Tackling Woes Doom Cal, Which Could Not Stop Virginia Tech's Run Game

Tackling is the most basic aspect of football. Cal couldn’t do it Friday night.

“I don’t know where to begin with the tackling,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said after the Bears’ 42-34, double-overtime loss to Virginia Tech. “It was very, very poor.”

Virginia Tech rolled up 357 yards on the ground, the most ever against Cal under Wilcox, who became the Bears head coach prior to the 2017 season.

(---Game summary of Cal’s two-OT loss to Virginia Tech---)

And it got worse as the game went on. The Hokies had 275 rushing yards after halftime, and they ran the ball at will late in the game.

Cal had not given up more than 178 yards in any of its previous seven games this season.

The Hokies are a good running team and came into the game averaging 4.7 yards per carry, fifth best in the ACC, but they had not gained more than 229 yards on the ground in any game this season until Friday

Somehow the Bears (5-3, 2-2 ACC) still almost won. A missed 49-yard field goal attempt by Chase Meyer with one second left in the fourth quarter prevented the Bears from winning in regulation time. (It leaves you wondering whether Abram Murray, who is used for the Bears’ long field goals, would have made that kick if he had been available for the game.)

But in overtime, Cal did not come close to stopping the Hokies, who ended their two-game losing streak and improved their record to 3-5.

The two-point conversion play after Virginia Tech’s touchdown in the second overtime was a microcosm of the game, as Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones rolled around the right side and got into the end zone without much resistance.

Drones finished with 137 rushing yards and a 6.5 yards-per-carry average despite being sacked three times for negative 18 yards. Observers saw Drones run free much of the second half.

"I saw what you saw," said Wilcox. "Every call there's someone responsible for the quarterback, and having undisciplined eyes, or not fitting properly in the run defense, your tempo on the run, and the finish, obviously all those were terrible."

Hokies running back Marcellous Hawkins was even better with 167 rushing yards while averaging 8.0 yards per attempt. And those two simply marched the Hokies down the field on option plays.

It was the first time this season that either Drones or Hawkins rushed for more than 100 yards in a game.

“We’re obviously doing a poor job coaching it, and we’re not doing a great job on the field,” said Wilcox of tackling, “and that was just . . . I don’t even know what to say, really bad run defense. You’re not going to win when you play that . . . when you play with poor leverage, when you play with poor eyes, and when the tackling is what that was.”

The Hokies ability to run around and through the Cal defense contrasted sharply with Cal’s inability to run. The Bears finished with just 39 yards on the ground, an average of 1.4 yards per carry. And this was against a Virginia Tech defense that entered the game allowing 4.3 yards per rushing attempt, which ranked 16th of the 17 ACC schools.

Wilcox discussed the shortcomings in tackling at all levels of the defense, but ultimately said this.

“Our fundamentals in tackling are not near good enough,” he said. “I don’t care what scheme you use, if you don’t tackle, you’re not going to play good defense. That' the No. 1 fundamental in football.”

Cal linebacker Cade Uluave put up some impressive individual numbers with a career-high 19 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks. But the team’s defensive numbers as a whole don’t lie.

“As a defensive lineman and pride in the run game, I take that upon myself,” said Cal defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina. “We as a defense, especially us up front on that front seven, we take that upon ourselves. It is our job to stop the rush game, and we didn’t do a great job of that tonight.”

Keanaaina talked about fixing the problems so the Bears will be ready for their next game, but the challenge will be bigger when No. 16 Virginia comes to Berkeley next Saturday. The Cavaliers average 5.1 yards per rushing attempt, third-best in the ACC.

Suddenly Cal’s bid to get to a bowl game for the third straight season does not seem guaranteed, with games against Virginia, No. 19 Louisville, Stanford and SMU remaining.

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