Cal’s QB situation in flux entering UCLA game
To say the Cal football team’s quarterback trajectory has been a roller-coaster ride would be an understatement.
Ross Bowers, last year’s starter, began the season as the starter before ceding that honor quickly to Chase Garbers and Brandon McIlwain. McIlwain and Garbers split time until a 24-17 loss to Arizona in Tucson, where McIlwain started and did not depart.
Boy, was it a mixed bag.
McIlwain was often accurate (completing 32-of-43 passes for 315 yards) and used his legs for 20 carries, 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns. That’s the good.
The bad? McIlwain had no touchdown passes and tossed three interceptions, including two pick-6s.
With that in mind, Cal coach Justin Wilcox would not commit to naming a starter for the UCLA game in a Monday interview. The Golden Bears host the Bruins on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley.
Cal (3-2, 0-2) is on a two-game losing streak to open Pac-12 Conference play after beating North Carolina, BYU and Idaho State in succession to start 2018. This is the second consecutive week against a Pac-12 South foe (Cal is in the North).
“We’ll do what’s best for our team,” Wilcox said cryptically in a Monday interview on Cal’s quarterback decision. “Everything is on the table. We’re looking for consistency.”
Cal has found consistency on defense under former Wisconsin defensive coordinator Wilcox, forcing two turnovers and holding the Arizona offense to 17 points. Senior linebacker Evan Weaver had a team-high 11 tackles, and the Golden Bears held the Wildcats to under 4 yards per carry.
McIlwain, meanwhile, has thrown five picks combined in the past two games — losses to Oregon and Arizona.
“We’re fighters,” McIlwain said. “We’re a tough group. We’re a gritty group. We’re going to fight back.
“We’re going to learn from this, but obviously, after a game when you fight that hard, it’s tough. … We’re going to keep getting better.”
UCLA (0-5, 0-2) has been reeling under head coach Chip Kelly’s return to the Pac-12. Kelly spawned an offensive powerhouse at Oregon with his up-tempo spread offense before struggling late in his quick NFL tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles and going 2-14 as San Francisco 49ers coach in 2016.
The Bruins are averaging only 18 points per game. However, after four consecutive losses by two scores or more, UCLA only lost by a touchdown to No. 10 Washington.
UCLA freshman quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson has completed 57.4 percent of his passes for 932 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. The defense has managed two interceptions and is averaging one forced turnover per game.
While Wilcox isn’t tipping his hand to the public, at least early on this week, McIlwain remaining in while struggling — and without Garbers or Bowers warming up at Arizona — could be telling.
“He loves to run,” sophomore cornerback Camryn Bynum said. “I remember in fall practice, he was asking coaches to take the yellow jersey off, so he could be hitting us. They let him do that, and he was able to show his abilities to us.
“That’s the type of player he is: always trying to be a dog out there and run the ball as hard as he can.”