For those football fans who object to a team playing 2 QB's, by design, in the same game, Chip Kelley has gone next level. UCLA will play 3 QB in their opener vs Coastal Carolina. Admittedly, may not be a permanent arrangement.

Home teams in italics

Utah by 6.5 over Florida - I expect a low scoring game. Florida covers maybe?

Furd by 4 over Hawaii - Who knows? Hawaii's talent is pretty bad. Furd covers?

TCU by 21 over Colorado - Was surprised to see such a high spread given the deon hype. Still think TCU covers.

UW by 14.5 over Boise State - This seems really low. UW rolls.

Cal by 7 over North Texas - Line looks right as it will be 103. Cal covers I hope. Non conference non power 5 road games have not been good for cal. Can't remember the last one we've won.

USC by 38 over Nevada - SC has problems covering these big spreads at home. Nevada covers.

WSU by 12 over Colorado State - Who knows. Not a big WSU fan. Colorado State covers I guess.

UCLA by 14.5 over Costal Carolina - My guess is UCLA covers.

Oregon State by 16.5 over San Jose State - I'm going to just assume USC's defense is bad rather than SJSU is good. Oregon State covers.



Non conference lock of the week: LSU by 2.5 over Florida State - LSU rolls.

Okay, I may be an idiot and over-looking obvious things here, but I think the following could be a pathway to survival for the Pac-4 schools over the next ~3 seasons, and possibly beyond...

Pretext - the people running college football (i.e. TV suits) clearly do not like Cal. They have publicly stated that Cal has zero media value, which is absolute horse shit. Furthermore, the majority of other college football fans have zero respect or even downright hatred of Cal. So we have to think outside the box.

So what's the plan??

• Bring OSU, WSU and Stanford to the table, get the various regents and lawyers involve, and figure out a plan to lock down the alleged $420M in Pac-12 distributions that are up for grabs (source: https://www.sportskeeda.com/college...n-four-cover-additional-costs-damages-reports).
• Get the UC Regents to formalize the plan for Cal's "Calimony" from UCLA under the condition that Cal stays in the PAC conference. I would suggest something like $10M/year for 3 years followed by $5M/year for 3 years.
• Re-engage with Apple and get a streaming deal in place, likely based heavily on hitting subscription thresholds. PAC-12 has existing assets to do production and televise games. Seems like it would be relatively low risk for Apple. People wrongly dismiss subscription model based on Pac-12 Network's failures, without understanding that you literally could not buy PAC-12 Network a la carte from anywhere. The only way to get it (if you didn't have Comcast) was to pay $60/month for a package through the likes of Sling TV. At a reasonable cost of say $12 or $15/month, I think PAC-12 games on Apple could generate a healthy number of subscriptions.
• Engage schools like SDSU, Fresno, Boise, etc., and offer to cover partial costs of exit fees from MWC. Tell anyone with "academic prestige" concerns to get f**cked.
• Embrace being "outside" of the college football establishment. Market the new conference accordingly. "West Coast Football," "Loyal to the Soil," etc. If you get over the "brand name" aspect the new conference, the likes of Boise, Fresno, SDSU and others offer a respectable level of competition.
• Schedule AGGRESSIVELY with non-conference opponents. Offer a commission to outside schools based on new Apple TV subscribers generated as an incentive.

Best case: big TV networks and conglomerates (i.e. Disney/ESPN, FOX, etc.) continue to struggle. Furthermore, travel impacts of the latest "realignment" take their toll on our former P12 brethren. Super conferences begin to fracture as linear TV money dries up. USC, UCLA, Oregon, UW and the others come crawling back one day perhaps... at a "partial share" of course

Worst case: between a partial share of that $420M in alleged future Pac-12 distributions, tens of millions in UCLA Calimony, and whatever Apple TV subscription revenue could be generated, a scenario such as the one above would allow Cal and the others to survive and better position themselves for the next round of realignment in 3-5 years.

Since we only have 9 days until the season opener, wondering if anyone had recommendations on dining or general things to do in either Denton (thinking postgame on Saturday) or DFW area overall. Thinking about catching a Rangers game Sunday afternoon but just an idea at this point.

Any shares would be much appreciated!

Today was the last media availability ahead of Saturday's game against North Texas. Offensive line coach (and former North Texas OC/QBs coach) Mike Bloesch, quarterback Sam Jackson V and Texas natives Craig Woodson and Myles Jernigan all met with reporters to discuss this weekend's trip to Denton.

