Gophers Open -2.5 vs Cal Bears

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STPGopher said:
"The goal is to be 1-0 in the California Bears championship season..." _Someone. 😁
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It is one of those things in sports.....for fans the most important game is probably one later in the season against a rival. For the team the most important game has to be the next one on the schedule and if it isn't there is a good chance they will get beat.
 


GophEnEspaña said:
Have you ever played sports? Have you ever been a part of a locker room? Sports, and especially sports with short seasons like college football, are about momentum and group psychology. Let's unpack this for you Matty: If we have a bad loss at Cal, we then have Rutgers, at home, a chance for revenge, after a bye week. That Rutgers game is huge for many reasons. If you drop that game, you're then 2-2 heading into Ohio State. With that loss you're then sitting at 2-3.

Momentum is everything in life, and especially in sports. Moreover, bye weeks are always challenging for coaching staffs because, at the end of the day, they are still dealing with kids/young men. You have to keep an entire locker room focused with a two week break. If PJ gets an impressive win at Cal, we then head into the bye with more focus and enter that Rutgers game with more swagger and confidence, giving your self a better chance to enter the Horseshoe at 4-0.

I didn't say Cal was our most difficult opponent, but the timing and way our schedule unravels - yes, I think this is the most important game of the season because it can tee us up for a real run.
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Congrats on your ability to be both condescending and incorrect at the same time.
 



Cal fan here... Really looking forward to the game.

As far as what we think of our team.. on the positive side:
1) We're very excited about our freshman QB, though he was a bit inconsistent in week 2.. took him a while to get going.
2) Our defense seems pretty strong. Wilcox's usually are, this might be his best front 7 yet and so far the replacements for the 3 DBs who were drafted last year are coming along nicely
3) We had a RB emerge to some extent this past weekend. After having our entire RB room transfer back in April/May, its nice to have some stability
4) OL has only given up one sack this season after giving up... i think 50 something last year.
5) We have a pretty dynamic PR guy for the first time in a long, long time. Already has more PR yards than all of our guys last year.

Concerns:
1) Our WRs have struggled with both drops as well as getting any separation in the first two games. JKS' #s in game 1 were even more impressive as he was dropping dimes in very tight windows. Still, this is going to limit our season if they don't improve quick
2) Our best LB will miss the first half (cade uluave) due to a dumb targeting penalty, though the depth behind him is pretty solid
3) Pass pro may be better but run blocking is still a weakness
4) We don't really have anyone at RB or WR who can really break a game open. Cal historically - at least as long as i've been watching - historically has one or two (or a lot) of these guys. Its the result of a huge skill position exodus combined with a conscious decision by the coaches to emphasize getting first downs / falling forward, after we've spent a few years struggling mightily in short yardage and in the red zone.

My guess is that it'll be a close game, and possibly a bit of a rockfight as both offenses struggle. I could see it going either way. Cal has done quite well OOC since I've been a fan, but its a new year and Minnesota is one of the best two or three teams on our schedule, so who knows.

I greatly enjoyed our last little series back in the 00s. Before the '06 game, I was still at Cal and in a fraternity. Being an engineering student, I put that Cal education to use and made a 3 story beer bong. Early in the morning a few Minnesota fans come up the street... elderly ones, my guess is that they were 80+. One was particularly bemused by the contraption, and after a little coaxing, rips one. Cheers abound and everyone goes their merry way.

Not that big a deal, except... apparently the guy supposedly had a weekly radio show with John Madden. He spoke at length the following Monday about the "beer drinking contraption" he had experienced that morning. The fact that John Madden was talking about my beer bong to a national audience made 22 year old me very proud.

Is anyone making the trip? Let me know if you have any questions about Berkeley!
 

66stang408 said:
Cal fan here... Really looking forward to the game.

As far as what we think of our team.. on the positive side:
1) We're very excited about our freshman QB, though he was a bit inconsistent in week 2.. took him a while to get going.
2) Our defense seems pretty strong. Wilcox's usually are, this might be his best front 7 yet and so far the replacements for the 3 DBs who were drafted last year are coming along nicely
3) We had a RB emerge to some extent this past weekend. After having our entire RB room transfer back in April/May, its nice to have some stability
4) OL has only given up one sack this season after giving up... i think 50 something last year.
5) We have a pretty dynamic PR guy for the first time in a long, long time. Already has more PR yards than all of our guys last year.

Concerns:
1) Our WRs have struggled with both drops as well as getting any separation in the first two games. JKS' #s in game 1 were even more impressive as he was dropping dimes in very tight windows. Still, this is going to limit our season if they don't improve quick
2) Our best LB will miss the first half (cade uluave) due to a dumb targeting penalty, though the depth behind him is pretty solid
3) Pass pro may be better but run blocking is still a weakness
4) We don't really have anyone at RB or WR who can really break a game open. Cal historically - at least as long as i've been watching - historically has one or two (or a lot) of these guys. Its the result of a huge skill position exodus combined with a conscious decision by the coaches to emphasize getting first downs / falling forward, after we've spent a few years struggling mightily in short yardage and in the red zone.

