SportSpyder - The Latest California Golden Bears Basketball Podcasts

Cal WBB goes to Lake Tahoe, returns with a W

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 14:02:21 GMT

The largest early season question for the Cal Women’s Basketball roster is how was it going to replace Sakima Walker’s 12 points, 7 rebounds, 1+ block and overall defensive presence in the key. We knew that returning post Naya Ojukwu could shore up the interior scoring from her play last season. Finnish center, Albina Syla, in her first several games was able to demonstrate some of the shot blocking and defensive prowess, but isn’t quite the intimidation force that Walker was last season.

Jovana Jevtovic had flashed some skills early on, but was bullied out by UCLA’s immense size. However, against a team like USF, whose tallest regular is 6’2”, the 6’4” Jevtovic used her long arms, really great hands and deft footwork on rolls and dives to the basket to dominate, sinking 8-9, including 2-2 from downtown against the Dons, dropping her 18 points in only 13 minutes, earning a nomination to the ACC Freshman of the Week short list.

Jevtovic is still a freshman, and has a lot of room to grow strength and confidence wise, but her skills will be a welcome presence off the bench.

On Sunday, in the Lake Tahoe Blue Event center, despite misfiring from 3 point range, the Bears leapt out to a 22-12 first quarter lead and cruising all the way home 87-65 win.

The Bears had balanced scoring across the board with Taylor Barnes with 18, Ruby Perkins continuing her strong freshman play with 12, and Gisella Maul chipping in 10.

Another point of encouragement, with her 3 point shot not connecting, star Lulu Twidale found other ways to contribute leading the team with 9 rebounds (!) and 6 assists.

There isn’t a lot we can learn from a game against an overmatched opponent, but its nice to be able to put a team away early and easily.

The Cal women return to the court at Haas, Nov 12 vs. the College of Charleston.

Notes:

The three Aussies were 2-15 combined from 3 point range. We think because Australia doesn’t have high mountains, the altitude adjustment was something they’ll have to work on.
The USF Dons have 13 players on their roster hailing from 11 countries! France, Spain, Canada, Sweden, Australia, Spain, Taiwan, Slovakia, Ohio, Italy and Poland.

DBD 2026-11-10: Team

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 11:32:18 GMT

Welcome to the DBD, a Write for California community board where one can talk about anything – Cal-related or off-topic. Comment threads are sorted by topic. Anything is fine, so long as you're generally civil.

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Cal Football’s 2026 Offensive Identity: Part 3

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 11:03:30 GMT

Intro

Cal has entered the home stretch of the 2026 season sitting at a 3-6 record and needing to win out to qualify for a bowl game. It has been, to put it mildly, disastrous. So disastrous, that I question the utility in turning to the data to compare these first nine games to Cal’s thirteen games in 2025. Nevertheless, we persist. I will note trends based on my previous analysis from after this season’s game against UNLV.

Playcalls

Question: What proportion of playcalls are passes vs. runs?

Here are the playcalls so far with the 2025 offense in blue and the 2026 offense in gold:

Our run/pass ratio is now identical in the first and second halves, similar to last season. Since playing UNLV, we have been passing more in the back half of our games, though if you watched them, you’d know that it’s due to desperate/garbage time playcalling kicking in.

Here are the playcalls divided by quarter:

Like I said, desperate/garbage time uptick in throwing the ball.

Passing

Question: How has the passing game looked against each opponent?

The boxplots here plot receptions by game and season. (Here is a helpful refresher on how to read boxplots.) Games with more completions are listed higher up on the graph.

Note that we are not completing very many passes beyond 10 yards. Some of the gold boxes are quite small (especially Wake Forest and NC State), indicating that there is not a ton of variation in the yardage that our completed passes are picking up. Remember that for later.

Question: How distributed is our passing game among the receiver room?

Below I disaggregate the data to show receptions by player and season. I only include receivers averaging at least one catch per game. 2026 players need to have made at least nine catches thus far, and 2025 players need to have made thirteen catches over the course of last season. Players with more catches per game are listed first.

In terms of volume and expected yardage per catch, Chase Hendricks has emerged as this year’s Jacob De Jesus. We also see a ton of pass catchers lower on the list this year as injuries have forced us to utilize running backs Adam Mohammed, Ashten Emory, and Anthony League as receivers (with minimal upside).

Question: How does the passing game compare to last year overall?

Here’s a box plot summarizing the information for the teams as a whole.

This is a sobering one. We are averaging fewer yards per completion this year compared to last. The smaller width of the gold box compared to the blue also indicates there’s not much variation in yardage per completed pass. In other words, we have regressed, and we are predictable.

Running

Question: How has the run game looked against each opponent?

The boxplots here plot runs by game and season. Games with more runs are listed higher up on the graph.

I simply must point out the incredible run for a 35 yard loss against Virginia Tech throwing off the graphic. In keeping with our (much belated) pivot toward the pass, each of the last four games fall in the bottom five of runs attempted this year.

Question: How distributed is our run game among rushers?

Below I disaggregate the data to show runs by player and season. I only include runners averaging at least one run per game.

Ashten Emory has shot up in rushing attempts since Adam Mohammed focused on recovering from injury. Though based on the yardage he’s averaging, he’s the clear RB2.

Question: How does the run game compare to last year overall?

Here’s a box plot summarizing the information for the teams as a whole.

Not much of a difference has emerged from the previous analysis. Cal’s rushing offense is more or less matching last year’s average output.

Conclusion and Questions

It’s been a tough few weeks for the Cal faithful. I found myself yearning for the close losses I’d become accustomed to under Justin Wilcox — losses that enraged me but at least allowed me the dignity of believing in “almost.” These blowout losses to mostly unimpressive teams have given me a new feeling watching this team: boredom.

This is not me giving up. The program has made clear what is needed to survive realignment. Butts in seats. Eyes on screens. I’ll continue to do my part. I just wish it could be fun again.

Go Bears.

The 129th Big Game Kick-Off Time Announced: Cal v. Stanford College Football 2026

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:31:26 GMT

Courtesy: Cal Athletics via Catharyn Hayne / KLC fotos

The 129th Big Game between Cal and Stanford will kick off at 4:30 p.m. Pacific on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, the Atlantic Coast Conference and Cal Athletics announced Monday morning.

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The Cal v. Stanford college football game will air on the ACC Network.

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Stanford has the all-time series advantage with a 66-51-11 record in the Big Game rivalry. Cal lost last year’s big game 10-31 in Stanford, Calif., breaking a four-game win steak.