Here's a look at each of those media sessions:

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

**** berkeley

Login to view embedded media

Login to view embedded media
I know I mentioned it earlier, but I just wanted to jump on here and officially welcome Maria Kholodova to the Golden Bear Report staff! If you've read the Daily Cal in recent years then you have undoubtedly seen her work. She will be helping us with coverage of the Bears moving forward, and we are excited to have her.

Maria was one of the few people who showed up daily to Bears training camp this month, and so she is as familiar with this year's team as anyone on the media side.

Make sure you check out her first article breaking down today's media session with Justin Wilcox, Jake Spavital and Peter Sirmon. She has done some great work both as a writer and an editor, and is well respected within the Cal media contingent.

Maria will jump on here shortly to tell you a little more about herself, and hopefully everyone will give her a warm welcome. Can't wait for you guys to get to know her!

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Cal is fully moving ahead into game week, and the Bears are getting back to work. Tuesday marking the first media availability of game week, and we had an opportunity to speak with head coach Justin Wilcox, defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon and offensive coordinator Jake Spavital.

Here's a quick overview of what was discussed, and we will have a full writeup with top takeaways posted a bit later on.

Justin Wilcox

- The team had been looking to practice in heat, and its original plans were nixed when the weather didn't cooperate. Instead, the Bears decided to make the trek up to UC Davis over the weekend, and the team was able to get in a two-hour practice in 95-degree weather to help get Cal acclimated to what it will feel in Texas. Wilcox is not downplaying the impact the heat could have this weekend, but he says the plan is simply have more players available to play and there will be no excuses about the heat come Saturday.

- Wilcox and Sirmon both said there's not much to pull from, either past experiences or film study, with North Texas just because of how many new pieces are in place. Even having someone like Mike Bloesch, who coached at UNT, doesn't give as much insight into Mean Green as outsiders might think just because of the roster turnover.

- Asked about the continuing conference realignment discussions, Wilcox went back to his usual line of remaining focused on what the team can control. He remains clear that he sees the value and importance in what is taking place, but he wants his team locked in on what it can control and that is the game this weekend.

- Wilcox was asked about NIL and the impact of the post-graduate certificate program for the Bears in being able to build the roster they have this year. The Cal head coach noted the significance of both, and he went on to say that the conversation about NIL is at the top of the list when it comes to recruiting. It is most important, and he continues to step in wherever he can to help build the NIL component at Cal. He believes there is still work to be done in that area based on numbers he has seen from other schools.

- When asked about where he feels comfortable and where he still hesitant with this year's team, Wilcox pointed to the improved roster but also said that chemistry will also be key and something that won't be seen until the games arrive. He added that the team will have to show "significant growth" from game to game to have a successful year.

Peter Sirmon

- New UNT head coach Eric Morris will bring his high-powered offense to Denton, and Sirmon alluded to the issues that scheme gave the Bears while Morris was briefly at Washington State last season. He expects to see a well-coached offense on the other side of the field this week.

- Asked about the regression of the defense last year, the Cal defensive coordinator said the increased points and yards allowed stemmed mostly from the explosive pass plays down the field. The primary focus for the defense this offseason has been working to limit those types of plays leading his staff to focus on the yards per play heading into the season. Adding talent in the secondary has been a big part of working toward reversing the trend that came up last year.

- Stone Earle was named UNT's starting QB a week ago, and although there is not much to go off of recently with him — he played in four games last season as a backup — Sirmon says the "tools" are what he is looking at when evaluating Earle this week. Sirmon noted that he sees a "more than capable runner" with Earle while also mentioned the Chandler Rogers (Louisiana-Monroe transfer) is also expected to see time against the Bears as well.

- Regardless of the weather, Sirmon says there will be a lot of players rotating through on the defensive side of the ball. That will be particularly true among the defensive front, Sirmon says. The staff has prepared a number of defensive linemen and outside linebackers to play Saturday, and that is the plan taking into account how the game could also determine who and how many players see the field.

- Brett Johnson's use Saturday will depend on some different factors. Among the most important will be how he feels. Johnson has missed a significant amount of time, and the coaches have been taking it easy on him at times leading up to the North Texas matchup. Sirmon says the staff will gather input from the medical staff, see how Johnson feels himself and take into account the tempo at which the game is being played as factors about how much Johnson will remain on the field.

