Bears outscore teams 87-10 after the break
Bruce Adams, Chronicle Staff Writer
Like it or not, Cal is becoming known as a second-half team. "We want to be a team that plays a complete game," linebacker Ryan Foltz said. "Every Friday night before the game, we talk about having a complete game," tailback Justin Forsett said. Still, the No. 13 Bears (3-0) have played better in the second half. In their first three games, they have outscored their opponents 87-10 after halftime. In Saturday's 35-20 win over Illinois, the Bears had to overcome a 17-7 halftime deficit. It was the same story last year, with Cal outscoring opponents 227-67 in the second half. Coach Jeff Tedford has said he doesn't give fiery halftime speeches, and the team rarely makes major adjustments. Usually, coaches simply review assignments, perhaps using the board to diagram a play or formation. Players relax and have a snack and a drink. "Each game has a different set of circumstances," Tedford said. Against the Illini, the Bears couldn't keep their defense off the field very much in the first half. Illinois had 49 offensive plays for 210 yards, Cal 21 for 124 yards. And on defense, Cal committed some costly penalties and tackled poorly.
Plus, Cal was slow getting into a rhythm on offense and took time on defense to get used to Illinois' spread-option Utah-style offense. Quarterback Joe Ayoob said the play-calling becomes more refined in the second half. "A lot of the plays in the first half are to see how they react to formations, motions, that kind of thing," Ayoob said. "A lot of the first half is trial, but that's no excuse for us not moving the ball. The plays are still supposed to work." On defense, Foltz said, it was mostly a matter of the Bears hurting themselves until they became accustomed to the rarely seen Utah offense. "In the second half, we weren't making penalties, and we were bringing a little more pressure," he said. There's another explanation for the strong second-half play, and it points to one of Cal's strengths: The Bears are wearing down teams later in games. Tackle Ryan O'Callaghan said Cal's conditioning was especially apparent against Illinois. "You could tell," he said. "They gave up." In fact, that second-half effort has become a source of pride for the offensive linemen. "That's just our style of play," tackle Andrew Cameron said. "We get off the ball, and we try to get double-teams on guys, put all the weight on them. In the second half, they start to break down, and their effort to make plays starts to diminish." Cameron also said the whole team was well prepared for the intensity of games.
"We practice hard all week, we bang all week," he said. "That really shows up in the second half. We are conditioned for hitting all day. Games are easier than practice." Foltz also noted that the Illini went with a no-huddle offense to dictate a fast-paced game. "At the end, they kind of let down," he said. "Our defense was still flying around." "We have a high tempo in practice," Cameron said. "You get in the game, and you realize you're in better shape and you're more used to hitting than the other people." The team has taken on a smash-mouth mentality. "That's the attitude that all of us have, the kind of ball coach Tedford likes to play," Forsett said. "He's definitely a smash-mouth type of guy." He's also a coach who would like to see more consistency -- especially in the first half. "There is no question we would like to put together some drives, as in any game, as early as we can," he said.
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