Bear Territory : California CF25

**bayers3** · 09-25-2024, 12:16 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Everyone that started the season as a favorite has fallen away and the crop of receivers has given way to a parade of QB. This race might be more volatile than most with few players on this list or the preseason one showing much consistency, bursts of excellent play have drawn voters eyes but the winner is going to need to put up a season long effort.

TOP CONTENDERS

Wisconsin WR Chris Brooks Jr.

In a volatile Heisman Season, Brooks Jr. has used a streak of games to vault to the top and hold it for a few weeks. His (9) TD catches lead the nation, with a 4-TD performance turning heads and landing him on this list. All the other receivers have fallen away, but he has some QB breathing down his neck.

Trend : Steady

South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers

Nyck Harbor falls victim to his own QB. Despite having a good season, Sellers is having a better one so he swaps places with his playmaker. The Junior signal caller has the Gamecocks at #4 with an inside track for the SEC title game.

Trend : Steady

Notre Dame QB CJ Carr

Who could have seen a ND QB getting Heisman hype? Carr isn’t just riding the Fighting Irish name, he’s leading the nation in passing yards and TD. ND is also #13 and figure to make the College Football Playoff, a potent mixture for a potential Heisman.

Trend : Steady

Tennessee QB Jake Merklinger

Josh Heupel is really cooking on Rocky Top. The Vols are #2 and his QB is rising up the list of potential winners in a vicious SEC. As many as four SEC teams are vying to make the College Football Playoff, if the Vols can stay in the race or win the SEC it would put Merklinger in a great position. It’s going to be hard for him to pass Carr, but he has the national exposure to make it work.

Trend : Rising

UConn QB Nick Evers

Evers used a streak of wins and solid performances to get some attention, but the Huskies have lost two in a row despite his efforts and finds himself falling down the list. It’s very hard to see him passing either of the QB above him, especially Carr, barring serious injuries.

Trend : Falling

**redsox907** · 09-25-2024, 01:51 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

UConn seems to be one of those teams that always make some noise in the future in most dynasties.

What happened to Iamaleava (SP?) at Tennessee?

**bayers3** · 09-25-2024, 07:42 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Originally posted by redsox907

UConn seems to be one of those teams that always make some noise in the future in most dynasties.

What happened to Iamaleava (SP?) at Tennessee?

I really should have tried to track some of these other big names, in theory he should be on the team as a Freshman in 2024.

**bayers3** · 09-25-2024, 07:42 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Tosh Lupoi has started his Cal tenure well, holding the Golden Bears in the Top 10, but he’s now been on the business end of Oregon’s recruiting machine. 5-Star MLB Terrence Douglas looked like he would be heading to Berkeley, but the draw of Eugene was too much.

The signings of RG Mafu Tuaolo, RT John Bettis, and RG Owamagbe Okudah gives Cal a wave of future lineman, and Tupoi is rumored to be closing in on HB Deuce Linwood to pair with the hefty HB Darrell Stacy. The signing of WR Cameron Jaimes is also very promising, adding even more speed and size to a roster that gets faster with every class.

ESPN 300 Commits : 11
Top Offensive Prospect : RG Mafu Tuaolo
Top Defensive Prospect : DT Quincy Crocker

Current Ranking : 7th

TOP TARGETS

**bayers3** · 09-26-2024, 10:15 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - The Golden Bears made the long flight to Virginia for a Halloween matchup against the Cavaliers, who are headed quickly for the bottom of the ACC. After a 1-2 start to the season, things have gone much worse in the ACC after a conference opening win against Duke. A frightening visit from #1 Cal would not be the right mix for a turnaround, but at least there was hope that home field advantage might be able to conjure up a win for head coach Bryan Warren.

This game quickly turned into a Nightmare In Charlottesville for the hosts, being able to do little to stop Cal from running up a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. A 13-yard TD pass to WR George Cheeseman and a short TD run from HB Byron Cardwell would have the Golden Bears cruising.