Jake Spavital

- Spavital opened up with an anecdote about when he was at Texas State and his director of operations had her sandal melt into the field because of the heat. That was part of his answer when asked about the rotation on offense this Saturday. As of now, he says the plan is to have a heavy rotation at several positions including potentially playing as many as 10 offensive linemen this weekend. He added that there could be some mid-drive substitutions up front if a drive is taking a long time.

- There have certainly been some thoughts that Cal could use the opener to get some in-game evaluations on players, especially the quarterbacks. However, Spavital put that to rest Tuesday saying that Sam Jackson V will be "the guy" at quarterback this weekend meaning the plan right now is to play only the TCU transfer against UNT. Spavital was pretty matter of fact in that thought, which is really the first time he has been that definitive about the situation since the competition began in the spring. He says Ben Finley and Fernando Mendoza will all travel to North Texas but who would play should something happen to Jackson is yet to be determined. Spavital says that will be discussed in the coming days but could ultimately be a "game-time decision" by the time Saturday arrives.

- Spavital expressed some intrigue about the unknowns with his group, namely Jackson's reaction to making his first start. To ease his starting quarterback into the game plan, Spavital says he has been working in some passes in practice that will help build Jackson's confidence and there are some plays he can go to that will get him comfortable if the situations arises.

- Asked to name some of the players on offense who could surprise people this season, Spavital listed Trond Grizzell, Brian Hightower, Taj Davis and Marquis Montgomery as the ones who he believes will have a chance to make a big impact but have not received the type of attention others on the team have. He also added that tight end Jack Endries is at the top of the list with Grizzell and Hightower. On Endries, Spavital noted that it will be the first start for the second-year pass catcher, so there will be plenty of intrigue about what he will be able to show with that opportunity. Spavital says Endries is a player who "can do it all" and there is plenty of value in having success at the tight end position for the offense as a whole. Running back Ashton Stredick is another player Spavital feels has put together a strong body of work this offseason.

This seems like a lot to be giving up this far in advance.

Jimmy, clearly, is on his way out.

Gave up a 1st and a 3rd this year, and their 1st round picks in 2022 and 2023



Login to view embedded media

A few Bears, (and one ex Bear) got waived today. Chase Garbers, Kekoa Crawford, Kuony Deng, and Makai Polk were waived
by their respective clubs.LV Raider Aiden O'Connell's play has made him a potential QB 2, and veteran Brian Hoyer remains on the roster as well.

Very early but SJSU is hanging with $C early... 7-7 in the 2nd quarter.

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

Cal beats out Oklahoma State, Washington, Missouri, SMU and several others for three-star versatile defensive lineman/edge rusher Legend Journey today. He visited Berkeley in the summer. This is another really nice pickup in Texas for the Bears, and he'll be another potential early-impact player for Andrew Browning up front.

Latest highlights and junior film below:

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

A look across the conference here:

Login to view embedded media
Here's today's post-practice media session as defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon and new starting inside linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr spent some time with reporters today. Sirmon spent a big portion of his time discussing what pushed Elarms-Orr to the top of the depth chart plus he went over some other elements of the list. Elarms-Orr took some time to discuss his role and how he made the jump to become a starter ahead of the season.

In addition to naming its starting quarterback, Cal also released its first depth chart of the season Thursday. There are no big surprises on the list, as I mentioned who I thought would be in the mix at certain positions yesterday, but it is nice to see some clarity at several spots.

Some of the notable decisions: Trond Grizzell (Z) atop the depth chart ahead of Brian Hightower and Taj Davis though there are "ors" separating each of them; Stanford transfer Barrett Miller nabs the starting left tackle job; no clear starters at the four positions up front with "ors" between every player — Ethan Saunders, BRETT JOHNSON, Myles Jernigan, David Reese all listed at the top of each position, however; Kaleb Elarms-Orr wins the starting ILB job next to Jackson Sirmon; SDSU transfer Patrick McMorris beats out Raymond Woodie III for a starting safety job; Lu-Magia Hearns isn't able to solidify the starting role completely as there is an "or" between he and Jeremiah Earby opposite Nohl Williams; junior college transfer Matthew Littlejohn beats out Colorado transfer Kaylin Moore and Cam Sidney for the starting nickel job; overall, 8 first-year freshmen are represented on the depth chart with long snapper David Bird being the only one to secure a starting role

Cal has officially named Sam Jackson V as the starting quarterback for the opener against North Texas. The TCU transfer had some struggles last week turning the ball over, a common theme since he arrived in Berkeley, but he cleaned up those mistakes in recent days and emerged as the top candidate for the job. He has been zeroed in with his passing in recent practices and had been the only one running with the first unit this week.

