The Cal Golden Bears will hope to turn their defense around in 2024.
Defensive Woes
It wasn’t easy for the Golden Bears’ defense last season. Teams had no problem moving the ball at will against Cal in 2023. They were statistically one of the worst defenses in the nation, especially against the pass, giving up 281.7 passing yards per game last season. Opposing offenses were comfortable doing whatever they pleased, and it was hard for fans to watch. If Cal wants to win games in 2024, the defense must get better at getting off the field.
Peter Sirmon – Defensive Coordinator
It wasn’t all bad for the Cal defense last season. One positive metric for the team was their ability to create turnovers. Surprisingly, Cal forced 28 turnovers with 16 fumble recoveries, both of which led the nation.
Forcing turnovers is a great way to change the game’s momentum and increase the chance of winning. It was certainly a disappointing season for defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon, but generating that many turnovers is a positive sign and something to build upon.
Sirmon took over the full defensive coordinator responsibilities for Cal in 2020. He has been with the Golden Bears since 2018 where he initially started as the assistant head coach and linebackers coach. In that time, he has done some impressive things, including having top-ranked defenses nationally and producing high-caliber players.
Last season’s performance was hard to digest for Cal fans, as Sirmon’s defenses have typically been the strong part of the team. Hopefully, things change for the defense and Sirmon can get back to his ways.
Impactful Players
The defensive scheme is only one part of the defensive puzzle. While scheme is important, it’s ultimately up to the players to make plays. The Pac-12 was not known for being a conference particularly good at defense, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t good defensive players. While Cal struggled on defense, they have standout players on that side of the ball heading into 2024.
Craig Woodson, Safety
Craig Woodson is a redshirt senior from Grand Prairie Texas, and was the team’s best player in the secondary last season. Woodson has spent his entire career at Cal and has played in every game the past two seasons. He finished last year with 81 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one interception.
Woodson provides the experience Cal needs in the secondary while also being a major factor in the run game. This is his last season with the Golden Bears, but expect the safety to continuing improving in 2024.
David Reese, Linebacker
Getting pressure on the quarterback was also a struggle for the defense last season. The Golden Bears’ lack of pressure often left the secondary exposed to getting picked apart. One player that did excel at applying pressure was outside linebacker David Reese.
Reese started his career at Florida before transferring to Cal for last season. He saw the majority of his playing time towards the end of the season. In the last four games, he impressed by contributing 5.5 sacks, which was almost half the sacks for the entire defense. Reese was granted eligibility to play this season, making this his seventh season in college and providing plenty of experience up front for Cal. If he can continue his impressive play from late last year, this defense will have one notable player who can get to the quarterback.
The Next Step
This is a big year for defensive coordinator Sirmon and his defense. It was always a joke amongst the media and college football fans how soft Pac-12 defenses traditionally were. They weren’t wrong as eight Pac-12 teams were ranked in the bottom 50 for most passing yards allowed. Now that the majority of schools have left the Pac-12, it’s time to rewrite the narrative, especially for this 2024 Cal defense.
The ACC presents a major challenge. Teams in this conference aren’t the speedy high-flying offenses Cal is accustomed to, but they present other hurdles. The Golden Bears will play against schools that want to run the ball for four quarters, and against schools that have a well-balanced offense with elite playmakers.
For a school that lacks physicality, Cal has to be physical now. It’s up to the players to bring the intensity and make this unit feisty. There’s faith Sirmon can correct this defense based on what we’ve seen in the past. However, if things go south like last year, he could be looking for a new job.
It’s going to be interesting to see if Cal’s defense will change schemes and how they choose to prepare for ACC offenses now. Their record is going to depend on how well this defense does, and that may make fans nervous. Let’s hope things go better this season as we look to throw last year’s performance down the drain.
Cody Henderson
I root for teams that only let me down. Talking all things Las Vegas Raiders and Cal Bears football. Follow me on X where I post my dramatic takes.