Miami came into this game with Cal opening up their ACC season and hoping they could turn their season around. The first quarter would not start out like they would have liked. On the Canes second possession Ward would throw his first interceptions of the game and it would get returned to inside the 10 yard line. Cal would be held to a FG and would take an early 3-0 lead. The Canes would finally get on the board on their next possession. After a few runs by Martinez, the Canes would hit on a blown coverage as Ward would hit TE Elijah Arroyo for a 67 yard score and a 7-3 lead. Defense would come to play the next couple of drives as both team would shut the other offense down. Cal would get the next big play as they would hit on a 88 yard TD pass as Miami would get beat in a Cover 1 and be down 10-7. The Canes would get a big defensive play of their own as they would pick off a pass and return it inside the 5 yard line. Ward would punch it in from 3 yards out to take a 14-10 lead. Miami would get back deep into Cal territory again but they would miss the FG right before half. "Missing that FG was a bad play for our team," said Coach Dealer, "we have to be able to convert on short FG's."
The second half could be looked at as awesome Defense or very pitiful offense. For the 4th straight game Ward would be picked off and have it returned for a TD, this would put Miami down 17-14. "We have got to stop throwing interceptions," said Dealer, "we are just killing ourselves with the pick 6's." Miami would have some oppurtunities to put drives together, but they would have too many drops and too many sacks given up to put any big threat against the Cal.
"This season is spiraling out of control. We have to get this figured out or we will be 0-12 in no time." said Dealer.
"Ugly Wins Are Still Wins: Cal Barely Scrapes by Miami Hurricanes"
Debbie Downer’s Take on Cal vs. Miami: Ugly Wins Are Still Wins, I Guess
Let’s get one thing straight: Just because you win doesn’t mean you played well. The Cal Bears may have eked out a 17-14 victory against the Miami Hurricanes, but don’t let the score fool you—this game was an absolute mess. If this was supposed to be a bounce-back game after the Vanderbilt debacle, then consider it a bounce that landed squarely in the mud.
An Offense in Shambles
The Golden Bears' offense was about as effective as a screen door on a submarine. Chandler Rogers, who is supposed to be our leader under center, looked more like a deer in headlights, throwing three interceptions and completing just 8 of 17 passes. It’s a miracle we even cracked 150 yards through the air. And don’t get me started on the running game—a whopping 49 yards on the ground? I’ve seen more fight in a wet paper bag.
Our third-down efficiency was an abysmal 1-for-8, and we only managed six first downs all game. Six! The only thing that kept this game from being a total disaster was Miami’s uncanny ability to outdo us in the turnover department. When your best offensive play is an 88-yard fluke touchdown pass, you know you’ve got problems.
Defense Saves the Day... Barely
The only saving grace in this mess of a game was the defense. Ryan Yaites pulled off a miracle with a pick-six that ended up being the difference in the game. But let’s not pretend this was some kind of defensive masterpiece. Miami, a team that hadn’t won a game all season, managed to rack up nearly 240 yards of offense and would have scored more if their kicker hadn’t shanked a gimme field goal.
Coach Gonzales, ever the optimist in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, called it "lipstick on a pig." And you know what? He’s right. This game was as ugly as they come, and slapping a win on it doesn’t change that fact.
A Win's a Win?
So here we are, sitting at 3-2, and I’m supposed to feel good about that? Sorry, but I’m not buying it. This was a win in name only. The Bears may have pulled it out in the end, but it wasn’t because they played well—it was because Miami found a way to play worse.
If the Bears think they can keep squeaking by with performances like this, they’re in for a rude awakening. You can only live on borrowed time for so long before the clock runs out. And if this game is any indication, that clock is ticking faster than we’d like to admit.
Debbie Downer, Associated Press
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