Buffs Head To Cal With 'Bowl Game Or Bust' Mentality
November 24, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BERKELEY, Calif. — Colorado quarterback Steven Montez put it in the simplest terms possible earlier in the week.
While the media spent the week asking every player, coach and administrator possible about the dismissal of head coach Mike MacIntyre, CU's players did their best to focus on the fact that they still had a game remaining.
A very important game, as a matter of fact. Saturday's 5 p.m. matchup against Cal (Pac-12 Networks) is one more chance to end a losing streak that has stretched to six games, a chance to end the regular season on a winning note, and a chance to become bowl eligible.
That, Montez reminded the media, was still the players' biggest concern.
"Players still play the game," Montez said. "We have to go out there and do a good job of executing what they give us to run. Do or die game, bowl game or bust — as players we understand that. We're going to work our absolute hardest to go and be successful on the football field. At the end of the day you can't control everything that happens in a football game. The only thing you can control is your 1/11th. If everybody focuses on their 1/11th, we'll have a good shot to win this football game."
But not many folks give 5-6 Colorado (2-6 Pac-12) a good shot to beat Cal  (6-3, 3-4). The Bears have been playing well down the stretch, with three wins in their last four games, including victories over Pac-12 North champ Washington and USC. The Buffs have lost six in a row, including losses to Washington and USC. Thus, the Buffs enter the game as heavy underdogs.
But while the Buffs spent the week adjusting to life under interim head coach Kurt Roper, they also had what some players called a "new energy" about them. Backed into a corner and given little chance to win, the Buffs chose not to mope. Instead, they had a week of energetic, enthusiastic practices.
"It was almost like a new edge, a new focus for people," senior linebacker Drew Lewis said. "I think the change did kind of switch up our mindset a little bit for the better Whether it's a little bit or a lot, we'll see."
The Buffs will need all the focus possible to beat the Bears on their home turf, especially after they have had what amounted to a bye week when their scheduled game against Stanford last weekend was postponed because of poor air quality caused by wildfires in the region. Second-year head coach Justin Wilcox's defense has been playing extremely well while the offense has done just enough to play winning football over the last month.
Defensively, the Bears do an excellent job in stopping the run and the pass. They haven't allowed more than 100 yards rushing in their last four games, have given up more than 180 yards passing just once in their last five games, and lead the league in interceptions with 14. As a result, they have given up an average of just 12.5 points per game over their last four.
They are led by linebackers Jordan Kunaszyk and Evan Weaver, both of whom have more than 100 tackles this year. But their real strength, according to Roper, is their ability to stick with their system and play their assignments.
"All the players on the field know exactly what they're trying to accomplish per call," Roper said. "They know their issues in each defense. Because of that they play really fast and they play really well together. Even on top of that, they have really good football players. They've done a good job recruiting and getting guys that can run in space and tackle in space."
Offensively, the Bears employ a two-quarterback system. Freshmen Chase Garbers is the better thrower (1,100 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions) while sophomore Brandon McIlwain is the more accomplished runner but an erratic passer (second on the team in rushing with 402 yards, but eight interceptions and just two touchdown passes). The Bears also have an accomplished running back in senior Patrick Laird, who has run for 771 yards and five touchdowns, and he also leads the Bears in receptions with 43.
"One (quarterback) is a more talented runner, he has a little more speed," CU defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot said. "But the other one can run and McIlwain can still pass. It's a difficult challenge to have to face two style of quarterbacks because they're both talented."
The Bears love to keep the score low with a grind-it-out offense and their stifling defense. In their last four games, only once has either team scored more than 19 points — a 49-7 Cal win over Oregon State.
Thus, the the Buffs know they need to move the ball consistently and take advantage of every scoring opportunity that arises.
Just a year ago, Colorado had great success against the Bears — and against many of the same players on this year's Cal defense. In a 44-28 win in Boulder, the Buffs racked up 553 yards offense. Montez threw for 353 yards and three touchdowns in the win, and the CU running game added another 200 yards to the total.
While the Buffs have been hit hard by injuries, they are healthy again in some places, including wide receiver, where sophomore Laviska Shenault Jr. is rounding back into form. After missing three games with a toe injury, Shenault has 19 catches in his last two games, and now needs just 54 more yards receiving to hit 1,000 for the season.
Running back Travon McMillian, meanwhile, is also nearing the 1,000 mark, needing just 49 yards rushing Saturday to get there. If both players reach 1,000 yards, it will be the first time in CU history that Colorado has had a 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver in the same season.
But any individual accomplishments will be part of the Buffs' main goal — to win a game and extend their season.
"It's an opportunity to go play a game," Roper said. "You only get 12 opportunities. The good thing about this 12th opportunity is it gives us a chance to have 13th opportunity. That's really the focus. We want to go play a really good game against Cal and hopefully extend our season if we can play well."
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Colorado's Montez against Cal's secondary. The Bears do a great job of disguising defenses and confusing quarterbacks — thus their league-leading 14 interceptions. But if Montez can stay patient and work the short passing game, he will have an opportunity to hit a long ball or two.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Cal's quarterbacks. While Cal's defense leads the league in interceptions, so do Cal's quarterbacks — they've combined to throw a Pac-12 leading 13 picks. If the Buffs can force the Bears into second- and third-and-long situations, they will have their chances to increase that number.
THE SERIES: The Bears have a 5-4 edge in the all-time series, with each team winning two since Colorado joined the Pac-12 in 2011. Both of Cal's wins have come in overtime, including a 59-56 double-overtime decision the last time they met in Berkeley (2014).
NUTS AND BOLTS:
Kickoff: 5:10 p.m., California Memorial Stadium (62,467).
Broadcast: The Pac-12 Networks will televise the game with Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play), Ryan Leaf (color commentary) and Cindy Brunson (sidelines). The radio broadcast will be carried by 850 KOA with Mark Johnson and Gary Barnett in the booth and Mark MacIntosh on the sidelines.
In-game live blog, stats: A live in-game blog as well as continually updated statistics will be available on www.CUBuffs.com
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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