Below is Evan Feather’s preview of the Cal Golden Bears!
2020 Season Recap:
W-L: 1-3
Cal entered the 2020 season with high expectations, due to the fact that they
were returning the most experienced QB in the Pac 12. They were returning a bunch of
other starters with a good amount of experience as well. However, those expectations
were shot down quickly, after missing their Week game vs Uw due to COVID protocols
Cal played at UCLA they were held to only 176 total yards, while rushing for just 54
on 28 carries. Week 2 they got their offense on track a bit gaining 433 yards, behind
Chase Garbers 315 passing yards and 3 TDs. However, they weren’t able to stop
Oregon States Jermar Jefferson from rushing for 196 yards on 18 carries and leading
the Beavers to a 31-27 victory.
The next week, Cal lost for the third straight week, this time in a 24-23 loss to Stanford. They were able to rush for 241 yards in that game, but two costly fumbles gave Stanford too many chances with a short field. In their final game of the season, they knocked off #21 Oregon for their first and only win of the season. Cal struggled offensively against Oregon, but this time the turnover battle fell in the favor and gave them
just enough chances to take a 21-17 lead in the second half and hold on for the victory. Cal
finished the season 1-3 with the 111th ranked offense in the country, averaging 20 points
per game.
Week 1 @ UCLA – Loss – 34-10 – 122 Passing Yards – 54 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing
TD
Week 2 @Oregon St – Loss – 31-27 – 315 Passing Yards 3 Passing TD – 118 Rushing
Yards
Week 3 Stanford – Loss – 24-23 – 151 Passing Yards, 2 Passing TDs – 241 Rushing
Yards, 1 TD
Week 4 Oregon – Win- 21-17 – 183 Passing Yards, 1 Passing TD – 88 Rushing Yards,
2 TD
2020 Offense:
20.2 points per game, 192.8 Passing Yards per game, 125.3 Rushing Yards per game,
6 Passing TDs, 4 Rushing TDs
2020 Defense:
26.5 points per game allowed, 197.8 Passing Yards allowed, 169.8 Rushing Yards
allowed, 7 Passing TDs allowed, 7 Rushing TDs allowed,
Key Losses from 2020 team:
CB- Camryn Bynum – 2020 1 st Team All Pac 12, 4-year Starter, 4th Rd Draft Pick
2021 Cal Golden Bears:
Head Coach: Justin Wilcox (Career Record: 22-23)
Coaching Changes:
-Tight ends coach: Geep Chryst
-Outside Linebackers coach: Keith Heyward
-Defensive Backs coach: Tre Watson
Similar to last season Cal comes into the season experienced but needing some explosive playmakers. Cal returns everyone from last season except for CB Camryn Bynum who left for the NFL Draft. On offense, they will be relying heavily on Chase Garbers to run an efficient balanced offense. 2020 leading rusher Damien Moore will get a bulk of the carries and will be relied upon to keep the offense moving throughout the year. Cal returns all of their starting WRs from a year ago but they will need someone else to step up and provide some juice to that group. Trevon Clark, Kekoa Crawford and Makai Polk were the starting WRs a year ago and with the experience they have should be serviceable in 2020. However, Cal will need freshman Jeremiah Martin to step up and provide a big-play threat. On defense, Cal lost four-year starter and All Pac 12 Corner Camryn Bynum, who will be very hard to replace this year. However they have everyone else back including a very strong LB group. Evan Tattersall, Cameron Goode, Kuony Deng, and Meulu Iosefa will need to carry this defense which is lacking in other areas compared to the last few years. Elijah Hicks will start at safety for the second year after three years of starting at cornerback. 3 weeks into the season Cals offense looks to be better than the last couple years, as most offenses do with a 4th year starting QB. Chase Garbers been solid through three weeks and made the plays that his team needs from him, throwing for 774 yards 5
TDs and rushing for 106 yards 1 TD.
RB Damien Moore has picked up right where he left off last year rushing for 237 yards and 5 TDs through the first 3 weeks of the season. The struggles so far this year have been on the defensive side of the ball
allowing 28.7 PPG this season. Week 1 vs Nevada after taking a 14-0 lead in the first
quarter the defense allowed Nevada to outscore them 22-3 while throwing for 312 yards
and 2 TDs. The following week Cal again took a two-touchdown lead early before
allowing TCU to score 34 points in the final 3 quarters while rushing for 271 yards and 2
TDs. Even in a win last week Cal allowed Sacramento State to throw for 408 yards and
score 30 points.
Week 1 – vs Nevada – L – 22-17
Week 2 – @ TCU – L – 34-32
Week 3 – vs Sacramento St. – W – 42-30
Last Week:
After losing to Nevada and TCU in the first two weeks, Cal needed a win, even if it
was against a lower-level team. Chase Garbers led the team right down the field for
touchdowns on their first two drives, both drives ended with a 4 yard TD run by RB
Damien Moore. Late in the first half Garbers added another score on a 45 yard TD pass
to Jeremiah Hunter. Remigio helped Cal take control when he took the opening kickoff
of the second half back 99 yards for a touchdown. In the 3 rd Qtr Garbers threw another
TD pass this time 12 yards to WR Trevon Clark. Garbers added one more TD in the fourth
qtr running it in from 16 yards out. Unlike past years Cal’s defense has struggled for the
first few weeks. After allowing 22 and 34 points the first two weeks, Cal was hoping to
get right against a lesser opponent. Sacramento rotated QBs throughout the game,
using Asher O’Hara as a running option and Jake Dunniway as a passer. O’hara scored
two rushing TDs and Jake Dunniway threw for 370 yards and two TDs. Cal had wished
to have a better game against Sacramento State, “It wasn’t great. It wasn’t great, it was
good enough to win and we always appreciate winning, but we need to be better than
that,” Wilcox said postgame.
2021 Stats:
Passing:
QB – Chase Garbers 63-99 774 yards 5 TDs 2 INT 4 Sacks
Rushing:
RB – Damien Moore: 41 Carries 237 Yards 5.8 Avg. 5 TD
QB – Chase Garbers: 17 Carries 106 Yards 6.2 Avg. 1 TD
RB – DeCarlos Brooks: 8 Carries 86 Yards 10.8 Avg. 0 TD
Receiving:
WR – Trevon Clark: 10 Catches 227 Yards 2 TD
WR – Jeremiah Hunter: 9 Catches 161 Yards 1 TD
TE – Jake Tonges: 6 Catches 119 Yards 0 TD
WR – Kekoa Crawford: 3 Catches 82 Yards 0 TD
Defense:
LB – Evan Tattersall: 22 Tackles 1 Sack 1 Pass defended
S – Daniel Scott: 19 Tackles 2 Interceptions 1 TD
S – Elijah Hicks: 16 Tackles 1 Forced Fumble
LB – Cameron Goode: 11 Tackles 2 Sacks 1 Pass defended
