Garbers, McIlwain QB tag team double the fun
BERKELEY >> The next chapter in The Great Two-Quarterback Experiment with Cal football unfolds this afternoon against Idaho State at Memorial Stadium.
The Bears (2-0) enjoyed reasonable success a week ago at BYU, using redshirt freshman Chase Garbers as the starter and sophomore transfer Brandon McIlwain off the bench in a tag-team tandem.
The visiting Bengals (10), a Football Championship Subdivision team from the Big Sky Conference, might not pose the biggest threat on Cal’s schedule. But this is the Bears’ final nonconference game before a bye, then their Pac12 opener vs. Oregon on Sept. 29.
Two-quarterback systems have not always proven successful, but the Bears got an encouraging first look at the arrangement in their 21-18 win at BYU last week.
Garbers, replacing 2017 starter Ross Bowers, passed for 176 yards and two touchdowns, displayed 13-for-15 accuracy in the second half, and added 45 rushing yards in five attempts. McIlwain rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown, and was 5 for 7 for 38 yards passing.
Asked this week about using two quarterbacks, offensive
coordinator Beau Baldwin said he is keeping an open mind about where this goes. “You just let it play out,” he said.
Garbers and McIlwain gained favor over Bowers partly because of their ability to loosen defenses with their feet. “It creates some issues for the defense,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said.
Here are five things to watch on Saturday:
1. MAINTAINING PERFECTION >> The Bears are undefeated against FCS competition and Idaho State is winless in seven tries against the Pac12. The Bengals did beat Nevada 30-28 on the road last season to snap a 27-game losing streak against FBS opponents, but this Idaho State team is picked to finish 12th in the 13-team Big Sky.
2. GETTING DEFENSIVE >> Cal’s defense is poised to do something it hasn’t done in 10 seasons — hold a third straight opponent under 20 points. This is a new day in Berkeley, far removed from the previous football administration, which oversaw a defense that allowed 40 points or more 27 times in 49 games.
3. WILL THE TAKEAWAYS KEEP COMING? >> Cal leads all of FBS with six interceptions, three by safety Jaylinn Hawkins. Without a doubt, that has helped power the defense and set the table for the offense.
4. SEEKING A VERSION OF A’S
RELIEVER BLAKE TREINEN >> The Bears want to demonstrate their defense can be a closer. Cal allowed North Carolina and BYU a total of 13 points through three quarters, but both were given enough wiggle room to rally in the fourth, setting up onside kicks at the finish. 5. CAN THE LINE CREATE
LANES FOR PATRICK LAIRD? >> The senior running back, who this week was named to the Allstate Good Works team for his summer reading program, has averaged only 3.2 yards per carry, compared to 5.9 a year ago.