Things looked bleak to start the 2nd quarter, with Cal marching back down the field and getting ready to treat themselves to another score. A handoff to Cardwell on the 5 quickly turned into a nasty trick for Cal, with Cardwell fumbling the ball and Virginia recovering on their own 10. Warren must have been relieved to see his team escape, but they promptly turned their own chance into a pumpkin. DE Bodie Schoonover would drive QB Anthony Colandrea to roll out of the pocket and chase him down in the endzone for a safety.

Cavaliers fans would have to sit through two long scoring plays, thanks to 48-yard and a 64-yard TD passes to Cheeseman that would leave most of the crowd ambling to the exits like zombies. Just to rub it in on the second one, Tosh Lupoi would call for a 2-PT attempt and get it via a short pass to Kyion Grayes.

Virginia would finally get on the board via an 8-yard TD pass to Kameron Courtney, but at this point it was little more than a moral victory.

For those who managed to stay, and more specifically Cal fans, the third quarter offered some incredible highlights. A pass to TE TeKai Kirby would slip through his hands and bounce off his pads, it looked like a simple incompletion but SS Tremayne Landman dove for the ball and made an improbable catch. Warren even threw a challenge flag, insisting the ball had hit the ground, but the review showed that he caught it.

Landman lays out to make an insane grab.

If the interception wasn’t deflating enough, Virginia would watch Cheeseman catch two more TD passes in the third quarter. The freshman wideout, already getting some Heisman recognition, would be nearly unstoppable in this game. Adding 13-yard and 49-yard TD catches to his resume ended his day with 334 yards on 22 receptions and 5TD.

With the backups on the field, and Fernando Mendoza nearly perfect at 33/35 for 480 yards and 6TD, Cal just went into clock eating mode. The Cavaliers would get into the endzone two more times in the 4th, but those would be balanced out by backup QB Duane Dinson rushing for 2TD in mop-up duty.

THE TAKEAWAY

Cheeseman is the nation’s top receiver, his speed and steady hands have managed to turn a number of short passes into long scoring plays. It’s hard to tell is he can keep this up, but Cal’s offense is so good that it’s hard to think that anyone can do much more than slow him down.

UP NEXT

California : Away at Syracuse.

**redsox907** · 09-26-2024, 10:37 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Cheeseman turning that Virgina defense into swiss cheese!

**bayers3** · 09-27-2024, 12:31 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Originally posted by redsox907

Cheeseman turning that Virgina defense into swiss cheese!

More like monster cheese. Happy in-game Halloween!

**bayers3** · 09-27-2024, 12:31 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

**bayers3** · 09-27-2024, 08:35 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

SYRACUSE, NY - The Golden Bears opened up the first College Football Playoff rankings #1, the first time they have ever achieved that honor, but today they traveled to Syracuse to face a team desperate to get the season over with. Syracuse head coach Fran Brown is really starting to circle the drain, after putting up two middling seasons this year has been a disaster for the program. Sitting at 2-6, a visit from the nation’s best offense would not be a recipe for success.

The 1st quarter would end up being a microcosm of all the problems Syracuse has been having while being an excellent example of why Cal is #1. Cal would open the game with a 7-play 75 yard drive and a 4-yard TD pass to WR Donovan Hampton, followed by Teitum Tuioti intercepting Syracuse QB Braden Davis on his third pass attempt. The interception would give Cal the ball on Syracuse’s 36 and lead to an 8-yard TD pass to WR George Cheeseman. The Orange would manage to get on the board with a 42-yard FG, but the very first play of the next drive was a 49-yard TD pass to Hampton.

The only good news that came out of the 1st quarter for the hosts was an unusual score, with Cal blowing their coverage assignments and allowing WR Zeed Haynes to catch a 65-yard bomb for a TD.

The rest of the game followed a similar pattern, with Davis working his way toward a 5-interception outing. A LB Jabari Uwaezuoke interception would put Cal on the Syracuse 45, followed by a one-play TD pass to Hampton. Another Uwaezuoke interception would put them on the Syracuse 42, but this time it would be QB Fernando Mendoza’s turn to throw an interception.

