Ruiz Report: Can Cal's Offense Keep Momentum Going?

30,000 FEET ABOVE — I had to verify that AI wasn’t involved, which isn’t easy with Databricks, Gemini and Dialpad sponsors scattered throughout Memorial Stadium.

But alas, our eyes didn’t deceive us; the California Golden Bears (3-3) actually threw the ball over the middle and downfield in Saturday’s win over Virginia Tech (4-2).

And it worked.

One play I’m thinking of was a 42-yard slant to Chase Hendricks. The Golden Bears have rarely completed passes over the middle this season, let alone to a wideout who had a running start. It was delightful to watch Hendricks make a big play in stride.

As it turns out, you can get the ball to playmakers in space ahead of the line of scrimmage. 

Although Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (concussion) was sidelined, it was extremely refreshing to watch backup quarterback Jackson Brousseau make correct read after read in Pat McCann’s offense.

Rather than spamming the screens standardized in Jordan Somerville’s pro-style scheme, McCann — and a phenomenal day from the offensive line and running back Ashten Emory — allowed Brousseau to throw downfield. And that’s before mentioning that some of his checkdowns were more open because Virginia Tech’s defense was focused on deeper threats.

Lo and behold, Hendricks and fellow wideout Ian Strong each had roughly 100 receiving yards in their best game as a duo. Brousseau himself was two yards short of a career high with a casual 321 passing yards.

Of course, the Golden Bears’ 25-point day didn’t exactly scream “The Greatest Show on Turf.” However, Saturday’s win over Virginia Tech marked Cal’s crispest offensive performance yet.

There was rhythm, cohesiveness, confidence and control.

So, what’s next?

I’m excited to find out if Cal can keep rolling.

“We’ve changed gears from an offensive play-caller,” coach Tosh Lupoi reiterated postgame. “It’s ignited the team. The team is feeding off the energy there, of efficiency and distributing the ball.

“Love what our offense looks like right now and utilizing the personnel we got, getting creative …”

What does Cal’s offense look like when Sagapolutele is back under center, likely against Wake Forest? And what about when running back Adam Mohammed returns? 

The answers may decide the future of Golden Bears football.

Against the Hokies, Cal left the past in the past and tuned out the chatter. Now, it’s time to see how all the pieces fit together when they’re healthy.