Cal Football: Bears Play Close Games Every Week, So a Few Plays Decisive

We sort of knew it would be this way for Cal: close games nearly every week with the Bears’ defense holding the score down, allowing Cal to be within striking distance until the end.

It has played out exactly that way. None of the Bears’ six games against FBS opponents has been decided by more than 10 points, and all but one had a final margin of a touchdown or less.

It means every play is critical. The Bears made enough of those pivotal plays to win the first four games, all of which Chase Garbers started. They didn’t make enough of those to win the last three, with Devon Modster being the quarterback for more than a half of each of those games.

Cal will have a difficult time staying close on Saturday night at Utah, which is favored by three touchdowns. Cal is likely to start freshman quarterback Spencer Brasch with Devon Modster questionable for the game, while Utah quarterback Tyler Huntley apparently has a good chance of starting Saturday despite sustaining some injuries last week.

In any case, tight games put pressure on the Cal team to minimize mistakes because one error on a pivotal play could cost the Bears the ballgame.

“We just have to have a better batting average on those plays,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox says in the video. “Our margins are very slim.

“The more explosive you are on offense, sometimes you can have a waste down. If you’re not, then you’ve got to make sure you stay in rhythm and move the chains.

“We’ve had spurts on both sides of the ball where we’ve done things well. The consistency of performance, that what good teams and programs do.”