Bear Territory : California CF25

**redsox907** · 09-18-2024, 10:10 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

your updates are always so detailed especially with the recruiting and offseason stuff, really great stuff man.

excited to see how you can build on last season!

**bayers3** · 09-18-2024, 12:48 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

The 2025 Heisman race was unprecedented, and a DT walked away with the award for the first time in history. Will there be a third defensive winner in 2026? Don’t bet on it, receivers crowd the list as a HB opens the year as the betting favorite. Expect a parade of QBs to move into the conversation, this year it’s wide open and it’s likely the winner isn’t on this list right now.

TOP CONTENDERS

Stanfurd HB Sedrick Irvin

Irvin is widely seen as the top rated HB in the ration, but he’s yet to live up to the booking. Cal’s Byron Cardwell figures to have the best season based on stats, so Irvin will need to do something truly special to separate himself and stay on this list.

South Carolina WR Nyck Harbor

It’s hard to miss Harbor, actually it’s very easy to miss him if you are trying to tackle him. Harbor is widely considered the fastest player in College Football and the Gamecocks are gaining momentum as a dark horse contender in the SEC. Seeing how much the voters like receivers this year, and how well some of them did last year, Harbor is in a very good position to stay on this list and make a run at winning it all.

Boise State QB Malachi Nelson

The former USC commit finished 2025 with a strong performance that got the Broncos into the College Football Playoff. Nelson is going to need to build on that, his strong arm and mobility are driving the preseason hype but he’s going to have some extremely stiff competition from bigger name programs. Arch Manning is finally the man in Austin, and Gunner Stockton is still out there.

Miami WR Jeremiah Smith

Smith managed to finish in the Top 5 last year, and voters have remembered his name. The Hurricanes are still loaded, but Smith is still going to suffer (or benefit) from having a less-than-stellar QB.

Georgia Tech WR Eric Singleton Jr.

The year of the WR sees the third one make the preseason Top 5 and the second from the ACC. Singleton Jr. has an even bigger mountain to climb than Smith, first year starter Zach Pyron is an unknown factor that could quickly tank his campaign.

**bayers3** · 09-18-2024, 12:48 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Originally posted by redsox907

your updates are always so detailed especially with the recruiting and offseason stuff, really great stuff man.

excited to see how you can build on last season!

It's the only way I can compete with everyone else! This forum is set to Heisman.

**bayers3** · 09-19-2024, 10:52 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

**bayers3** · 09-19-2024, 08:43 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

LAS VEGAS, NV - Allegiant Stadium would be the venue for Cal’s season opener against a resurgent UNLV program. The Golden Bears would open the season #7, their highest opening rank since 2006 when Jeff Tedford started out #9. This would be a very different squad, and a different program, with national title aspirations after failing to make the College Football Playoff two years in a row.

As usual, the Golden Bears started with a very strong opening drive. Going 84 yards in 10 plays, and capping it off with a 10-yard TD pass to Donovan Hampton, would have Cal starting their season up 7-0.

The first half would show some rust, but as usual the offense would do enough to make up for it. UNLV would get to Fernando Mendoza three times in the first half, all coverage sacks, but that would be about all the Rebels could do all game. A short Byron Cardwell TD run and a second pass to Hampton would make it 21-0 before the Rebels found some life late in the half.

The Golden Bears would get a solid stop and force a 50-yard FG before Tremayne Landman would be called for a facemask penalty on the next UNLV possession. The penalty would prove costly, keeping the drive alive and allowing UNLV to score on a Jai’den Thomas 3-yd TD run.

Tosh Lupoi would use the halftime break to make some adjustments, and the 21-10 halftime lead would be more than enough to close out the Rebels at home. A Teitum Tuioti interception would lead to a Cardwell TD run, his third of the game, and the second half rout would be on.

Cal could do no wrong, even when they put themselves in trouble it didn’t go UNLV’s way. A mistake on a kick return, after a short FG, would see Ryan Dove scramble for the ball and end up pinning Cal on their own 7. The Golden Bears promptly went 93 yards, thanks to a 43-yard George Cheeseman TD catch, and finished the game 49-13.