The Orange did well to fight back when they weren’t turning over the ball, but their defense just couldn’t contain Cal’s passing attack. They managed to get as close as 28-20 just before the half, but Cheeseman would scamper 34 yards for a TD and a 35-20 lead going into the break.

Syracuse’s offense vanished in the second half while Cal ran them over, with the game pretty much closed out they would put in their backups on offense. QB Duane Dinson would rush for two scores in the 4th quarter, with two more Syracuse turnovers killing them off. Uwaezuoke would close out the game with his 3rd interception, allowing Cal to run out the clock and head off the field undefeated.

THE TAKEAWAY

Nobody has an answer for Cal’s offense. Syracuse did well to blanked TE Vai Bush, who still managed 68 yards on 4 receptions, but that was a pyrrhic victory as Hampton caught 19 passes for 247 yards and 3TD. Even Cheeseman, now firmly a Heisman favorite, was able to get into the endzone twice despite being held to 115 yards on 10 catches.

UP NEXT

California : Away at NC State.

**redsox907** · 09-27-2024, 11:56 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

your team can beat the defense any way they want. load the box? Cheeseman is going to drop 300 on you. Drop into coverage? We'll run for 200+ yards.

It will take an herculean effort by a defense to keep your team in check for 60 minutes

**bayers3** · 09-30-2024, 12:31 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

RALEIGH, NC - The Golden Bears took their #1 ranking on the road with the hopes of getting revenge for 2024, but with the Wolfpack on the verge of missing out on a bowl game the stakes would be very different. Dave Doeren opened the season with his Wolfpack ranked #4, but like several other ACC teams they have fallen on hard times.

“I know things haven’t gone to plan,” said Doeren before the game “but nobody on this team has given up. We are still fighting and plan on taking this game.”

Where most coaches that have faced Cal this year have seen their plans go up in smoke, NC State appeared to have been ready to follow up on their promise.

Doeren, seemingly finding a weakness in Scott Symons defense, engineered an 11 play 71-yard TD drive that ended with HB Kendrick Raphael sprinting 10 yards into the endzone. Cal’s defense just could not stop the NC State rushing attack, and things looked bad for the #1 ranked team in the nation.

The Golden Bears came back, scoring twice in the first half on a Kyion Grayes 13-yard TD and a Byron Cardwell 8-yard run, but the Wolfpack’s ground game put them in a solid position to win and put them in front at halftime. A 2nd quarter TD to Terrell Anderson and FG would be enough for a 17-14 lead.

NC State would come out of the break strong, and it looked like they were ready to win the turnover battle with Cal. A strip sack would end Cal’s opening drive of the half, but more importantly it would give the ball to the Wolfpack on their own 37. The Golden Bears would come up with a solid stop and force a punt, following that up with an 8 play 71 yard drive and a 1-yard Cardwell TD run.

Doeren’s side would not give up, coming right back at Cal with their own lengthy drive that would end with QB Lex Thomas hitting Hollywood Smothers for a 5-yard TD.

Carter-Finley Stadium would be extremely loud with the cheers of fans smelling an upset, but all of that energy and hope would drain out of the stands on the very next offensive play. George Cheeseman would take a simple bubble screen, slip a defender, and sprint 75 yards for a TD to put Cal up 28-24.

NC State became very familiar with Cheeseman’s back.

Something about that TD just utterly broke the Wolfpack, it was hard to recognize the team that had pushed the #1 team in the nation up to that point. Just a few plays later Thomas would make an utterly horrible decision, throwing a pass directly to SS Tremayne Landman and giving Cal the ball on NC State’s 40. Another short Cardwell TD run would be the result, and suddenly the hosts were down 35-24.

At this point Cal would pull away from most teams, but Doeren had one more trick up his sleeve. Perhaps it was Cal that really had the trick, but whatever it was a simple slip screen to WR Kevin Concepcion would turn into a 70-yard TD run thanks to some extremely questionable defending. The 2-PT attempt would fail, leaving them down 35-30, but it looked like NC State could come back with 2:00 left in the game.

