College Football News Preview 2020: Cal Golden Bears Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Cal Golden Bears Offense
The offensive line has to give everyone more time and room to work. The Cal ground game wasn’t anything amazing, but the team was 6-0 when it managed to run for just 139 yards or more. Get to 160 yards, and the program is 8-1 over the last two seasons.
The O line that was 124th in the nation in sacks allowed and 108th in tackles for loss given up has to do everything to keep QB Chase Garbers upright and in one piece. He was hurt running, but he also took a whole lot of shots.
With everyone returning to the offensive front around all-star tackle Jake Curhan, it needs to grow into a strength.
Biggest Key To The Cal Golden Bears Defense
The defensive front three has to come up with a great rotation right away. There’s size, and there are options, but there’s not a whole lot of experience. The front three will rely on underclassmen and a few untested parts to crank up the rotation.
There’s more than enough bulk on the nose – the Bears can get really large if they want to – and that matters for a run defense that can’t get hammered on. Arizona State, Oregon, and Utah all ran for 190 yards or more against the Bears, who lost all three games.
Under Justin Wilcox, Cal beat North Carolina in his debut in 2017 despite allowing 219 rushing yards. The team is 0-10 since then when giving up 190 or more.
Key Cal Golden Bears Player To A Successful Season
WR Nikko Remigio, Jr.
The defensive line will come together quickly. The rest of the defense is fine, the offensive line is experienced enough to come together, and the backfield will quietly become one of the Pac-12’s best.
Now the receivers have to be more dangerous.
The 5-10, 210-pound Remigio led the team with 38 grabs for 513 yards and three touchdowns, and served as a dangerous punt returner. That was all fine, but he only had one 100-yard day, and he wasn’t necessarily a go-to-volume catcher. If it’s not him, then someone has to grow into an all-star caliber playmaker for what was the Pac-12’s worst passing game.
Key Game To The Cal Golden Bears Season
Utah, Sept. 26
How much better is the program than it was in the middle of last year? The Bears didn’t have QB Chase Garbers, but that didn’t matter that much in a 35-0 loss in Salt Lake City.
It’s Cal’s Pac-12 opener before going on the road for three of its next four games, and hosting Oregon in the midst of that. Lose to the Utes, and there’s reason to be concerned for what might be a rough conference start.
– Cal Golden Bears Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Cal Fun Stats
– Sacks: Opponents 46 for 274 yards – Cal 36 for 228 yards
– 4th Down Conversions: Opponents 17-of-29 (59%) – Cal 6-ff-16 (38%)
– Fumbles: Opponents 21 (lost 8) – Cal 11 (lost 4)