(Written by kencraw)

The choice (as announced previous) is the 2015 Texas game. This was the height of the Sonny Dykes era, with Jared Goff in what turned out to be his final season (he went to the draft a year early). The Bears had won the previous season’s match-up in Berkeley and now had the much more difficult task of going to Austin, TX to try and sweep the home and away series.

• Man can the Texas place kicker boom the ball. The ball landed 4 yards out of the back of the endzone.
• The Bears get a 3rd and 1 through to fairly predictable but productive plays on their first drive, but then have to punt after Texas stuffs the 3rd and 1 run.
• Texas has one big pass play, but then goes for it on the next series’ 4th and 1 when in that ‘dead zone’ between the opponents 40 and 35. (too long to kick a field goal and hard to net that many yards with a punt). Hardy Nickerson comes up with a big stop and the Bears get the ball back with relatively good field position.
• Goff breaks a surprisingly long run on a broken play and all of a sudden the Bears are just outside of field goal range (I say this like I’m forgetting how quickly the Sonny Dykes Bears would score.
• It’s only 5 minutes into the game and I’m already sick of ‘I’ve been working on the railroad’ (In Texas they call it “The Eyes of Texas”).
• Goff efficiently passed his way into the endzone over a few plays (with a few unproductive run plays in between). Bears up early 7-0.
• Texas muffs the kickoff reception and the Bears recover the ball… it would have been awesome had one of the inside guys not been offside. So instead the Bears have to kickoff again. (It’s funny how one forgets important bits like that.)
• After forcing a 3rd and 20, the Bears give up a HUGE play. How do you fail on 3rd and 20? This was what was so frustrating about the Bear defense during this era. Even when they’d mostly play well, they’d give up big plays to undermine the good stretches.
• A couple plays later Texas is in the endzone. All tied up at 7-7 10 minutes into the game.
• Their QB Jerrod Heard showed off his running skills on the TD run. The Bears defense did a pretty good job of defending the zone-read play, but Heard had just enough in his legs to power into the endzone.
• The Bears drive the entire field (mostly on the back of a bevy of screen passes), but then Mohammed gets hit really hard at the 4 yard line and coughts up the fumble giving it back to Texas. That cost the Bears at least 3 points.
• Cal gives up another 50 yard pass p\ay. They seem to have a really big problem when they play cover-2. The safety either is occupied by some other receiver or doesn’t know they need to cover the outside receiver.
• The Bear run defense is doing pretty well. Almost all of the notable plays are pass plays and they’ve even forced a few for loss when UT runs the ball.
• Cal holds in the redzone and give up only a field-goal. Bears trail for the first time (now early in the 2nd quarter): 7-10.
• Cal relies on the pass to get down the field to inside the 25. But then on 3rd and 5 goes for a run play??? Surprising. Then they go for it on 4th down and a classic Goff to Lawler fade into the endzone both converts the 4th down and scores at TD. Bears back on top: 14-10.
• Wow, weak kickoff return (both deciding to take it out of the endzone and going mostly sideways) results in Texas having to start at their own 5 yard line.
• And then one of the standout moments of the game happens. The QB runs, appears to cross the line of scrimmage, then comes back, then passes the ball, which is then runs for a big gain. Luckily, the review booth takes a look at it and it’s brought back. It doesn’t cost them much already inside their own 5.
• On the next play QB Heard has his first big run play, fooling the defense on the read-option, then sweeping around the outside for a 30+ yard gain.
• After ANOTHER big pass play where the Cal DBs are yet again outclassed, Texas punches it in on arun play. Texas re-takes the lead: 14-17.
• Cal’s offense has a lot more balance than Texas. Enwere busts a big run as part of it. It feels like the Bears are alternating series: Heavy on pass one, heavy on the run the next.
• Cal faced with another 4th and short and look to go for it, but then a substitution penalty forces them to kick the field goal. Sadly, the 40ish yard field goal is missed.
• Cal forces and punt and get the ball back with just under two minutes left. However, a sack on Goff forces a fumble and one play later Texas rumbles into the endzone for a 10 point lead: 14-24
