Game review from Cal side.

https://writeforcalifornia.com/p/post-game-thoughts-uc-davis

I believe Hawk is high on 6'2", 203# freshman transfer Logan Kraut from Arizona ( Santa Rosa).

I thought for sure one of the new WRs Hawk was high on would play.

Overall, lots of positives:
- line play on both sides
- defensive scheme caught Cal off guard? (They'll argue pulling 2 players corrected things.)
- better play calling on offense
- Chaz Davis emerges

Hasn't the extra Covid year affected that?

If it's neck and neck, I can't see QB#2 leaving, so it's puzzling.

From the Bear forum: "From what I can glean, an hour-long version of the Davis Game will be televised on the PAC-12 Network tomorrow (Monday) at 5pm. I think this is the "main" PAC-12 channel, and not PAC-12 Bay Area. If someone can confirm or suggest otherwise, please reply."

Wasn't there a big interception where we didn't get a call? The two sacks were great (blitzes?), but it looks like we let some 2nd half sacks slip away.

It looked to me like Jack Newmann was going to be our starting QB. Mobile, experienced, and threw few picks at CCSF on the way to 14-0. He led the most series in the Blue Gold game.

Hoping for the best. TT no longer a surprise, but Faulk appears very nimble. Should we give him some shots? We saw Hunter Rodriguez and thanked him for a great year.

Hawk got in the SJSU HC head when he said he was going to go to Doss over, and over, again. I was minutes late getting into the stadium and we had already scored 14? But even w JM and Doss, the pace settled down.

Let's say at least half of NFL WRs are proven performers. He's not taking their spot. It might be three quarters are proven performers.

He's most often competing with drafted players from top IA programs. Will you take an UFA over a 5th round pick from Notre Dame or Florida? Reputations come into play for managers, scouts. If a Florida draft pick busts, that's one thing. Imagine if your UFA is a bust, and you released a Florida draft pick, and he goes on to contribute somewhere else. It might look bad.

"Should have kicked that field goal early and went up 10-0 on a Pac-12 team. Why was that not good enough for Hawkins?"

I believe Hawk said something like, "You don't beat a Pac 12 school kicking field goals."

I don't think anyone here argues for the Ron Gould FG obsession. But you get a FG and an extra point, and that's an easy 4 point swing. A FG lifts players spirits. Tack on a pick 6, and we're smelling a major upset.

We were 3 of 5 on 4th down?

I think the last game at Kal 60-80 band members still showed... before school being in session.

UC Davis Marching Band - no show.

My rookie take on our potential playmakers:
1. UG
2. LL
3. TT
4. Babbs - legit WR
5. Castles
6. Thorpe

Babbs might be able to get deep. He can turn a 5 yd toss into a 25 yd gain. I changed from the east to west side to avoid the sun, and believe I heard the PA announcer call his name late (pass attempt).

FWIW, Kal fans not happy about their line play (i.e., complimenting ours).

Kal board comment: "Offense was way better once they benched Rohme and Moore.... If they had just started with Ott [Frosh RB] and sessions, we wouldn't have gotten off to such an awful start"

Chas Davis is 6'3".

I agree - where's the uptempo.

Georgia slaughtered Oregon apparently w an amazing offense. Maybe our crew should watch the tape during breakfast tomorrow.

Babbs: Caught 4 passes against Eastern Washington.

2019: "...Ranked 3rd on team in receptions (46), 2nd in receiving yards (563)... Tied for 6th in the Big Sky at 5.2 catches per game... Enjoyed best outing at Portland State (11/9), posting 10-for-168 receiving with TDs in the first (26 yds), second (5 yds) and fourth (23 yds) quarters... That yardage total was a team season high and the best single-game performance by an Aggie not named Keelan Doss since Chris Carter logged 190 vs. Montana in 2009"

I think a better comment might be "deepest Aggie team". His statement might prove its better to have an above average team with 2 standouts at QB and WR.

