Cal’s Wilcox resists call of Ducks
Time for some self-correction. A recent column mischaracterized Cal head football coach Justin Wilcox, portraying him as a troubled soul likely to leave Berkeley and ascend the ladder of relevance among Pac-12 schools.
It turns out he’s a Cal man all the way.
Wilcox hasn’t merely decided to stick with the Bears. He was offered and turned down the job at Oregon, where he was a defensive back (199699).
According to the Oregonian’s John Canzano, “The kid from Junction City High was told a marketing campaign would be shaped around his return. The plan even included T-shirts that would be printed and distributed at his introductory news conference.” Ahead of Wilcox’s interview, ESPN reported that “several” former Oregon coaches and players voiced support for him.
We won’t speculate why Wilcox would turn down more money, more expansive facilities, a legitimate shot at competing in the College Football Playoff and the chance to return home. Asked about it on Wednesday during the conference’s signing-day interviews, he wouldn’t address the Oregon angle. “I really enjoy being here at Cal, working with our players,” he said. “We feel like we have unfinished business here. We are very optimistic about the future.”
Although Wilcox had issues with the strict coronavirus protocols set forth by Berkeley health officials, “The support from our athletic administration and the school over the past four years has increased significantly,” he said. “We feel like we can do some special things at Cal, things that haven’t been done before.”
Wilcox has made his decision during a massive roster exodus at the skill positions. The transfer portal has claimed three starters — tight end Jake Tonges, wide receiver-kick returner Nikko Remigio and leading rusher Christopher Brooks, who has compiled 2,079 career yards of total offense with 21 touchdowns — and quarterback Chase Garbers has declared himself eligible for the NFL draft.
That’s a lot to replace for the coming season, but Wilcox expressed excitement over many incoming recruits, particularly running back Jaydn Ott, from Norco High in Southern California, describing him as “a home-run hitter with the ball in his hands.”
No one has to explain the challenge of coaching Cal football and the program’s eternal struggle to reach the heights. Wilcox is well aware — and doesn’t seem to mind at all.
Stanford steps up
Cal falls in line with countless Power Five schools when it comes to unattractive nonconference games, essentially wasting away the first two home dates with UC Davis and UNLV. Stanford opens with Colgate but also features Notre Dame and BYU, plus conference road games at Washington, Oregon, UCLA and Utah. It’s easily one of the toughest schedules in the country, and that’s how it should be. Good to know that Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff (who replaced the inadequate Larry Scott) favors Power Five matchups on all non-conference schedules and going year-to-year with the opponents instead of scheduling them many years ahead of time . ... Saw one Coach of the Year forecast listing Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell, Baylor’s Dave Aranda and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham 1-2-3. Fickell is a great choice, but Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh is No. 2 at the very least . ... When you know a coach is deep trouble: Urban Meyer hearing his most important player, rookie quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, claim “there’s been a lot of drama” behind the scenes at Jacksonville, and “it has to change.” No surprise that Meyer was fired, and his before-the-fact excuses (like trying to blame the ugly rumors on a single “source”) were pitifully weak.
Thursday night has become an NFL showcase for dreadful fashion. Week after week, teams suit up in garish one-color uniforms in the face of tradition. (It’s not so difficult to get it right: light-colored pants and team-colors jerseys, or vice versa.) What a relief, then, to watch the Chargers and Chiefs show up for real. ... Tradition takes a back seat to the sport’s revolutionary trend toward fourth-down gambles — bypassing a field goal to add more points — and it’s a welcome change. Chargers coach Brandon Staley went a bit too far Thursday night, though, three times failing on fourth down while in clear field-goal range, and it cost them a game they lost in overtime. When it’s only the first half and you’re up 14-10, just take the three points, OK?
Sorry to hear that Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins will miss some time with a sprained knee. He hadn’t dropped a single pass all season until Sunday, against the Rams, at a time when inexcusable drops — even among the very best receivers — are as common as an autumnal breeze . ... The NFL long ago banned the bump-and-run tactics for defensive backs intent on impeding a receiver’s route with some quick intervention. Once a receiver broke free, though, common sense prevailed — as opposed to today’s game, where it’s a two-man mugging contest and oblivious defensive backs fail to turn around to track the ball. Doesn’t anyone coach these guys? How can they butcher the assignment to the point of a blind, awkward collision? Watch the old films and the likes of
Herb Adderley, Night Train Lane, Lem Barney and
Deion Sanders, perfecting the art of staying close to the receiver (minimal or no contact) while focused on a break-up or interception whenever possible. So much more pleasing to the eye, and pretty convincing evidence that some rule changes are in order . ... Hard to fathom the blatant stupidity that went behind the Raiders’ decision to organize a group-stomp on the Chiefs’ logo before the game at Kansas City (a 48-9 loss). This team has some very good reasons to gather for spiritual bonding, but hardly in this manner. One Raiders fan I know, about as devoted as they come, now calls them the Morons.