• The good news is Cal gets the ball back with 1:32 left, which we all know is plenty of time for the Cal offense (at least in this era). And then Cal “left foots it” and runs the ball. Mohammed breaks it for 50 yards and right away the Bears are in striking distance.
• Another Lawler pass (which doesn’t quite get in) and a goal line run gets the Bears back within a field goal with 52 seconds left in the half (that was quick): 21-24
• The Bears intercept the ball! After the runback the Bears have the ball at the Texas 30 with 24 seconds left. What a huge gift by the Longhorns. I know we gave them the fumble in the redzone, so I guess it’s good manners to give a return gift.
• But the time is too short for a touchdown and the Bears settle for a field goal. It’s all tied at halftime: 24-24
• Apparently Texas is still in a giving mood after halftime. Now it’s their turn to have a QB fumble. So effectively the Bears get the ball to start both halves. (and this time they’re on the Texas side of the field.)
• After surgically marching down to 1st and goal from the 3, the Bears run it 3 times (the final time being so close it requires a review to have it stand) and don’t get in. They go for it on 4th down and yet again run the ball (talk about trust), but this time Enwere leaps over for a TD. Bears back in front: 31-24.
• The Bears defensive line asserts itself on the next series and when combined with a personal foul for blocking after the whistle to force 4th and 24. The Bears get the ball back after the punt.
• Bears do a lot of running on their next drive and yet again efficiently drive it down the field. This time on 1st and goal they keep Texas guessing (again) and do the pass to Lawler thing. Bears up by two scores with 20 minutes left: 38-24.
• After Texas punts again (more Cal defensive line domination) Mohommed breaks a big run up a surprisingly small hole in the middle for a 74 yard Cal touchdown. Cal is up big now with just over a quarter left: 45-24
• Wow, Looney does one of the worst facemasks I’ve ever seen. Luckily Heard (Texas QB) is fine. But it seems to fire up the Texas offense, particularly the linemen.
• If you’re looking for pivitol moments in this game, the next Texas TD is one of the biggest. Despite the Cal defense forcing 3rd and goal from the 13, and the pass defense holding up well, Heard somehow scrambles himself into the endzone. (A sign of things to come.) Bears lead cut to 2 scores: 45-31
• Cal goes the too obvious route of over-emphasizing the run up the middle and has to punt relatively quickly.
• The Cal defense has a more uneven performance on the next series, but two sacks, including one on 4th and 17, give Cal the ball back around mid-field.
• Cal goes 3 and out and only takes about a minute and a half off the clock. With seven minutes left, Cal is punting back to Texas with a 2-score lead.
• Cal defense plays it right for a full 3 minutes. They keep things in front of them and UT has only reached mid-field. And they still keep the clock running and the Texas players inbound and down to 3 minutes with the ball at the 27… but then they give up an all too easy 27 yard touchdown run on a read-option where the RB takes it. 3 minutes left and the lead is down to 7: 45-38
• Texas tries the onside kick and fails.
• Texas is wise with their timeouts. They don’t call it on 2nd down, so the Bears run again. But before 3rd down (a predictable 3rd and 7 when doing the obvious run late in the game), they call the timeout leaving 2 minutes and forcing the Bears to decide whether they want to pass the ball.
• Cal decides to pass it and Anderson drops the pass! Ugh, what a bad memory. From my seats I saw this SOOOO clearly. I jumped up anticipating the catch and then buried my head in my hands. How could he drop that?!?… Ugh!
• I must admit, the Cal defense has seemed a lot better to me than I remember at this point when I was watching it live. My “I’ll pretend I don’t know what happens” brain thinks the defense has a good shot at stopping this last minute drive.
• But this time the dink and dunking of Heard works much better. In 30 seconds they’re at the Cal 45.
• And then comes the big play… the Heard QB scramble for a TD. Something I didn’t remember (or perhaps even notice) was that Heard called an audible when he saw the Cal defense setting up for a blitz. He audibled to a QB draw. That was a great call on his part.
• Nevertheless, Texas scores the TD but4 as we all know, Texas missing the extra point. The Bears cling to a 1-point lead: 45-44.
• The onside kick attempt fails (out of bounds) and the Bears take a couple of knees to win the game.

Wow, what a game. Definitely worth the (delayed) re-watch.

(The week 4 game will wait until tomorrow.)