Forced turnovers help fuel Bears’ fast start
Last winter, after reviewing the video from their bowl-less season, Cal coaches agreed: To improve defensively, they needed to place a greater emphasis on forcing turnovers.
Drills that stressed the takeaway were staples of spring ball and training camp. Players homed in on the finer points of stripping balls, picking off passes and scooping up fumbles.
Through four games, the No. 24 Bears lead the nation with 14 turnovers gained. They are tied for first among FBS schools with nine interceptions, and they are tied for second with five fumble recoveries. The five turnovers they forced at Washington on Saturday were their most since October 2012.
“It’s just trusting in our technique, everything coaches have been telling us and never giving up,” said cornerback Darius White, who has two picks and a fumble recovery this season. “We just keep going hard on every play.”
Takeaways were infrequent during Sonny Dykes’ first two years in Berkeley. As the defense grappled with injuries and new schemes, players were often out of position. They even had a tough time holding on to the ball when opposing quarterbacks threw straight at them. In 2013 and 2014, respectively, the Bears were 116th and 94th nationally in forced turnovers.
An improved pass rush under second-year defensive coordinator Art Kaufman has Cal just four sacks shy of its total (16) from all of last season.
“It really comes down to guys playing hard, running to the football and being opportunistic,” Dykes said. “We’ve dropped a lot of interceptions in the past, and this year, it seems like we’re catching most of them.”
Said linebacker Hardy Nickerson: “I think guys are in the right spot at the right time because they’re doing their job.”
The 61,066 fans at Husky Stadium for Cal’s 30-24 win Saturday witnessed how much turnovers affect the course of a game. In the second quarter, two Washington turnovers — a pass that White intercepted, and a fumble that Nickerson recovered — led to 10 points for the Bears.
Washington cornerback Sidney Jones put the Huskies back in striking distance late in the third when he picked up a loose ball and darted 70 yards for a touchdown. Cal safety Damariay Drew’s interception with 1:57 left on the clock squelched the Huskies’ comeback bid.
“It was great to see guys out there making plays,” Nickerson said. “I think we took a major step in our defense.”
Next : Washington State (2-1), which has thrown just two interceptions despite averaging 52 passes per game. Kragen honored: Defensive end Kyle Kragen has been named the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Week.
Kragen had career highs with six tackles and 2.5 sacks against Washington. The Danville native, who sat out all of 2014 with mononucleosis, also recorded his first forced fumble and pass breakup of the season.