NC State would force a 4th & 1 on Cal’s next drive, but a massive conversion would keep it in Cal’s hands on the NC State 8 with 1:51 left. When everything was said and done, it’s almost unbelievable that it was 35-30 with that much time left, but that’s the kind of magic Cal has had on their side all season.

The drive would conclude with a 2-yard Cardwell TD run, and NC State would come out looking for a miracle. That miracle did not come, it was more like a train wreck, with Thomas trying to hit Smothers on a dig route but instead hitting CB Joey Eddie in stride. Eddie would run 26 yards for a pick-six that would suck all the life out of the stadium. Cal would walk off 49-30 winners in a game that could have been much closer than the score would indicate.

THE TAKEAWAY

Cheeseman just cannot be stopped. NC State’s 3-3 stack defense was so effective against just about everyone but Cheeseman, Donovan Hampton (11 receptions, 50 yards) and Vai Bush (3 receptions, 44 yards) were barely a factor, but the Heisman favorite scorched the Wolfpack secondary with 354 yards on 19 receptions. Fernando Mendoza was practically locked in on Cheeseman, with the vast majority of his 461 passing yards going to the WR.

UP NEXT

California : Home against Stanfurd in the Big Game.

**bayers3** · 09-30-2024, 12:34 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Originally posted by redsox907

your team can beat the defense any way they want. load the box? Cheeseman is going to drop 300 on you. Drop into coverage? We'll run for 200+ yards.

It will take an herculean effort by a defense to keep your team in check for 60 minutes

Maybe a smarter man would know why, but the 3-3 Stack is the only defense that is just a total nightmare, but at the same time it's very weak to shorter outside passes like RPO / bubble screens. I think I've finally figured out how to exploit the numerous gameplay issues this game has.

**bayers3** · 10-02-2024, 04:01 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

BERKELEY, CA - The 133rd Big Game wouldn’t have quite as much on the line, outside of Cal remaining undefeated and clinching a spot in the ACC title game, but that wouldn’t do anything to dull the animosity. After a small uptick in results from Cal, following a long period of Cardinal dominance, the Golden Bears have taken over this rivalry and don’t look like giving it back anytime soon.

“We could be 0-10 and winning this game would save our season,” joked Tosh Lupoi prior to the game “and we know they would love nothing more than spoiling our record.”

With Stanfurd entering the game bowl eligible, Cal wouldn’t have the pleasure of ending their season early, but that wouldn’t save the visitors. Four ACC teams entered today 4-2 in the conference, a win would clinch a trip to Charlotte no matter what happens against SMU next week. Oddly enough, the ACC would be better off with Cal continuing to win. The conference has had a terrible season in the Top 25, the only non-Cal teams in the rankings are loitering around the bottom. #18 Virginia Tech, #21 Boston College, and #24 Pitt were not the three teams anyone would have picked to finish in the Top 25.

If Stanfurd head coach Jon Carroll had any visions of upsetting Cal, they were dashed on Cal’s very first offensive play. WR Donovan Hampton’s corner route would send his defender to the ground and result in a 76-yard TD with no Cardinal defenders within 15 yards of him.

Cal’s second drive, after forcing a three-and-out by Stanfurd, would be a 16-play 76 yard one that would end in Hampton’s second TD catch of the day.

The second quarter would only be worse, with WR George Cheeseman breaking free for a 44-yard TD catch and a 21-0 lead.

Stanfurd would finally put together a solid drive after watching Cheeseman outrun their entire team, but DC Scott Symons would dial up one hell of a goal line stand. Facing 3rd & 1 from the 3, Stanfurd HB Sedrick Irvin would be stopped for no gain and leave them with a 4th & 1. Carroll had seen enough at that point, and opted to send out Jeff Jordas for a 26-yard FG.

The Golden Bears would make it 28-3 on a HB Byron Cardwell TD run before the Cardinal would finally have something go in their favor. With Cal making a run at scoring before the half, QB Fernando Mendoza would try to hit TE Vai Bush over the middle but instead he would find LOLB Jahsiah Galvan lurking underneath. With just 0:08 left on the clock, the visitors would be safe from Cal’s offense at least until the 3rd quarter.

