Cal begins its Pac-12 football schedule against Washington in Seattle on Saturday night, and the Bears’ 1-2 record through nonconference play hasn’t forced them to amend their goals.
“There’s a lot of football to play,” coach Justin Wilcox said this week when asked if his team has what it takes to challenge for the Pac-12 North crown. “And there’s example after example of things not going quite right early and finishing really strong.
“The reality is if we played maybe three or four plays better in the first two games we probably are sitting here having a totally different conversation,” he said, alluding to losses by five points to Nevada and two points at TCU.
“We have a lot of hope for our team.”
The Bears and Huskies both are 1-2 entering their rematch of the 2019 game in Seattle that was interrupted for nearly 3 hours by a fierce lightning storm and did not end until 1:23 a.m.
Cal won that one 20-19, and last year’s game was canceled due to coronavirus within the Bears’ ranks.
Here are five keys to the Bears prevailing again at Husky Stadium:
Pressure the passer
Cal’s secondary faced a lot of scrutiny after last week’s 42-30 win over FCS opponent Sacramento State in which the Hornets passed for 408 yards and drew four pass interference penalties.
But senior linebacker Cameron Goode agreed with defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon’s holistic view that the entire unit came up short. Sac State attempted 55 passes and the Bears never sacked the quarterback.
“I was definitely upset. I know I didn’t get as much pressure on the quarterback as I wanted to and that might have put a little stress on the DBs,” Goode said. “Last week definitely lit a fire under our butts and I think we’ll come out better this week.”
Keep running the ball
UW’s defense features an excellent linebacker corps and two strong cornerbacks. But the Huskies have been susceptible to the run, ranking 10th in the Pac-12 with 175 rushing yards allowed per game.
Cal’s goal on offense has been to create balance, and the Bears have done that so far with a rushing attack that produces 177 yards per game. Running backs Damien Moore, Christopher Brooks and DeCarlos Brooks (no relation) and quarterback Chase Garbers combine to average 6.5 yards per rush. Staying stubborn with the run also will allow the Bears to . . .
Throw the ball downfield
After struggling to create a vertical passing game last season, the Bears have nine completions of at least 20 yards the past two games, including six that covered 39 yards or more.
Wide receivers Trevon Clark, Jeremiah Hunter and Kekoa Crawford (expected back after missing last week with an injury) are averaging a combined 21.4 yards per catch. The Bears gained just 9.1 yards per completion a year ago.
Win the takeaway battle
The Bears have turned the ball over just twice in three games, although their defense has generated just three takeaways. The Huskies’ track record suggests an opportunity here for Cal.
UW has coughed up seven turnovers, including five interceptions by redshirt freshman quarterback Dylan Morris.
Rediscover the 2019 Husky Stadium focus
What pleased Wilcox most about the Bears’ win in Seattle two years ago was their ability to push aside the distraction of a long weather delay and win in a tough environment.
“We need to do a better job on that with our own team right now,” he said. “That team did a pretty good job of it on that day, of not getting distracted and staying focused on what we were there to do.”