THE TAKEAWAY

Cal’s offense under Justin Burke hasn’t changed that much, though Larry Hall barely saw the field as Cal opted to test the Rebels vertically rather than grind them down with the run game. The passing options provided by Cheeseman, Hampton, and Vai Bush (who had 103 yards on 5 receptions) look deadly, the lack of experience doesn’t seem to be hurting Cal.

UP NEXT

California : Home against Texas Tech.

**bayers3** · 09-20-2024, 09:05 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

BERKELEY, CA - The Golden Bears would host the Texas tech Red Raiders for their home opener, and with Tech ranked #13 it was exciting enough for College Game Day to make their way to Berkeley for the first time ever. The entire panel took Cal, and Lee Corso donned Oski’s head to announce the Golden Bears as his pick.

“They are riled up right now, but we’re gonna come out firing on all cylinders” said Tech head coach Joey Maguire about the Game Day atmosphere.

Indeed the Red Raiders did come out gunning for the endzone, getting down to Cal’s 22 before going for it on 4th & Inches and getting stuffed when QB Will Hammond tried to get over the line himself. The Golden Bears would promptly march back 78 yards on 9 plays to take a 7-0 lead off a short TD pass to George Cheeseman.

Texas Tech certainly came out ready to stop the run and prevent Fernande Mendoza from making use of Vai Bush up the middle. Every time Mendoza would look downfield, he’d be greeted with blanket coverage and be forced to check down. It wouldn’t stop Cal from putting together another scoring drive, this time Mendoza would hit Keion Grayes for a 14-7 lead in the 2nd quarter.

Hammond, despite his mobility, would be hurried all game and would find it hard to get settled. A late 2nd quarter TD pass to Coy Eakin, his only one of the day, would pull the score level at 14-14 with under 1:00 to play in the half. It turned out that would be more than enough time for Cal to take back the lead, with Cheeseman going 22 yards on 3rd & 12 with 0:24 left on the clock.

Once again, Tosh Lupoi and Scott Symons would dial up some magic at halftime and put Texas Tech’s offense on lockdown. Hammond could do little to get the Red Raiders going as he would have to watch Cal jump out to a 38-14 lead. With the two-minute warning looming, Texas Tech would put together one of their best drives of the game and get down to Cal’s 4 yard line. With the game pretty much over, Hammond would try to thread the needle over the middle but find Cade Uluave instead. The turnover would basically end the game as Cal would run out the clock with their ground game.

Uluave’s interception could not have come at a better time.

The score made this game look close, but Mendoza barely broke a sweat while going 26/26 and avoiding any turnovers. The Golden Bears also managed to hold the pass-heavy Red Raiders to 255 through the air, hopefully a sign the secondary is improving to a level that will help them get beyond the ACC title game.

THE TAKEAWAY

Lupoi has some halftime magic going this year, a solid win over a ranked opponent puts Cal in a good position heading into a road game at Florida. Even with the Gators unranked and struggling, nobody wants to go into The Swamp.

UP NEXT

California : At Florida.

**bayers3** · 09-21-2024, 09:35 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

GAINESVILLE, FL - The #5 Golden Bears made their way to The Swamp for the first time in history, playing against Florida for the first time ever, for a game that promised to be interesting. Despite the 1-0 Gators being absent from the rankings, the Golden Bears opened as a 3.5 point favorite in one of the toughest places to play in the nation.

“We can’t let the venue get to us, we’ve spent all week prepping for this,” said Tosh Lupoi during pregame “if we let the fans beat us, we don’t deserve to be considered a top team.”

It would appear Lupoi did a good job preparing Cal for the atmosphere, Fernando Mendoza drove them down the field in an 8 play 80 yard opening drive that ended with a 12-yard TD pass to George Cheeseman. TE Vai Bush would feature on the drive, catching two passes for 48 yards, opening up the Florida defense and making them defend the entire field.

