Cal Football Notebook: Justin Wilcox on Offside Flag - `I Don't Even Know How to Respond'
Three days after an Atlantic Coast Conference officiating crew made an offside call against Cal that led to a Notre Dame touchdown in a 24-17 win by the Irish, Bears coach Justin Wilcox said he’s still waiting for an explanation for why the flag was thrown.
“The penalty on the field goal block was on Lu Hearns,” Wilcox said during his weekly Tuesday media session. “(The official) told me after the play that Lu Hearns had jumped offsides. That’s the response that I got."
No one else saw the infraction and it's not evident on video replays.
“I don’t have a response — I don’t even know how to respond to that one.”
Wilcox, whose team opens Pac-12 play Saturday at home vs. Arizona, said he put a call into the NCAA head of officials on Sunday.
“I had a phone call on Sunday to try to get more clarity on that,” he said. “There’s been nothing yet.”
Video replays of the play, which came in the second quarter with Cal leading 7-0, showed no one jumping offsides. Hearns, who was flagged for the penalty, is lined up on the left end (at the top in the video) but does not move until after the ball snapped.
The penalty gave the Irish a first down and two plays later they scored a game-tying touchdown.
“The call was . . . this is what I was told on the field, that Lu Hearns had jumped offside and was in the backfield. Not lined up in the neutral zone, but he was offside. That’s what I was told,” Wilcox said.
Wilcox had no issue with an earlier controversial penalty call, an unsportsmanlike conduct flag against wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant for his celebration after catching an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jack Plummer tat put the Bears 7-0 in front just 33 seconds into the second quarter.
Sturdivant appeared to do a brief and modest dance, which didn’t rise to the level of taunting. But he spun the ball on the turf, earning himself a flag.
“The penalty on J.Michael was for spinning the ball. They flagged that immediately. I was told that right after the play,” Wilcox said. “You can’t spin the ball. He did spin the ball, so they flagged him.”
Wilcox stressed that the Bears had “plenty of opportunities” to win the game, and could have coached and played better.
“We’d like to think that we don’t need perfect circumstances in order to win,” he said.
But the offside call remains a mystery to him. “I don’t even know what to say about that one.”
And when he checked the replay to look for Hearns jumping offside?
“I did not see that.”
Less of Moore
Junior Damien Moore, the Bears’ top returning running back and a starter in the first two games, didn’t get onto the field at Notre Dame until the fourth quarter and never carried the ball.
Most of the running back snaps went to freshman Jaydn Ott, who started for the first time, and junior DeCarlos Brooks.
“Looking back, probably would have liked to get him a few more reps in there,” Wilcox said. “Jaydn, I think, had in the 50s with his rep count. DeCarlos gave us a couple really nice runs, also a key block on a scramble.
“We need all those guys, we really do. And we could probably have a little better rhythm and rotation. Offensively in that game, we had like 10 explosives but we also had a lot of negative plays.
“So we’ve got to create better rhythm. Sometimes those natural rotations at any position feel a bit disjointed when you’re not in great rhythm.”
Moore, who rushed for 517 yards at 5.2 yards per clip last season, carried the ball just nine times for 32 yards, an average of 3.2, in the team’s first two games.
More of Mo
Junior linebacker Mo Iosefa, who sat out the Bears’ first two games due to an unspecified violation, saw action on kickoff coverage against Notre Dame.
“Mo’s role will grow accordingly,” Wilcox says int he video above. “I thought he did a good job last week and he could potentially earn some more playing time.
Iosefa was the Bears’ third-leading tackler a year ago with 55.
“Mo has to take care of Mo and make sure he’s prepared to play to the best of abilities,” Wilcox said. “When he does that, he can be an impact player for us. We’re looking forward to him earning those reps through practice.”
Injury updates
Wide receiver Mason Starling, a transfer from College of San Mateo, has yet to play in a game because of injury, but Wilcox termed him “day-to-day,” suggesting he might make his Cal debut on Saturday against Arizona.
Running back Chris Street, also shelved by an injury the first three games, is doubtful to play this week, Wilcox said, and is week-to-week.
Cover photo of Notre Dame's ill-fated field goal try against Cal (with the snap barely visible but on its way to the holder).
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
