The California Bears football team seems poised for a much better year.
“We were so bad last year, I think the improvement’s going to be pretty obvious,” head coach Sonny Dykes said in a media conference.
And bad they were. In 2013, the Bears lost nearly all of their games and finished with an embarrassing record of 1-11. This upcoming season, their schedule is tough (being in the Pac-12), but we will go through their games one by one.
Week One: California at Northwestern
Main Point: A lot of fans and experts alike consider this game a warm-up for the Northwestern Wildcats. Northwestern’s running back Venric Mark will challenge the weak Cal Bears defensive line early, and Trevor Siemian is poised to show the fans that he is something special. But Cal has their own unique offensive players in Jared Goff, Chris Harper, and Khalfani Muhammad. Not that Northwestern’s defense is bad, but do you remember the beating that Goff put on their secondary last season? Just keep in mind that both teams have pretty special offenses.
Key to the Game for Cal: The game for California will depend on finishing in the red zone. Those four points from a field goal to a touchdown will mean the game to this talented team. Cal ranked last in the Pac-12 in red-zone efficiency last year, converting just 21 of 43 chances for touchdowns. “It’s definitely frustrating, getting down there so many times and not being able to punch it in,” Goff said. “Getting that ball from the 20 to the goal line is the whole game, really.”
Key to the Game for Northwestern: The Golden Bears struggled heavily last year because they couldn’t stay competetive after they gave up a score or two. The Wildcats must capitalize on the Bears’ mistakes that are sure to happen and never look back. They must have no mercy if they can take the lead early.
Projection: This will be a shootout. The final score will be closer than what most people expect out of this game, but Northwestern should be able to pull it off in a nail-biter.
California 31, Northwestern 38 – Golden Bears Record (0-1)
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @SamKweonWriter. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For more on sports injuries, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Football fans…check out our two partnered NFL podcasts – Thursday Night Tailgate Radio and Overtime Ireland. Both shows bring you interesting commentary, critical analysis and fantastic guests including former and current NFL players, coaches and personalities.
Main Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