The Gators, led by the dangerous DJ Lagway, would have their own opening drive march down the field. Lagway would immediately show why Cal would have trouble dealing with him, turning multiple no-win passing plays into rushing yards by scrambling away from the rush. They would get down to the 4, but a 3rd & Goal stop by Cal would force them to settle on a FG.

The Golden Bears would come back on the next drive, 11 plays for 75 yards, before it was the Gators’ turn to stone the offense. Byron Cardwell would get stuffed on two straight rushing attempts from the 1 before Larry Hall would just barely get in to take a 14-3.

At this point the game seemed manageable for the hosts, especially with Lagway constantly extending plays and finding ways to make a gain despite being under pressure. Billy Napier continued to keep their running game going despite disappointing gains, he appeared determined to get Jadan Baugh going.

The entire second quarter turned into an unmitigated disaster for Florida, and it all started with a 3 play 69 yard scoring drive by Call. It took just two receptions by Bush, for 66 yards, to get them on Florida’s doorstep before Cardwell ran it in to make it 21-3. A Karl Haggan sack would for Florida into a 4th & 18 from the Cal 19, forcing Napier to kick a FG, before Cal would really break open the game thanks to a 71-yard TD catch by George Cheeseman.

Now down 28-6, Lagway would try to push the ball deep on the next drive and get intercepted by Tremayne Landman. Landman would run the ball back into Florida territory and give the Golden Bears a short field to work with.

Landman’s interception and 36 yard scamper helps Cal break the game open.

Cal got down to Florida’s 5 before Cardwell would fumble the ball away and give Florida a chance to stop the bleeding. Despite the momentary reprieve, Florida wouldn’t be able to get out of their own half and a punt would give Cal a short field to work with. Just four plays later, Cheeseman would break loose on a bubble screen and scamper 53 yards for his third TD of the game.

With Cal up 35-9 at this point, and Lupoi’s halftime magic queued up, it looked like the Golden Bears could cruise to a win in the second half. Instead, it was Napier’s turn to sprinkle some adjustment magic on his side. The Gators opened the half with an 11 play 74 yard drive that ended with a Baugh TD run right up the gut to make it 35-16.

The next drive, with Cal facing a 4th & 8 on Florida’s 43, Lupoi kept the offense out and the Gators were rewarded with a strip sack of Mendoza that gave them the ball in Cal territory. Baugh would get his second TD run of the game, bring the score to 35-23, before Cardwell would fumble a second time and give the ball right back to Florida. They would be held to a 43-yard FG, but it was clear that panic had set in on the Golden Bears’ sideline.

If it wasn’t for Cal opening the 4th quarter with a 64-yard TD pass to Donovan Hampton, it would be easy to think both sides were trying to lose this game. Down 42-26 with time running out for a comeback, Lagway would throw his second interception of the game to Uluave over the middle. The next drive Cardwell would fumble the ball again, this time Hampton landed on it before the Gators could. A failed 4th & 2 on the Florida 15 would give them the ball back deep in their own territory, leading to a punt and a chance for Cal to salt the game away. Lupoi would use Cal’s ground attack to eat up the clock, but they almost gave it back to Florida again. Duane Dinson, now in for Fernandez, would run wide with the ball and have it knocked out of his hands before rolling out of bounds at the 3. Two plays later Cardwell would sneak in for a 1-yard TD run and kill off the game 49-26.

THE TAKEAWAY

For once it wasn’t Fernandez turning the ball over, Cal’s ball security was shockingly poor in the second half. DE Bodie Schoonover would turn out the be the key for Cal in their semi-vain attempts to contain Lagway. He would log 2.5 sacks, putting the Gators’ passer in deeper trouble through the air. Holding Lagway to 255 yards on 30/44 passing was key to their success in hostile territory.

UP NEXT

California : Home against Arizona.

**bayers3** · 09-21-2024, 03:37 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

**redsox907** · 09-22-2024, 01:07 AM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

some close games that turned into blowouts for Cal. I've had that 3rd/2nd quarter explosion happen a few times to me, it sucks but seems like once you get that one crucial stop it kills the momentum.

