Cal Football Video: QB Devon Modster Talks About His Progress

Cal’s offense has suffered since the injury to quarterback Chase Garbers in the fifth game, but the progress made by Devon Modster from the Arizona State game to the Oregon game gives the Bears reason to believe he will continue to improve.

Modster struggled mightily against Arizona State following Garbers' injury. He was just 5-for-14 for 23 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in two-plus quarters, as Cal’s offense did little in the fourth quarter in the 24-17 loss to the Sun Devils.

Modster was not great the next week in the 17-7 loss to Oregon, but he was significantly better than he was against ASU. He was 17-of-34 for 190 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, one of which came on a Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half.

And that performance came on the road against the Pac-12’s top defense.

Modster says in the video that spending more practice time as the starting quarterback heading into the Oregon game paid off.

“Having a week of reps going with the ones, guys I was throwing to, our timing I thought was a little better,” he said. “Still a lot to improve on. I think this week and next week is the time to do it.”

Modster would still like to improve his accuracy.

"I know I can make those throws, it's just a matter of making them," he said.

(Click here for a story that analyzes whether the Cal offense is better than it was last year.)

With a bye this weekend and two weeks to prepare for the Oct. 19 home game against Oregon State, Modster and the Bears hope he can improve as much in his third game as he did in his second.

Cal coaches still remember the fact that, as a UCLA quarterback in 2017, Modster completed 14-of-18 passes for 191 yards and no interceptions in the Bruins 30-27 victory over Cal.