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What were the biggest positives you take from the Aztec game, and who are the players who stood out to you the most?
LeonPowe: Despite the turnovers and general lack of tackling we were right there at the end. And if Webb doesn’t throw high – that’s a win. He had Hansen right there. Ugh. We can obviously throw the ball. And I think we can run the ball. The defense was bad, but they honestly gave us a chance – after the half they settled down until Pumphery got going again. It reminded me of 2014 not 2013 – where the guys were in the right space but just missed the tackle – unlike 2013 where we were just beat and had to chase guys. Seems like a small difference but 2014 gives slight hope.
Hansen, Robertson, Looney (the d line was playing well – the linebackers weren’t. And the defensive backs covered well, but tackled poorly) Rubenzer continues to be a ball hawk. Enwere.
boomtho: Biggest positive for me was probably the offense, starting with Davis Webb. He obviously missed some throws but his deep ball definitely exceeded my expectations and he spread the ball around nicely. Chad Hansen obviously looks like a rockstar, and it’s nice to get contributions from guys like Wharton, Rivera, and Worstell. And hey, Demetris had 4 catches, so great to get him contributing a bit more.
I also thought Vic ran welll, though his reps were limited probably more than we would like given game flow.
At a more macro level, the team showed a ton of fight in clawing back from the big deficit. That character will definitely serve us well this year.
Andy Johnston: Vic Enwere. I thought the ground game as a whole was impressive but Vic stood out as he continued to break tackles on nearly every touch. He averaged nearly eight yards a carry and provided a run threat sorely missed last season.
Avinash: This Cal defense is in full Bob Gregory mode, and that’s not a bad thing! Give up play after play after play, miss tackle after tackle after tackle, and somehow at the end of the day they stiffen, get a few timely turnovers, and only allow 24 points in all. That is a very solid performance for a team lacking any depth at LB, missing a good DT, and having two young safeties. If the Bears can take a two or three score lead on a few teams and force the opposition into a pass-heavy offense, that should play into the strength of our squad (the secondary) and take the onus off our linebackers. Unfortunately turnovers took away that opportunity.
Nik Jam: If the offense can stop shooting themselves in the foot, they can put themselves in any game this season. Also, the defense did sometimes come through with stops. It’ll be a big factor if they can force some empty possessions against Texas.