Bears expected to start third-string freshman
With Garbers, Modster out, Brasch likely to start at QB against Utah
The odds aren’t stacked in Cal’s favor to snap a three-game losing streak tonight on the road against No. 12 Utah.
Las Vegas, which installed the Bears (4-3, 1-3 Pac-12) as 18-point underdogs when it released its opening line, now favors the Utes (6-1, 3-1) by 21 1/2 points.
Maybe someone told the oddsmakers what the rest of us can only reasonably speculate: That true freshman Spencer Brasch will open at quarterback for Cal against one of the nation’s fiercest defenses.
Cal coach Justin Wilcox, following his custom, has not announced who will play quarterback tonight. Devon Modster, who started the past two games after Chase Garbers was injured, left the Bears’ loss to Oregon State last Saturday in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed ailment.
If he is unavailable — and all signs point in that direction — then Brasch will become Cal’s fifth different starting quarterback in two seasons.
Junior tackle Jake Curhan, the most veteran of Cal’s healthy offensive linemen, likes what he saw in practice this week from both Brasch and redshirt freshman walk-on Robby Rowell, who figures to become the No. 2 man. His advice?
“Play loose and don’t be afraid to make mistakes,” Curhan said. “If you do that, that’s when some of the best plays are going to come.”
Perhaps Arizona State freshman Jayden Daniels could have used similar counsel against Utah. Two weeks ago, Daniels passed for 363 yards and three touchdowns against Washington State. Facing the Utes last Saturday, he was 4 for 18 for 25 yards with an interception.
Utah’s defense is as good as the Bears will see this season, statistically better even than Oregon, which shut down Cal 17-7 two games ago. The Utes rank second nationally in rushing defense (61.1 yards allowed), fourth in total defense (252.1 yards allowed per game) and sixth in scoring defense (11.7 points).
Curhan said the Utes typically put an extra defender in the box to clog the run while pressuring hard with a huge and experienced fourman defensive line.
“Nothing exotic,” he said. “They’re confident their players are going to win their one-on-one
matchups so they try to get the pressure home before you can do anything about that.”
Behind a beat-up offensive line, the Bears couldn’t establish a ground game against Oregon State, whose run defense ranks just 97th in the country.
By any measure, the Bears are scuffling on offense, having failed to score 30 points in nine straight games dating back to last season and averaging just 13.7 the past three.
Offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin said Brasch was showing promise in practice. The 18-yearold from suburban Phoenix was 2 of 6 for 24 yards with an interception and two sacks in his two series off the bench in the 21-17 loss to the Beavers.
If Brasch gets the call, Baldwin said the Bears will trim down their playbook.
“The ability to beat a great team isn’t necessarily to have a zillion plays and do them average. It’s by executing what you do have at a high level,” Baldwin said. “You just have to take it to an even higher level against a team like Utah.”
The wounded: Aside from Garbers and Modster, the Bears had the following players listed on their Monday injury report as week-to-week: wide receivers Kekoa Crawford, Jeremiah Crawford and Ricky Walker III, center Michael Saffell and nickel back Traveon Beck.
Utah quarterback Tyler Huntley left last week’s Arizona State game with an undisclosed injury but told reporters this week he will play against Cal.