After Cal's seventh practice of the spring, about the halfway point of the calendar, coach Justin Wilcox once again emphasized one of the Bears' main goals: eliminating turnovers.
“Ball is the only sacred thing in the program. There are no coaches, players or discipline that are sacred,” Wilcox said Saturday. “But the ball is sacred.”
A year ago, the California offense treated the football more like a hot potato than a sacred treasure. The Bears had 28 turnovers (16 interceptions, 12 lost fumbles), ranking 127th in the nation.
“Unfortunately, last year's stats…'' Wilcox said he never really got into the game as they were, also noting the fact that Cal tied for first in the nation with 28 turnovers. “We're in a new year and we have new players and a new team. So we have to be ball conscious in everything we do.”
When you add these numbers together (28 vs. 28), the plus or minus profit margin is zero. Exactly one year ago in 2022, Cal was a plus-six, securing 18 takeaways against just 12 turnovers, including just three lost fumbles.
Wilcox said the Bears are tracking ball safety in every drill they do this spring. “Who has the ball is the most important part of the game.”
He doesn't expect perfection, nor does he believe it's possible.
“We have to develop great habits and minimize (turnovers). We're not going to play like we don't make mistakes. We're going to play aggressively but not be careless. I'm going to play,'' Wilcox said.
“You have to be really good at the football: handoffs, quarter-center exchanges, ball decisions at the quarterback, receivers. . . . Everybody is involved in this. The O-line is involved and makes sure the quarterback is good. We will protect it. This is a team problem that has to be solved from the standpoint of protecting the football.”
Wilcox points out loss of concentration
Saturday's practice was high energy, Wilcox said, but it didn't pay off.
“The energy at practice was great. There were certain individuals and position groups that probably needed to focus and have a productive practice,” he said.
“Does that happen sometimes? Probably. You have to perform yourself from there. There has to be ownership where you can mentally come out here and practice productively.
If that's not the case, if we're just bringing the energy here and not the focus, then it's better to go outside and run on the fire trail or go to the weight room and train. ”
Wilcox pointed out that there is a crucial difference between working up a sweat and finishing a practice with the goal of progress.
“If you ride a bike, you can ride without thinking. Football is not a callous thing,” he said. “You have to have a purpose to come out here and do something better. When you're tired, you have to be focused. And we just didn't have that overall today.”
“There are 100 players on a team, and they're probably never going to be perfect. But if you're going to join a team and be a productive member, you're going to get better at something. There is an expectation that you are just going through the motions and not going through the motions.
“Overwhelmingly, it was very good. We had a few guys and position groups today that lacked the focus we need to get better. There's more to football than just trying hard.”
Nick Morrow appears in OT
Nick Morrow, a redshirt freshman from Flagstaff, Ariz., continues to progress as he looks to fill a key role in the Bears' offense. Cal is currently without Victor Stoffel, a 6-foot-7, 295-pound senior who transferred from Sweden via Temple University.
While Stoffel gets healthy, Morrow is making the most of his opportunities to get reps, including playing first-team time at left tackle.
“He's come a long way,” said Wilcox of Morrow, a 6-8, 305-pound force who played tight end and defensive end in high school. Morrow attended camp in California, where the coaching staff envisioned him as an O-lineman.
“He has a lot of tools that no one can teach or coach. His size, his frame, his body comp, and his mass. He has very good feet for a player his size. “We're working hard,” Wilcox said.
“He's picking up on (things) pretty quickly, but there's nothing like playing the game. He needs every practice, every drill, every drill, every meeting, every walk-through.
“If he can stay focused – and to his credit, he has done that – he's going to have a very, very bright future.”
