Pittsburgh, PA — The Cal football team lost their third-straight one-score game in ACC play, falling short to the Pitt Panthers to the score of 17-15. From an over-aggressive move to start the game, to playing it a little too safe as the matchup continued, the Golden Bears lost a game in which they were honestly the better team throughout the contest. Instead, two missed two-point conversions and a missed field goal see Cal returning to Berkeley with a 3-3 record.
Let’s dive into why the Golden Bears fell short in a matchup the probably should have won.
Penalties, Penalties, Penalties
This was a game where neither team could stop shooting themselves in the feet. Unfortunately for Cal, they just happened to do so a lot more than Pitt did.
The Golden Bears had 12 penalties accepted for 110 yards. A lot of those were chunk-yardage penalties – holds, unsportsmanlike conduct, pass interference. This allowed Pitt to keep drives alive, while also being detrimental to the Cal offense. The penalties on offense actively killed drives for a Cal offense that saw quarterback Fernando Mendoza on a roll throughout the game.
This is the second week in a row where the Cal football team seemed undisciplined with penalties. Last week against Miami we saw a similar occurrence. Until this team can stop making silly mistakes, they will find it hard to come away with a victory in one-score matchups.
Yet despite those issues, Cal was still in a position to win the game in the fourth quarter. However, another missed two-point conversion and a shanked field goal halted any hope of a victory for Cal.
Questionable Coaching
This matchup featured some interesting coaching decisions by Cal head coach Justin Wilcox. On top of that, there seemed to be some adjustment issues for the Golden Bears in the second half.
To open the game, Cal drove down the field and scored with ease. Yet instead of kicking the field goal, the Golden Bears attempted a fake for a two-point conversion try. Cal would miss the attempt, and find themselves down 7-6 after Pitt scored on the following possession.
While I actually agree the thought process behind this decision, seeing the team become far more conservative after that missed attempt felt counterproductive to the original plan.
As the game continued, it was clear that offensively, Cal planned on forcing the Panthers to play laterally and in space. Considering their 4-3 defensive scheme and lack of true playmakers in the secondary, it wasn’t a bad gameplan. Unfortunately, Cal never adjusted once Pitt became privy to that gameplan. By the time Cal found some rhythm offensively (via Jack Endries), it was almost too little, too late.
Another interesting thing I noticed was that the Cal secondary was seemingly giving away their coverage plans pre-snap. Now, it’s impossible for a defensive to disguise their coverage all the time. However, far too often Pitt was able to see what the Golden Bears were doing defensively, and adjust accordingly.
Despite that, the Cal defense was able to put the clamps down on Pitt, keeping them scoreless in the second half of the game.
Mendoza to the Moon
One of the only true bright spots for the Cal football team on Saturday was their quarterback. With running back Jaydn Ott out, it was going to be tough sledding for the Golden Bears offense. Yet while the rushing attack wasn’t putrid, the unit was humming thanks to the arm of Mendoza.
The second-year quarterback was fitting balls in tight windows throughout the contest. He was able to reach the opposite side of the field with little issue, and showed great zip on the ball. Mendoza would convert 27-of-37 passes for 272 yards, completing 73 percent of his passes. He showed great chemistry with the aforementioned Endries, and wasn’t afraid of taking chances when needed.
While the lack of gameplan adjustment did not do the offense much favors in the second half, Mendoza continued to play well despite that (and poor offensive line play).
What’s Next for Cal?
A team that was once considered a dark horse to compete for an ACC championship, Cal is starting to slip – and fast. Discipline issues, whether through penalties, technique, or mental mistakes, continue to plague the team.
This three-game stretch was the most difficult part of the Golden Bears’ schedule. While it would have been hard to predict them winning all three ACC matchups, it’s more about the manner in which Cal lost these games. And, a lot of issues are stemming on the offensive side of the ball as well; where the play calls are unimpressive, and the inability to keep drives going are hindering the team overall.
Thankfully for Cal, the rest of their football schedule is relatively easy. However, it’s now an uphill battle for the Golden Bears to reach a bowl game this year.
