Bear Territory : California CF25

**georgiafan** · 07-29-2024, 03:47 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Following along nice job with the layout. Like many others I've still not got my head around Cal being in the ACC.

**bayers3** · 07-30-2024, 02:35 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Originally posted by georgiafan

Following along nice job with the layout. Like many others I've still not got my head around Cal being in the ACC.

Tell me about it. I'm just entertained that I went to ND two years ago as a "once in a lifetime" experience, and now they might come to me at some point.

**Careless Whisper** · 07-30-2024, 08:23 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Those throwbacks (I think they're throwbacks at least with the helmets) from the Auburn game are beautiful. Good start from the Golden Bears.

**bayers3** · 07-30-2024, 10:15 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

**SkyFlyer** · 07-30-2024, 10:28 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

These first two years are gonna be alot of fun, Jaydn Ott may be my favorite player to use in the game

**bayers3** · 07-31-2024, 02:22 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Originally posted by SkyFlyer

These first two years are gonna be alot of fun, Jaydn Ott may be my favorite player to use in the game

I'll be blown away if he doesn't leave after this year, I'm already preparing to either hand the reigns to Cardwell or hit the Portal.

**bayers3** · 07-31-2024, 02:23 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

TALLAHASSEE, FL - After a 2,200 mile flight the Golden Bears would play their first ACC conference game in one of the most hostile environments possible. Despite coming into the game ranked, Mike Norvell was already in trouble in terms of a National Title run. A shocking, and ironic, 41-28 loss to Memphis the previous week threw them down the polls. Even with Cal 3-0, the Auburn result should have left Florida State feeling good about this game.

Bobby Bowden Field would be hot and loud at kickoff, and neither one would get better the entire game. Cal’s Justin Wilcox seemed to be aware of this scenario with his early game plan, trying to lean on Jaydn Ott and their ground game to keep Fernando Mendoza from getting overwhelmed. The opening drive featured Cal grinding the ball down the field 80 yards before Mendoza would hit Trond Grizzell on a short TD pass and a 7-0 lead. Florida State would answer back, and they would head into the 2nd quarter tied 7-7.

After the opening salvos, both teams saw their defenses come up big. Norvell clearly saw an advantage on defense, and his secondary played tight and aggressively with Cal’s receivers. The one player he couldn’t seem to account for was TE Jack Endries who became Mendoza’s favorite target in the first half. Tobias Merriweather and Mikey Matthews had someone on their hip or coming downhill hard any time they were thrown at, and Cal’s defensive front managed to keep the Seminole’s ground game in check.

The whole game came down to critical turnovers. With the score tied Florida State would put together a long drive before the half, and with 0:30 on the clock they looked like a lock to take the lead. Receiving the second half kick, a TD at this point could have been fatal for Cal’s hopes. DJ Uiagalelei would instead find Cal’s Jasiah Wagoner near the back of the endzone, and he would sprint out 99 yards before being brought down at the 3. Ott would run the ball in, and Cal would escape 14-7.

Wilcox would roll the dice early in the 3rd, going for it on 4th and 1 to end up giving the ball back to Florida State on their own 35. It took a single bubble screen to release Malik Benson for a 35 yard TD and a 14-14 score.

“We came into this game knowing we would need to be aggressive,” said Wilcox after the game “I take full responsibility for the call.”

Uiagalelei’s day would only get worse, this time finding Ja’ir Smith late in the 3rd quarter. Smith would run the ball back 48 yards for a TD and a shocking 28-14 lead. The Golden Bears would try to run down the clock in the 4th, and the best they could do was a FG the entire quarter. Uiagalelei led Florida State to a score, then they failed to recover an onside kick, but scored again to make it 31-28 and recovered the onside kick attempt. With 0:39 left in the game, and Florida State scoring 14 points in the last two possessions, Cal seemed cooked. Uiagalelei came under pressure and threw a pass right in Wagoner’s line of sight for an easy INT that gave Cal the ball back with 0:10 left in the game.

THE TAKEAWAY

Cal’s defense, specifically their secondary, saved them once again. They are really starting to force turnovers at the right times. Florida State’s secondary exposed Cal’s passing attack, keeping Mendoza to short routes and practically removing Merriweather from the game. Endries and Matthews would lead the team with six receptions, both totaling just 59 and 61 yards. Ott would really have to grind this one out, carrying the ball 30 times for 140 yards. He seems to have learned from his earlier injury, this time he went down more quickly and avoided fighting for yards in a position that would leave him vulnerable to big hits.

UP NEXT

California : Home against Miami.

