Cal Football: Are the Bears' Bowl Dreams Going Up in Smoke?

The path of the 2019 season feels an awful like 2017

What was it Yogi Berra used say? Deja vu, all over again?

Boy, would Yogi feel right at home watching this Cal football team.

So here’s the Bears’ 2019 path:

Start 4-0, then lose 4 in a row, beat Washington State, then lose 41-17 to USC on Saturday to take a 5-5 record into the Big Game at Stanford. Win and they are bowl eligible. Lose and they must beat UCLA at the Rose Bowl to perhaps get a bowl invite.

Uh-oh . . . this sounds painfully familiar, right?

Let’s rewind to 2017:

Start 3-0, then lose 3 in a row, then split the next four to take a 5-5 record into the Big Game at Stanford. Win and they were bowl eligible. Lose and they had to beat UCLA at the Rose Bowl to perhaps get a bowl invite.

You already know what happened two years ago. Cal lost 17-14 at Stanford, then 30-27 at UCLA to finish 5-7 and left out of the bowl picture.

Could it all happen again? Could a once-promising season go up in smoke?

Or can the Bears write a different ending to this story, extinguish their nine-game losing streak to Stanford and get the nod for a bowl?

Coach Justin Wilcox says he is sure the Bears will respond to this latest setback with the right frame of mind when they return to practice Monday.

There are all kinds of variables, starting with health.

Quarterback Chase Garbers, running back Christopher Brown Jr., and safety Ashtyn Davis all left the USC game with injuries, and we may not know until Saturday whether any of them are able to face the Cardinal.

Wide receivers Kekoa Crawford and Jeremiah Hawkins also remain uncertain after both sitting out the USC game. Same goes for nickel back Traveon Beck.

Linebacker Evan Weaver, in the video above, says it will require work, and he challenges his teammates to deliver the effort needed to get it done.

Stay tuned. It’s gonna be a wild week.