Jimmy Tran
It was unclear beforehand what the Cal football team was going to gain from this weekend's game against Eastern Washington. When the Bears headed into the half up just 24-7, though, they thought the lesson to be taken from the game was clear. They had taken the Eagles too lightly and should have given a better effort to start the game. End of story, right? Wrong. Adjustments simply weren't necessary because the Bears made them before the second half began. There also shouldn't be a call for more effort because the will to win was clearly there. Cal just wasn't as efficient as usual and Eastern Washington took advantage.
What is the lesson then? The fact of the matter is there is no lesson, because the Bears didn't learn anything from this game that they didn't already know. They need to come out strong and put teams away early? A 9-1 record last season when they led at the end of the first quarter should have been evidence enough for that. If there's anyone who learned something from this game, it's the fans.
Scoring over 50 points in consecutive games is impressive, but home victories against Maryland and Eastern Washington reveal very little about this team. To be more specific, don't pass judgment yet -- good or bad -- on this year's team. Those who want to criticize Cal, please note that the team is far from operating on all cylinders. If the past few seasons have taught us anything, it's that the Bears don't really hit their stride until the midway point of the season.
For those praising the suddenly astounding passing game, turn to Saturday's box score. Cal's running game accounting for about two-thirds of the team's offensive yardage.
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