The safety wouldn’t last long, after Cal forced another three-and-out they would march right back down the field and Mendoza would get the ball into Bush’s hands for a 35-3 lead. At this point Bush would have 7 receptions for 118 yards, showing why teams do their best to shut him off as an option.

Bush’s first TD would cap a great day for the TE.

The remainder of the game was built around Hampton getting to 4TD catches while Cal came roaring back to win the turnover battle. SS Tremayne Landman and ROLB Jabari Uwaezuoke would each pick off a Stanfurd pass to pile on the misery. Uwaezuoke would look to have a Pick-6, but a review of the TD would show that he stepped out of bounds just before slipping in.

THE TAKEAWAY

Symons’ defense can be exploited at times, but more often than not it’s excellent at crushing a team’s best players. Irvin, who opened the season as a Heisman favorite, finished his day with just 17 yards on 11 carries. With Stanfurd focused on stopping the run and figuring out a way to slow down Cheeseman, Hampton and Vai would run wild. Hampton would finish with 4TD on just 10 catches for 127 yards.

UP NEXT

California : Awat at SMU.

**bayers3** · 10-02-2024, 11:04 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

DALLAS, TX - The last time Cal made the trip to Dallas, things didn’t go very well. This time, Cal came into the game massive favorites (-41.5), and it would be SMU sweating the result. Three teams sit at 5-2 in conference play; SMU, Boston College, and North Carolina. A win today would earn the Mustangs a rematch with the Golden Bears in Charlotte, while a loss would start their bowl prep early.

SMU head coach Jim Walters would open the game as yet another victim of Cal’s miraculous ability to take the ball away. On the Mustangs’ opening drive, a short pass from QB Kevin Jennings to WR Jaxson Lavender would look like a simple pitch-and-catch, but the ball would bounce off Lavender’s chest and be caught by a diving SS Tremayne Landman.

Landman makes another miraculous grab.

That turnover would result in Cal taking a 7-0 lead off a WR George Cheeseman 4-yard TD pass. It would also be the start of a disastrous quarter for the hosts, basically ending any hopes of making it to the ACC title game. The Golden Bears would score two more times, thanks to a nearly invisible SMU offense, two HB Byron Cardwell TD runs would see them jump out to a 21-0 lead with three more quarters to play. Walters would have his hands full, the Mustangs managed 2 passing yards in the first quarter, which is not the way a spread offense is meant to work.

The Mustangs would get a momentary reprieve in the 2nd quarter, but their offense was so out of sync that they couldn’t really take advantage of it. QB Fernando Mendoza, as is now his custom, would throw an interception over the middle looking for TE Vai Bush. Despite getting the ball on Cal’s 35, the best they could do was a 45-yard FG by K Taulia Luani.

Luani, despite being SMU’s best chance at points for most of the game, would have a terrible day much like SMU’s offense. Mendoza would finally get things going with Bush, coming back with a 21-yard TD strike on the next drive, and the drive after that would end with a WR George Cheeseman 52-yard TD pass. Luani would get another chance before the half, this time from 38, but he would miss wide left as time expired.

The second half continued the disaster theme for the hosts. Luani would miss another field goal, this time from 47 yards out, before turnovers would make things worse. Jennings would find SS Nyshawn Sapp on back-to-back drives, the second time Sapp would run it back 44 yards for a pick-six.

The big win would send Cal into the ACC title game undefeated, and put their prospective opponents on high alert.

THE TAKEAWAY

Cal looks unstoppable when their defense is on. Jennings was held to 170 yards, and his 11 carries for 57 yards led the team. Cheeseman by himself, with 3TD today, can outscore an entire team when Cal’s defense is at their stingiest. They have one more game to win before they can be sure of their College Football Playoff future.

UP NEXT

California : ACC Championship in Charlotte, NC.

**bayers3** · 10-04-2024, 10:41 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Bear Territory : California CF25

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