Bad Omens for the Season as Bears Stumble in Forth Worth

Cal QB Chase Garbers played well in the loss

For the second Saturday in a row the Bears lost a winnable game. And for the second Saturday running the Bears jumped out to a two-touchdown lead only to falter in quarters two through four. (Can we maybe play fifteen-minute games from now on?) Like so many Cal teams they are proving specialists at “woulda coulda shoulda” types of losses.

There were again questionable coaching decisions aplenty, such as eschewing an early field goal try. There were long passes thrown when a short one or a run would have done nicely. One on a third-and-two late in the second quarter proved particularly costly.

The Bears mini three-game winning streak of regular season wins in Texas was snapped.

The vaunted Bear defense was taken apart and special teams were, to be charitable, shaky. Meanwhile in the good news bad news department U$C looks vulnerable but that’s only because Stanfurd pummeled them. Just when the Furd was looking headed for a down cycle… 

Cal thus starts 0—2 for the first time (in a full season) since 2001 when the Bears went 1-10. Indeed our heroes have only started seasons with two losses three other times in the past 40 seasons (’95, ’94, ’89) all were losing campaigns. The only two successful seasons the Bears have begun with two losses are ’75, when they shared the conference crown, and ’58 when they won it out right. Can we duplicate the feats accomplished in those two seasons? Only a true Golden Bear fan would say yes and only a true Golden Bear fan would understand the futility of such a belief. 

The Bears have also assured themselves of two non conference losses in the same season for only the ninth time in the past forty years. In eight of those seasons Cal finished with a losing season. The exception being 2003 (8-5). Not a good sign. Thankfully (I think) Sacramento State is up next.

I don’t think Wilcox is on the hot seat yet but it’s a tad warmer than it’s ever been. Four or fewer wins might see get him sacked, but more likely he’s got next season to sort it out. 

On Wednesday my feature will be a look at the top ten and bottom ten Cal teams of the past sixty plus years. Surely this squad won’t be a candidate for the later list. There’s too much talent on both sides of the ball. Garbers looked a much more secure quarterback than he did against Nevada. Polk and Remigio are talented receivers and there’s good depth at RB. The defense will see better days. They weren’t bad against the Wolfpack and TCU boasts a high octane offense. 

To have a decent season the Bears need to win their next four home games (Sac State, WSU, Colorado, OSU) and pick up a couple of wins elsewhere (maybe against a weak-looking UW team and perhaps in the Big Game where, as the cliche goes, anything can happen.) 

For Bear fans hope (with a dash of cynicism) spring eternal, even after an 0-2 start.