As Jake Spavital said, there could be a short leash if turnovers become an issue against UNT, but this should help give the offense some direction moving forward. Ultimately, his ability to make plays with his feet gives the offense a different dynamic that only Jackson possesses. As long as he doesn't rely on that running ability too much, then he should be able to have success. Getting him to stay in the pocket has been an issue at times, but he has been better about it in recent days.

"We had an intense three-way quarterback competition during training camp," Wilcox said. "All three did a great job, and I have a great deal of confidence in all of them. But Sam began to separate himself recently. He is a dynamic athlete who can succeed both in the passing game and by making defenses account for his outstanding running ability. When your quarterback does both of those things well, it can be challenging for the defense. I'm excited to see what he does with this opportunity."

Over a TD favorite on the road for a wilcox coached team worries me, but they did lose a lot to the portal I guess.

I did a major overview of training camp now that it is officially in the books. Prep for the season opener begins tomorrow, and there could be some resolution to a number of the battles, so I've put together a very lengthy notebook dissecting the quarterback competition as it stands now, assessing other position battles and giving you an overview of the final day of training camp.

2 coaches including Barton leave NV

Thank god that they still have Angus McClure.

Cal had its plans changed by the weather, and instead of heading off site to finish up camp the Bears are staying put for the next couple days. That allowed the team to open up practices once again giving us two more opportunities to see the team before it moves into full game preparation mode for the season opener.

Here's a look at what was seen during Monday's practice as the Bears returned to the field at Memorial Stadium for the first time since Saturday's 135-play scrimmage.

Top takeaways

- After a rough couple days last week, quarterback Sam Jackson V has started to find his rhythm again over the last couple practices. Monday was one of his better days in camp, and he made plays with plenty of decisiveness and confidence. Jackson jumped off to a hot start Monday as he guided the offense to a touchdown on the first drive of the first team period. That drive started at midfield and featured a 38-yard completion from Jackson to Trond Grizzell. Jackson capped the drive with a 3-yard rushing score.

His second touchdown drive featured several impressive plays including a 29-yard completion to Jeremiah Hunter that also featured a great catch from the Cal receiver. The touchdown play came on a 4-yard throw to Monroe Young on a slant.

For what it's worth, Jackson was the only quarterback to work with the first unit Monday giving some possible insight into the quarterback race. Jake Spavital said after Monday's practice that he did not see enough Saturday to make a determination while leaving open the possibility of playing more than one quarterback, but it certainly felt different to only see one quarterback working with the first unit Monday.

- The other two quarterbacks in the race had some positive and negative moments once again Monday. Both Ben Finley and Fernando Mendoza threw interceptions on Day 16 with both coming on plays trying to go down the field. Both, coincidentally, came on passes intended for Brian Hightower. Finley took a deep shot to Hightower during the 7-on-7 period in which the quarterbacks were asked to scramble out of the pocket. Eventually, cornerback Jeremiah Earby came down with a somewhat easy interception.

Mendoza's play was a bit more contested and had a higher difficulty as he looked to find Hightower over the middle only for defensive back Raymond Woodie III to come down with it on a nice play.

The staff was ending some drives early, so neither Mendoza nor Finley came up with a scoring drive Monday. However, both quarterbacks did a good job of moving the ball and picking up big chunks of yardage throughout the practice.

- The defense came up with three interceptions overall on Day 16 with newcomer Marcus Scott II having the other pick during the DEVO team period working against Tyler Jensen, who has stepped into the fourth quarterback role now that Luke Bottari is no longer part of the team.

The defensive front did a nice job of consistently getting into the backfield on Monday. It started early with a tackle for loss by Myles Williams as Finley tried to make a play with his feet. Freshman linebacker Cade Uluave came up with a sack on the ensuing drive as he worked with the second unit against Mendoza. Fellow freshman Ryan McCulloch came up with a sack of his own during the second team period just before Woodie's interception.

Defensive back Kaylin Moore had a nice deflection late in practice working against Hightower while Cam Sidney came up with a pass breakup during the 7-on-7 period against Mavin Anderson, who was targeted by Mendoza.

