Despite the disappointment and adversity the team has faced this year, my Cal fan parents of 6 years are now hooked on Cal Football (my parents started going to Cal games when I attended Cal). 

Last night as I watched the game, soaked to the bone, and cold, I wondered if my parents on the other side of the stadium were still watching.  They had told me prior to the game that they were bringing ponchos and all sorts of crazy rain gear but I still wasn’t exactly sure if they’d stick it out until the end, especially when they have a 1.5 hour drive home (and in the rain). 

Lo and behold, they stuck it out in the rain!

Here’s an little excerpt of an email my mom sent me:

Yes, we are die hard fans and stayed till the bitter end.  Dad wants to buy tickets for next year.  He has not given up and still wants to go to a Rose Bowl.  So here we go again …  Guess we’re true blue fans now.

That little bit right there made me crack a smile and be proud of my parents.  Don’tcha love it when you turn your friends into Cal fans?  Isn’t it even better when your family becomes Cal fans too?  

I suppose the most "romantic" part is that my dad also surprised my mom with a weekend birthday trip to Seattle next week for the away game at U-Dub.   

I guess that’s when you really know you’re a True Blue Cal Football fan, when you start to arrange your life outside of football around Cal Football and start to incorporate Cal Football into your life outside of football. 

*I like the throwbacks.  I wouldn’t mind seeing the team bust those out every five years or so for special occasions.  I really like my old school hat that they gave out too. 

*Alright, now that I got the positive things out of the way, I’m sure people will want to hear about the negatives.  Well, let’s start with Mr. Popular, Nate Longshore.  Well, he was 13/29 for a buck ninety-nine, 1 TD and 2 INTs.  He definitely had some bad throws.  I’m not sure if it was the rain and slickness of the ball or what, but there were a few balls that were really off the mark.  Most memorable is that INT throw to Robert Jordan while we were driving north in the 4th Quarter.  IIRC, Jordan had the defender beat.  Had the throw been 5 yards further out front, that might have been a touchdown.  Another was a throw to Jordan on 3rd down of our very first drive.  On that play Lonshore had perfect protection but the ball was pretty far behind RJ.  Honestly, I’m torn between deciding whether Longshore just laid an egg today or it was the rain.  I know most fans will remember the throws he didn’t make, but there were definitely some good & great throws too.  I think most fans just don’t remember those throws because they used to be so normal (such as passing in ‘06, and ‘04). 

*I know a lot of people probably want to see Riley.  That’s fine.  Honestly, while I have been a reasonable defender of Longshore, I finally find myself thinking that Longshore’s slump is holding the team back.  I suppose a lot of fans are probably thinking "finally! Hydrotech! Wasn’t it so obvious?!"  Well, no, it wasn’t.  For his past few poor performances, there were also instances of other factors such as defenders just making great plays, and pass blocking breakdowns.  Today, we saw great pass blocking.  I think the one time Longshore was sacked and fumbled, that was either just a delayed blitz from the weak side or Gibson just didn’t see the blitz.  There was one other time where I remember $C getting substantial pressure on Longshore.  Other than that and the rain, the pass blocking was great.  But despite that great pass blocking Longshore was 13/29.  What gives?  The rain?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Either way, there is no need for "Longshore, you suck!" comments, Mr. Push’EmAroundBears (you probably don’t know what I’m talking about unless you were in the student section around row 45 or so on the southern 45 yardline.)

*Forsett.  How ’bout an A+?  31 carries for a buck sixty-four and a TD (5.3 yard average).  Keep in mind this was against $C’s defense that has like 9 future 1st round draft picks in it (okay, that was somewhat of an exaggeration but you get the point).  I really liked what I saw today from Forsett.  He had a number of great 10+ yard runs but unfortunately wasn’t quite able to really bust a big 80 yarder to make up for our weak passing game.  [EDIT] I can’t remember if Forsett fumbled.  If he did, then A-.  If not and I’m on crack, then A+. 

*Run blocking.  Well, this goes pretty much hand in hand with Forsett.  I think the OL gets a passing grade for its more often than not, good to great run blocking.  

