Bid to go for victory should be celebrated
Overtime brings a special brand of madness to college football. It’s the real thing, as opposed to the NFL’s bogus version, and the tension can be excruciating.
On Saturday evening in Berkeley, overtime meant a major gamble by coach Justin Wilcox, one that backfired but was nevertheless admired. There comes a point where it’s simply time to win the game, with the end zone so tantalizingly close, but the Bears came up short. Just like that, Arizona had a 45-44 victory in double overtime and a hush fell over Memorial Stadium.
This was an overtime episode that could have lasted all night, the way both teams were scoring. There appeared to be no stopping Arizona and quarterback Khalil Tate, whose 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bryce Wolma made it 45-38. Cal has endearing faith in its defense, and with good reason, but this was late in a rugged, hard-fought affair, and the Bears needed just three yards to convert a twopoint conversion that would end matters for good.
Cal spirits were soaring. Vic Enwere
had just scored the most impressive 1-yard touchdown of the season, getting stopped cold at the line of scrimmage but somehow willing his way into the end zone through a horde of tacklers. Wilcox stalked the sideline with a smile, knowing what he wanted to do, feeling confident his team could get it done.
The Bears lined up with an empty backfield and five receivers available; a running play was out of the question. Quarterback Ross Bowers spotted Jordan Duncan at the back of the end zone and floated a high pass in his direction — a prayer, really, as linebacker Colin Schooler had it covered. Schooler, who staged a tremendous performance all night, broke up the play — and thousands of Cal hearts, as well.
“The linebacker made a really good play,” Bowers said after the game. “It’s just unfortunate. If I throw a better ball, and he catches it, we’re celebrating.”
A victory would have meant a 5-3 record and a clear shot for a postseason bowl game (just one more win required). In that sense, Wilcox could properly be second-guessed for not perpetuating the overtime into a third period.
There were no complaints from this corner. It takes guts to make a call like that, and the timing seemed right. Wilcox has given Cal fans so much to cherish in this improbable season, and when you’re trying to change the mood of a program, to lift it out of the doldrums, such a bold decision should be appreciated, not derided.
“I’d do it again,” Wilcox said. “You could dispute it, but I’d do it again.”
Nobody thought much of Arizona before the season started, and those dire forecasts looked accurate for a while — right up to the point where the Wildcats changed quarterbacks. With Tate in charge, the difference was all about speed, power and presence, something like cyclists graduating from Schwinns to Harley-Davidsons.
Over the past three weeks, the Wildcats have looked unstoppable. They beat Colorado behind Tate’s record-breaking 327 yards on the ground. They knocked off UCLA as Tate rushed for 230 more. Sometimes you need to witness an emerging star in person, just to make sure the phenomenon is real, and Tate (166 yards this time) did not disappoint anyone inside Memorial Stadium.
His signature play was a 76-yard touchdown run near the end of the first quarter, Tate blasting through a gaping hole, getting a couple of blocks and then, in customary form, winning a footrace to the end zone.
It’s difficult to recall a running quarterback quite like Tate. A number of great ones come to mind in college: Michael Vick at Virginia Tech, Tommie Frazier at Nebraska, Vince Young at Texas, Tony Rice at Notre Dame and current Heisman Trophy candidate Lamar Jackson of Louisville, among others.
In the pros, Steve Young, Bobby Douglass, Randall Cunningham and Cam Newton are among those who made a huge impression. But for outright speed and the instincts of a true running back, Tate is a rare individual. And he has transformed Arizona from a forgettable also-ran to a 5-2 team making big noise in a conference known for NFLstyle quarterbacks and sophisticated passing attacks.
The Bears’ quarterback won’t remind anyone of Tate, but Bowers is endearingly resilient. Knock him down, hard, and he gets back up to do some damage. Question his worth as the starter, then watch him prove himself. He threw two lousy-looking interceptions in this game, raising doubts once again, but the Bears wouldn’t have reached overtime without his 301 yards passing, along with 130 yards on the ground from Patrick Laird.
So much will be dissected during the coming week, to the tiniest detail. In the end, it will come down to a coach who wasn’t afraid to fail. That is an exceptional quality anywhere in life, and it now becomes part of the Cal football culture. May the Bears wear it well.