Cal 37,
Stanford 16
Anti-climax
Most fans are unrealistically optimistic about their team's chances. Therefore, any season that
conforms with your average fans' expectations is a strong one.
Most Stanford fans, at least most Stanford fans I've
heard from, thought 5-7 was about as good as it could get this season.
4-8, with victories over USC and Cal, was certainly as good
as last year could have been. If Jim Harbaugh continues meeting his fans' expectations at this trajectory, he'll be 6-6
next year and in BCS bowls four years from now.
So the
big picture dictates that we have no reason to complain.
And yet,
we saw problems that had exposed themselves all season long rear their
ugly heads in Berkeley Saturday and couldn't help but frustrate.
We saw a defense that played its heart out for 50 minutes seemingly
collapse for one key stretch, and all but ruin Stanford's shot at a victory. The 2008
defense finishes with a mixed legacy: better numbers than the 2007 unit, but
a tendancy to underperform when it mattered most. The '07 D will be remembered
for its goalline stand against USC, for Bo McNally and Clinton Snyder and a slew of other playmakers. The
'08 unit took fewer risks and allowed fewer yards, but what huge
stops, what key interceptions will we remember years from now?
We saw a passing game that perfectly summarized its 2008 season
with one game. At its best, it was efficient if not electrifying, serving
as a competent complement to the rush attack in the first half. At its
worst, I'm sure I wasn't the only one in Stanford red forced
into a "No Tavita... no Tavita... OH JESUS!"
Other teams have probably thrown more interceptions, but I've never seen a
squad throw so many painful ones right at opposing defenders.
We saw stupid mistakes. We saw
the stupid penalties that cost us so dearly against UCLA. We saw the
turnovers that cost us in seemingly every loss this season.
We saw that Jim Harbaugh's enthusiasm may
be unknown to mankind, but fourth downs prove a powerful antidote. Why not go
for the early fourth and two, especially when running between the tackles was this team's core identity? The rush offense racked up
big numbers again, but in critical downs and
distances, in fourth and two, in goal-to-go and the ball on the one, the rush attack,
like the defense, mattered less than its statistics would suggest.
And
finally, we saw a game that mirrored the season itself. The team was plucky early,
hanging around longer and keeping it closer than the the opponent's superior talent
and a rash of Stanford mistakes should have dictated. Yet when a good opponent
started swinging, Stanford didn't punch back. TCU, Arizona State, USC and
now Cal delivered knockout punches to the Card's
season, with surprisingly little resistance. When Stanford played those teams, all four were
considered top-25 caliber at kickoff. The Card didn't come close once.
********** ********** **********
To my eyes, Washington had comparable
talent to Stanford. (They certainly had a better
starting quarterback.) Heck, the professionals thought so too, installing the Huskies as a
slight favorite when Stanford visited Montlake early in the season.
Washington finished 0-12. Stanford easily could have been there,
and we would have happily given a kidney for 5-7.
Yet, the season is still
too recent and the pain too raw for cold logic to silence our inner
voice right now. It is a voice that knows that, one day, we'll look back on
this season with some semblance of pride. But right in that
moment, as we watched the Axe change hands
and saw the sullen looks on the faces of its Stanford guardians,
some part of us felt as empty as they did.
The final horn had sounded, the
fans had piled out of the stadium and the college football world had moved
onto bigger games without nary a second glance. Yet our
season still felt horribly incomplete. In our hearts,
we knew we hadn't accomplished what we had set out to do.
We knew there was still work left to be done.
That's our take. Here's what other writers
thought...
National
Associated
Press
Scoring three touchdowns felt good. Keeping
Stanford out of a bowl game felt better.
Bay Area
San Jose Mercury
News
Stanford came to Memorial Stadium for the
111th Big Game on Saturday aiming for a bowl game. It left striving for
more.
San Francisco Chronicle
This Big Game was supposed to be a match between
relative equals, a true measure of who's who, what's what and why on both sides
of the Dumbarton Bridge.
And so it was - except for the equals
part.
San
Francisco Chronicle
In many
ways, the Stanford Cardinal saved their worst for last in Saturday's Big Game at
Memorial Stadium, losing 37-16 and looking as if their bowl hopes might have
been wishful thinking all along.
San Francisco Chronicle
Cal's defense ended the first half Saturday in
Strawberry Canyon by stopping Stanford power back Toby Gerhart on two runs from
the 1-yard line.
San Francisco
ChronicleThose paying close attention could
sense Jahvid Best might finally be healthy enough to have the best game of his
still-developing college career on Saturday.
San Francisco Chronicle
Senior defensive end Rulon Davis sprinted to the
sideline Saturday after Cal's 37-16 win in the 111th Big Game and grabbed the
Stanford Axe. He held it high above his head as fans and even his teammates
tried to touch it.
Palo Alto
Online
There was reason to celebrate and reason
to despair. The Stanford football team, despite losing four of its last five
games, finished a remarkable season with a look toward an even better
tomorrow.
Inside Bay Area
Cal did its part in its quest to go to the best bowl game possible.
Stanford won't be going to any bowl game at all.
San Jose Mercury
News
Cal's student newspaper distributed a
special edition before the Big Game on Saturday.
Daily
Californian
On Saturday, the senior captain and the rest of the
Cal football team made good on that promise with a 36-17 triumph over
Stanford.
Inside Bay
Area
Two games remain in Cal's football season —
two weeks from now against 0-11 Washington, and the sub-orbital bowl game to
follow.
San Jose Mercury
News
After a slow first half, Cal exploded for
three touchdowns in the first 7:52 of the third quarter to turn a close game
into a rout.
Examiner.com
Revenge is a dish best
served...period.
Are you fully subscribed to
The
Bootleg
? If not, then you are missing out on all the top
Cardinal coverage we provide daily on our website. Sign up today for the biggest
and best in Stanford sports coverage with
TheBootleg.com
(sign-up
)!