There is something in the air this week. There is nary a red Gatorade to be found on the grounds of California Memorial Stadium. Wearing red around the facilities is almost akin to a crime. Rumblings about keeping the Axe in Berkeley can be heard far and wide throughout the city.
It’s Big Game week.
And for players, whether it’s their first time playing in the Big Game, whether they’re hoping to recreate past Big Game glory or even if they’ve recently moseyed over into enemy territory, everyone understands what’s at stake.
For Cal’s starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza, this will be his first time playing in the storied rivalry game after redshirting his freshman year. Despite not playing last year, the magic was certainly not lost on the young quarterback.
“Last year, I really got to experience what the Big Game is all about and how much it means to everybody. In a way, I was a little bit astounded, when I realized, ‘Wow, this is actually a huge deal,’” Mendoza said Wednesday. “I always thought it was a really cool game. However, last year, I realized how big of a deal this is. So that’s (playing a) part (in) my preparation this week and just how our team has approached this week.”
As someone who’s been aware of the Big Game his entire life — and watched Cal-Stanford games growing up, as a big fan of rivalry games in general — Mendoza said he is now “honored” to be playing in one himself and takes the rivalry seriously.
And it seems like things at Stanford are no different.
Barrett Miller, the Bears’ left tackle, made history this offseason as the only known scholarship player to have transferred from Stanford to Cal. Do the Cardinal hold up their end of the bargain when it comes to the storied rivalry game? Yes, yes they do.
“I think the energy is almost on par (with) Stanford, there’s a big, I wouldn’t say ‘hatred’ but it is a big feeling that comes up. I remember going, four years ago … like ‘Oh, this is the game that matters,’ and, here, it’s the same thing,” Miller said Wednesday. “I get to the locker room, and it’s like a ‘no red’ policy, no red Gatorade, so it’s more serious than it’s ever been — and Stanford is the same way. … Honestly I love this energy compared to any other game I’ve had and I’m glad I’m just still part of it.”
On Saturday, Miller will face his friends and former teammates after crossing the Bay for his last year of eligibility.
