Seniors to steer direction for Cal
Just as they had done at Stanford Stadium two Saturdays earlier after the Bears had walloped the Cardinal in the Big Game, Cal fans poured on to the field at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night after the Bears beat USC 24-14 in the season finale.
The 2021 season gave pessimists and optimists about the Cal program reasons to maintain their beliefs.
The pessimists: The Bears finished 5-7 and haven't won more than eight games in a season since going 9-4 in 2008. They went 4-5 in Pac-12 play and haven't had a winning conference record since a 5-4 mark in 2009.
The optimists:
The Bears won four of their final six games and almost assuredly would have made that five of six had coronavirus issues not dramatically thinned their roster in a 10-3 loss at Arizona on Nov. 6. Moreover, Cal's last two wins were against the teams fans care most about beating, Stanford and USC. The Bears hadn't beaten both schools in the same season since 2003.
The pessimists: Most of the players who fueled Cal's rebound in the second half of the season are seniors. To name a few: quarterback Chase Garbers, running back Christopher Brooks, wide receiver Trevon Clark, defensive lineman Luc Bequette, linebacker Cameron Goode and safeties Daniel Scott and Elijah Hicks.
The optimists: Some of those seniors have the chance to return in 2022 because of the NCAA's decision to not count the pandemic-shortened 2020 season against a player's eligibility limits. Moreover, many of the players — particularly on defense — who helped fuel Cal's rebound in the second half are underclassmen. To name a few: inside linebackers Nate Ruchena, Muelu Iosefa, Femi Oladejo and Trey Paster, and cornerbacks Lu-Magia Hearns III, Collin Gamble and Isaiah Young.
Paster was a key part of the most dramatic play against the Trojans. Hicks' hard hit forced a fumble by running back Darwin Barlow and Paster grabbed the loose ball and raced 55 yards near the Cal sideline for a touchdown that put the Bears up 17-7 late in the second quarter.
“We have a bright future,” Paster said in a postgame Zoom news conference. “We're probably the most optimistic team in the Pac-12, and I truly mean that.”
Cal's 2022 outlook hinges in part on how many of the seniors who can return opt to do so. That starts with Garbers, who completed 18 of 21 passes for 177 yards against the Trojans. He ranks second in the Pac-12 in total offense at 271.7 yards per game, behind UCLA's Dorian Thompson-Robinson at 274.4.
The only other Cal quarterback to throw a pass this season was Ryan Glover. The transfer who played previously for Western Carolina and Penn went 11-for-29 for 94 yards subbing for Garbers in the loss to the Wildcats.
Cal head coach Justin Wilcox, not speaking specifically about Garbers but about all the seniors, said he will give them guidance on what he believes will be the best decision for them individually.
“I've tried to not recruit 'em as hard (to stay at Cal) just because it's a tough decision,” Wilcox said. “There's a lot to consider. We'll help 'em with any information that'll help 'em make that decision.”
Depending on the individual, the options are try to go to the NFL, stay at Cal, transfer or end one's playing career. Among the key players in addition to Garbers who will be making their choices in the next few weeks are Brooks, wide receiver/returner Nikko Remigio, tight end Jake Tonges and Scott.
Cornerback Josh Drayden won't have those options. His Cal career spanned six seasons. He'll leave the program as the career leader in games played with 55.
“After playing my last game, that's a good title to have. That's a great title to have,” Drayden said.
Not surprisingly, Drayden expects big things from the Bears — “The sky's the limit” — but he also wanted to make sure he savored the scene following Saturday's night victory.
“It was good to take in the moment, to live in the moment, to be in the moment, just to look around and see all your friends, family and teammates smiling,” Drayden said.
“We've been through a lot of adversity this year, but to see … everybody so happy and joyful, that's something that I love, and I'm happy that everybody got to experience that.”