Cal’s offense came out of the night looking stuck in neutral, and that was the biggest problem in a loss that never really found a rhythm for the Bears.
The odd part is that this wasn’t supposed to be the concern. Before the season, Cal’s attack felt like the one unit you could trust.
Instead, it has become a stop-start mess, and it’s not easy to pin down exactly why. Maybe it’s offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville leaning too hard on bubble screens - even on third-and-10 - or maybe it’s a personnel problem.
But that’s a tough sell, considering head coach Tosh Lupoi reshaped the offense in the offseason.
What stood out most was how little Cal let Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele do down the field. One of the nation’s best pure passers tried only five throws beyond 15 yards, which hardly matches his game.
Wide receivers Ian Strong and Chase Hendricks had their moments, but a lot of their production came in safe, low-upside designs from Somerville. The Bears’ longest play of the night was a 26-yard completion to Strong thrown by tight end Mason Mini, which says plenty about how the night went.
There were at least signs of life on defense, even if the scoreboard didn’t reflect much of it. After getting pushed around by the Bruins in Week 1, Cal’s defense has improved steadily.
And on a night when the offense barely moved, linebacker Kamar Mothudi provided the Bears’ lone touchdown with a scoop and score. Outside of the field goal, that was the full extent of Cal’s scoring.
The defensive effort was anchored by safety Kingston Lopa, who keeps climbing NFL draft boards with every outing. The Oregon transfer posted a career-high 11 tackles. Isaiah Crosby matched that total, even after briefly leaving the game in the first half, and he also picked off Clemson quarterback Tait Reynolds on an ill-advised flea flicker in the first quarter.
Clemson running back Gideon Davidson was the game’s biggest difference-maker. He piled up 159 yards on 22 carries and scored twice, repeatedly breaking through Cal’s defense before putting the game away with a 75-yard touchdown on third-and-8 with 5:30 left.
The passing chart for Sagapolutele told the story even more clearly. He went 0-for-5 on throws over 15 yards and 2-for-7 on passes between 5 and 14 yards. The amount of short passing felt deliberate, and while screens can work in the right dose, leaning on them over and over is a quick way to get them bottled up.
Sagapolutele finished with 119 passing yards, the lowest total of his college career.
The schedule does Cal no favors from here. The Bears head to Las Vegas next to face a UNLV team with Mountain West title hopes, and then they’ll play seven straight conference games to close the season. Whatever fixes are coming, they’ll need to come fast.
In Other News...
Cals Offense Looks Broken And One Bears Decision Feels Inevitable
Cals 24-10 home loss to Clemson left the Bears with more than just another setback on the schedule. The offense again looked stuck, the line still has not taken the kind of step forward the staff needed, and sophomore quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is being asked to navigate a mess around him while the special teams issues only add to the drag on the whole operation.
That kind of stagnation usually forces a staff to start reconsidering who is steering the unit, and Cal is getting close to that point. Jordan Somervilles role has come under scrutiny, not because the Bears lack time to be patient, but because the offense keeps showing the same problems with little sign of a breakthrough, which is why the conversation around a possible change in how the plays are being called is starting to feel harder to avoid. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Gets A Fascinating Homecoming Test Against Unbeaten Virginia Tech
Cals Homecoming weekend will bring an early spotlight to Berkeley, with the ACC setting the Bears Oct. 10 meeting with Virginia Tech for a midday start and national television coverage still to be finalized between ESPN2 and the ACC Network. The timing matters for a Cal team that has looked sharper in day games than under the lights, and it adds a little extra edge to a matchup that already carries plenty of novelty on campus.
Virginia Tech arrives unbeaten under new coach James Franklin, giving the Bears another measuring-stick opportunity in a season that has already had its share of swings. The Hokies also will be making their first trip ever to Berkeley, which gives the game a fresh feel beyond the standings and the calendar, and makes Cals Homecoming stage look even more intriguing. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Faces A Familiar Crossroads After Another Uneven Start
After another uneven opening month, the Bears find themselves at a familiar sort of crossroads, with plenty of season still ahead and not much margin for error. Cal has eight games left, and the path from here turns quickly from one last non-conference test into a long run of ACC play, which means the room to settle in, stack wins and change the narrative is still there if the team can find it.
The history, though, is not especially encouraging for Cal teams that have stumbled early, even if there are a few standout exceptions tied to some of the programs best quarterback eras. This groups ability to make something of the season may rest in part on sophomore Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele continuing to grow into the job, but the larger issue is broader than one player. Cal needs to improve across the board, and soon, if this year is going to end anywhere near where the Bears want it to. [Read more 🡒]