My guess is that it'll be a close game, and possibly a bit of a rockfight as both offenses struggle. I could see it going either way. Cal has done quite well OOC since I've been a fan, but its a new year and Minnesota is one of the best two or three teams on our schedule, so who knows.

I greatly enjoyed our last little series back in the 00s. Before the '06 game, I was still at Cal and in a fraternity. Being an engineering student, I put that Cal education to use and made a 3 story beer bong. Early in the morning a few Minnesota fans come up the street... elderly ones, my guess is that they were 80+. One was particularly bemused by the contraption, and after a little coaxing, rips one. Cheers abound and everyone goes their merry way.

Not that big a deal, except... apparently the guy supposedly had a weekly radio show with John Madden. He spoke at length the following Monday about the "beer drinking contraption" he had experienced that morning. The fact that John Madden was talking about my beer bong to a national audience made 22 year old me very proud.

Is anyone making the trip? Let me know if you have any questions about Berkeley!
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Thanks for the insights. I'm also expecting a close game and it will probably come down to which teams young QB performs the best.

Didn't get to see your second game but watched the first one and was impressed by the QB (not as impressed as the announcers who were ridiculous, but still impressed). Key for us is going to be getting pressure on him and forcing him into freshman mistakes.

Best thing that happened for our QB was getting to sit last year behind a really experienced QB who found his way onto the Vikings roster. He learned a lot and has so far looked very good through 2 weeks. But this will be his first road test and power 4 defense so will be interesting to see how he holds up.

Would feel much better about this one if we were at home but Fleck does a good job getting the team ready to play on the road so I think he will have the guys ready.
 





Saw some plays from that little punt returner, he does look dynamic. Hopefully our punter can neutralize him.
 

66stang408 said:
Cal fan here... Really looking forward to the game.

As far as what we think of our team.. on the positive side:
1) We're very excited about our freshman QB, though he was a bit inconsistent in week 2.. took him a while to get going.
2) Our defense seems pretty strong. Wilcox's usually are, this might be his best front 7 yet and so far the replacements for the 3 DBs who were drafted last year are coming along nicely
3) We had a RB emerge to some extent this past weekend. After having our entire RB room transfer back in April/May, its nice to have some stability
4) OL has only given up one sack this season after giving up... i think 50 something last year.
5) We have a pretty dynamic PR guy for the first time in a long, long time. Already has more PR yards than all of our guys last year.

Concerns:
1) Our WRs have struggled with both drops as well as getting any separation in the first two games. JKS' #s in game 1 were even more impressive as he was dropping dimes in very tight windows. Still, this is going to limit our season if they don't improve quick
2) Our best LB will miss the first half (cade uluave) due to a dumb targeting penalty, though the depth behind him is pretty solid
3) Pass pro may be better but run blocking is still a weakness
4) We don't really have anyone at RB or WR who can really break a game open. Cal historically - at least as long as i've been watching - historically has one or two (or a lot) of these guys. Its the result of a huge skill position exodus combined with a conscious decision by the coaches to emphasize getting first downs / falling forward, after we've spent a few years struggling mightily in short yardage and in the red zone.

My guess is that it'll be a close game, and possibly a bit of a rockfight as both offenses struggle. I could see it going either way. Cal has done quite well OOC since I've been a fan, but its a new year and Minnesota is one of the best two or three teams on our schedule, so who knows.

I greatly enjoyed our last little series back in the 00s. Before the '06 game, I was still at Cal and in a fraternity. Being an engineering student, I put that Cal education to use and made a 3 story beer bong. Early in the morning a few Minnesota fans come up the street... elderly ones, my guess is that they were 80+. One was particularly bemused by the contraption, and after a little coaxing, rips one. Cheers abound and everyone goes their merry way.

Not that big a deal, except... apparently the guy supposedly had a weekly radio show with John Madden. He spoke at length the following Monday about the "beer drinking contraption" he had experienced that morning. The fact that John Madden was talking about my beer bong to a national audience made 22 year old me very proud.

Is anyone making the trip? Let me know if you have any questions about Berkeley!
Click to expand...
Thanks for chipping in. Great story on the beer contraption. I enjoy it when opposing fans contribute in the way you did. Especially for non-conference games where I don't have to automatically assume the person is a dickwad, as is the case if you were an Iowa fan.

We are too soon in the season and process to know exactly, but our team will either surprise us with a 10-2 or 6-6 season, or more likely fall somewhere in that 7-5 to 8-4 range. The game against Cal will go a long way toward clearing up the prognostications.
 

