Cal Needs to Alter Half-Full, Half-Empty Approach Before Oregon Visits
The Cal offense was scoreless in the first half against Washington and the defense allowed three second-half touchdowns in a 28-21 loss at Memorial Stadium.
But what the Bears did otherwise on Saturday night had J.Michael Sturdivant feeling convinced better days are coming.
“I think this team could beat anybody,” the sophomore wide receiver said after compiling career bests of eight catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns. “This was a game we let slip away. I think every game from here on out is definitely winnable.”
The Bears’ remaining five-game stretch starts Saturday at home against No. 8 Oregon, which moved to the top of the Pac-12 standings after an emphatic 45-30 triumph over previously undefeated UCLA.
Certainly there were reasons for the Bears (3-4, 1-3) to feel encouraged. The defense allowed just two first-half field goals to UW, which entered the game as the Pac-12’s highest-scoring team at 42.1 points per game.
The offense was scoreless in the first half, extending a dry spell in which the Bears produced just two touchdowns in 10 quarters. Then Cal scored three touchdowns in the second half, led briefly in the third quarter and was tied entering the final 15 minutes.
Quarterback Jack Plummer threw three TD passes — 8 and 48 yards to Sturdivant and 13 yards to Mavin Anderson, who had his most productive game with three catches for 53 yards and the score.
The Bears played turnover-free football, and have given the ball away just four times through seven games.
But Plummer recognized the glass half-full, half-empty nature of the UW game.
“I thought the second half the offense played really well,” he said, “but the first half we did not.”
Linebacker Jackson Sirmon, who had 11 tackles against his former team, felt much the same way.
“I think there were some positives about how we played defensively. But it only matters if you win,” he said. “First half was good. Second half, got to clean stuff up.”
Just like the offense, the Cal defense is searching for a complete-game performance. “When we do that,” Sirmon said, "the outcome will be a lot better.”
No halfway performance is likely to get the Bears over the top against Oregon.
The Ducks (6-1, 4-0) lost 49-3 to Georgia at Atlanta in their opener but have averaged 49 points in six games since. Oregon has now jumped ahead of the Huskies as the highest-scoring team in the Pac-12.
ESPN traveled to Eugene to host its Game Day program, which added to a festive atmosphere around Autzen Stadium.
"I had a pretty good feeling this was going to be an awesome day the moment I stepped on that quad," first-year coach Dan Lanning said. "That place was packed. Our fans brought it from 4 a.m. — or maybe 1 a.m. last night — all the way to the end of the game."
Against UCLA, the Ducks rolled up 545 yards and 31 first downs, and forged a 31-13 halftime lead, in part thanks to a successful onside kick which helped Oregon score back-to-back touchdowns and gain separation.
The Oregon offense is powered by quarterback Bo Nix, who completed 22 of 28 passes for 283 yards and five touchdowns. The Auburn transfer has completed better than 71 percent of his attempts this season for 1,809 yards with 17 touchdowns and three interceptions.
"I don't think anybody can sit here and watch football right now, watch our quarterback play, and tell me he's not an elite quarterback," Lanning said. "This guy's playing at an extremely high level."
The Ducks would seemingly find playing away from home more challenging, but they averaged 46.5 points in road wins over Washington State and Arizona.
Oregon is averaging 6.2 yards per rush, allowing just 3.7.
Even if Cal’s defense holds Oregon 14 points under its average — as it did against Washington — the offense will need to produce.
The Bears will play the rest of the season without senior offensive lineman Matthew Cindric, whose 33 career starts are the most on the team. He was injured at Colorado and won’t be able to return.
“He’s an extremely tough guy,” Wilcox said. “He got injured early in the game last week and really didn’t mention it, just played the entire game. Unfortunately, it’s an injury that needs to be repaired. He is a warrior of a person.”
“A big loss,” Plummer called it.
Against UW, none of the Bears’ five starting O-linemen were at the same position they played in the season opener.
The line has been an issue for Cal all season, as evidenced by the 23 times Plummer has been sacked. Washington took him down five times.
Even so, the senior from Purdue continues to offer support to his O-line.
“We’ll just keep building. Those guys are good players and they care,” he said in the video above. “Yeah, they get shuffled around bit. I think they’ll mesh together and we’re still got a lot of football left.”
Cover photo of Cal wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant by Darren Yamashita, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
