Cal Football: Bears Wrestle With How to Get the Best from Freshman Jaydn Ott
There is a long list of variables that have determined when the Cal football team wins or loses this season.
The Bears’ ability to help freshman running back Jaydn Ott find room to operate is near the top of that list.
“I think in order for us to be successful, we’ve got to get him going,” quarterback Jack Plummer says in the video below. “He’s probably got to have a good game for us to score a lot of points.”
The Bears will need to score points on Saturday at Memorial Stadium to keep pace with No. 8 Oregon, whose 42.4 points per game have helped lift the Ducks to the top of the Pac-12 standings.
In the Bears’ three victories, they have averaged 34.3 points. In the four defeats, that number shrinks to 15.0 points.
Again, it’s not a single factor that determines those outcomes. But Plummer is correct — when the Bears can maximize Ott’s production they are so much better.
Here’s a comparison:
— In Cal's three wins: Ott has 430 rushing yards at 10.0 yards per attempt, has seven pass receptions for 52 more yards, giving him 482 all-purpose yards or 160.7 per game at 9.64 yards per touch. Of course, 274 of those rushing yards came in a break-out performance against Arizona.
— In Cal's four losses: Ott has been held to 188 rushing yards at 3.1 yards per attempt, and 14 catches for 81 yards, giving him 269 all-purpose yards or 67.3 per game at 3.64 yards per touch.
Yes, the opponent matters. Cal’s losses include trips to Notre Dame and Washington State, and a home game last week vs. Washington. They also include a gruesome road defeat to a Colorado team that hasn’t beaten anyone else all season.
The three wins came against FCS foe UC Davis and UNLV and Arizona — none of them world-beaters.
Play-calling, the performance of the offensive line, field position and injuries elsewhere on offense also factor into the equation.
Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave talks in the video above about the ongoing efforts to maximize what Ott brings to the Bears’ attack.
“We’re working on getting Jaydn more and more touches. He’s definitely earned those,” Musgrave said. “We want to get it to him both in the air and also handing it to him in creative ways so we can create some space for him to do his thing.”
The goal on offense, Wilcox said, is to create scenarios where the best playmakers get one-on-one situations against the defense.
“That’s all you can do,” he said. “Most times, the best situation you’re going to get is one-on-one and getting the ball to the guys who can make somebody miss.”
On his touchdown runs of 73 and 72 yards against Arizona, that’s just what Ott. Got the ball with open space in front of him, juked one defender and sprinted toward the end zone.
In recent games, however, the O-line has not been able to create that one-on-one matchup. In the meantime, the offensive coaching staff continues to tinker with strategies designed to create those advantages.
“I think we can utilize some more misdirection and also a little bit of deception with our schemes,” Musgrave said, when asked how the Bears can remedy that. “We’re working long and hard to create more space, more air in the front for him.”
Plummer, who surveys the opposing defense before taking each snap, said opponents are not revamping what they do on that side of the ball to account for Ott.
“They’re sort of aware of where the key playmakers are,” he said. “I’m sure teams are well-aware of when he’s in and what he’s good at.”
Through the productive days and the tougher one, Ott has continued to be the same guy, his coaches and teammates say.
Musgrave says Ott is coping well and knows only one speed in practice, walk-through or game day. He goes all-out.
Plummer, a fifth-year senior who came to Cal this year from Purdue, called Ott mature, humble and smart. “He fits into the locker room very well,” Plummer said. “I think he’s doing a great job with all that.”
Wilcox also is pleased with Ott’s approach, and says his coaches and teammates must continue trying to support his effort.
“Jaydn’s a very talented guy — his best football is in front of him.,” Wilcox said. “I think he’s competing like crazy. We’ve just got to be more consistent as an offense.”
Cover photo of Jaydn Ott by James Snook, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
