STILL A GOOD GAME
Cal: QB Garbers looks to recreate Big Game magic as Bears seek first win of season against Cardinal
When Cal takes the field at Memorial Stadium today for the 123rd Big Game, the Bears won’t display the demeanor of a team that has started the season with two defeats.
They’ll do so as a team that achieved something last season that none of their nine predecessors in blue and gold managed: A victory over Stanford.
“We have the Axe now, and we’re not going to let that go,” said quarterback Chase Garbers, the hero of last year’s 24-20 win after scrambling 16 yards for the winning touchdown with 1:19 to play at Stanford Stadium.
Here are four things to watch for
today when the Bears (0-2) and Cardinal (0-2) square off in Berkeley:
GARBERS’ ASCENSION >> The Cal offense scored just 10 points in the season- opening loss at UCLA but put up 27 last week at Oregon State. Garbers seemed far more comfortable in new coordinator Bill Musgrave’s offense, passing for 315 yards with three touchdowns.
“I’m very confident in my game and in the offense,” Garbers said. “Every week I get more and more comfortable.
“I always think I can do better. Obviously I wasn’t perfect. We didn’t win.”
The flaws in his performance last week included a pair of interceptions, the second one on a tipped pass that OSU picked off with less than a minute left after the Bears had a first-andgoal at the 10-yard line.
But he will draw this week on the boost he and his teammates got last year when they ended Stanford’s nine- year stranglehold on the Big Game. Garbers was 20-for-30 for 285 yards with a touchdown and directed a six-play, 75-yard drive in just 64 seconds to win it.
THENEWO-LINE>> Coach Justin Wilcox all but ruled out the three offensive line starters who missed the Oregon State game while in quarantine for COVID-19 issues. It’s also unclear whether center Michael Saffell will be ready after injuring his leg during that game.
But while senior tackle Jake Curhan (39) and senior guard Valentino Daltoso (34) have a combined 73 starts, Wilcox and Garbers expressed confidence in the players stepping into those roles.
“For really not having any (practice) reps, I thought they played extremely hard,” said Wilcox, who didn’t learn that Curhan, Daltoso and tackle Will Craig would miss the game until the day before.
“It didn’t seem too big for them. There was plenty to correct — it wasn’t perfect by any means. I was proud of how those guys competed.”
The new O-line is expected to look like this: RT sophomore Brandon Mello, RG sophomore McKade Mettauer, C redshirt freshman Brian Driscoll, LG sophomore Matthew Cindric and LT redshirt freshman Brayden Rhome.
“They’re pretty mellow guys. They handled themselves pretty well,” Garbers said. “I had belief in them even before the game. I knew what they were capable of and they just showed it even more last Saturday. I can’t wait for Friday.” OTHERS AILING >> There is no word on the status of starting running back Christopher Brown Jr., who missed the OSU game for unspecified non- COVID reasons.
Also out last week were starters, tight end Collin Moore and outside linebacker Braxten Croteau.
Senior Marcel Dancy filled in nicely at running back with 105 yards combined rushing and receiving against the Beavers.
A REMIGIO SIGHTING? >> Junior wide receiver Nikko Remigio was one of the stars of last year’s Big Game with nine catches for 157 yards and a touchdown.
But Remigio has become Waldo through two games. Where’s Nikko?
He has just just two catches for seven yards and was shut out last week in Corvallis.
“He is a huge weapon. He was a huge playmaker last year and he still is now,” said Garbers, noting that Remigio just missed being the headline against Oregon State, only to have an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 94-yard kick return to the OSU 3-yard line both wiped out by penalties.