Only was watching on Red Zone, but DeSean with a big 62 yd reception to set up a Raven TD in the 4th, but Marvin Jones with a TD late for the Jags!

What did you tell your team after this one?

"We all just need to expect more from ourselves -- coaches, players, our program, support staff, everybody and be just a little bit better in everything that we do," Wilcox said. "We have adjustments we need to make as a football team, and I think everybody who surrounds the football team, all of us can improve and be better. I love the guys on the team. They give us great effort. We have to play a little bit better -- a little bit better more often and give ourselves a chance to win the game.

"We've had unfortunately a handful of those this year and last year. I know it can get done. I believe in the guys in the locker room, and we're going to continue to push them and set very, very high expectations for how we do things. And we're going to continue to recruit and develop the roster in a competitive environment. I know we can do it. I know they know we can do it. But we have to evolve and have higher standards for everything that we do as a football program."

What did you think the difference was today?

"Well, I mean, defensively we need one more stop -- whether it's the end of the first half, there's a fourth down in there, some third-and-longs -- one more stop. And then offensively, I think the big thing was third-down conversions. We knew how we were going to play this game for us to be successful, we felt, and some of that really stayed true, but I think offensively it was a couple third down opportunities that we didn't convert. And if we had converted, we keep those drives alive, we run more plays and a chance to score more points. So everybody could have done something a little bit better."

The turnover battle was the difference today, what happened there?

"Yeah, I don't know that there's one thing. Guys practice hard, we talk about ball security and taking the ball away. We didn't get it done. Again, I think we talk about this all the time -- if there's a drill that you can employ to guarantee yourself takeaways and ball security than everybody would do it. It's a combination of things. We put the ball on the ground on the punt return unfortunately, and then the last one, but we didn't get one on the other side. Yeah, I don't know if there's a specific reason. We've done a good job of that. Their offense, they've got some really good players and they don't turn it over, they've scored on people. We could have done some things on defense to make it harder on them, but you also have to give those guys their due. They're pretty talented. But the turnovers, we just didn't get it done today."

Your offensive players did a good job today -- it's a new era where you not only have to recruit but re-recruit guys you have on the roster. Does going out in this way where you battled a good team so hard say something to these guys about what you have going here?

"I can't speak for anybody else. I have the utmost confidence in those guys, and I know we can be successful here. I know we can score a lot of points, but I can't speak for somebody else. I think they all care about each other, they're awesome teammates to not only the guys on offense but the entire team. That's a good group right there."

How would you characterize this season?

"The record was not near what we thought it could have and should have been, so that's very disappointing. Can't get used to that, never will, so it's disappointing. The results of the games were disappointing as a whole. I believe in our players. I know what they're capable of. We have to continue to build competition in certain areas. It's a competitive league. There's some really, really good football teams in our league. We have a lot to offer not only high schoolers but guys that are in the transfer portal here at Cal and we're going to be working aggressively toward that December and January to continue to build and bolster our roster. So yeah, the record's not acceptable for the players or the program, but I know and have conviction of what we're capable of doing and it's going to, as I mentioned, there's going to be additions and there's going to be changes as we move forward. But I'm very, very optimistic about what we can accomplish here and doing it the right way."

What challenges did UCLA's other backs aside from Zach Charbonnet present to you?

"They're very talented, and yeah, the QB, he's a very gifted runner as well. They do a great job with their run game, their O-line doesn't get talked about enough, and obviously Charbonnet and Harden are really good players. Yeah, we had a tough time getting any negative plays on them. Very, very difficult for us to get negative plays today, and then we had a hard time getting to the quarterback."

It is painful to see how Jonathan Smith has built up that program while Wilcox just stalled out after a positive start and is now heading in reverse

I didn't want to leave this only in the Zoom thread in case you didn't plan on looking there ...

Here's what Justin Wilcox said when I asked about the state of the program and what gives him confidence that with a couple staff changes and whatever else is done in the offseason that next season can be substantially different?

"I think you look at the games that we had a chance or opportunity to find a way to win but didn't. It's playing up to our potential more often. I think we have some very good players on the team. We need to get healthy -- like a lot of teams, there's some very, very talented players, some of those guys are very young so I think the future is bright. The team cares about each other, they're good guys, they work hard, they practice hard. The chemistry and culture in the room is strong. They're disappointed and frustrated that we're not having more success on the field, but not once have we seen a guy hang it up, so to speak. So it gives me a lot of confidence, but it is frustrating, it is disappointing not getting the results that we all think we are able to achieve. There were a number of times, as I mentioned, especially this year and last year where a play or two plays or three plays, you're looking at a difference in eight, nine games. So we need to find a way to make up those margins and I'm certain we can do that. It won't be easy, but I'm certain we can accomplish that."

My follow-up, asking how what he envisioned for the season didn't align with how it played out (beyond the record). Was it just injuries or what other specific frustrations has the season brought?