Cal looking good to start the season

**bayers3** · 09-22-2024, 04:52 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

BERKELEY, CA - After escaping The Swamp Cal would return home to face former Pac-12 foe #11 Arizona in a near-Top 10 showdown. Arizona coach Brent Brennan has had an up-and-down tenure, but he’s managed to stay highly ranked after a 1-1 start. After the performance Cal had in the second half against Florida, there would be an emphasis on staying focused and keeping the ball.

The Golden Bears would open with a now customary scoring drive, going 75 yards for a 22-yard TD pass from Fernando Mendoza to Donovan Hampton. The Wildcats would come back with their own, going 75 yards in 8 plays and scoring with a 34-yard scamper right up the gut by HB Anthony Reescano. DC Scott Symons would be livid as the defense came off, with some questionable tacking allowing a run right up the middle.

Cal would march 80 yards and score on a short Byron Cardwell TD run just before the end of the 1st quarter. The 2nd quarter would prove to be disastrous for Arizona, despite Cal’s trouble with shutting down their run game.

The slide toward defeat started with a potential scoring drive that would die with a Scoot Henderson interception in the endzone, QB Anthony Garcia had no business throwing the ball into coverage and didn’t need to force the issue. The Golden Bears wouldn’t be able to score on the next drive, but it wouldn’t matter because Garcia would be picked off by Jabari Uwaezuoke. That turnover would result in a 6-yard pass to Hampton for a 21-7 lead.

Hampton would score with 1:16 left in the half, but somehow Arizona conspired to make that feel like a full quarter. Uwaezuoke would intercept another pass at 0:41 to put Cal on their own 43. Just two plays later, both passes to TE Vai Bush, and Cal would go up 28-7. On Arizona’s next offensive play Garcia would once again throw an interception, this time to Jasaiah Wagoner, and put Cal on the Arizona 46. Again it would only take two plays, this time scoring on a 38-yard pass to WR George Cheeseman with just 0:07 left in the half. If that wasn’t bad enough, Cal would be getting the kickoff to start the second half.

It turned out Cal would be glad to have that 21-point quarter, because Cal’s running backs are developing some seriously slippery hands. The opening drive of the second half would see Cardwell put the ball on the ground, giving it back to Arizona on Cal’s 35. The 4th quarter would see Cal put in all their backups, but that wouldn’t save them from turnovers.

HB Larry Hall would have the ball pop out on Arizona’s 3 with the endzone in sight. Then he would fumble again on the next drive, saved only by the fact that Arizona’s offense appears to have stayed in the locker room at the half. The game would be capped off by an 8 play 86 yard drive with QB Duane Dinson running it in from 7 yards out to make it 49-10.

THE TAKEAWAY

The Wildcats piled up 5 interceptions, but Cal looked like they were trying to top them with 4 lost fumbles. Ball security is becoming a serious concern for the Golden Bears, their late game running attack is becoming a liability instead of a strength.

UP NEXT

California : Home against Wake Forest.

**bayers3** · 09-22-2024, 04:54 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

Originally posted by redsox907

some close games that turned into blowouts for Cal. I've had that 3rd/2nd quarter explosion happen a few times to me, it sucks but seems like once you get that one crucial stop it kills the momentum.

Cal looking good to start the season

These last two games were played while experimenting with the Fumbles slider, turns out I had mine slammed to "Fumble Every Touch" and the CPU set to "Invincible."

**bayers3** · 09-23-2024, 02:46 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

BERKELEY, CA - The Golden Bears’ ACC opener would be better on paper than expected, both teams entered this contest 4-0, but Cal entered ranked #2 while Wake Forest should feel slighted for being excluded from the rankings. Dave Clawson has the Demon Deacons playing well, mostly due to the play of Junior QB Jeremy Hecklinski, but they haven’t faced a Top 10 team prior to today.

Wake Forest looked promising in the first quarter, despite Cal putting together a 10 play 75 yard scoring drive on their opening possession. A 12-yard TD run by Larry Hall put them behind, but they managed two solid drives that would end with a FG to close out the quarter 7-6.

