Cal Football Countdown: 60 Days, A Look Back at the 2003 Insight Bowl
Continuing the Cal Football Countdown this morning with a look at a game from Cal's past, the 2003 Insight Bowl, when Cal beat Virginia Tech 52-49.
(A look at the Cal-Baylor game in 2002 is here)
Last year's Cal appearance in the Cheez-It Bowl brought back memories of a game played 15 years prior in the same building. The two games looked nothing alike, as the Cheez-It Bowl turned into a defensive spectacle, while the 2003 Insight Bowl was an offensive highlight.
At the time, Cal was coming off their second consecutive winning season, but hadn't been to a bowl since 1996 due to a bowl ban in 2002. They two consecutive winning seasons were a first, something the Bears hadn't done in 12 years (Cal's last back to back winning seasons currently are 2008-09). Cal started 2003 with a 3-5 record (including a win over number 3 USC), but closed with a 4-1 stretch, as a first-year starter named Aaron Rodgers came into his own.
Two members of Cal's current coaching staff were on the field this day. Justin Wilcox was finishing up his first year as Cal's linebackers coach. Burl Toler got a start at wide receiver, finishing with 6 receptions for 84 yards.
There's names from the past on both sides of the field. DeAngelo Hall, Jake Grove and Kevin Jones went off to solid NFL careers from the Virginia Tech side. Lorenzo Alexander was in his final year as a defensive lineman for the Bears. Marvin Phillip and Ryan O'Callaghan made it to the league, along with Matt Giordano, JJ Arrington, Daymeion Hughes, Chris Manderino, and that Rodgers fellow.
A couple extra notes
- This game is a consistent reminder of the NFL careers a couple more Bears could have had. This game saw WR Geoff McArthur sitting out thanks to a broken arm. McArthur, despite holding a ton of Cal receiving records, never played in a bowl game for the Bears, thanks to injury.
- Because of the McArthur injury, WR Chase Lyman had a breakout game. 5 receptions for 149 yards and a score. Lyman continued that momentum into the first three games of 2004, with 14 receptions for 414 yards and 5 scores before he tore his knee up against USC. Lyman would go onto get drafted by the New Orleans Saints, but did not play football again after that.
- Marcus Vick shows up in this game. Yes, the younger brother of Mike Vick. This is truly a moment in time.
Notes from the game
There's so many things that have changed since 2003 just in how offenses are set up, stuff you can see just from the first Cal drive:
- First play is a half roll from under center. You'll see Cal QB commit Zach Johnson do this at Hart out of the shotgun, but this is a little different. This is basically a half-field read with a smash-corner concept. Rodgers delivers a nice ball to Toler for 19.
- You'll see a ton of 12 and 21 personnel on the first drive. Lots of misdirection used to set up leak outs for TE Brandon Hall and FB Chris Manderino. Manderino was an underrated linchpin for the Bears from 2002-05, where he blocked for 4 different 1000 yard rushers.
- An end around from under center to Vinny Strang. Another staple of the early Tedford teams. The run fake to Adinchinobe Echemandu is sold well.
After that first drive, Cal got stonewalled by Virginia Tech's defense, leading to a 21-7 deficit. The momentum turned back thanks to a missed VT field goal, a 24-yard run (!) by Rodgers on a 3rd and 5 (off another one of those half rolls). That led to a 33 yard TD from Rodgers to Lyman off play-action (with a DB falling down)
- Bud Foster is still Virginia Tech's defensive coordinator sixteen years later. He was already at Virginia Tech eight years prior to this game.
- VT scored again, but Cal came back for another score. Strang took an end around, got dragged by DeAngelo Hall by his facemask, and drew a 15-yard penalty. Strang, one of the most unique contributors in Cal history at 5'8" and 150 lbs, immediately went to yell at Hall, who would end up playing in the NFL for 14 years. You love to see it.
- Cal ground out the final five minutes of the half to make it 21-28 at the half, Rodgers hitting JJ Arrington on an angle route (from a Pro-Style split backs formation) out of the backfield from 13 yards out for a score. In today's football world, that play out of that formation, is an anachronism. That concept is still in use from the shotgun. Arrington would rush for over 2000 yards the next year, the only Cal back to ever achieve that feat.
- A missed VT field goal (number two on the evening) to end the half, was a harbinger of things to come. Another missed field goal (this one from 28, the previous two misses were from 40+) by the Hokies at the start of the third continued to ring that bell.
- Cal ran off 21 unanswered points, utilizing passes to the backs, a couple deep throws to Lyman, and three rushing touchdowns from different players (Manderino, Echemandu, Rodgers). Big plays by Francis Blay-Miezah and Wendell Hunter (both Wilcox charges), gave the Bears their first defensive stop of the day. Ryan Riddle, another guy who spent time in the NFL, got a sack. Joe Maningo also made a stop. By the end of the 3rd, it was 42-28.
- Chase Lyman runs a beautiful hitch and go route on the final drive of the 3rd quarter, and Rodgers pumps on the hitch perfectly.
- The fourth quarter saw Virginia Tech score 21, thanks to a Hall punt return and a couple strong passing touchdowns, but Tyler Fredrickson did what no Virginia Tech kicker could that day. He knocked down a 35 yard field goal to end it, a 52-49 win for Cal.
Final Thoughts:
An 11 year-old version of me was at this game, and he had a few thoughts:
- "Wow, Aaron Rodgers is really good"
- "What is a Hokie?"
- "This Chase Lyman guy really came out of nowhere"
- "Why didn't the running game work as well as it had all year?"
The version of me writing this column still doesn't entirely know what a Hokie is, but saw a handful of things offensively:
- Route combos for half-field reads for the quarterback. In particular, the smash-corner concept was used a handful of times
- Play-action from under center
- Lots of moving pockets.
- Fullback traps
- 12 and 21 personnel
- RB angle routes
There's a handful of these concepts that the Cal offense today uses, and under center play-action is something the NFL uses (in particular, the LA Rams with Jared Goff) for plenty of big pass plays. It could make a comeback here.
This was the momentum-builder for a strong 2004 season, which remains one of the best teams to ever play in Berkeley. This game built the foundation for that year.