After Latest Disappointment, What's Next For Cal?

After its latest most disappointing loss of the season, Cal gets an extra week to prepare for college football’s most disappointing team coached by a six-time Super Bowl champion.

Whether a bye week can cure what ills the Golden Bears remains to be seen.

“We’ve got to grow up, that’s the overriding theme. We’re immature,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said in terse post-game remarks late Saturday night after the Bears flushed an impressive 21-7 lead in a 45-21 home loss to Duke.

"We have glimpses where we can play good football but it’s too much of a roller-coaster. Can’t play that way and win.”

At least there were glimpses of what’s possible on Saturday night. Two weeks earlier, after the Bears began the season with three straight victories by double-digit margins, they delivered a lifeless performance in a 34-0 mashing at San Diego State.

Now, equipped with the extra week, they ready themselves for Bill Belichick’s reeling North Carolina squad. The Tar Heels were picked eighth in the preseason ACC poll, hardly suggesting an instant success.

But the Heels lost 48-14 to Sonny Dykes’ TCU squad in Belichick’s debut and are coming off a 38-10 loss to a Clemson team that arrived in Chapel Hill with a 1-3 record. The Tigers led 7-0 after 11 seconds and fans began packing up before Carolina had finished digging itself a 35-3 halftime deficit.

Back in February, UNC general manager Michael Lombardi told the Associated Press, “We consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team because everybody who’s involved with our program has had some form or aspect in pro football.”

At 2-3 with wins over Charlotte and Richmond, Carolina is searching for mediocrity.

Cal has its own problems, of course, Linebacker Cade Uluave talked after the Duke game about finding consistency.

“There’s times we’re doing what we need to do . . . and then there’s times we’re not. That’s a killer,” he said. “We’ve got to fix that. Going into the bye week, it’s time to reflect on that. We’re going to put our heads down and continue moving forward.”

Freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who was nearly flawless the first three series against Duke, dismissed any suggestion he was hurt after being taken down on a scramble early in the second quarter.

Duke's Vincent Anthony Jr. (7) celebrates sacking Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Wilcox said his quarterback was fine and suggested what was clear to see: The offensive line couldn’t figure out Duke’s pass-rush tactics. Sagapolutele was sacked six times and picked off three times after generating the 21-7 lead.

“We’ve got to protect the quarterback,” Wilcox said.

Sagapolutele, showing great diplomacy for a 19-year-old, added, “The O-line . . . they were doing the best they could. I’ve just got to keep my eyes down the field and not put them down. That was a big part on me, and taking care of the ball.”

The Bears’ defense was no better the rest of the way, allowing the Blue Devils to score the game’s final 38 points, including 24 in a span of less than 8 minutes to close the second quarter.

“Terrible defense,” Wilcox said.

What now?

At 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, the Bears still have the opportunity to build themselves a successful season.

The next two games are key. After Carolina, which visits on Friday night, Oct. 17, the Bears head east to face Virginia Tech (2-4, 1-1), which is averaging barely 20 points a game in five outings vs. FBS opponents.

The Bears should win their next two games.

For their season to take them anywhere close to what they want, they must win them.

Do so and they’re at six wins and bowl eligible. While they’d be the first to say that's not enough, it’s the first rung of success.

Three of Cal’s final four games are tougher: home games against No. 19 Virginia and SMU and a road game at Louisville —teams with a combined record of 12-4 — sandwiched around the Big Game at Stanford.

The Bears have little wiggle room for further hiccups.

“I think this week will probably be our biggest week,” Sagapolutele said of the bye week. “We really have to self-reflect and look at what we did right and what we did wrong. Our confidence is still there.”

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