Both Cal and Stanford have struggled this season with identical 2-4 records in the Atlantic Coast Conference league games. Cal is 3-6 in the 2026 college football season, and Stanford is 4-5.

DBD 2026-11-09: Happy Diwali

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 11:34:30 GMT

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Men’s Basketball: Cal Falls to No. 10 Houston, 86-68

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 11:03:31 GMT

photo via Calbears.com

I had one overriding thought while watching Cal fall to Houston in Lake Tahoe: Lee Dort, get well soon.

Cal’s veteran center was in the arena but not dressed for the game as he continues to heal from an off-season injury. And against a team like top 10 Houston, with big strong athletes to spare, his absence was obvious.

When Houston was sending waves of athletic 6’8’’ bigs at the glass, his absence was obvious. When one of Cal’s guards penetrated into the lane and looked to dish to a big man inside, his absence was obvious. When Cal’s back-up bigs got into foul trouble, his absence was obvious.

This is not to suggest that, had Lee Dort been healthy, Cal would have beaten Houston. The Cougars are a top 10 team for a good reason, and Lee Dort would not have made up the 18 point difference between the teams. Houston’s 86-68 win was not in doubt based on one injury.

But the path was easier without Cal’s primary big man. Houston started the game red hot, scoring on 11 of their first 12 possessions. Many of those buckets were pretty easy finishes inside, or put backs from misses. Dort’s presence inside might well have led to a handful more stops early, delaying the inevitable that much longer.

And later in the season, when the Bears are playing other teams, Dort’s availability could indeed be the difference between wins and losses. Here’s to hoping that he’s back soon.

For the last six years, Kelvin Sampson and Houston have had approximately the best defense in college basketball. The Cougars have finished 9th or better in adjusted defensive efficiency in each of those six seasons, powered by brilliant shot contesting skills and the best 2 point defense anywhere in the country.

So I was actually pretty encouraged with Cal’s offensive effort on Sunday night. The Bears shot a solid 52% on their 2 point shots, 35% on their 3s, and weren’t horribly turnover prone against Houston’s relentless ball pressure and passing lane contests.

Most of Cal’s guards all flashed at times. Jordan Ross was a great creator off the dribble drive, going 7-10 on his 2s with 5 assists. Michael Cooper got hot from 3 and took care of the ball. Semetri Carr was composed and helped out on the glass. Jovani Ruff got downhill successfully in his limited minutes.

Against the best defense Cal will face all year long, the Bears had a solid all-around offensive performance, made all the more impressive that they were without their starting center. Mantas Kocanas and Dk Dut can contribute on the defensive end, but just aren’t yet ready to be consistent offensive contributors. That Cal’s guards could produce without an inside threat against a defense of this caliber is very encouraging.

Defensively . . . well, there’s work to be done. Houston’s one consistent weakness under Sampson has been shooting, and while there’s reason to think that this Cougar team might be more gifted offensively, allowing Houston to shoot 29-51 from 2 is a concern. It’s particularly a concern because at times it looked like Cal was sagging off and allowing Houston to attempt 3s, and yet the Cougars still managed to get the ball inside.

Some of this is Dort’s absence, some of this is probably related to a new group of players learning to play defense together, but there were some rough rotations and screen responses. We’re only two games in, but so far the offense has been well ahead of the defense in the early going.

If Cal had this exact same roster a decade ago, I’d be patiently excited to watch this team grow in anticipation of a big 2027-28 season, because every single player on the roster other than Lee Dort has another year of eligibility remaining. But because it’s 2026 and I’ve watched every single Mark Madsen team get ~80% turned over every off-season, it’s harder to get excited about the possibility that Cal can develop an intriguing roster through a rebuilding year.

Still, I’m curious to see how Mark Madsen handles his rotation this season, because Cal has a deeper roster than prior seasons. Against Houston, Cal gave 10 players at least 12 minutes, going two deep at basically every position on the floor.

Will Madsen look to whittle down the rotation as he assesses the roster? Will he try to play a deeper rotation and maybe play a higher intensity brand of basketball and attempt to wear the opponent down? All of the guards and wings who have seen the floor in meaningful action so far have looked like they belong, but what is the right combination to get Cal playing effective team defense?

Cal will be back in Berkeley for a two week homestand that starts with a tough game against USC on Wednesday before three games against smaller schools that will be expected wins.

Cal Men’s Basketball Live Chat: First test on the Road against #10 Houston in Lake Tahoe

Sun, 08 Nov 2026 23:15:43 GMT

How to watch Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball

When: Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026
Tip-Off Time: 5:30 p.m. Pacific
Where: Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif.
TV: The CW
Radio: Cal Bears Sports Network on KSFO 810 AM; Channel 266 on SiriusXM Radio, the SiriusXM app and website; or The Varsity Network app

Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic - Cal v. Houston College Basketball 2026 Betting Odds and Lines

Sun, 08 Nov 2026 15:15:35 GMT

The California Golden Bears are underdogs in their matchup against the Houston Cougars in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic pre-season men’s college basketball tournament, according to the latest odds.

Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic - Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball betting pick, odds and lines: Who is favored to win?

According to data independently collected by Write for California, the latest college basketball betting odds for Cal v. Houston in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic is Cal +19.5, as of Sunday morning.

The Cal +19.5 line implies the California Golden Bears are about 20-point underdogs against the Houston Cougars in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic pre-season tournament matchup.

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According to data independently collected by Write for California, the latest point total for Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball “over-or-under” total score bets is between 145.5 and 147.5 points, as of Sunday morning.

The Cal +19.5 line and 145.5-point total imply the California Golden Bears will lose to the Houston Cougars in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic with a scoreline of about 83-63.

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According to data independently collected by Write for California, the latest Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball “moneyline” ranges between Cal +1350 and Cal +1900 and Houston -2400 and Houston -10000, as of Sunday morning.

Moneyline bets pay out based on the Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball game’s result, regardless of any point “spread” handicap or margin of victory.

A bet on Cal’s most favorable moneyline of Cal +1900 pays a $1,900 profit on a $100 bet because Cal is the underdog in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic tournament matchup. In contrast, a wager on Houston’s most favorable moneyline of Houston -2400 requires a $2,400 bet to pay out a $100 profit because Houston is the favorite to beat Cal.

Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic - Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball: What you should know

The California Golden Bears are 2-0 to start the 2026-2027 men’s college basketball season, while the Houston Cougars are 1-0.

The Houston Cougars began the season ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press’ pre-season top-25 poll and No. 8 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. Houston is ranked the same in both polls heading into its game against Cal.

