Playing not to lose

Thinking more about the Cal game, who else thinks a big part of Cal’s problem the last few weeks is that they’ve been playing not to lose instead of to win?

Let’s hope so because next week that won’t be a problem.

One Response to “Playing not to lose”

  1. Cato Says:

    Yes, agreed. I’ve thought the last three games Cal has not looked “powerful”. Yes they won two of the three, but they were not solid, confident wins. Even yesterday at half time, at 17 to 3, I had a nervous feeling in my gut. (Of course, when you’ve followed Cal football since 1954 you get used to that feeling. I still expect the center to hike the ball over the punter’s head, or for the QB to fumble it away near the goal line. I’m just always thrilled when they still have possession at the end of a play.) But, my gripe is with the coaching. I think the play calling is poor. Too often Longshore, on 2nd or 3rd down and 10, either threw to a receiver who was well short of the first down, or threw a long bomb with a low chance of completion. When you have the ball, all you need think about is getting the next 10 yards. The rest will take care of itself. I don’t think Cal works like that, and that is what did them in. Plus one horrendous coaching call: kicking a FG in the 4th qtr with the score 24 to 17, 4th down and goal on the 4 yd line. A FG gets you nothing since you still have to score a TD to effect the outcome of the game. If you go for the TD on 4th down, if you make it you’re tied. If you don’t, Arizona has to take over on downs on their own 4. Instead, Cal made the (useless) FG, then they had to kick off and Arizona could, and did, put themselves in good field position. Those are things coaches are supposed to have figured out ahead of time, and I don’t think Tedford does.