GophEnEspaña said:
Have you ever played sports? Have you ever been a part of a locker room? Sports, and especially sports with short seasons like college football, are about momentum and group psychology. Let's unpack this for you Matty: If we have a bad loss at Cal, we then have Rutgers, at home, a chance for revenge, after a bye week. That Rutgers game is huge for many reasons. If you drop that game, you're then 2-2 heading into Ohio State. With that loss you're then sitting at 2-3.

Momentum is everything in life, and especially in sports. Moreover, bye weeks are always challenging for coaching staffs because, at the end of the day, they are still dealing with kids/young men. You have to keep an entire locker room focused with a two week break. If PJ gets an impressive win at Cal, we then head into the bye with more focus and enter that Rutgers game with more swagger and confidence, giving your self a better chance to enter the Horseshoe at 4-0.

I didn't say Cal was our most difficult opponent, but the timing and way our schedule unravels - yes, I think this is the most important game of the season because it can tee us up for a real run.
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This is a very defensive and condescending way to answer a question.
 



GophEnEspaña said:
Momentum is everything in life, and especially in sports.
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PJ disagrees 😎.

Somehow I’m thinking he has had a more prolific career in sports in HS, college and professionally🤠. Feel free to educate myself and the rest of the board - we’re here to learn 🤓


GophEnEspaña said:
Moreover, bye weeks are always challenging for coaching staffs because, at the end of the day, they are still dealing with kids/young men. You have to keep an entire locker room focused with a two week break. If PJ gets an impressive win at Cal, we then head into the bye with more focus and enter that Rutgers game with more swagger and confidence, giving your self a better chance to enter the Horseshoe at 4-0.

I didn't say Cal was our most difficult opponent, but the timing and way our schedule unravels - yes, I think this is the most important game of the season because it can tee us up for a real run.
Click to expand...
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
PJ disagrees 😎.

Somehow I’m thinking he has had a more prolific career in sports in HS, college and professionally🤠. Feel free to educate myself and the rest of the board - we’re here to learn 🤓
Click to expand...
This is not an inter squad scrimmage. This is Cal Bears week! Now focus and give me twenty! ((Hoping he gets confused and gives me an actual $20)).
 


66stang408 said:
Cal fan here... Really looking forward to the game.

As far as what we think of our team.. on the positive side:
1) We're very excited about our freshman QB, though he was a bit inconsistent in week 2.. took him a while to get going.
2) Our defense seems pretty strong. Wilcox's usually are, this might be his best front 7 yet and so far the replacements for the 3 DBs who were drafted last year are coming along nicely
3) We had a RB emerge to some extent this past weekend. After having our entire RB room transfer back in April/May, its nice to have some stability
4) OL has only given up one sack this season after giving up... i think 50 something last year.
5) We have a pretty dynamic PR guy for the first time in a long, long time. Already has more PR yards than all of our guys last year.

Concerns:
1) Our WRs have struggled with both drops as well as getting any separation in the first two games. JKS' #s in game 1 were even more impressive as he was dropping dimes in very tight windows. Still, this is going to limit our season if they don't improve quick
2) Our best LB will miss the first half (cade uluave) due to a dumb targeting penalty, though the depth behind him is pretty solid
3) Pass pro may be better but run blocking is still a weakness
4) We don't really have anyone at RB or WR who can really break a game open. Cal historically - at least as long as i've been watching - historically has one or two (or a lot) of these guys. Its the result of a huge skill position exodus combined with a conscious decision by the coaches to emphasize getting first downs / falling forward, after we've spent a few years struggling mightily in short yardage and in the red zone.

My guess is that it'll be a close game, and possibly a bit of a rockfight as both offenses struggle. I could see it going either way. Cal has done quite well OOC since I've been a fan, but its a new year and Minnesota is one of the best two or three teams on our schedule, so who knows.

I greatly enjoyed our last little series back in the 00s. Before the '06 game, I was still at Cal and in a fraternity. Being an engineering student, I put that Cal education to use and made a 3 story beer bong. Early in the morning a few Minnesota fans come up the street... elderly ones, my guess is that they were 80+. One was particularly bemused by the contraption, and after a little coaxing, rips one. Cheers abound and everyone goes their merry way.

Not that big a deal, except... apparently the guy supposedly had a weekly radio show with John Madden. He spoke at length the following Monday about the "beer drinking contraption" he had experienced that morning. The fact that John Madden was talking about my beer bong to a national audience made 22 year old me very proud.

Is anyone making the trip? Let me know if you have any questions about Berkeley!
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Outside of Punt returns, how are your special teams? I'd say ours are pretty strong. Perhaps not so strong on punt and kick returns, but solid in all phases.
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
At least no Orcas are involved

20 pennies on their way - they may soon be collector’s items 🤔
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All copper? Deal!

Regarding Orcas, there might be some. They tend to follow seals? Pier 39?
Sealions_on_Pier_39%2C_SF%2C_CA%2C_jjron_26.03.2012.jpg
 


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