The California Golden Bears have a 3-4 record against the Houston Cougars in a series dating back to 1971. Cal has won the last two meetings, including its most recent meeting, a 95-70 win in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Nov. 20, 1999, as part of the Top of the World Classic basketball tournament.

Earlier this week, Cal beat Radford, 84-70, and kept the Big South program to 47.1% from the board. California guard Nojus Indrusaitis made six three-point shots and completed the night with 30 points.

In its last game, Houston defeated La Salle, cruising to a 94-55 win at home in a foul-heavy game. The Cougars’ season opener saw 46 fouls, including three technicals and one flagrant foul.

Still early for both programs, neither Cal nor Houston have played away from home this season.

According to Vegas Insider, which reports sportsbooks’ offered odds and lines, the Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball line opened earlier this week at about Cal +17.5. The Cal v. Houston total for “over-or-under” total score bets opened at about 145.5 points. The same website reports the Cal v. Houston moneyline opened at about Cal +1200 and Houston -2400.

According to Vegas Insider, 80% of Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball bets with a point spread have been on Houston and 96% of Cal v. Houston moneyline bets have been on the favorites, the Houston Cougars.

Vegas Insider also reports 91% of the dollars wagered on Cal v. Houston with a point spread have been on Houston and 95% of dollars bet on the Cal v. Houston moneyline have been on the favorites, the Houston Cougars.

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Bet responsibly. Odds and betting lines can change. Write for California provides betting information for context and entertainment purposes.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available at 1-800-GAMBLER.

How to Watch the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic - Cal v. Houston College Basketball: Live Stream and TV Channel

Sun, 08 Nov 2026 11:01:45 GMT

The California Golden Bears (2-0) meet the No. 10 Houston Cougars (1-0) in the inaugural Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic pre-season basketball tournament this weekend.

Cal faces its first real test of the season with a meeting against a team expected by many to make a deep March Madness run.

Here is how you can watch the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic - Cal v. Houston college basketball game Sunday evening.

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How to watch Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic - Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball

When: Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026
Tip-Off Time: 5:30 p.m. Pacific
Where: Tahoe Blue Event Center in Stateline, Nev.
TV: The CW
Radio: Cal Bears Sports Network on KSFO 810 AM; Channel 986 on SiriusXM Radio, the SiriusXM app and website; or The Varsity Network app

How to watch Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic - Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball online

The Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic pre-season men’s college basketball tournament game between Cal v. Houston will air on The CW.

CW Sports can be streamed online on the ESPN app or the ESPN website with an ESPN subscription, on major paid cable or satellite TV providers’ online services, and popular online TV streaming services.

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Write for California will not have a live online video stream of the Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball game or any other game in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic.

A Write for California subscription never includes live TV streams of college basketball games, including Cal v. Houston, or any other sports games or events.

How to Watch the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic - Cal v. Houston College Basketball: Live Stream and TV Channel

Sun, 08 Nov 2026 11:01:45 GMT

The California Golden Bears (2-0) meet the No. 10 Houston Cougars (1-0) in the inaugural Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic pre-season basketball tournament this weekend.

Cal faces its first real test of the season with a meeting against a team expected by many to make a deep March Madness run.

Here is how you can watch the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic - Cal v. Houston college basketball game Sunday evening.

Leave a comment

How to watch Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic - Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball

When: Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026
Tip-Off Time: 5:30 p.m. Pacific
Where: Tahoe Blue Event Center in Stateline, Nev.
TV: The CW
Radio: Cal Bears Sports Network on KSFO 810 AM; Channel 986 on SiriusXM Radio, the SiriusXM app and website; or The Varsity Network app

How to watch Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic - Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball online

The Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic pre-season men’s college basketball tournament game between Cal v. Houston will air on The CW.

Subscribe now

Write for California will not have a live online video stream of the Cal v. Houston men’s college basketball game or any other game in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic.

A Write for California subscription never includes live TV streams of college basketball games, including Cal v. Houston, or any other sports games or events.

Cal Football Bye Week Live Chat

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 16:58:31 GMT

Tired of Cal football? Don’t have to worry about them this week. Here’s your Saturday college football schedule.

#9 BYU at #3 Utah
9:00 am PT / 12:00 pm ET, ABC
#7 Texas at #18 Missouri
9:00 am PT / 12:00 pm ET, ESPN
#8 UCLA at Minnesota
9:00 am PT / 12:00 pm ET, FOX
Iowa State at Baylor
9:00 am PT / 12:00 pm ET, FS1
Clemson at Syracuse
9:00 am PT / 12:00 pm ET, ESPN2
Florida State at Boston College
9:00 am PT / 12:00 pm ET, ACC Network
North Carolina at UConn
9:00 am PT / 12:00 pm ET, CBSSN
Tulsa at Tulane
9:00 am PT / 12:00 pm ET, ESPNU
Duke at NC State
9:30 am PT / 12:30 pm ET, The CW
Maryland at Purdue
9:30 am PT / 12:30 pm ET, BTN
Arkansas at Auburn
9:45 am PT / 12:45 pm ET, SEC Network
Oklahoma State at Kansas State
10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET, TNT
Old Dominion at Coastal Carolina
10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET, ESPN+
Georgia State at App State
11:30 am PT / 2:30 pm ET, ESPN+
Texas A&M at #21 South Carolina
12:00 pm PT / 3:00 pm ET, ESPN
UL Monroe at Arkansas State
12:00 pm PT / 3:00 pm ET, ESPN+
Delaware at Kennesaw State
12:00 pm PT / 3:00 pm ET, ESPN+
#5 Alabama at #14 LSU
12:30 pm PT / 3:30 pm ET, ABC
#23 Oregon at #12 Ohio State
12:30 pm PT / 3:30 pm ET, CBS
Merrimack at #16 Wake Forest
12:30 pm PT / 3:30 pm ET, ACC Network
Cincinnati at #17 Houston
12:30 pm PT / 3:30 pm ET, FOX
Penn State at Washington
12:30 pm PT / 3:30 pm ET, FS1
Charlotte at UAB
12:30 pm PT / 3:30 pm ET, ESPN+
Temple at Navy
12:30 pm PT / 3:30 pm ET, CBSSN
Marshall at Georgia Southern
12:30 pm PT / 3:30 pm ET, ESPN+
Western Kentucky at Middle Tennessee
12:30 pm PT / 3:30 pm ET, ESPN+
UCF at Kansas
12:45 pm PT / 3:45 pm ET, ESPN2
Rice at North Texas
1:00 pm PT / 4:00 pm ET, ESPNU
Northern Illinois at San Jose State
1:00 pm PT / 4:00 pm ET, MW+
Missouri State at Florida International
1:00 pm PT / 4:00 pm ET, ESPN+
Louisiana Tech at Troy
1:00 pm PT / 4:00 pm ET, ESPN+
Vanderbilt at Mississippi State
1:15 pm PT / 4:15 pm ET, SEC Network
Rutgers at Wisconsin
1:15 pm PT / 4:15 pm ET, BTN
South Alabama at Louisiana
2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET, ESPN+
#25 Boise State at Colorado State
3:00 pm PT / 6:00 pm ET, USA Network
#6 Kentucky at #13 Tennessee
3:15 pm PT / 6:15 pm ET, ESPN
Sam Houston at Jacksonville State
4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET, CBSSN
#1 Miami at #11 Notre Dame
4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET, NBC
#2 Georgia at #10 Ole Miss
4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET, ABC
#19 Iowa at Northwestern
4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET, FOX
Colorado at Arizona State
4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET, ESPN2
Louisville at Georgia Tech
4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET, ACC Network
Michigan State at Michigan
4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET, Peacock
Air Force at Army
4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET, CBS
Oklahoma at #24 Florida
4:45 pm PT / 7:45 pm ET, SEC Network
Liberty at New Mexico State
5:00 pm PT / 8:00 pm ET, ESPNU
West Virginia at #15 Texas Tech
6:30 pm PT / 9:30 pm ET, ESPN
Fresno State at Utah State
6:30 pm PT / 9:30 pm ET, USA Network
Hawaii at UTEP
6:30 pm PT / 9:30 pm ET, FS1
Texas State at Oregon State
7:30 pm PT / 10:30 pm ET, The CW
Wyoming at UNLV
7:30 pm PT / 10:30 pm ET, CBSSN

