Bears’ ambition is to pivot to better play
Coaches and players seldom admit that one game is more significant than another, and Cal is abiding by that tradition this week despite suggestions that Saturday’s home game against Oregon State is pivotal for the Bears’ season.
“They’re all pivotal,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said Wednesday. “Every game is so important. We think we can play much better and we’re going to need to.”
Indeed, Cal (42, 12 Pac12) has struggled in its past two games, losing to Arizona State and Oregon before having a bye this past week. After earning a No. 15 ranking in a 40 start, the Bears — now unranked — need to beat the Beavers to avoid the season going south in a hurry.
A home loss against an Oregon State team that is 24 and coming off a 527 loss to Utah would not only be Cal’s third straight loss, but might put Cal in a downward spiral with a game at No. 13 Utah up next.
The Bears also need to prove to themselves that they can win with Devon Modster as their quarterback. Cal is 40 in games in which Chase Garbers played more than a half, but 02 when Modster played more than a half.
Although Cal hopes Garbers will play again this season, Wilcox would not offer a timetable for his return.
“That would be up to the doctors,” he said. “I’m not qualified to answer that question.”
Wilcox said Garbers has done “a ton” of rehabilitation since he left the Sept. 27 game against Arizona State in the second quarter with an apparent shoulder injury.
Until then,the Bears will rely on Modster, who will start on Saturday and has completed just 46.9 percent of his passes, with one touchdown toss and three interceptions.
The Bears have scored only 17 points in the sixplus quarters Modster has been their quarterback, and seven of those points came on a 63yard drive in which all 12 plays were runs.
Wilcox has seen progress — Modster was better in the Oregon game than he was in the Arizona State game the week before.
“The rhythm and timing with the receiver,” Wilcox said. “The more reps you take, the better that is. Mentally, I think he’s in a good place with the playbook. There’s nothing that’s off limits, so to speak.”
So is Saturday’s game any more important in Modster’s mind?
“Yeah, because it’s the next game we play, so that’s the most important right now,” he said.
He has the routine down as well.
Last year, a 497 win at Oregon State did the Bears a world of good. Not only did it emphatically end a threegame losing streak, but it started a run of four wins in five games, including the 1210 upset of thenNo. 15 Washington. The only loss in that fivegame span was a 1913 road defeat at the hands of thenNo. 10 Washington State when the Cougars scored the goahead touchdown with 32 seconds left.
Maybe a convincing win over the Beavers this year could initiate a similar run.
Wilcox isn’t thinking that way.
“Nothing that happened a year ago, we don’t look at those and say because we played this team a certain way or that way. ... We just approach it each week, go out and try and play our best.”
Maybe the game will be pivotal only if Cal loses it.