**studbucket** · 07-31-2024, 06:24 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Great win, and this should get you ranked. Love how you managed to get an INT when you really needed to, especially after FSU looked unstoppable at the end.

**bayers3** · 08-01-2024, 09:30 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Originally posted by studbucket

Great win, and this should get you ranked. Love how you managed to get an INT when you really needed to, especially after FSU looked unstoppable at the end.

After not playing an NCAA Football or Madden game for a decade, I'm glad that the "You Are Going To Lose" function is still in the game.

**bayers3** · 08-01-2024, 09:31 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

BERKELEY, CA - It’s hard to remember the last time Cal hosted a game in which both teams were ranked, but today would be the first time all season they would have a ranking on the line. Miami has impressed so far this season, climbing to 13th while favorites like Florida State and Clemson fall to the bottom. This would be the last of Cal’s tough games before hosting NC State in a few weeks, so a win today would go a long way to locking in a bowl berth as well as taking the pressure off the rest of the season.

This game would see Mario Cristobal moving furiously up and down the sideline and the Hurricanes constantly found ways to make mistakes or have things break against them in the most unpredictable ways. Cal would start the game up 7-3 thanks to an opening drive that ended with a short Jaydn Ott TD run, and Miami looked to have them headed for a punt late in the 1st quarter. A deep pass by Fernando Mendoza looked destined to be an easy pick when it glanced off the fingers of Mishael Powell and landed in the arms of Mikey Matthews, he managed to stumble and get going just in time to scamper 60 yards for a TD.

Cam Ward would basically experience the opposite day as Mendoza, avoiding interceptions but getting sacked way too often for Miami to recover. Following Matthews’ TD Ward would be sacked on back-to-back plays while scrambling to leave the Hurricanes with 4th & 26 on Cal’s 33. Mendoza would throw a bad pick and give Miami the ball with under 1:00 to go in the first half, but another sack would send them to the break with just a FG to show for it.

The 3rd quarter would see Ward stuck with 3rd and 10 deep in their own territory, only for him to fumble the ball getting hit while scrambling around in the backfield. The very next play Mendoza would hit Jack Endries over the middle for a 21 yard TD. The game would mostly be out of Miami’s hands at this point, even a hideous pick six by Mendoza that would get the score to 28-20 wouldn’t turn the tide in their favor.

“We made too many mistakes today, that’s not U football, we know better than this,” said a dejected Cristobal after the game.

The whole game could be summed up by a series of plays late in the 4th with a number of Cal’s backups in the game. The Hurricanes would get a good stop on 4th and 9, giving up 8 yards on a Byron Cardwell run and getting the ball back on their own 7. The very next play Ward would scramble for time, roll out and be caught in the endzone for a humiliating late game safety.

Powell’s tipped ball turns into a surprise TD for Cal.

THE TAKEAWAY

Cal’s offense might be legit, in a ‘better than expected’ kind of way. This is the first time Mendoza has been able to go deep with the ball, but he had to do it with his TE as the Hurricanes put pressure on Merriweather and Matthews. Turning the ball over is still a problem, but Mike Bloesch has done a good job of scheming around some defensive gameplans. Cal might be good, they have to keep it up and avoid let downs against bad teams.

DT Ricky Correia would be recognized as the ACC and National Defensive Player of the Week thanks to his 3 sack performance. Endries 9 receptions for 159 yards and 2TD would lead Cal’s receivers.

UP NEXT

California : Plays at Pitt.

**bayers3** · 08-02-2024, 10:34 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

PITTSBURGH, PA - The #13 Golden Bears entered the halfway point of their season in a position nobody would have predicted. A win today would make them bowl eligible, undefeated, ranked, and hold their place at the top of the ACC. With all but one of their toughest games out of the way, all of them wins, it seems like smooth sailing from here on out.

Pat Narduzzi has some soul searching to do, with the Panthers just generally not playing well at all in this game. Pitt took the opening drive into Cal territory, but it took a suspect roughing the punter call to erase a 4th & 2 before they would go on to kick and field goal and take a 3-0 lead. It was pretty much all downhill from there as Pitt collapsed in the 2nd quarter.

Jaydn Ott would break things open with a 57 yard TD run, his longest of the season, to make it 14-3. The Panthers would have a three-and-out, and on Cal’s very next offensive play would score on a 62 yard TD pass to Tobias Merriweather. The Golden Bears would hang 48 on Pitt in the 2nd quarter, and Ott would head into halftime with 187 rushing yards and 4TD.

“Everything, just everything…” was all Narduzzi could say when asked about what adjustments needed to be made at halftime.