The Rodcast: Cal vs Radford

Bear Insider — Sat, 07 Nov 2026 01:02:23 GMT

Bear Insider Podcast - The Latest in the Lair: Ryan Gutierrez

Bear Insider — Fri, 06 Nov 2026 20:58:20 GMT

NY Times Reports Rift Between Cal Head Coach Tosh Lupoi & General Manager Ron Rivera

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 15:24:49 GMT

When it rains, it floods for the California Golden Bears in 2026.

Bruce Feldman, Stewart Mandel & Antonio Morales of The New York Times/The Athletic report on an ongoing rift between Cal GM Ron Rivera & head coach Tosh Lupoi from sources close to the Cal athletic program.

@slmandel & @AntonioCMorales.\n\nFree story link: ","username":"BruceFeldmanCFB","name":"Bruce Feldman","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/1037818091172855808/E4u1MfpZ_normal.jpg","date":"2026-11-06T14:48:01.000Z","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":0,"retweet_count":4,"like_count":4,"impression_count":9189,"expanded_url":{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7751257/2026/11/06/cal-football-tosh-lupoi-messy-season/?unlocked_article_code=1.OVE.LwSt.0Mldp8nSv42J&source=user_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share","title":"Inside Cal’s messy first year under Tosh Lupoi: How a season that began with hope spiraled (Gift Article)","description":"Frustrations behind the scenes with Cal football of spilled out into public. What's behind it all?","domain":"nytimes.com","image":"https://pbs.substack.com/news_img/2118717088210821123/JQnZg5sV?format=jpg&name=orig"},"video_url":null,"video_preview_media_key":null,"belowTheFold":false}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

As you probably guessed from yesterday’s radio interview, Rivera has been critical of the approach that Lupoi has taken on his first year on the job, struggling with hiring, decision-making, and feedback. Today’s piece contends that this has been an ongoing struggle all season.

Even more alarming is that Rivera, who led the head coaching search, sought the Cal coaching job himself after firing Justin Wilcox. This never came to pass, but this does lead to questions about ulterior motives in Rivera’s own management of Lupoi. Is he doing this for the good of the program, or does he have his own agenda in mind?

Rivera told The Athletic on Thursday he supports Lupoi and described his growing pains as typical for a first-time head coach.
“In today’s world, with the kind of money being spent in college athletics, people feel they’re entitled to immediate success,” Rivera said. “The expectations were ginormous, and I don’t think that was fair. We’ve got a guy who’s a first-time head coach; he’s going to learn.”

Lupoi also has been apparently too hands-on, burning out Cal staff. He has made himself present in multiple places outside the football locker room, including helping in securing business deals like the Databricks partnership, and has spent a lot of time on off-the-field deals like figuring out how to stage concerts at Memorial Stadium. He also remains very involved in his major strength, recruiting, but has apparently spent too much time in these places.

In an interview with The Athletic on Thursday, Lupoi said he’d been reflecting on his approach during Cal’s current bye week.
“What has worked for me in the past is not necessarily the best course of action here at Cal,” Lupoi said. “It starts with me recognizing that and adapting. I’m attempting to do a much better job at, for example, how I communicate in group environments, adjusting the time practicing in full pads … there’s things that I recognize need to be adjusted.”

There was a meeting between Rivera, Lupoi and Chancellor Rich Lyons on Monday, so you can imagine things have gotten pretty serious in the past week for these struggles to be going public.

This is a brutal piece for Cal football. It makes Lupoi look overwhelmed. It makes Rivera look overbearing. And right in the middle of it is a spiralling team, heading toward the bottom of Power 4 with three games to go.

Cal Women’s Basketball 2026-2027 Season Preview

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 11:02:37 GMT

#gobears #weplayforthebay ","username":"CalWBBall","name":"Cal Basketball","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/963111991354179584/_KLaddzo_normal.jpg","date":"2026-11-06T03:39:04.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/HWaYzAyaYAAosUa.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/0JMWwvmKe3"},{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/HWaYzApbcAABzvU.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/0JMWwvmKe3"},{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/HWaYzAxaYAA-8Ct.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/0JMWwvmKe3"},{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/HWaYzAwb0AAVV2h.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/0JMWwvmKe3"}],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":0,"retweet_count":2,"like_count":20,"impression_count":515,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":null,"video_preview_media_key":null,"belowTheFold":false}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

Cal women’s basketball, on the back of just narrowly missing the NCAA tournament, is returning four starters.

Forgive me if I belabor the point, but just so we’re clear: last year’s team, who beat two tournament teams and lost by single digits to five other tournament teams, is returning four starters.

I think that simple fact is worth intrinsically celebrating, regardless of what the Bears achieve this year.

