Cal at Washington
This game is always complicated. Last year it was cancelled as Cal couldn’t field enough players to play it due to PAC-12 Conference COVID Protocols. The year before I took my wife Kathy with me to Husky Stadium for the home opener against the Bears where lightning struck twice. The first time literally with 9:46 remaining in the 1st Qtr and no score on the board. As a result a Severe Weather Warning was issued in the stadium and the fans were advised to take cover as both teams lined up and left the field for what turned into a 3.5 hour weather delay. Have you ever watched that sports segment called, “PAC-12 at Night?” Well they could have added another one after that game called, “PAC-12 the Next Morning,” since the game didn’t finish until 1:22 am Sunday when lightning struck the second time, this time figuratively, on a Greg Thomas field goal that sealed Cal’s 20-19 victory over Washington. Sadly, what started out as 70,000+ fans in the stadium ended up with mostly Bears’ fans celebrating the victory as most of the Husky “faithful,” had long fled for drier ground before the game restarted. What would the, “12’s,” have done I asked myself? Maybe that exodus was further proof that too many fair weather California fans have relocated to Puget Sound. Me, I fled, like the other lemmings—I mean I’m from California, what the hell do you expect?
Back to last Saturday’s game, certainly not as dramatic, but still complicated with no winner decided after four quarters of football. It looked as though Washington was going to get their offense untracked after scoring a TD in the first quarter and two in the second to go up 21-10 at the break But then they were basically shut down in the 3rd and 4th Qtr’s, only able to put up a Peyton Henry field goal while Cal scored a TD in each to tie the score at 24 a piece at the end of regulation.
The Huskies got the ball to start the overtime and went up by seven on Senior RB Sean McGrew’s 2nd TD of the game. Right when it seemed as though there was going to be a 2nd overtime, Sophomore Defensive Back Cameron Williams and Linebacker Jackson Sirmon teamed up to force a fumble and stop what looked to be a sure TD run by Cal Sophomore RB Damien Moore, ending the game in a 31-24 victory and a 1-0 record for Washington in the PAC-12 North Division.
One has to wonder if Cal could score at all without their Senior QB Chase Garbers who connected on over 70% of his passes, threw for 2 TD’s, and ran for a 3rd while throwing for 319 yards and rushing 16 times for 71 yards—accounting for 85% of the total yards gained by the Bears. And although he threw for more yards than Washington’s Freshman QB Dylan Morris, 319-to-234, Morris was clean with zero interceptions against two for Garbers. Even though Cal also out rushed the Huskies 138 yards to 92, they didn’t outscore them on the ground with Washington’s McGrew, as noted above, picking up a couple. Both teams fumbled twice and lost one and you can probably place credit on the Washington pass rush defense for forcing those two interceptions—both by Sophomore DB Kyler Gordon who was also their leading tackler with 10–while picking up three sacks and 5 tackles for loss.
Washington has been playing without some key starters, one being Junior Tight End Cade Otton, who is expected back and will be sorely needed in order to generate enough offense to beat Oregon State in their upcoming game on the road in Corvallis. Cal heads back home to Berkeley where they will play host to the Washington State Cougars.