opportunities to make that play. So feel like every game that those guys are on the field, they're just going to get better and better, and Fernando is going to continue to gain confidence in everybody that is out there."
Saturday’s 127th Big Game kickoff is set for 12:30 pm and will be televised on the ACC Network.