After suffering the sting of just missing the NCAA tournament, Lulu Twidale, Gisella Maul, Mjracle Sheppard, and Taylor Barnes all could have easily transferred to another team. Any of the four would have been highly sought after players that nearly every team in the country would have wanted on the roster. Hell, based on how other people ranked the players available in the transfer portal, I think Lulu Twidale would have been one of the 5 or 10 most sought after players in the country.

They all chose to come back to Berkeley and play for Charmin Smith.

For fans who want to watch Cal win games, retaining these players is tremendously exciting. Cal will enter the season with expectations of making the NCAA tournament and competing toward the top of the ACC.

For fans who have developed an emotional connection to the players on the roster, this is a wonderful development. Those of us who raised their hands in anticipation every time Lulu released a quick trigger 3, who loved watching Mjracle make life miserable for an opposing guard, who thrilled at the development from Taylor and Gisella last year, we all have something to celebrate.

And for fans who hate the transfer portal, who hate seeing constant roster churn year after year, you will get to enjoy a year that will remind them of the good old days. You can watch individual players develop, and watch a cohesive roster develop, just like back in the day when you could expect most of a team’s roster to return.

On Thursday night, the Bears crushed Long Beach State. This was expected - LBSU was just 5-25 last year, lost their best player, and fired their coach. They’re basically starting over. Cal went on an 18-2 run that started midway through the 1st quarter to put the game away, then outscored LBSU 30-5 in the 3rd quarter to put on an exclamation point. It was 76-25 when Cal called off the dogs, and the only drama left was whether or not Shannon Dowell was going to get a triple double (she finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists).

On one hand, LBSU was too overmatched to learn a ton from this game. On the other hand, Cal treated LBSU like an overmatched team, and dominated them accordingly, which is one sign that the Bears are poised to improve on their 25-26 season.

Cal played 13 different players (with Mjracle Sheppard still out with an injury) and nobody played more than 26 minutes. Five Bears hit double figures and 12 Bears hit a field goal. Of the Bears who played, only reserve Anastasia Drosouni didn’t score, in part because she unfortunately suffered an injury shortly after entering the game.

Cal’s next few games will tell us a bit more - USF and UCSB are pretty solid mid-majors - but we won’t really start learning a ton about this team until they play Gonzaga in Hawaii on November 23, and when the Bears finally play power conference competition when Texas A&M comes to Berkeley on December 3.

So, how good will this team be?

1-4, the Bears look talented and deep. Obviously you have Cal’s 4 returning starters: Mjracle Sheppard at point, Lulu at shooting guard, and Taylor Barnes and Gisella Maul on the wings. Missouri 4th year transfer Shannon Dowell and Aussie freshmen Ruby Perkins and Zara Russell look to be the primary guard/wing back-ups.

Ultimately, the answer almost certainly depends on how successful Cal is at replacing the contributions of Sakima Walker, who exhausted her eligibility last year. Cal’s center brought a little bit of everything to the position, acting as Cal’s primary rim protector, defensive rebounder, and interior scorer. One returner and two newcomers will have the chance to fill her shoes, either individually or in the aggregate. Naya Ojukwu, Albina Syla, and Jovana Jevtovic have collectively played 40 minutes in each of Cal’s first two games, and they each bring something unique to the position.

Cal fans of course already know Naya Ojukwu, who joined Cal via transfer from Morgan State. Undersized at 6’1’’, Ojukwu is nevertheless a relentless offensive rebounder and 2nd chance finisher. Her size can sometimes limit her to playing in certain matchup situations, but she brings a unique skillset.

Albina Syla, a 3rd year transfer from Rhode Island, is probably the best interior defender of the trio. She uses her 6’5’’ frame to block and alter shots, and she’s the best defensive rebounder of the group as well.

And finally, freshman Jovana Jevtovic from Serbia may already be the best offensive player of Cal’s three centers. Already a contributor last year on a professional euro team, Jevtovic is controlled around the basket and looks like a solid finisher, and she may offer a skillset that Charmin Smith has never had from a center before: the ability to stretch the floor and hit a 3. But it remains to be seen how she’ll hold up physically against more talented opposition.

If Charmin Smith is able to either find the best option(s) among those three players, or successfully mix and match them to put them in positions to highlight their strengths, this can be a deep, dynamic team.

There are lots of reasons to watch this team. The obvious reason is that they’re going to be good. Our computer overlords expect Cal to have a winning record in the ACC and to make the tournament, and I fully agree.

I want to highlight the 2nd obvious reason: Lulu Twidale is worth the cost of admission on her own.

After suffering through a cold-shooting start to her junior season she caught fire in ACC play, hitting 37% on her 3s despite the fact that every single team started their scout with the intention of denying her looks. Her ability to get shots off quickly and hit them anyway still dazzles me.

But it was the growth in her all-around game that is worth highlighting. She improved her finishing inside, both by percentage and by volume. She improved her assist rate and lowered her turnover rate. She got to the line more frequently than ever before, and was money from the charity stripe.

In short, she improved herself from a solid rotation player into an unquestioned star offensive player. An all-conference level player that a power conference team can build around.

And she’s started the season red hot, hitting 9 of her first 14 threes on the season.

I think she’s poised for a special season, and she’d be reason enough to come to Haas Pavilion even if the team around her wasn’t expected to make the tournament. Add that in and the choice is obvious: you should make this team appointment viewing.

DBD 2026-11-06: Bye

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 10:01:26 GMT

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Cal Football News: Ron Rivera Issues Candid Comments On Tosh Lupoi’s Performance

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 22:30:53 GMT

Cal football general manager Ron Rivera did his regular weekly appearance on KNBR, the local Bay Area sports radio station, and issued some very tough quotes on the first year of head coach Tosh Lupoi.

It is very unusual for a college football leader to go on record making critiques this frank about a head coach. Critiques about hiring (particularly around the hiring of two inexperienced coordinators), decision-making, responding to adversity, and particularly accepting feedback from Rivera and others all came up.

Rivera opened with an honest assessment of where things stand, pushing back on comparisons to UCLA’s faster start under a new staff.

“UCLA brought in a current head coach that came and brought probably half of the team that he had that went to the playoffs to begin with. Tosh came in as a first-time head coach. He did bring a couple of inexperienced coordinators with him. Things didn’t work out the way we needed them to work out on offense. He has bumped his head a lot. I mean, we’ve talked a lot, tried to give him a lot of advice, point him in the right direction. Some of it he’s been very receptive to and other portions he hasn’t. And it’s those things that sometimes you’ve got to learn for yourself.”

Rivera drew on his own NFL coaching history to frame what he wants to see from the final stretch of the season.

