Cal's Simulated 2020 Fall Football Season: Game 3 vs. Cal Poly
Cal’s simulated 2020 fall football season moves on to the third week, with a home game against Cal Poly, its final nonconference contest.
We are providing a summary of what might have happened on the day each game of Cal’s original schedule was slated to take place. Last week, Cal defeated TCU in its simulated home opener to improve to 2-0, and today we focus on the Bears’ home game against Cal Poly, which was scheduled for today, September 12.
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Date: Saturday, September 12, 2020
The Opponent: Cal Poly
In reality, Cal Poly, like Cal, has postponed its fall football. The Mustangs were scheduled to open their 2020 season against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 5 on the road, a game Cal Poly was expected to lose.
The Mustangs are an FCS program and will be familiar to Cal fans, because the head coach is Beau Baldwin, who was Cal’s offensive coordinator last season, and the offensive coordinator is Nick Edwards, who was Cal’s running backs coach a year ago.
Last season, Cal Poly went 3-8, including 2-6 in the Big Sky Conference. The Mustangs were a run-oriented offense last year, ranking second in the conference in rushing and last in passing. They are transitioning to more of a passing offense under Baldwin, and they my not have the weapons to do it.
Their best players are running back Duy Tran-Sampson, who rushed for 1,037 yards last year, and quarterback Jalen Hamler, who threw 12 touchdown passes and five interceptions last season.
The Cal Poly defense, led by linebacker Matt Shotwell, should be decent in the front seven.
Cal Poly preseason projections
The Mustangs were picked to finish 10th in the 13-team Big Sky Conference in both the media and coaches polls.
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The venue:
Cal’s Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., which has artificial turf
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What does Cal need to do to beat Cal Poly
Cal must simply play a solid game. If the Bears avoid mistakes and take control of the game early, they should not have much trouble with a team that is overmatched in terms of talent and is making a significant transition in its offensive philosophy.
If Cal Poly is still in the game in the third quarter, the Bears might feel the pressure of a possible embarrassing upset.
The Bears defense needs to stack the line of scrimmage to stop Tran-Sampson, then put pressure on Cal Poly quarterback Jalen Hamler to ensure that he never gets comfortable.
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What are the concerns?
The biggest concern is that the Bears will not take Cal Poly seriously and will have a letdown after beating TCU a week ago.
Beau Baldwin’s knowledge of Cal’s personnel and defensive schemes may help the Mustangs exploit some Cal weaknesses.
Hamler is more suited to an option offense, but if he gets a hot hand, he could rack up some big plays.
Cal had several field-goal attempts blocked last year, and the Mustangs could produce a big play by blocking a field-goal attempt or a punt. Cal punter Jamieson Sheahan had never punted in a football game before this season.
Cal hopes none of its key players gets hurt.
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Which Cal players need to show up in a big way?
Running back Chistopher Brown Jr. has a chance for a big game, and if Cal can control the line of scrimmage the Bears may be able to overpower the Mustangs.
Inside linebacker Kuony Deng will play a major role in stopping Cal Poly’s running game as well as applying a pass rush and dropping back into pass coverage.
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How does the simulated game play out?
The Bears seem a little nervous on the first possession, perhaps not used to being such a heavy favorite. They are forced to punt on their first possession, but Deng intercepts a Hamler pass of Cal Poly’s first possession.
That gives Cal the ball at the Cal Poly 39-yard line, and two big Chistopher Brown runs set up a Chase Garbers keeper for a touchdown.
That ice-breaker relaxes the Bears, who continue to stop the Mustangs run game while applying pressure on Hamler.
Garbers throws a touchdown pass later in the first quarter, and Brown scores a third touchdown in the second period.
Cal Poly’s offense looks a little better in the second half, but manages just one touchdown as Cal has the game well in hand entering the fourth quarter.
Garbers finishes with 256 yards passing and two touchdowns with no interceptions, and Devon Modster plays most of the fourth quarter. Brown racks up 176 rushing yards and two scores, and Marcel Dancy adds 59 yards and a score.
Hamler throws three interceptions and is sacked five times, including two by Deng and two by Cameron Goode.
Cal takes a 31-7 lead into the fourth quarter and ends up with a comfortable 45-7 win.
What effect does this game have on the Bears’ (mythical) season?
Cal heads into a bye week before its Pac-12 opener against Utah, and that extra week to prepare should be an advantage.
The Bears’ new offense under offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave looked a lot better against Cal Poly, but that was expected given the level of competition. Nonetheless every single snap in the new offense provides needed experience.
The Bears’ defense has not allowed any of its first three opponents to score more than 13 points, but it has yet to face a powerful offense.
Cal is feeling good about itself heading into a bye week, but it has had clear advantages in each of its three nonconference games and has yet to play a Pac-12 opponent.
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Cal Record: 3-0
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Next game:
Saturday, September 26, vs. Utah at Cal
Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53
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