2020 Way-Too-Early Preview: Utah
With shelter-in-place still in effect, we're taking a look at the nine opponents the Bears will face in 2020 that they faced in 2019.
Today starts with Utah, who the Bears get as their Pac-12 opener in Memorial Stadium September 26th
Cal ran into a buzzsaw in Salt Lake City in 2019. The Bears were pummeled by the Utes in a 35-0 decision that marked the worst loss (deficit-wise) of the Justin Wilcox era. Cal would win four out of their final five games after the loss to the Utes, while the Utes would go on to the Pac-12 championship game, falling to Oregon there and then to Texas in the Alamo Bowl.
The 2020 matchup between these teams should be telling, as while the Utes replace a fair amount of key pieces from 2019, they're still stocked both offensively and defensively in order to make another run at the Pac-12 title.
Cal Offense vs. Utah Defense
Key Players to Replace
Cal: WR Jordan Duncan
Utah: DE Bradley Anae, CB Jaylon Johnson, DB Javelin Guidry, DL John Penisini, LB Francis Bernard, DB Julian Blackmon, DB Terrell Burgess, DL Leki Fotu, DB Josh Nurse, DB Tareke Lewis
The Utes had a ton of senior talent on defense a year ago, which showed as their defense rocked an inexperienced Cal unit. Cal put up 83 total yards against the Utes, failing to score on offense for only the second time in Wilcox's tenure.
Injuries the last time around
Cal: QB Chase Garbers, QB Devon Modster, OL Mike Saffell, WR Nikko Remigio, WR Jeremiah Hawkins, OL Gentle Williams, OL Will Craig, WR Kekoa Crawford
Spencer Brasch made his first start against Utah. He spent a large portion of it running for his life, as the Bears had a patchwork offensive line (Erick Nisich, who had moved over to offense, made his first start at left guard) and were down a few wide receivers (Ben Skinner made his first career start). Ashtyn Davis even made an appearance on offense.
The Bears were unable to move the ball, only having 38 snaps on offense, the lowest number in Wilcox's tenure.
Expectations in 2020
Cal, barring unprecedented injury, will have a more experienced line and the likes of Chase Garbers under center, which matches up better than anything the Bears had against the Utes a year ago. Garbers was 7-0 when he started and finished games in 2019, and his presence gives the Bears a better chance in 2020.
Utah has a lot to replace on the defensive side, but they've got pieces to work with. A big one that came in during the spring was defensive back Clark Phillips III, a onetime Cal recruiting target that has a chance to work his way into the rotation. Defensive lineman Viane Moala (6'6", 315 lbs) has a chance to work his way into the lineup. Vonte Davis, Stone Azarcon, Bronson Boyd, and JaTravis Broughton have been the names in the secondary to watch, as the Utes have to replace a lot of experience on the backend (Davis, Boyd, and Broughton combined for 115 reps a year ago).
The Utes did make their biggest move in keeping defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley on board, giving the former Ute DB a 'coach-in-waiting' type contract, as Scalley has shown his ability as one of the best developers of secondary talent in the country.
Cal Defense vs. Utah Offense
Key Players to Replace
Cal: LB Evan Weaver, S Ashtyn Davis, S Jaylinn Hawkins, DE Lone Toailoa
Utah: RB Zach Moss, QB Tyler Huntley, QB Jason Shelley, OL Darrin Paulo, WR Demari Simpkins, RB Devonta'e Henry-Cole
Weaver made 22 tackles in the Bears' loss to Utah, but the Utes snapped the Cal streak of holding teams under the 25 point mark thanks to Moss's performance, both Huntley and Shelley throwing for touchdowns, and some explosive plays that burned the Bears (a 69 yard catch and run by Moss that turned into a score, a perfect throw by Huntley on a play action pass to Bryan Thompson).
The Prospective Replacements
Cal: ILB Evan Tattersall, Elijah Hicks Moving to safety, S Daniel Scott/Craig Woodson, DE Aaron Maldonado/JH Tevis
Utah: RB Jordan Wilmore, QB Cam Rising/Jake Bentley, OL Nick Ford sliding over, WR Britain Covey
On the Cal side, Tattersall had extended playing time over the final portion of the game against Utah, along with Tevis, and they'll have a chance for more playing time, along with Scott and Woodson.
Utah had a quarterback battle on their hands, as they only made it through three of their fifteen spring practices before practices were suspended. Rising, a Texas transfer, and Bentley, a South Carolina transfer, are the top candidates to replace Huntley. Covey has healed from an injury that forced him to redshirt in 2019. He is a junior, after taking a Mormon mission in 2016 and 2017.
Expectations in 2020
A quarterback battle usually requires time and familiarity to resolve, and the Utes may have to make a decision without as many datapoints as they'd like. They have an experienced transfer in Bentley, and one with a ton of potential in Rising. They have talent at the skill positions as well, and while you can't replace the level of familiarity that the Utes had in their Florida trio (Moss, Huntley, Simpkins), there are pieces that can develop, with TE Brant Kuithe being chief among them.
Cal will look different defensively in 2020, having to replace their entire middle, and spring practice would've been the time to solidify the likes of Tattersall, Woodson, Scott, and Hicks at a new position. That process, like Utah's QB decision, will be truncated in fall camp.
Both schools also have a surprising amount of coaching continuity moving forward as well, as the Utes' offensive staff returns, and Cal replaced Gerald Alexander (who is now the Miami Dolphins' DB coach) with the guy who coached Alexander, Marcel Yates.
This should be a much more evenly matched contest, barring major injury from either team, and one that could be a bellwether of the Bears' aspirations to take the next step as a program