“If you go back and look at my first two years in the NFL, I had some crazy record being 3-13 in games lost by less than a score. During that period there were some people that were frustrated because we were so close. What we’ve got to do is put ourselves in a position with these last three games to show that this team is headed in the right direction. That’s the most important part, you want to show a trend that you can build off of and recruit off of.”

On how Lupoi has handled the adversity of his first extended losing streak, Rivera was empathetic but firm that there is work to be done.

“It’s been tough for him because his expectations were so high. When I came in, the expectations rose so quickly because of the success he’s been around. I think we almost took for granted that we’ve got to lay a foundation down and we really haven’t had that chance. We’ve got to get this foundation put down, show that we have solid roots in the ground, that we’re ready to go forward.”

Chancellor Rich Lyons has been an active presence in monitoring the struggles of the football team.

“He’s always had an eye on what we’ve been doing. This is a guy that ran leadership at the Haas Business School. To sit down and listen to him and get nuggets about what it takes to build a proper team, a proper culture, that was about as informative a meeting as I’ve been in. He understands and recognizes that Tosh is a first-time head coach.”

In terms of where to get better, Rivera identified discipline as the most urgent area of improvement.

“We’ve got to be a little bit more disciplined. We’re one of the most penalized teams in the ACC and that’s been disappointing because it’s been those little things that have set us back. You get yourself into a third and short and all of a sudden you get an illegal procedure and now you’re in third and long. Getting guys to bend their knees, bend at the waist and drive through, wrap the midsection, not try to take people high. These are things we’ve got to get better at.”

As Cal enters its final stretch, Rivera also defined what success looks like from here.

“The trajectory has to be going north. We have to show that we are growing, that the culture is getting stronger. Those are all things you have to have going forward.”

It’s safe to say that this will be a very critical month ahead for Lupoi to prove he’s moving things in the right direction. Lupoi is in the first year of a five year contract, but it does seem like he’s already feeling a lot of heat from many places in Berkeley.

Cal Men’s Basketball Defeats Radford 84-70

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 18:41:14 GMT

A ho-hum victory over the visitors from the Big South Conference probably doesn’t tell us much about how good this edition of Mark Madsen’s Bears are - but it’s nice to highlight a couple of keys for the team, and some things to look out for as the schedule turns much more difficult in the next week, first going out to Lake Tahoe to take on the number 10 Houston Cougars in the Caesar’s Lake Tahoe Classic on Sunday, then coming home to face former Pac-8/10/12 foe number 21 ranked USC at Haas on Wednesday.

Photo Credit: Rob Hwang

While Radford, annoyingly never really went away until the last five minutes, Cal always felt in control, except for a stretch around 14 minutes left to go in the game, when Radford went on a run and pulled to within two points, they never really threatened. Some quick shooting from Njus Indrusaitis and Cooper and the lead quickly stretched back to 8 - 12 points and there it remained until the Bears pulled away down the stretch.

From the two games played so far, some bigger picture observations:

Three point shooting: Nojus Indrusaitis with his second successive career high, with an efficient 20 points against Adams State on Monday, he proceeded to score 30 on 10-15 shooting, including 6 three-pointers. More importantly, it looks like that 2-22 three point shooting vs Loyola Marymount in the exhibition game is not an accurate picture of how this team will shoot going forward, as the team sank 17-35 for a sparkling 49% from deep. Obviously, we’re not going to be hitting at such an efficient rate in every game, but we haven’t had so many shooters on the team since either the Jerome Randle/Patick Christopher/Theo Robertson teams, or the 2014 team with Jordan Mathews, Jabari Bird, Justin Cobbs. It is way way way early to declare that this team will be able to shoot with them, but aside from Indrusaitis, Michael Cooper, Samie Yeanay, Jake Wilkins, TT Carr, Jordan Ross, Jovani Ruff, and even Mantas Kocanas all looked very comfortable shooting from distance.

Pace of Play: Since Madsen has started, we’ve been a slightly above average team (68 possessions per game in some back of envelope calculations, per Nick Kranz) in terms of pace of play, but style of play, we’ve always been very deliberate. His first year, we rode a Jaylon Tyson and Fardaws Aimaq centered pick-and-pop game and hunted 1 on 1 opportunities for Tyson to get to his spots for shots. The next year was Jermiah Wilkinson and Andrej Stojakovic and then last season was Justin Pippen and Dai Dai Ames. But, to my eye at least, we played a very deliberate style - so much so that I thought it was part of Madsen’s coaching style.

This season, while we have really only one “point guard” in TT Carr, we have a full roster full of guys who can dribble, pass and shoot. Indrusaitis, Carr, Cooper, Ross, Ruff are all guys who can, and will push the pace. If you watch the team over the past two games, the rebounder is always looking up and out for the first outlet pass, and we are attacking from the wings and trying to get downhill as soon as possible, whether off the break, the secondary break or an initial dribble hand-off or pick-and-roll - this team plays much faster than past edition of Madsen teams.

Defense - this team is playing a very aggressive man-to-man as its base defense, and, I think until Dort comes back we should be prepared to see us give up a lot of incredibly easy buckets. The way we’re running it now, calls for a strong hedge from the center - for now Mantas Kocanas - and then he will scramble back to find his man in the chaos. He’s not the fastest of foot, nor the most agile, so we’ve been giving up a lot easy baskets, even as Kocanas is working really hard - but it’s not his strength at all. Some fun twists, however, we have been running some lineups with four guards and Sammie Yeanay at center, who looks to be completely healthy after spending a season recovering from a full ACL tear. It’s fun when your center can make the steal at the point of attack, lead the break and either get a windmill dunk or a corner 3. When Lee Dort returns from his injury, he should be able to shore up the defense as well.

Athletes - we’ve had good players under Madsen, and even Mark Fox and Wyking Jones had some quality players. But we haven’t had an out-and-out athlete since Jaylen Brown played for Cuonzo Martin - and I think we may have two this season with Sammie and Jake Wilkins. Yenay is all power and speed, but Wilkins is agile and like his famous dad, has fight in his legs. We’re going to see some real fun dunks this season.

Final note: Coach Madsen missed the game with what was announced as a family emergency - we wish the best for Coach, and hope everything is ok.

DBD 2026-11-05: Gabby!