Pitt QG Eli Holstein constantly found himself in nightmare scenarios, and when the Panthers drove down to Cal’s 3 to open the 3rd quarter it looked like they would claw back some points. Instead, Holstein found Cal’s Lu-Magia Hearns III who would run it back to their own 2 yard line before being dragged down. Being saved from a pick-six did little to dull the frustration of seeing Ott run it in for his 5th TD of the day. The final humiliation would be a 73 yard TD pass to Jack Endries that would end Cal’s scoring and send most of their starters to the bench.

Cal’s rushing game would be so good, Fernando Mendoza would only need to attempt 12 passes. Even taking into account that Cal would almost exclusively run the ball in the 4th to kill off the game, Narduzzi should be very concerned that they couldn’t do anything to slow them down. Ott, in just three quarters of work, would finish with 236 yards and 5TD on just 18 carries and take home the ACC Offensive Player of the Week award.

THE TAKEAWAY

Pitt cannot stop the run and Cal can win with mostly their ground game if given the opportunity. It was also a good sign for the Golden Bears that backup Byron Cardwell was able to carry the ball so well in the 4th, finishing with 86 yards behind the second string offensive line.

UP NEXT

California : Home against NC State.

**bayers3** · 08-03-2024, 11:54 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Quite the wild start to a season, almost everyone from the preseason Top 5 is gone with a Prime target floating to the top. Only two players have been solid vote getters from the opening weekend, and they jumped right to the top of the list. The players that fell off aren’t necessarily completely out, but at the pace the top contenders are on it will be hard.

TOP CONTENDERS

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders

So much for being an obligatory mention, Sanders has checked all the boxes this season and finds himself leaping over everyone into the top spot. Leading the nation with 2,233 passing yards to go with 20TD and 2INT makes it hard to ignore him, add in 196 rushing yards and 3TD and the hype seems real. The Buffaloes are 4-2, which helps paper over concerns about putting up big numbers in blowouts, but their 1-2 record in road games and an unranked status might open up the door for someone else.

Trend : Rising

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe

The only member of the preseason Top 5 left standing, Milroe is riding high thanks to Alabama being one of the top teams that hasn’t fallen apart. A #3 ranking and a 6-0 record are boosting Milroe despite his passing numbers lagging behind everyone else on this list. If Alabama keeps winning, and he keeps adding to his value on the ground, Sanders might need to start worrying.

Trend : Rising

UMass QB Taisun Phommachanh

Nobody had Phommachanh on their Heisman Bingo card before the season, he has since admitted he never could have dreamed to be in line for an invite to the ceremony. Being 5th in passing yards (2,014), 3rd in TD passes (23), and 10th in QB Rating (190.5) is one way to get the voters' attention. He may have hit his ceiling as long as Sanders and Milroe continue playing this well, UMass is hardly considered a Heisman breeding ground and many may discount his candidacy due to their level of competition.

Trend : Rising

LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier

The 2023 Heisman winner’s replacement is doing his best to make it back-to-back winners for LSU and Brian Kelly. Statistically he’s very similar to Sanders, 2nd in passing yards (2,150) and 4th in TD passes (22), with a slight edge in QB rating and 10-points better in completion percentage (76%). Nussmeier should feel a little slighted being 4th based on his numbers and LSU’s 4-2 record, he has more of an opportunity to move up this list than anyone not named Milroe.

Trend : Rising

Purdue QB Hudson Card

Longhorn fans are real upset right about now, seeing Ewers plummet off this list while Card sneaks into the Top 5 must be galling. Leading Purdue to a 5-1 start has really turned heads, plus he’s second in the nation in TD passes (24) and 4th in QB rating (202.9) which is the highest on this list. It’s hard to see him climbing much higher bar a total collapse by Sanders / Milroe / Nussmeier, Purdue also needs to win out to keep voter eyes on him.

Trend : Rising

**bayers3** · 08-04-2024, 10:45 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Justin Wilcox has made some incredible headway on the recruiting trail in 2024. Going 6-0, with wins over Florida State and Miami, and being ranked 8th in the nation has added a significant boost. Cal has hovered around a 50th ranked class for years, which is good for a program in their position, but in order to escape just shooting for 6 wins they will need to bring in more talented players.

There isn’t a direct replacement for Jaydn Ott, but Wilcox has managed to sign some serious talent along the offensive and defensive lines. Both of these units will be hit by graduations, the players signed have a real shot at a starting spot in 2025.

