Improved defense has Bears on verge of bowl eligibility
Cal defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter has noticed a pattern in his Sunday chats with buddies from the coaching fraternity this season.
During every conversation, there are complimentary remarks about how hard the Bears’ defense plays — a remarkable achievement considering how the unit was perceived when DeRuyter and head coach Justin Wilcox arrived in Berkeley 21 months ago.
“The defense used to be an afterthought here, but now it’s really at the forefront of where our program is and where our toughness is,” said junior inside linebacker Evan Weaver, the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week.
Just two seasons ago, the Bears yielded 42.6 points per game on 518.2 yards per game — both ranked among the nation’s bottom five defenses.
Cal is allowing 22.2 points per game on 312 yards per game this season, numbers that are the best the school has produced since 2004 and 1994, respectively. And, the Bears appear to be getting even better.
During a two-game winning streak that has Cal (5-3, 2-3 Pac-12) one win from eligibility for just its second bowl berth in seven seasons, the Bears have allowed averages of 8.5 points on 3.7 yards per play.
In the two games, the defense has 20 tackles for loss, nine sacks and two touchdowns of its own.
“Being the leader of a great defense is something I’ve always wanted to do,” said senior inside linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk, who is eighth in the country with 11.8 tackles per game. “For it to change from where it was two years ago until now, it’s really cool. When I leave, this defense is going to keep getting better. With these coaches and this culture, the sky is the limit. …
“We’re satisfied with being unsatisfied. Consistently, we want more. We want to be the best.”
When Wilcox and DeRuyter arrived, Cal players had problems with simple things, like taking proper angles and completing tackles. The coaches got immediate buy-in from players who are mastering nuances in the new scheme.
The Bears even have nicknames for their units. The defensive linemen/outside linebackers are the “Enforcers,” the inside linebackers are the “Tonesetters,” and the defensive backs are the “Takers.”
“We were fortunate when we got here that guys dove all-in to what we were asking them to do. They’ve gotten a lot better, but we’re still a working in progress,” Wilcox said. “... Even though we might make a mistake now and then, they know that guys are going to give it up for each other and leave it all out there. That’s a big deal.”
They’ll get a chance to prove themselves against one of the best Saturday, when they play at No. 10 Washington State (7-1, 4-1). The Cougars lead the nation in passing yards and rank among the top 16 in completion percentage, fewest sacks allowed, scoring, first downs and total offense.
Graduate-transfer quarterback Gardner Minshew II tops the country with 3,183 passing yards, having completed 71 percent of his passes for 26 touchdowns with only six interceptions.
“I don’t watch the rest of the country, but watching him on tape, I can’t imagine there’s a quarterback playing better than him,” Wilcox said. “... There’s a reason they’re scoring 40 a game and leading the country in passing.”
Imagine what DeRuyter’s conversations will be like Sunday, if the Bears’ defense puts a stop to that Saturday.