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 10:00:55 GMT

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Cal Men’s Basketball Live Chat: Bears host Radford

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 00:30:47 GMT

How to watch Cal v. Radford men’s college basketball

When: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026
Tip-Off Time: 6 p.m. Pacific
Where: Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif.
TV: ACC Network Extra (ACCNX)
Radio: Cal Bears Sports Network on KSFO 810 AM; Channel 266 on SiriusXM Radio, the SiriusXM app and website; or The Varsity Network app

Write For California X WarriorsWorld: Legends of Memorial Stadium Vol. 2 Released

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 20:31:09 GMT

We know some of the community has been wanting more Cal gear from us. Here is the Vol.2 of our Memorial Legends collaboration with WarriorsWorld. This time across multiple eras. Jared Goff? Cam Bynum? Cam Jordan? JJ Arrington? Tony G? Namndi? They’re all here.

Short sleeve shirts?

Hoodies?

Long Sleeves?

The shop has them all.

Thanks to WarriorsWorld who came up with the design and will be handling the orders for us!

Partial proceeds from sales will be going to the Basic Needs department on campus to help students in need!

Make sure to order your gear as this is a limited time release and may or may not be coming back anytime soon!

Orders are now open on shopwarriorsworld.net

Go Bears. Go Warriors.

Write for Cal x Warriors World.

Cal v. Radford College Basketball 2026 Betting Odds and Lines

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 18:34:50 GMT

Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif. (Courtesy: Cal Athletics)

The California Golden Bears are favorites in their matchup against the Radford Highlanders, according to the latest men’s college basketball lines and odds offered by sportsbooks.

Cal v. Radford men’s college basketball betting pick, odds and lines: Who is favored to win?

According to data independently collected by Write for California, the latest college basketball betting odds for Cal v. Radford is between Cal -15.5 and Cal -16.5, as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Cal -15.5 line implies the California Golden Bears are about 16-point favorites against the Radford Highlanders.

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According to data independently collected by Write for California, the latest point total for Cal v. Radford men’s college basketball “over-or-under” total score bets is between 156.5 and 157.5 points, as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Cal -16.5 line and 156.5-point total imply the California Golden Bears will beat the Radford Highlanders with a scoreline of about 87-70.

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According to data independently collected by Write for California, the latest Cal v. Radford men’s college basketball “moneyline” ranges between Cal -1567 and Cal -2500 and Radford +900 and Radford +1329, as of Wednesday afternoon.

Moneyline bets pay out based on the Cal v. Radford men’s college basketball game’s result, regardless of any point “spread” handicap or margin of victory.

A bet on Cal’s most favorable moneyline of Cal -1567 pays a $100 profit on a $1,567 bet because Cal is the favorite, while a wager on Radford’s most favorable moneyline of Radford +1329 pays a $1,329 profit on a $100 bet because Radford is the underdog.

Cal v. Radford men’s college basketball: What you should know

The California Golden Bears are 1-0 to start the 2026-2027 men’s college basketball season, while the Radford Highlanders are 0-1.

Cal and Radford will play each other for the first time on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, Cal beat Division II-team Adams University, 115-86, scoring 66 points at halftime as they cruised to a season-opener win.

Radford lost to the University of San Francisco Dons in San Francisco on Monday, 62-76. Radford struggled at the half and gave up many turnovers and fouls in its defeat.

Cal is 1-0 in home games at Haas Pavilion in the 2026-2027 men’s college basketball season, and Radford is 0-1 when away from Radford, Va.

According to Vegas Insider, which reports sportsbooks’ offered odds and lines, the Cal v. Radford men’s college basketball line opened Tuesday at about Cal -17.5. The Cal v. Radford total for “over-or-under” total score bets opened at about 155.5 points. The same website reports the Cal v. Radford moneyline opened Tuesday at about Cal -1600 and Radford +900.

According to Vegas Insider, 81% of Cal v. Radford men’s college basketball bets with a point spread have been on Cal, 74% of Cal v. Radford “over-or-under” total score bets have been on the “under,” and 96% of Cal v. Radford moneyline bets have been on the favorites, the California Golden Bears.

Vegas Insider also reports 90% of the dollars wagered on Cal v. Radford with a point spread have been on Cal, 71% of money have been on an “under” result and 95% of dollars bet on the Cal v. Radford moneyline have been on Cal.

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Bet responsibly. Odds and betting lines can change. Write for California provides betting information for context and entertainment purposes.

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How to Watch Cal v. Radford College Basketball: Live Stream and TV Channel

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 18:13:33 GMT

The California Golden Bears are 1-0 to start the 2026-2027 men’s college basketball season. (Courtesy: University of California, Berkeley)

The California Golden Bears (1-0) host the Radford Highlanders (0-1) of the Big South Conference Wednesday evening. The game will be the first meeting between the two programs.

Earlier this week, Radford lost to the University of San Francisco Dons, 62-76, in its season opener. The Highlanders gave up 19 turnovers and 21 points from free throws from frequent fouls.

Here is how you can watch Cal v. Radford college basketball Wednesday evening.

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How to watch Cal v. Radford men’s college basketball

When: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026
Tip-Off Time: 6 p.m. Pacific
Where: Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif.
TV: ACC Network Extra (ACCNX)
Radio: Cal Bears Sports Network on KSFO 810 AM; Channel 266 on SiriusXM Radio, the SiriusXM app and website; or The Varsity Network app

How to watch Cal v. Radford men’s college basketball online

The Cal v. Radford men’s college basketball game will air on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).

ACC Network Extra (ACCNX) can be streamed online on the ESPN app or the ESPN website. Find ACCNX under the channels listing, which can be accessed by clicking or tapping “Browse” in the menu bar online or selecting “Watch” in the ESPN app.

ACCNX may also be available with an ESPN+ subscription, on major paid cable or satellite TV providers’ online services, and popular online TV streaming services.

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Write for California will not have a live online video stream of the Cal v. Radford men’s college basketball game.

A Write for California subscription never includes live TV streams of college basketball games, including Cal v. Radford, or any other sports games or events.

Cal Football 2026: The Nightmare Continues Against NC State

The California Golden Bearcast — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:00:00 GMT

The Bad, the Worse, and the Dumpster Fires: Cal at NC State Football 2026

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 11:01:28 GMT

All Bad and no Good makes Bk97 a dull data analyst | Photo by Daniel McCullough on Unsplash

Welcome back to The Good, the Bad, and the Rockfights, our weekly exercise in copy+pasting last week’s analysis, changing two or three words, and publishing it again because this team turns in the same performance every week. Actually, we’re taking an unusual turn into the depths of despair this week, because I feel like I have written the same piece every week recently and I need to do something different. Recall that nearly every time we have run this series this season, the previous game has been categorized into The Bad (Virginia Tech was a Pillowfight and we didn’t evaluate Wagner because FEI does not produce drive data for FCS games). Once again, Cal has fallen into the Bad this week. But we’re diving deeper into the category and exploring the depths of the Bad by breaking it out into the Bad, the Worse, and the Dumpster Fires. Which cursed category did Cal fall into this week? Read on to find out.