ESPN 300 Commits : 6
Top Offensive Prospect : C Imani Coward
Top Defensive Prospect : DE Karl Haggan

Current Ranking : 5th

TOP TARGETS

**bayers3** · 08-05-2024, 12:35 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

BERKELEY, CA - After running roughshod over Pitt, the #8 Golden Bears would face a much better opponent in #10 NC State. Cal hasn’t been in the Top 10 since 2009, the same season they made it to #8 as well before falling from #6 the next week to #24. It’s been a rough run of ranking droughts since then.

Going off the first two drives and into the 2nd quarter it seemed like Cal had this game in hand. On the opening drive Cal would march 80 yards before Jaydn Ott would run in a short TD for a 7-0 lead. NC State would follow that up with a solid drive by Grayson McCall, but in the end they would miss a 27 yard FG and come away with nothing. Starting the 2nd quarter, Cal would have another long drive down to the 4 yard line with a 1st and goal between them and a 14-0 lead. NC State’s defense, specifically their defensive line, would be tough to beat today. It would take four plays for Cal to go those last four yards and make it 14-0 on Ott’s second TD of the day.

NC State would manage a rushing TD by Jordan Waters, thanks to McCall making two critical runs for 1st downs on the drive, before a short Mikey Matthews TD catch would make it 21-7. With the 2nd quarter winding down, NC State went to a hurry up offense that seemed to catch Cal off guard and helped them bring some urgency to the possession. With the Wolfpack receiving the second half kickoff, any points at this juncture could help them flip the momentum. Luckily for them, McCall would split Cal’s defense down the middle with a Dacari Collins post route for a 52 yard TD at 0:31 to make it 21-14.

They failed to make due on the flip after the half, but Cal would do it for them. Fernando Mendoza would immediately turn the ball over by throwing into triple coverage over the middle and give the ball back to NC State on Cal’s 31. They wouldn’t be able to move the ball and ended up missing the FG attempt, but trouble was already brewing.

“I have to hand it to them, they had me on lockdown!” said Cal’s Tobias Merriweather after the game.

NC State’s defense was doing what few teams have been able to do to Cal all year; clog their running game and slow down Merriweather and Matthews. Jack Endries, the target on Mendoza’s interception, would be immune to this but couldn’t carry this game on his own.

The 4th quarter would start with Mendoza’s second interception, once again thrown at Endries, but at least this time he had the excuse of being flushed from the pocket. This turnover would prove to be very costly, with McCall running the hurry up against a tired Cal defense that would end with a 5 yard TD pass to Wesley Grimes on 4th & goal.

With the score 28-28 and the two-minute warning looming, Cal would face a 3rd & 8 to keep their drive going and give them a shot to kick a FG with time expiring. Mendoza would find Endries who would be caught short of the 1st, but fight through the tackles to get the yardage only to have safety Devan Boykin come flying in and knock the ball out. Zack Myers would recover the fumble, giving the Wolfpack the ball on their own 45 with 2:02 to work with.

Endries’ fumble would wipe out his solid day receiving.

McCall would again scramble to pick up multiple key 1st downs, keeping Cal’s defense on the field in the hurry up while avoiding every blitz Peter Sirmon threw at him. They wouldn’t make it past the 37, but that would be enough for Collin Smith to redeem himself after missing two FG earlier. The kick would put NC State up 31-28 with 0:32 left for Cal, but with Merriweather and Matthews on lockdown they wouldn’t be able to cross the 50 and their perfect record would come to an end.

McCall would shine today, finishing 20/23 with 234 yards and 3TD with no interceptions. Jordan Waters, now the nation’s #3 rusher, would nearly eclipse Ott with 98 yards and a TD on 26 carries. Ott would still finish with good numbers, 127 yards and 3TD on 33 carries, but Endries would be the star for Cal with 125 yards on 8 receptions.

THE TAKEAWAY

The loss is disappointing, dropping them from 1st to 4th in the ACC, but they should remain ranked and being 6-1 is still good considering they weren’t even picked to make a bowl game. Losing to a good NC State team, and having beaten a resurgent Florida State and Miami, should keep Cal in the Top 15. Mike Bloesch has some work to do, and it’s probably with Mendoza. It’s hard to say that they need to make a change, Mendoza leads the nation in completion percentage, but he tends to focus on one receiver (Endries) when a team blankets their wideouts. NC State also did a solid job of attacking Cal’s RPO based offense, they need to find a way to threaten teams deep or Mendoza is going to face even more stacked boxes.

UP NEXT

California : Host Oregon State.

**LopaKa** · 08-05-2024, 02:08 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

What a successful season it has been so far. Tough loss to NC State, but it’s safe to say the Golden Bears have been playing way above expectations. Love the layout and graphics dude, keep it up

Bear Territory : California CF25

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