- Monday's practice was one that featured running back Jaydn Ott more than any other recently as the staff seems to be ramping him up for the start of the season. He looked fresh and adds a different element to the offense than the other players at the position. He also returned kickoffs Monday, and he might have had a chance to return his first attempts for a touchdown if the play had been allowed to run all the way through.

- On the injury front, defensive back Craig Woodson was back on the field and working with the first unit again during team periods after getting some time off in recent practices. Kenden Robinson Jr. was also back on the field after missing a couple practices. Inside linebacker Nate Rutchena remains out after coming up injured in a recent practice. He worked off to the side with the training staff Monday.

Practice interviews

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Practice clips

Login to view embedded media

Cal wrapped up its 15th training camp practice Saturday, and the day served as its second scrimmage this month. The quiet hope had been that the Bears would have several spots on the roster figured out by this point in camp, and there has certainly been some progress made in that regard, but the quarterback spot remains up for grabs.

That didn't change during Saturday's action as the quarterbacks remain in a close race heading into the final week of training camp with no decision yet made public by the staff.

Here's a look at some of the top takeaways from the team's 135-snap scrimmage that allowed several players to have an opportunity to shine Saturday inside Memorial Stadium.

Top takeaways and notes

- Justin Wilcox mentioned it during his post-practice media session but Saturday's practice certainly felt like the separate ones based on how things played out. The first half felt very much like the previous two days with the offense struggling to get anything going while the defense played at a high level limiting the play on the opposite side of the ball.

The first two drives ended with punts before Ben Finley was able to lead a scoring drive that was capped with a 43-yard field goal for Michael Luckhurst.

There were also several sacks and a blocked field goal before the offense was finally able to break through late in the initial team period. Two major problems were penalties and dropped passes during the first half of practice. Several big plays simply weren't able to happen because of passes that hit the ground, and the number of those instances stacked up in the early going. And, in all, there were 16 combined penalties called in Saturday's practice for a loss of 118 yards.

Eventually, the offense was able to flip the script and begin move the ball down the field with chunk plays to put some more pressure on the defense. The result was the offense scoring on six of the 10 drives in the second team period.

- Even as someone who has watched the battle throughout camp, it is still difficult to pinpoint who should be the starting quarterback for the Bears. It has reached the point in camp where it is beginning to be somewhat concerning that a player has not emerged as the clear top option there, but each of the top three candidates continues to do positive things in practice.

Finley was the top performer at the position in Saturday's scrimmage, and he has gone a long way toward solidifying at least the backup job over the last several practices. He continues to have his lapses, but overall he has made steady progression since the first practice and feels like he has started to surpass Fernando Mendoza on the depth chart. The staff continues to mix up the groups, so it is not totally clear who stands where on the, for now, fictional depth chart.

However, the NC State transfer finished with 180 yards passing on 11 completions to go with a pair of touchdown passes during Saturday's scrimmage, according to the unofficial stats provided by Cal Athletics. Finley had a couple really strong drives in the second team period that included explosive plays to both Jeremiah Hunter and Marquis Montgomery.

Mendoza also tossed a few touchdown passes in Saturday's scrimmage as he finished with 144 yards passing on 10 completions. Some of his best work came in the first half of practice, but what stood out most was his ability to create plays out some tricky situations. The second-year quarterback had a couple moments when he was forced to scramble yet still found a way to deliver with inventive passes but also had some strong throws down the field as well. He also led the longest drive of the day for the offense.

Finley was the only quarterback to throw an interception Saturday — a ball that was tipped by Julian Womack only to be caught by cornerback Marcus Scott II during the second team period. So, that was positive for Sam Jackson V, who has struggled this week to avoid turning the ball over.

Jackson was forced out of the pocket quite a bit Saturday and sometimes he opted to leave the pocket on his own accord, but it was the best overall day he put together over the last few practices. He avoided throwing interceptions and did a solid job moving the ball down the field. He only tossed one touchdown Saturday after he connected with Taj Davis on a 5-yard play to cap a drive that earlier featured a 39-yard connection with the Washington transfer.

- The biggest story to come from Saturday's scrimmage belonged to the receiver group. In particular, the outside receivers were able to put together some impressive performances signaling some positivity for the health of the offense two weeks out from the season opener. Montgomery proved to be the breakout star of the day, and it was a positive sight for the Bears since the junior college transfer had gone a big quiet earlier in the week. He accounted for some of the biggest pass plays on the day and finished with a pair of touchdown receptions and over 125 receiving yards.