Glossary

Want to know what kinds of Cal football games we’re currently identifying, what BCF Toys’ drive ratings measure, or how to read the Good-Bad-Rockfight-Pillowfight chart? This section should answer any questions you have about the plots and analysis. Otherwise, skip ahead to the plots.

Types of Cal football games

Good: Cal moves the ball productively and efficiently, and turns possessions into points. Meanwhile the defense stops the opponent’s drives early and prevents scoring opportunities.
Bad: The opposite of The Good: Cal can’t move the ball well or efficiently and cannot turn possessions into points. Meanwhile the defense surrenders many yards, long plays, and points.
Rockfight: These are led by strong defensive performances where the defense forces the opponent to grind out inefficient drives that usually end in a punt or turnover. Meanwhile, the offense replicates that struggle. These games are usually dictated by the rule of 21: first team to score 21 wins.
Pillowfight: both offenses can do whatever they want while the defenses are powerless to stop them. These are high-scoring shootouts that are usually decided in the waning minutes of the 4th quarter.

Plots

Boxplots: a boxplot illustrates the spread of data points. The plots used in this series highlight the most recent game’s rating in gold while the remainder of the data points are represented in the boxplot. The box captures data between the 25th and 75th percentiles while the horizontal line represents the median, or midpoint of the data. tl;dr: above the box = great, above the line = good, below the line = bad, below the box = turrible.
Cluster diagram: this illustrates our Good, Bad, Rockfights, and Pillowfights clusters. Each data point represents a game, and points closer together received more similar ratings while points farther apart received more dissimilar ratings. We use a k-means clustering algorithm to organize the games into four distinct clusters, which are color-coded in the plot.

BCF Toys Ratings

(the same ratings are used for offense and defense, so I will only define them once)

Game Rating (GR): opponent-adjusted FEI offense rating, capturing the expected scoring advantage the offense had against the opposing defense (and vice versa, for the defensive rating)
Efficiency (Eff): same as Game Rating, but the scoring advantage against an average defense
Points per Drive (PPD): points per drive during regulation, non-garbage time possessions (or opponent’s PPD, for the defensive rating)
Success Rate (SR): percentage of non-garbage time drives ending in a TD or FG attempt
Yards per Play (YPP): yards per play on non-garbage time possessions
Available Yards (AYd): the distance covered on a drive divided by the distance to the end zone when the drive began for non-garbage time possessions (basically, the proportion of the field covered during a possession)

Offense

First, a look at how well the Cal offense performed.

Saturday’s ratings (gold) compared to all previous offensive ratings: Game Rating, Efficiency, Points per Drive, Drive Success Rate, Yards per Play, Available Yards

Another offensive performance that’s somewhere around the 10th percentile. Cal could not move the ball on a per play or per drive basis, and they were unable to turn those drives into points. This is the worst kind of plot because there is no depth or nuance to be gained from it (unlike, for example, if Cal had been woefully inefficient but somehow successful at scoring points or vacillating between 3-and-outs and explosive TD drives). Instead, it’s just bad all around.

Defense

Saturday’s ratings (gold) compared to all previous ratings 2007-present: Game Rating, Efficiency, Points per Drive, Drive Success Rate, Yards per Play, Available Yards

This one is a little more interesting because there is some variety. Cal had a decent first half defensive performance: 6 of NC State’s 8 first-half drives failed to achieve 10 or more yards, and their lone first-half TD resulted from an explosive 49-yard reception. Cal’s defense had a strong Success Rate score, as NC State struggled to get into scoring positions. But that explosive play drove down the defense’s Yards per Play state. And then to open the second half the defense gave up 21 points and 248 yards on NC State’s first three drives. Those drives brought all these ratings down significantly from their first-half levels.

Special Teams

Saturday’s ratings (gold) compared to all previous ratings 2007-present: Game Rating, Efficiency, Field Goals, Punting, Kickoff Returns

Field Goals were middling thanks to a missed 40-yarder and a made 38-yarder. Averaging 45 yards per attempt on 7 punts, Cal’s decent punting was enhanced by decent coverage and a tendency to get those punts inside the 20. Kickoffs weren’t terrible, which is surprising because Cal returned 3 and none of them were stopped inside the 15 this time.

Cluster Analysis

I already mentioned in the intro that this one fell into The Bad, so there is no suspense here.

(Click here for a much larger version) Cal fell squarely into The Bad again.

The clustering algorithm finds the most coherent sets of games to include in each category. As a result, we often see games near the periphery of their respective categories jump into an adjacent category when it ends up being a better fit in that new category. Although every game except Virginia Tech has fallen into The Bad during our initial analysis, several of them have since jumped into new categories. UCLA now resides in the Pillowfights; Syracuse and UNLV turned into Rockfights; while Clemson and SMU remain mired in The Bad. With so many games ending up in The Bad, I thought it would be useful to investigate what kind of variation there is in this wretched category.

The Bad, the Worse, and the Dumpster Fires

So I took all the games in The Bad, and ran a cluster analysis on them. The cluster analysis broke those games into three types of Bad:

(Click here for a much larger version) Our three levels of ineptitude within The Bad. The NC State loss was the least-bad of the categories, although it’s near the border of The Worse.

We have three flavors of misery here: entries in The Bad tend to be lower-scoring, with Cal scoring in the 10s or 20s while the opponent usually scores up to 30-something. The NC State game fell into this category, along with several other games where Cal held the opponent in check for part of the game. These games tend to stay close enough to give Cal fans some hope before brutally tearing it away (like Clemson game earlier this year, which also fell in this subcategory). The Worse tend to be higher-scoring entries: Cal scores 20-something points while the opponent scores up to 60, like last week’s SMU game. These games are usually blowouts from the outset, although occasionally they are close for a little while, like that SMU game. Among the worst of the worst, we have The Dumpster Fires, where the opponent easily cruises to 40+ points and spends most of the second half in cruise control, which allows Cal to score a garbage time TD or two.

Deja Vu

I pored through the data to find the game with the closest ratings to this week’s game and…you know what? I’ve hit a wall for how much bad football I can analyze in one day. I think we’ll end this one here without rehashing yet another miserable Cal loss (by the way, the closest match was the 6-38 loss to SMU in 2024). Enjoy the bye week, Cal fans. Go outside, breathe the fresh air, and do something you really enjoy. We all deserve a weekend off from Cal football.