The rest of the game made it clear that Wake Forest has a long season ahead of them. Cal’s offense made short work of the visitors, and even their special teams unit made it hard on them. A George Cheeseman 5-yard TD catch started the bleeding before a poor punt gave Cal the ball on Wake Forest’s 46. Two Byron Cardwell TD runs followed before the half, and the Demon Deacons found themselves completely out of the game.

The Golden Bears poured it on the rest of the game, and backup QB Duane Dinson took Fernando Mendoza’s place to start the 4th. He had an auspicious start, his first pass was to Cheeseman on a bubble route that turned into a 62-yard scamper into the endzone. The running attack would take over from here, making it nearly impossible for Wake Forest to come back.

Dinson would finish the game with 64 rushing yards and a TD on just 7 carries. Cal would rack up 7 rushing TD and fall short of 70 points by a missed PAT.

THE TAKEAWAY

Mendoza would barely need to do anything, but his growing connection with Cheeseman has become deadly. Cal’s running game came back to life against Wake Forest, with Cardwell running for 181 yards and 4TD.

UP NEXT

California : Home against Virginia Tech.

**bayers3** · 09-24-2024, 03:19 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

BERKELEY, CA - Cal continues a long run of home games with this one a potential trap game, Clemson coming to Berkeley next week could have easily been a distraction for a team that came into this game 38.5 point favorites. Virginia Tech coach Chad Butters had his team playing well to start the season, jumping out to a 4-1 record with the only loss in conference play has them on the verge of bowl eligibility.

“If we can limit the turnover, win the turnover battle, I think we can catch them napping,” said Butter before the game about their chances of winning.

That plan fell apart within the first two possessions of the game. The Golden Bears scored on the opening drive thanks to a 19-yard TD pass to Vai Bush before the turnover battle firmly went against the Hokies. Karl Haggan would hit Tech QB William Watson III mid-handoff and the ball would come flying out. Tremayne Landman would scoop up the ball and scramble to the Virginia Tech 42 before being brought down. A Byron Cardwell TD would be the result, with Cal going up 14-0 in the span of a few minutes.

The Hokies would respond well, putting together an 11 play 72 yard drive that ended with a Keylen Adams 5-yard TD run. The visitors barely had time to finish high-fiving each other before Cal took back their 14-point lead. The very first play of the next drive, after a poor kick return put Cal on their own 16, was an 84-yard TD from Fernando Mendoza to George Cheeseman.

The 2nd quarter would be the point that it would become obvious the turnover battle was lost, or at the very least Virginia Tech would put themselves in a hole so deep it would be impossible to climb out of. The Hokies would pin Cal deep with a punt, but starting on their own 10 did little to slow the Golden Bears. A 90-yard drive would end with a Cardwell TD run, which was bad enough before things really went wrong.

Cade Uluave would put a big hit on WR Chance Fitzgerald, knocking the ball loose, and give Cal the ball back on Tech’s 27. A 6-yard Cardwell TD run would be the result, and Cal would be right back in Hokie territory after a Bodie Schoonover strip sack would give them the ball on the 19. Two more Cardwell TD runs before the half would leave Virginia Tech in a 49-10 hole with little chance to recover.

The Hokies would show some life in the second half, but their 16 points would be too little considering Cal managed 14 of their own just running out the clock. The introduction of QB Trace Campbell in place of Watson III wouldn’t change much, the sub would even get in on making the turnovers worse with an awful pass to Teitum Tuioti over the middle. QB Duane Dinson, stepping in for Mendoze, would also get in on the mess by throwing an interception late in the 4th.

THE TAKEAWAY

Bush runs hot and cold with this offense, but when he’s hot he’s very hot. 223 receiving yards and a TD on 11 receptions pushes him even farther in 1st for best TE in the nation. Cal has started to become TE-U when it comes to developing productive TE. Cal is turning into a very consistent generator of turnovers, especially through the air, and they have proven to be winners when they win the turnover battle or don’t make any of their own.

