No Cal Offense Again, and Even the Defense Could Not Carry the Day

Coach Justin Wilcox was perhaps most disappointed by a defense that allowed Oregon State three long scoring drives

The Cal defense put up some big numbers, as usual.

The Cal offense did not, as usual.

On the defensive side, Evan Weaver had 21 tackles - giving him an FBS-leading 105 for the season - and two sacks.

The Bears held a 14th consecutive opponent under 25 points.

Oregon State had 11 non-scoring possessions that netted 21 yards (after penalties).

And yet, that same defensive unit couldn’t deliver when it mattered in a 21-17 loss to Oregon State on Saturday.

The Beavers assembled scoring drives of 62, 78 and 80 yards to post a second straight road win for the first time in six seasons.

And that left coach Justin Wilcox in a less-than-terrific mood.

“Defensively, we had some good stops throughout the game,” Wilcox said. “We had three awful drives across the boards — D-line, linebackers and DBs. That cost us big-time.”

It cost the Bears to the tune of a third straight defeat after a 4-0 start, leaving them at 4-3 overall, 1-3 in the Pac-12 with a trip to No. 13 Utah on tap next Saturday.

Offense, of course, is Cal’s biggest, ongoing issue. The Bears managed just 17 points against an Oregon State defense that had given up at least 30 to every other FBS opponent it had faced.

But the Beavers stuffed the run and and eventually knocked quarterback Devon Modster out of the game early in the fourth quarter with the Bears clinging to a 17-14 lead.

There was no word on the nature or severity of his injury, with Wilcox saying he didn’t immediately know what had happened.

But if he cannot go at Utah — and presuming starter Chase Garbers is not yet recovered from the injury that sidelined him during the Sept. 27 game against Arizona State — the Bears will take on the ferocious Utes with 18-year-old true freshman Spencer Brasch at quarterback.

He would face a Utah defense that crumpled this same Oregon State team 52-7 just a week ago. The Utes (6-1, 3-1) beat Arizona State 21-3 on Saturday.

It’s scary to think what Utah might do to any Cal quarterback after the Beavers piled up nine sacks on Saturday — equaling the most the Bears have allowed in any game dating back to 2000.

The equation is particularly difficult because Cal’s beat-up offensive line (guard Valentino Daltoso started, but center Michael Saffell did not), could not open holes for the running backs.

Christopher Brown Jr. rushed for just 49 yards on 15 carries (3.3 yards per attempt), including the Bears’ first touchdown. Marcel Dancy, back after missing the Oregon game two weeks ago with an injury, carried seven times for one yard.

“It was tough to get going running the ball,” Wilcox said. “You have to run the ball better.

Cal’s most effective offense came from Modster, before he got hurt.

In addition to throwing a beautiful 33-yard TD pass to Jordan Duncan to give Cal its only lead of the game, Modster showed off what he can do with his legs. He rushed 19 times, including the seven sacks he absorbed, and netted 76 yards.

But that was part of the problem, too.

Ten of his rushes were scrambles, plays that were designed to be passes that became run-for-your-life dashes to daylight. Modster gained 90 yards on those 10 plays, including a 37-yard sprint in the third quarter was Cal’s longest run of the season.

But the last of those improv runs went for no yards and left him limping off the field.

Stay tuned.