"There's no way to plan for injuries, and they're a part of the game, you roll with it. That's why you have 85 scholarships, and we've got to make sure that the guys who are maybe backups, the 2s and the 3s, that they're playing to their potential. Just like everybody who's dealing with injuries, the starters are our starters for a reason. We want the next guy up, the 2s or the 3s to be working extremely hard in practice, so that when they get their opportunity that they live up to the standard at that position or on that unit. We've got to continue to push that, we've got to continue to push the players, so that when we have somebody get dinged up that that next man up is playing at the standard that we've all set."

Sam Alajiki is out today.

Coaching hires aside, next season will depend entirely on improvement from the big guys up front.

At OL, we can hope that Angus’s last recruiting class takes a step forward with a season of S&C and real coaching (from whoever is hired hopefully asap).

At DL, we can hope that everyone comes back healthy.

What else can we hope for? Another season of ineffective OL and DL play will doom the Bears regardless of the skill talent we have

I'm immersed in football work tonight so I will not be tuned in live to the basketball game, but I'll be tracking it and if they happen to win will make sure to write it up.

Here are today's postgame press conferences with Justin Wilcox discussing today's loss to UCLA plus the outlook for the offseason and the future for the Bears. Plus, quarterback Jack Plummer, linebacker Jackson Sirmon, receiver Jeremiah Hunter and safety Daniel Scott speak with reporters about the game and season.

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Well, the likely end of the season is here so one more time!

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Dirk Koetter for OC?

Ucla 38 cal 24

It's a massive longshot, but Jesse breaks it down along with the matchup against UCLA:

I cover a lot of ground here. Jesse hit on the key points in the Tuesday thread from the press conferences, but here's a full writeup on what stood out this week.

I know we've had some rocky times on here of late, but I really do appreciate this community. Hope you all have excellent Thanksgivings with your families!

I have some fresh leads on staffing, so I'm "cautiously optimistic," as Mark Fox would say, that we can get something done there soon.

I'm finishing a story in the next couple hours -- fell asleep working on it last night. I'm without an Oregon writer this week so have been trying to cover three teams.

And looking forward to having some Friday football to watch tomorrow with y'all!

BEAT FURD!

Kickoff @ 2:30 PST

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Tonight at 6:00 at Haas 0-3 Cal takes on Southern in an attempt to get W # 1. Earlier this week in Moraga, St Mary's trashed Southern 72-54 to soften them up for the Bad Bears. If only Mark plays ND and Sam more and Lars, Monty and Joel less, but it is his job to keep or lose along with his choice of player-rotations. I simply note that Cal gets off to poor starts which says a lot about our starting lineup.

Roberson is out tonight

Last one of the season!

*1130 am - Wilcox
*Noon - P. Sirmon
*1 pm - Plummer
*115 pm - Scott
*145 pm - Hunter

Didn’t know I could love randle more!

Go to his profile to see the rest of it

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I know it was the Furd, which is one of worst teams in the PAC in both offense and defense. Nonetheless, I have no doubt that if Musgrave called that game last night, we would have turtled up in the 4th quarter and lost by at least 2 tds. The trees are a very low bar, but we LOST to Colorado, and got pummeled by Oregon State and Washington State. There's no doubt in my mind we lose last night if Musgrave was still the OC. Not that Geep was great by any means, but I still think he called the game much better than musgrave would have. The only disheartening thing is that our season might look different if he had been fired midseason before Colorado...At a minimum we'd be bowl eligible IMHO...

Does anyone with insider knowledge know if Wilcox will bring back Steve Greatwood back as his OL coach full time next year? I believe we need a technician at the position, but a lights out recruiter. I feel like Greatwood left Angus Mclure short of talent when he left. I don’t think Greatwood liked to recruit. I could be wrong. Any thought folks?

I saw Ramsey was dressed yesterday. I don’t believe he played but it good to see him progressing from his injury.

3-2-1 for the week for 41-36-1 for the year. 1-0 for my lock of the week (almost won outright) for 4-8 for the year. https://cal.forums.rivals.com/threads/lets-pick-the-pac-12-games-week-12.31624/

[home team in italics]

UA by 4.5 over ASU - Arizona is just better and they want this bad.

fUCLA by 10 over Cal - Short week on the road. Letdown game. Double digit home underdog. I'd pick cal if chip kelly didn't own the shit out of wilcox and well we didn't suck. fUCLA kicks the shit out cal.

Oregon by 3.5 over Oregon State - Hard to know if nix is healthy. I like a close game so I'll take Oregon State.

Utah by 29.5 over Colorado - I keep picking colorado and people keep covering. Utah covers.

USC by 5.5 over ND - Expect a close game. ND covers.

UW by 2 over WSU - UW is just better.

BYU by 6.5 over Furd - Very hard for me to see a furd cover here even though BYU isnt' very good.



Non conference lock of the week: Ohio State by 7.5 over Michigan - Michigan covers.