*Passing game.  Alright.  Once again, I have to stick up for Longshore on a few points.  There were a few throws to WRs on "option" routes.  Meaning, based on what the defense shows, the WR will run a certain route.  The QB and the WR has to be on the same page or else disaster can strike.  Those few throws to WRs on "option" routes looked like completely HORRIBLE throws when they’re not.  It’s a mis-read or mis-communication.  Either on the part of Longshore or the WR.  Just just be conscious of that when you see Longshore make a throw that is wayyyy off target.  And the other point I have to stick out for Longshore on is the $C defense.  Those guys are good.  Longshore almost threw an INT to Brian Cushing (#10?).  Cushing expertly baited Longshore by pretending to bite on a short out, but then dropped in on the interior route for a woulda-been-an-INT incompletion.  All great QBs can be baited.  It happens to everyone.  Longshore, and Peyton Manning. 

*Anybody notice a few new wrinkles on offense?  We used 4 WR packages around 3-5 times this game.  In case you don’t quite keep tabs on what personnel sets we use, we’ve used the 4 WR personnel package about twice all year prior to this game.  And that play where Longshore threw his second INT, that was a great new deception play.  I know Longshore threw an INT, but that play was was sort of along the lines of those three plays against Tennessee that I highlighted in my Tennessee film study. 

*Playcalling.  I liked what I saw.  I like running a lot in the rain.  And the passing plays called were acceptable.  We did take a few shots down the field (such as the fade throw to Best at WR) and a few shots down the middle (Hawkins).  But the one thing that puzzled me was the playcalling right before halftime.  Specifically after that holding penalty or whatever it was.  We were faced with 2nd and a mile (25) around mid-field.  We then ran a draw out of shotgun.  Then we called a timeout.  Calling the timeout leads me to believe that we did in fact want to score.  But if we wanted to score, then you’d think we’d call a pass play on 2nd and 25 instead of run.  Afterall, we needed about 20 yards to get within a LONG field goal attempt and only had less than a minute left, IIRC.  Then afer the second down run, we called a timeout and took a deep shot at the endzone.  After all that, you gotta wonder why Tedford called a draw on 2nd and 25, when he was just as willing to pass on 3rd and 25.  Well, I just remembered that Longshore got hit and fumbled on that 1st down play, and it wasn’t a penalty.  And Longshore was down and apparently quasi-injured, or at least momentarily injured.  So that 2nd and 25 draw play?  That was because Tedford didn’t want Longshore to throw right after a big hit.  Most coaches do the same thing.  After your QB takes a big hit, you call a run or two to give your QB time to recoup.  Some might make the argument that we should have put Riley in for the rest of the drive.  Maybe so, but Riley would have come in pretty much cold not to mention his inexperience.  So after all that thought and reasoning, I’m not bothered as much by that 2nd and 25 draw play.

*Defense.  Conte started and got lucky once.  I think it was $C’s first drive that Booty missed a wide open WR that had beat Conte.  This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Conte get beat on deeper routes.  That makes me nervous.  There is no doubt in my mind that he’s the best for the CB spot opposite of Syd if he’s starting but yeesh.  Syd had a pretty good game.  $C didn’t seem to test him much and on a deep comeback route Syd almost intercepted the ball.   Linebackers had a decent game.  Follett had some great tackles and a few critical mistakes (goalline touchdown pass and missed tackle on 3rd and 3 for $C to convert to end the game).  Felder seemed latent today.  I remember hearing the announcer say that Felder made the tackle but didn’t really see Felder much.  Nevertheless, Felder totaled 9 tackles today.  Decoud had 12 tackles on the day and led the team.  Good for Decoud, but I’m not sure we want to have our safety leading the team in tackles…  Okay, and as for the Dline.  Well, U$C’s Chauncy Washington ran 29 times for TWO bucks and twenty cents, and a TD (7.6 yard average).  The plays where I watched the DL, it seemed that they were getting moved out of position pretty easily allowing Chauncy Washington to immediate make his way to the linebacker level untouched.  Not a good showing by the DL, IMO. 

*Overall thoughts.  Well, I’m not flippin’ out or anything about the loss.  Yeah, losing sucks, especially to $C but well, I guess there is no other way to say it but that I guess my skin is a little tougher since this is L #4.  It’s not like we got blown out.  The game was winnable.  Oh, and field position.  We had crappy field position all game.  I think we only crossed the 50 like 4 times all game?  Anyways.  I felt the game was winnable.  I think we were only a few good throws away from a tie game and possible overtime.  So does that make Longshore responsible for our loss?  Well, not really but a few more completions here and there along with better run defense would have helped.