UP NEXT

California : Home against Clemson.

**bayers3** · 09-24-2024, 08:02 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

BERKELEY, CA - A potential ACC title game matchup would be slightly spoiled by Clemson starting the season 4-2, but it looks like the Associated Press doesn’t care too much about those losses. Clemson entered this game ranked #11, narrowly missing a Top 10 matchup with #1 Cal. Despite the losses, California head coach Tosh Lupoi made it clear he wasn’t going to overlook the seventeen years of head coaching experience Clemson’s Dabo Swinney has on him.

“Dabo has been in charge at Clemson nearly as long as I’ve been coaching, so he’s certainly doing something right.”

The rankings and the records nearly went right out the window, likely due to Swinney’s ability to get his team ready. Having a edge in attitude, with Clemson’s program history, probably helped the Tigers come out swinging in this one.

Swinney managed a well planned opening drive, guiding his team 75 yards in 14 plays before QB Christopher Vizzina would hit T.J. Moore with a 2-yard pass. It wasn’t just the offense that came out prepared, the Tigers defense would engineer a huge stop on Cal’s first drive as well. With 4th & Goal from the 3, Clemson would stop Byron Cardwell on the 2 and hold their lead.

The Tigers weren’t done there, with Scott Symons having a meltdown on the sidelines after watching his side give up a 72-yard TD pass to Moore on a bubble screen.

The Golden Bears would start the 2nd quarter strong, scoring on a 5-yard TD pass to Donovan Hampton after going 75 yards in 8 plays. Clemson would come right back down the field on the next possession, and get themselves into a 1st & Goal situation. The very first play Vizzina would try to hit Moore in the corner of the endzone, but instead he found Jadyn Marshall for a huge switch in momentum.

Marshall’s interception would prove key.

Cal would march back down the field 80 yards and score on a Larry Hall TD run to make it 14-14. The next 1:07 of the game would be frantic, starting with a Cade Uluave interception that would leave Swinney furious with Vizzina. With a hair under 0:30 until the half, Mendoza would find Vai Bush for a 22-yard TD and a 21-14 lead. Robert Gunn III would hit a 28-yard FG as time expired to cut the lead and get some important points before Cal took the ball first in the second half.

Swinney would have to watch all of his best laid plans fall apart after the break, with Cal almost completely shutting down their offense and Vizzina completing more passes to Cal players than Clemson ones in the endzone.

Down 28-17 after another short Hampton TD catch, the Tigers would come roaring down the field in one of their best drives of the game. It seemed like nothing could stop them until Vizzina hit Teitum Tuioti over the middle and turned the ball over on Cal’s 21. Cardwell would break free a few plays later and run 38 yards before being brought down on the 4, and Hampton would have his third TD of the game to make it 35-17.

Clemson would come back again before the end of the quarter, but a failed 3rd & Inches on the 28 would forced Swinney into calling out the FG team. They would hold Cal to start the 4th, and come back yet again with an 80-yard 12 play drive to keep things interesting. This time Antonio Williams would catch a 4-yard pass to make it 35-27.

Lupoi was obviously trying to run out the clock, but Clemson’s defense was making that extremely difficult. They would force a punt with less than 2:00 left to play, giving Clemson plenty of time to try and tie it up. Vizzina would do well for a few plays, completing three passes for 1st downs, but his fourth pass of the possession would end with a Jasiah Wagoner interception that would kill off any chance of a win.

THE TAKEAWAY

Cal won somewhat comfortably, but Clemson exposed one of their biggest weaknesses ; pass coverage. Moore is one of the top receivers in the nation, and Symons did his best to contain him, but he was a massive headache all game. If Clemson could run the ball at all, Vizzina led the team with 50 yards on 12 carries, it would have made it much harder to cover Moore or Williams effectively.

UP NEXT

California : Away at Virgina.

**redsox907** · 09-24-2024, 10:19 PM

Re: Bear Territory : California CF25

big win over Clemson. they came out hot but Cal weathered the storm and pulled away

Bear Territory : California CF25

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