Montgomery's best catch of the day came late in practice when Finley found him in the end zone on a jump ball that he caught over Mayze Bryant, who actually was playing solid coverage. Montgomery's size and ability to make plays above the hands of defenders was on display often Saturday.

Hunter also shined as he ended up with four catches for 68 yards and a touchdown in the scrimmage. On the drive that ended with him scoring a 13-yard touchdown in which he took on a couple defenders, the top returning receiver for the Bears had a 39-yard reception that came on a short pass that he then took down the field while fighting through several defenders.

The coaching staff has been pleased with Davis' work as of late, but the big plays down the field that he made earlier in camp had been a bit more sparse in recent days. That changed Saturday as he had several explosive plays including a 39-yard catch from Jackson. He finished the day with 88 yards receiving on five catches. He was one of the biggest culprits of dropped passes Saturday but was able to make up for it with his big catches down the field.

Each of those players standing out Saturday is a positive step for the Bears who have been looking for some more playmakers, particularly on the outside, to help compliment the rest of the offense.

- Penalties proved to be a killer for the defense on Saturday as several of those flags came on the later downs when the group would have been able to get off the field. Still, there were some standout performers on that side of the ball including inside linebacker Sergio Allen, who finished with a team-high five tackles. Defensive lineman Ricky Correia also had five tackles in the scrimmage according to the unofficial stats.

Myles Jernigan has gone a bit under the radar at times in camp, but he has put together a strong finish. He again shined Saturday as he finished up the scrimmage with a team-high three sacks/tackles for loss. Though not deep, the outside linebacker spot continues to look like a strength of the Cal defense this season.

Up front, Correia's running mate, Nate Burrell, continues to have a strong camp and Saturday he added another sack and three more tackles to his totals. Ethan Saunders also had a few tackles in the scrimmage.

A couple young players were able to stand out as well, defensively, with freshman linebacker Cade Uluave coming through with a sack and a pass breakup to go with four tackles. Meanwhile, defensive back Sai Vadrawale was also credited with four tackles Saturday plus he had a sack of Jackson on a corner blitz.

- The running back group behind Jaydn Ott continues to look more impressive than originally thought, and Saturday even Isaiah Ifanse was given a light work load making it even more clear what type of group the staff has assembled. Javian Thomas, Ashton Stredick and Andy Alfieri ended up leading the way for that group with Thomas, Stredick and Ifanse all ending up with over 40 yards on the ground. The running back unit accounted for five of the touchdowns scored Saturday.

- It will be interesting to see how healthy the team can get over the next two weeks. Several players were held out of the scrimmage Saturday as they continue to work through some nicks and bruises. Starting defensive back Craig Woodson was one of the most notable absences Saturday but he appears to be close to returning and spent Friday's practice suited up and going through individual drills.

Receiver Mason Starling ended the day on crutches, and Wilcox didn't have much of an update on the senior who has already had to battle injury in his career. Starling had been in the midst of a strong training camp with several big catches in recent practices.

- One roster note that went a bit under the radar this week is that Utah transfer quarterback Luke Bottari is no longer with the team. He's been removed from the online roster and was not on the printed roster handed out Saturday. Bottari had been earning reps early in camp but the walk-on has not been part of the group competing for the starting job over the last couple weeks.

Any other questions feel free to ask away!

Practice interviews

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

Is there a bar or restaurant in the East Bay/Berkeley that would be showing the North Texas game?

I wanted to make sure and get you all today's updates now that they are fresh after Day 14, so I will be updating this with the video interviews shortly. However, as I mentioned in the other thread the theme of the day once again was the play of the defense and the quarterbacks.

Here are some of my early quick takeaways from Friday's practice ahead of tomorrow's big scrimmage.

Practice takeaways

- There were five total interceptions thrown during Thursday's shortened practice. Friday was again a shorter work day for the Bears, and the turnovers continued once again, and it didn't take long for that to take place. There are obviously two ways to look at the recent rash of turnovers, and I'll begin by discussing the defensive side of the ball. At this point, I'm leaning toward the giving the defense the credit over bad decisions by the quarterbacks but even if you take the other opinion it has still been some top-notch work by the secondary over the last two days.

