Scare in Berkeley.

David R.

November 14, 2010 - 10:52 AM

The Oregon game I watched on television yesterday was anything but expected. I knew Cal has been a tough stop for the ducks over the years, but I never expected the Bears to throw Oregon's offense into such a rut.

In every game thus far this season, Oregon's offense has been able to put up at least 40 points. We have scored at will and it has seemed that we can fight our way through any defense to get into the end zone. In Berkeley, the Ducks scored only 15 points, and only eight of them came from our offense. The other seven came from yet another punt return by Cliff Harris.

This low-scoring game was one of possession and field position. Both offenses were rather cold, leaving it up to both defenses to control the game. This Pac 10 matchup had upset alert written all over it, and at one point Cal was three yards away from taking a four-point lead in a game where points were a rarity. For whatever reason, we just couldn't move the ball consistently, having to punt it away more times than usual. The Oregon team on the screen wasn't the team that everyone has been used to, and our performance yesterday was one that might raise some questions. Granted, we are still undefeated and at number one in the BCS, but we were only able to beat an un-ranked Cal team by two points. I can't figure out what was wrong with the squad yesterday, but the Bears certainly had our number.

Cal is said to have arguably the best defense in the Pac 10. This is somewhat surprising to me because you would think that a team with the best defense in a certain BCS conference would be able to win more games than the Bears have this season. Nevertheless, Cal showed it yesterday, as the Bear defense had its clamps on our offense the whole game. Watching us struggle to put points on the board brought back horrific memories of watching the 2007 team struggle to score against Arizona in Tucson after the departure of Dennis Dixon. It is seriously concerning to watch our team (ranked number one) struggle on the road, knowing that it only takes one loss for all of the dreams of this season to be shattered. In the third quarter, before a penalty and a missed field goal, the Cal Bears were three yards away from taking the lead against us. We didn't score the rest of the game, so if Cal had been able to punch it in in that instance, would we have lost the game, thus ruining any chances to make it to Glendale? It's a scary thought, and I'm glad I didn't have to find out. Now the Ducks have a two week break before taking on Arizona at home.

I am currently sitting in my house preparing for a football battle of my own. Today, at noon, I'll be playing in an intramural football game that is an inter-fraternal battle of sorts. Our house has two different teams playing in the same league, and today we both face off. It should be a good game, and it will certainly have implications for bragging rights.