WHERE WAS BONAFIDE PLAYMAKER LANCE BABBS?

Where were WR transfers Crump and Kraut? I thought we might go to Castles and Thorpe more. It seems we mainly used our WRs from last year. Kraft and Hutton are good players, just possibly with limitations. Not deep threats, and don't have length. I would like to have seen more of LL, maybe he was helping protect Hastings.

UG - 7 receptions, 35 yds
LL - 3 carries; 2 receptions
Davis - 5 catches, 53 yds - congratulations
Babbs - 0 catches, 1 opportunity?

Defense
Buchanan - 8 tkls, 5 solo
Connor, Rex - 7 tkls
Venable- 6; King - 5; Budgett - 4

Hastings made some better decisions early. Is there some reason we don't throw the little sideline out like what Cal did late, which killed us? Encouraging game.

Great first quarter, great defensive game plan to start. Chaz Davis shines, and 2 sacks for the D.

The early play calling appeared much better, and we seemed to use our depth, keeping guys fresh.

I wished Hawk went for a FG in the first half. Ugh. Up 10-0 would have been great.

What sites?

What sections are Aggie alums sitting?

I read quotes from some QB expert the past year who said a key metric was getting a new QB 'X' number of live snaps (?), that nothing could replace that experience.

I'm hoping that our young QBs, including Hastings, have had plenty of those along with film and time w coaches.

This reminds me of when Coach Gould was searching for a QB, he had Randy Wright, but another QB came in and threw for almost 300 yards. Coach Sochor said, "Looks like we found a QB."

Not on the game chart or team roster.

If true, really unfortunate are all of the snaps and live action w 1s and 2s Dixon and Faulk could have had.

Any inside scoop, or might we see him next year?

I would think an exit, stage left, would happen earlier, spring workouts or before camp.

It appears Newman, who took the most series as QB in the Blue Gold scrimmage, doesn't pull up on the roster at https://ucdavisaggies.com ? I checked 3 times.

I get a 404 error message.

(Jack Newman - 2022 Football Roster - UC Davis Athletics)

No expert here, but if Kang (2022 recruit) brings great defense and high on base percentage, that one player makes a big impact. HC seems active.

Sports Illustrated: Ex-Cal TE McCallan Castles Returns to Berkeley as UC Davis Star

He is one of three former Golden Bears players now on the UC Davis roster for Saturday's game

"...Castles was one of Cal's highest rated recruits in the class of 2018, and he was a starter in Cal’s 27-13 victory over Davis in 2019 as a redshirt freshman. But he had only one pass thrown his way and had no receptions in that game."

"It was less than two weeks after that game that he decided to leave Cal. He says he was too hasty in his decision out of high school, and he was not ready for the city life he found in Berkeley."

"“Now that I’m older I can honestly say that I was still immature, just out of high school, wasn’t ready for that kind of culture shock, going from the mountains to a city,” said Castles, who is from South Lake Tahoe, Calif. “The city wore down on me, I wasn’t ready for that kind of school, the way football was going for me, I kind of let it all funnel into me and it was kind of overwhelming. It was one of those things where it felt like it wasn’t going to get any better. So I kind of had to take a step back and leave.” ...

"Hawkins gave Castles a call, and he visited UC Davis and loved it. “It was wide open, far away from the Berkeley city life,” he said, “so it was more close to what I wanted. Been here ever since and very happy with the decision.”

"The differences in Cal’s FBS program and Davis’ FCS operation is not dramatic, Castle says. The chief difference is in the perks and facilities at FBS schools. But he thinks the Aggies have a chance to win Saturday’s game. UC Davis is ranked 22nd in the coaches preseason FCS poll and return many of the players from last year’s 8-4 squad that beat FBS team Tulsa and reached the FCS playoffs."

Hastings again noted as the starter.

https://www.si.com/college/cal/news/uc-davis-mccallan-castles

Includes 3 short video clips. (Note above him there appears to be an Old Davis Road sign.)