The defense as a whole has raised its level of play over the last two days coming out of a couple strong practices for the offense. Peter Sirmon's group has seemed to want to make a point of impacting practice, and today was another great example of that. The intensity level was again high, and it didn't take long for things to get chippy.

After completing a pass to Jordan King, quarterback Ben Finley was intercepted by Miles Williams to end the first end drive. Finley then made a bee line for Williams and got into the first of the small dustups on the day and had to be pulled from the group after the play.

Sam Jackson V then came in with the second unit, and it didn't take long for another turnover. This time, with the offense backed up close to its own end zone, Jackson was flushed from the pocket and forced into a tough throw that was ultimately picked off by Jeremiah Earby and returned for a touchdown. It was 100% a ball that shouldn't have been thrown as there was nowhere for Jackson to go with it up against the sideline, but in the end it was another strong play for the defense.

- Like Thursday, it was more than just the interceptions that stood out for the defense. There were numerous pass deflections and breakups on the back end, and something that became a bit of a theme Friday for the first time in camp were the batted passes at the line. That hasn't come up as much through the first 13 practices, but there were multiple occasions Friday where defensive linemen or edge rushers were able to get a hand on the ball to impact the throws from quarterbacks.

Stanley Saole-McKenzie came up with one of the batted balls on a play against Jackson and the starting offensive line during the second team period. Meanwhile, outside linebacker David Reese opened the second team period with a batted pass on an impressive play against Jackson with some added help from Ethan Saunders who applied the pressure to force the pass.

Reese also came up with a sack earlier on in that drive, and he had one of his most impactful days in camp Friday. The Florida transfer has looked like one of the top newcomers, and he appears poised for a strong season with the Bears.

Fellow outside linebacker Xavier Carlton also came up with a sack of his own on the ensuing drive as he worked against the second offensive line unit.

On the back end, Julian Womack came up with an early pass breakup in the 7-on-7 period working against Monroe Young with Finley throwing. Cornerback Marcus Scott II came up with a pass breakup during the second team period on a tough play that nearly ended with Jaiven Plummer coming down with the ball. Isaiah Young had a pass breakup in the final team period working against Mason Starling, but it was Earby who truly stood out in the defensive back group Friday with his best day of camp.

In addition to his early interception against Jackson, the sophomore came up with two pass breakups against camp star Trond Grizzell in the end zone on third and fourth down to ultimately force a turnover on downs.

- Once again, the turnovers overshadowed some positive work by the quarterback unit. The issues getting into the end zone have come back from time to time, but overall the offense has been making progress in that regard over the last several practices. Finley has been the best at leading scoring drives as of late, and Friday he guided the first one during a team period as he worked with the second unit.

The result was a rushing score from Ashton Stredick, but he also passed for a touchdown later in practice during the final team period. Late in practice during the situational team period, Finley hit Brian Hightower for 26 yards on a ball placed perfectly in the end zone with the Cal receiver working against Tyson McWilliams, who has put together a solid showing over the last few weeks.

Jackson did not lead a touchdown drive Friday, but Fernando Mendoza was able to get in the scoring mix with a nicely-placed pass to freshman Nyziah Hunter during the "DEVO" team period that allows some of the younger/inexperienced players get some live work. That scoring play ultimately went for 65 yards.

- The running back unit continues to showcase its abilities despite being shorthanded entering the season. Stredick's 40-yard score early in the second team period was a stellar play that showcased his patience as he found a hole and made the most of the space he was allowed to have by cutting through the line and up the the field. Once he reached the second level, Stredick turned on the jets for the score.

Isaiah Ifanse closed out practice with a 9-yard score in his opportunity to work behind the first unit offensive line.

- The other big theme of Friday's practice was the level of intensity and the amount of chippiness for the entirety of practice. Sirmon alluded to it earlier in the week, but by this point in camp everyone is getting a little tired of each other, and that showed itself again Friday. It started early with Finley having to be pulled from a bit of a pile and it continued with Nate Burrell getting involved in a later dustup between some linemen followed by another mini-scuffle after the last team period.

Eventually, Reese stepped up and addressed the team before Justin Wilcox wrapped up practice reminding his teammates that the end goal is to get better. He was unhappy that the intensity carried over into the post-practice conversation and let it be known drawing some praise from his other teammates.

- Craig Woodson, who missed some time earlier in the week, was back on the field going through individual drills. He was kept out of team periods, however.

