Cal Football: The Bears' Potent Run Game Faces Another Challenge at Utah

Cal is on pace for its most productive rushing attack since 2005 but the Utes likely won't cooperate on defense.

Obscured by an encouraging debut showing from quarterback Fernando Mendoza and a disturbing performance by the defense in Cal’s 52-40 loss to Oregon State last week was one more notable side story:

Faced with a defense that was surrendering just 67 rushing yards per game, the Bears rolled up 241 yards on the ground. And Cal achieved that despite the fact that star running back Jaydn Ott carried the ball just once in the second half before leaving after apparently aggravating an old injury.

Ott is expected back on Saturday in Salt Lake City when the Bears take on No. 16 Utah, also equipped with one of the most stout run defenses in the country.

“It’ll be a test this week against these guys,” said coach Justin Wilcox, acknowledging the Bears’ run game as the team’s most consistent strength this season. “We’ve got to do it again and it’s going to be an incredible challenge.”

Cal is producing an an average of 217.3 rushing yards per game to rank No. 2 in the Pac-12 (behind Oregon) and No. 11 in FBS. The flip side is the Utes are giving up just 67 rushing yards per game (same as OSU, pre-Cal), to rank third nationally.

The Bears have more than doubled their rushing output of a year ago (96.6 yards) and are on pace for their best numbers since 2005, when Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett powered them to 235.3 rushing yards per outing.

The credit for Cal’s improvement in this department is shared by all involved, the coaches say.

Cal’s offensive line, often a weakness in recent seasons, has thus far exceeded expectations. Asked about the success Wilcox points first to O-line coach Mike Bloesch and his big men up front.

The backs themselves have a big role in the process, obviously. Ott, despite missing one game and parts of two others after being banged up, leads the Pac-12 and is No. 7 nationally at 111.6 yards per game. He’s on pace to become Cal’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Patrick Laird in 2017.

Ott was a known quantity entering the season after running for 897 yards as a freshman. Less certain was how much the Bears would get from Isaiah Ifanse, a transfer from FCS-level Montana State.

Ifanse has been dynamite, averaging 58 yards per game, including 137 vs. Idaho when Ott was out and 86 more last week against Oregon State.

Everyone is impressed by the same thing from the 5-foot-9, 205-pound native of Bellevue, Washington, who now has climbed above 4,000 career yards with the two programs.

“That guy plays so hard every time he carries the ball, you just see how much will he has. The entire stadium can see it,” Wilcox said. “I just love the spirit he plays with and how tough he is. He’s competitive and he’s got a ton of heart. What a great example.”

Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital measures that toughness in a different way.

“I think he has the longest runs, meaning by time, I’ve ever seen,” he said. “Each time it takes him like eight seconds to run a play because he’s hitting a guy here, bouncing off and running north and south. A lot of it is his desire not to go down and just how tough he is as a person.”

Ashton Stredick, who had 77 yards against Idaho, may have been displaced as the third-stringer by Jaivian Thomas, a fast freshman from McClymonds High in Oakland.

Only 175 pounds, Thomas has shown a willingness to play physical, although the Bears have thus far used him only sporadically as a change of pace.

“I think his role is going to increase. I feel comfortable putting him in at the running back position, not just as a gadget guy,” Spavital said. “So you’re going to see a lot more from Jaivian as the year goes on. Really impressed by how he’s handled stepping up and making plays and playing at a very fast speed.”

The Bears have done all this despite the fact that two transfer running backs expected to take on significant roles — Justin Williams-Thomas from Tennessee and Byron Cardwell from Oregon — have not played due to injury.

Spavital says there is another reason the run game clicked so well against OSU.

“A lot of it has to do with Fernando having a quick-game element and being able to spread the ball around the field a little bit more,” he explained. “They didn’t have to tee off on us knowing the only thing we were doing was running the football. We got some light boxes sometimes.”

Center Brian Driscoll gets credit for helping the Bears play at the faster tempo they want.

“Driscoll is the guy that leads that. The tempo element was really good and that stems from the quarterback and the center,” Spavital said. “Driscoll really pressed the tempo — got them lined up, made the call, snapped it. You could see at times the tempo was kind of affecting the defense and that’s what we want it to do.”

Accomplishing that in front of a capacity crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium will be an assignment on a different level. Spavital thinks he has a pretty good idea how the Utes will challenge Cal’s redshirt freshman quarterback in just his second career start.

“I think they’re going to try to make him win the game,” he said. “They’re going to load the box up and play man and we’re going to have to get open and he’s going to have to be accurate with the football.

“They’re a very aggressive defense, one of the top-5, top-10 defenses in the country every single year. They know what they’re doing.”

The Bears will have to help Mendoza was good play selections and a running game that continues to produce.

Either way, Spavital acknowledged, “It’s going to be a tough challenge for Fernando.”

Cover photo of Cal running back Isaiah Ifanse by Kyle Terada, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo