(Written by kencraw)

Time for my regular post, reviewing the TV coverage. Here are my thoughts:

• One of the things I hate about TV coverage is that you can’t see the entire play. They zoom in WAY too much. Nothing more showed this than Cal’s first play of the game. From the stadium, DeSean streaking down the field fairly open was obvious to everyone, but it was not shown on TV until 2 plays later in review. So for those of you out there (that means you Dad) who think you get a better view of the game at home on the TV in your comfy lazyboy, you have no clue. You’re missing half the game.
• Although I liked the opening play call by Tedford, despite the wrong read by Longshore, the next two play calls were pretty weak. Slow developing out patterns, including screens, aren’t going to get the job done against a fast defense like Oregon. Overall a bad set of downs, but not on the field, mostly from the coaches box.
• I had forgotten that on Oregon’s first possession and first set of downs, they converted a critical 3rd and long when Cal lost contain on Dixon and he scrambled up the middle for 9 yards. This will be come more obvious throughout my notes, but I feel that the Cal defense did pretty darned well, forcing a lot of 3rd downs, but Oregon got lucky/scrambled well on a number of broken plays to keep drives alive.
• Of course just after I say that, the Cal defense blows their coverage in a huge way giving up what should have been an easy TD… if Dixon hadn’t over-thrown it. Thinking back now, it was Dixon, not Longshore who had accuracy problems, wasn’t it?
• As much as Tedford admitted to being stubburn about trying to establish the run early, Oregon was similarly as stubborn about loading the box and refusing to allow Tedford to establish the run. The passing lanes were surprisingly open early.
• Notice that on both of Cal’s first two offensive series, “noise fouls” were crucial to stalling the drive. On the first drive, a delay of game killed what was looking like a successful 3rd down conversion. On the 2nd series, on the final set of downs the 2nd down play would have been a 1st down had a 5 yard false start not given Cal a 2nd and 15 instead of a 2nd and 10. Luckily for Cal, the rest of the game, with one notable exception, was mostly penalty free.
• I don’t know why it bugs me so much, but I feel like the no huddle “cheats” the no substitution after breaking the huddle rule. Oregon ran a player onto the field after the other 10 had already lined up and set. How is that, conceptually anyway, not a substitution that breaks the spirit of the huddle/substitution rules? This is not a knock on Oregon, they’re just doing their best to take advantage of the current rules which is what every team tries to do, but in my opinion, some rule changes are needed to either remove the huddle/substitution rules or figure out how to make the no huddle subject to the conceptual rule that the offense has to select its personnel early (before the huddle breaks) to allow the defense to make adjustment substitutions.
• After the Bears did a pretty good job on the first possession of tackling well, the 2nd series was not so encouraging. It was if the defense got tired quickly. The big run by Stewart was what setup the field goal.
• On the other hand, Dixon continued in his weak performance by not seeing a wide open receiver in the endzone on 2nd down and then by throwing behind a receiver on third down. The more I see, the more I think Dixon stunk up this game, particularly knowing what is to come. Still, they were able to get a “free” field goal off of the bad tackling, Oregon up 3-0.
• I don’t know what these anouncers are smoking. Longshore was getting plenty of time to throw and the “pressure” wasn’t “getting to him”.
• I asked Forsett in a post-game interview if Jahvid Best coming into the game lit a fire under him. Forsett mis-understood my question and thought I was asking about competition or animosity. But after seeing Best come in and get the first meaningful rushing yards of the game and then Forsett come back in and get his game running, I’m confident that the both of them push each other to new heights.
• On Cal’s first trip to the red zone, Cal had the wrong receiver for that deep slant at the goal line. If you’re going to try a slant like that you want a big physical receiver like Hawkins who can shield the defender from the ball. Jordon, although good, isn’t the best guy for that, Hawkins is. Oh well, scored tied at 3-3.
• The more times I see Ezeff’s personal foul that kept alive the drive that resulted in Oregon’s first TD, the more I think Ezeff didn’t foul. Stewart was breaking his legs out of a tackle and was just inches out of bounds as he lunged forward into Ezeff who was diving at Stewart. There was no way Ezeff could have pulled up. Now, I’m not criticizing the refs. It’s OK that they call that penalty tight. I’m just saying that nobody should be upset with Ezeff because of that. That was just playing snap to whistle. In any case, two plays later Oregon was in the end zone. 10-3.
• Cal just didn’t seem to have the fire in their belly on that last drive of the 1st half, going 3 and out. That was probably the most disappointing moment of the game for me. With Oregon getting the ball back to start the 2nd half and Stewart starting to make in-roads on Cal, it seemed to me that Cal needed to match Oregon’s TD to end the half. Perhaps that weak effort was a useful tool for motivation at halftime.
• In the 2nd half, Oregon’s first possession was key. It was a chance for them to extend to a larger than one-score lead, but they really blew it with that conservative play call on 3rd and 1 that Cal was able to stuff. I don’t know if Cal would have been able to stop Oregon further down the field on that drive with how holes were opened up for Stewart on the preceeding plays.
• At the same time, man did the Cal offense come to play in the 2nd half! Forsett’s run mid-drive after nearly getting tackled 5 yards in the background, that he somehow managed to turn into a 7 yard gain despite 3 or 4 defenders having a shot at him, was a thing of beauty. In fact, Forsett was just on fire that first possesion on every carry.
• From the pressbox I didn’t have an angle to see how close Kay’s missed field goal was. On TV, they don’t have a good angle either because they’ve got no depth perception, but it was definitely a close one wasn’t it? One point on that, how can a field goal NOT be reviewable!?! Good going Pac-10. (Not that this one needed to be, but in general, it needs to be reviewable.)
• It was so great to see DeSean finally get some man coverage situations. He hasn’t done well with the extra attention he has got, but when he’s got man coverage, he’s SOOOO good at getting his cornerback turned around. His first TD of the season, the 3rd quarter easy pass from Longshore, was a thing of beauty. I’m glad the TV coverage showed the route because from the pressbox it was obvious and clear that it was a TD as soon as DeSean made his cut, assuming Longshore saw him. Cal ties it up 10-10.
• Oregon definitely got back a sense of urgency after that TD by Cal. They went from no-huddle to psuedo hurry-up and I think the tempo change more than anything was the reason the Cal defense was unable to hold Oregon yet again and left Colvin open to streak across the field for a TD. Ducks back on top 17-10.
• Cal really owned the 3rd quarter and early 4th quarter. Minus that one long TD pass for Oregon, Cal’s defense really stuck it to Oregon, forcing 3, 3 and out possessions. At the same time, the Cal offense was able to score 21 in 4 possessions, the 4th being a 70 yard drive with a missed field goal attempt. After the two scores separated by only a 3 and out from Oregon, Cal has gone from down 7 to up by a TD, 24-17.
• Speaking of that 2nd TD, wasn’t it just too sweet that DeSean was able to tip-toe down the sideline for a TD. Oregon had been using that sideline all game and it was nice to see Oregon have to swallow some of their own medicine.
• OK, DeSean had a great game, so I have a hard time saying this, but on the first play after the kickoff turnover (which by the way was bound to happen with how poorly Oregon had been fielding the chip-shot kickoff all game), Longshore threw a fade to DeSean in the corner of the endzone (and I thought this both in the pressbox and when I saw it on TV, even after re-watching it 3 times) DeSean gave up on that pass a step before the ball got there. I think DeSean thought it was coming harder than it was and so out of reach, but he should have caught that ball… and it would have been the dagger in the hearts of everyone in Oregon, going up by 14. Instead a holding penalty and a coverage sack later, Cal has to punt despite starting the possession in field-goal range.
• The Cal defense looked really sloppy/lazy on the next possession. I don’t know what the story was but after Cal got two back to back possessions there is no reason they should have been tired. Perhaps they thought the game was in the bag and expected to be up by 14 just like I did after that fumble. Whatever it was, this was the worst swing of the 2nd half. Cal went from being up 7 and ready to strike in the redzone after being unstoppable thus far in the 2nd half, to tied in the blink of a lazy defender’s eye. 24-24
• I thought it was a huge statement about the lack of confidence Tedford and staff have in backup QB Riley in that when he came in they refused to have him throw the ball even on the 2nd play when there was no way a rush up the middle by Forsett was going to convert a 3rd and 10 against an Oregon defense that knows a backup QB is in the game. Mark my words, unless Riley gains some confidence from the coaching staff, there’s going to be another backup QB competition next off-season when Brock is eligible.
• That INT by Dixon on the ensuing possession was a HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE mistake. If you need a perfect play to say Dixon folds under pressure, that’s the one. They’ve battled back, they just forced Longshore out of the game, how can you throw a pick on first down? I call it “choking”.
• So I was just about to award Longshore the gritty performance award of the game and my vote for the game ball when I went to check what his throwing stats were after the injury. Who else knew he didn’t attempt a pass after the injury? I wonder if he pretty much couldn’t throw and having him out there was just a decoy/threat since Oregon didn’t respect Riley’s ability to throw? Maybe not as Forsett didn’t need any help on that TD drive and the next drive was run out the clock time… but nevertheless, it makes me wonder.
• Speaking of Forsett, what a great set of runs for that TD! After Cal had looked down right mediocre on their last short field possession, Forsett said, “not on this drive” to those who doubted Cal. Cal back on top 31-24.
• I had previously thought that the 2nd Dixon interception wasn’t his fault because those tipped balls at the line are a shot in the dark, but that one wasn’t a standard tip at the line. That was a DT getting deep penetration and Dixon not adjusting to throw a different pass. He threw that right into the tip and he should have seen it coming. Again, not bad luck, I call it “choking”.
• The most disappointing play of the final drive for the Cal defense was the Johnson dump off pass turned into a 30 yard gain where Cal had 5 defenders in the region to make the tackle, who should have kept him in bounds, but somehow they just didn’t contain him well and the two guys with a shot didn’t get their arms around him for the tackle. That had less to do with Johnson and more to do with a tired Cal defense.
• So Teford calls a timeout when Oregon got down to the 5 yard line? It seems to me he should have called that breather timeout after the Johnson run. It was clear they needed a breather then.
• Here’s your “official” time on the final play: 25 seconds for the refs to decide on the call of a touchback. 4:10 additional for the booth review for a total of 4:35 of indecision… good thing they got it right.
• For some speculative thinking, let’s pretend he fumbled outside the endzone, so they’d get the ball at the 1 yard line, there’s no reason to be confident Oregon would score. Oregon had no timeouts and it would have been 2nd down with 16 seconds left. There’s no way Oregon could afford an inside run play, because they’d only get one shot at it. They’d have to pass, or at a minimum do a run play that had a shot at getting out of bounds, something very difficult at the 1-yard line. If Oregon wasn’t careful from the 1, they could have watched the clock expire on a failed run play or Dixon could have pulled another Dixon choke by throwing an interception.
• Finally, what was with the wimper with which the TV coverage ended? I mean, we had just had a shocking end to the game after an epic battle for the ages and they just did the quick wrap and said “goodbye” so that we could go to some garbage show (i.e. no other game they were going to)!?! How about reviewing that last play/drive again? How about a little enthusiasm? What a stunted and disappointing ending.

Speaking globally, as much as I’m truly estatic about the win and want to make sure I give Oregon their due, Cal had a couple chances to really put this game away that they didn’t. Sure Dixon’s choking gave the game back to Cal, but being the perfectionist I am, I would have really liked to see Cal’s offense put this one away by either scoring on that kickoff fumble or by being able to run out the clock after the 2nd interception.

But let’s give the defense their due. They were exhausted after playing a LONG up-tempo game against a speedy and dangerous offense. Nevertheless they had the intensity to be hitting hard enough on the final play to force a fumble.

Way to go Bears!