Brett Johnson is now fully back and was working with the first unit during today's practice again.

Video interviews

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

Thursday's practice was a bit of a shorter one than usual as the Bears near the end of the "camp" portion of preseason work. The team will leave campus next week for a couple days to get some work off-site before settling in for game preparations. So, that means the next couple days will be the last open practices for the team.

Saturday will be the best day for media and fans to get a glimpse at what this year's team will look like as the Bears hold their second scrimmage. If it is anything like the first scrimmage last Sunday, there will be ample opportunities for evaluation for the staff, and it should be the last big push for players trying to earn a starting job.

Because the two practices leading into Saturday's scrimmage are expected to be shorter, I will have one combined look ahead to the day.

However, I still wanted to give you an overview of what took place Thursday to hold you over until then.

Practice takeaways

- The players were a bit noncommittal to the idea when I brought it up, but I thought it was the most impactful day of camp for the defense. Yes, a lot of that can be contributed to five interceptions, but overall it was often difficult for the offense to move the ball through the various team periods as well. Overall, the offense was held to just one score during the two big team periods and there were several impressive tackles at the line of scrimmage and in the backfield.

- The highlight of the day was obviously the interceptions and that started early. Cornerback Lu-Magia Hearns, who I believe is going to benefit greatly this season from having a shutdown corner on the others side in Nohl Williams, came up with two interceptions on the day. His first came in the 7-on-7 period as he was able to top a pass to himself on a fantastic play on a throw that was intended for Jeremiah Hunter from Sam Jackson V.

Hearns then came up with another interception during the team period as he stepped in front of a throw from Ben Finley intended for Brian Hightower. Finley was pushed out of the pocket on the play and tried to force the throw up the sideline to Hightower. He was clearly frustrated with the decision and put his hands to his head after the play was dead.

The first interception during the team period came from an unlikely place as Jackson was forced out of the pocket by Ethan Saunders and Myles Williams forcing him to throw on the run and instead of finding a receiver his pass landed in the hands of linebacker Jackson Sirmon who was also able get a decent return on the play as well.

The other interception that came in the team period belonged to Colorado transfer Kaylin Moore who stepped was able to nab a pass from Jackson during the second team period sealing a four-interception day for the Cal quarterback.

Earlier in practice during the 7-on-7 period, there was another tipped pass from Jackson that started things off. Defensive back Julian Womack got a hand on the throw from Jackson and did a good enough job to make the play that it gave Cam Sidney enough time to get underneath the ball and catch it for the first interception on a strong day for the secondary.

- It wasn't just the secondary that was standing out defensively for the Bears on Thursday. There was consistent pressure on the quarterbacks and impressive tackling on a day when the team didn't go with full pads. The defense wasn't able to go with full force, but it had several impressive stops limiting the offense's ability to get into the end zone. Ultimately, the offense was held to just one touchdown thanks to impressive play all around.

Jeremiah Earby, Tyson McWilliams and Sai Vadrawale all came up with pass breakups during the team periods with the final two pass breakups coming on consecutive plays late in the second team period. On that drive, the defense also came up with a sack as newcomer at outside linebacker, Tidiane Jalloh, was able to get to Fernando Mendoza setting up a long third down. Eventually, Vadrawale's pass breakup on Marquez Dortch resulted in a turnover on downs.

- The quarterback play was not impressive on Thursday, and it was a step back for Jackson who had been making progress by limiting his turnovers in several recent practices. His four interceptions certainly made it difficult on the offense and throws the quarterback competition for another loop. Jake Spavital will soon have to make a decision about the job, and Thursday's practice certainly felt like a setback for making that choice. Turnovers are the biggest element holding Jackson back from taking charge in the competition at this point, and Thursday was his worst practice in that regard.

Finley was the only quarterback to lead a touchdown drive as he connected with Hightower on a 30-yard play down the right sideline with Earby in coverage. The score was another impressive play for the Illinois transfer receiver who has emerged as a top playmaker for the Bears in recent practices.

The other biggest play for the offense on Thursday came from running back Ashton Sanders who had a 24-yard run on that touchdown drive thanks to a huge block from a pulling Brayden Rohme that opened up a big hole allowing Sanders to make his run up the field.

- One positive injury note, receiver Monroe Young made his return to the field Thursday after missing a couple days of work.

Post-practice interviews

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media