On a Player Run Team Period and Taariq Johnson's Improvement
During Monday’s open practice, the Cal coaches pulled something new out of the hat to spice things up as the Bears entered the final week of spring practice. They took a step back, told the players they had sixteen plays (with certain substitutions), and let them figure things out from there.
“It's a good exercise for them to solve their own problems, learn how to communicate," Wilcox said. "Coaches were off the field and the players, they knew it was a normal down and distance, sixteen plays, and they had to go from there.”
The defense had a plan for calling their plays right away.
“We took our two guys who have been out all spring," inside linebacker Evan Weaver said, "we were like, 'okay, we don't want anybody that could possibly go in there and come back out to be calling plays, so we took Evan Rambo and Gerran Brown over there, and we had our two little defensive coordinators on the sideline calling plays.”
The offense had the quarterback that was in at the time calling the plays (each quarterback getting four).
“It showed me, shoot this isn’t that easy,” quarterback Ross Bowers said, “there’s kinda a trick to the trade. I’m telling the other ten guys what we’re doing, what’s the formation, while we’re on the field.”
From there, off they went. Bowers hit Ray Hudson twice in a row, the first coming on a crossing route that Hudson had to bring in with one hand for about 17 yards, the second coming on a play action pop pass where Hudson got open on the seam for 15 yards. Malik Psalms made a couple of nice plays, including a tackle for loss. Weaver got in on the act as well, pressuring Chase Forrest on a blitz up the gut, forcing a scramble. The session closed with Chase Garbers finding Jeremiah Hawkins wide open over the middle, 25 yards downfield, for a solid completion
“It reminded me of old times back in the day,” Hawkins said, “whenever we'd go down to the park and meet up, draw it up on our hands. It wasn't like that, we were choosing, calling plays we have in the playbook, but it was really good. I feel like it was good for our team and our quarterbacks feel comfortable calling this play, knowing 'I'm going to look here, I trust him.'”
Aside from giving the players another problem to solve, fullback Malik McMorris surmised that the session served a couple other purposes for the staff.
"It was good to see what (the QBs) like in certain situations," McMorris said, "I'm sure the coaches took that into account, to see what Ross, both Chases and McIlwain like in certain situations. Then it showed us communication, how we've got to communicate more. Communication was good, but there's also those little things, you're on the ball, you're off the ball."
For Bowers, it served as a reminder of what he wants to do going forward. Some of the top NFL quarterbacks call their own plays, and it showed the level of skill that goes into being effective at that level.
"Guys like Brady and Peyton Manning, I just think they're out there making checks," Bowers said, "but if they're calling plays, that's a whole new level, that's awesome. That's somewhere where someday I aspire to be. It was more, just fun, I just had a good time. It was nice not having to call a whole drive, to be 100% honest."
Play Log
Bowers in first
- One handed grab by Hudson for 17 on a cross
- PA seam to Hudson for 15
- Psalms stops Laird in backfield
-Psalms affects the throw, incomplete intended for Jake Ashton
Forrest in
- 5 yard run by Clark, big hit by Ashtyn Davis to knock him out of bounds
- 21 yard run for Clark, great blocking between left tackle and left guard
- Forrest with the throwaway due to pressure
- Weaver pressure forces Forrest scramble for a couple
McIlwain in
- Biaggio run for 8
- Biaggio 6 more up the gut
-PA overthrown intended for Colin Moore, straight to Jaylinn Hawkins for an INT
- 2 yard Netherda run, stopped by Bequette
Garbers in
- Wheel to Reinwald overthrown
- Netherda run for 2, Doughty stop
- Overthrows Reinwald, Moos and Siu pressure
- Crossing route to Hawkins for 25
Taariq Johnson Continues his Tear
Taariq Johnson continued his tear with a fantastic catch off a Bowers pass, getting behind Chigozie Anusiem and making a one handed play during the Bears' closed practice session.
"We saw Riq make a huge catch in our two minute drill to score," Bowers said, "if we have a guy like that who steps up, not a lot of guys can guard him. We can use that, and I think they're starting to see that."
Johnson has been one of the stars of spring ball, mainly due to his size and fluidity coming out of routes, and his high school teammate, Jeremiah Hawkins, has been waiting to get him going on the field alongside him.
"I've been waiting for this, for both of us to be on the field," Hawkins said, "being able to show our wonderful talents that God blessed us with. From the ground up, playing with each other from Pop Warner to college now, it just shows hard work and trusting in the process"
With multiple receivers being out for parts of this spring (Demetris Robertson was back in practice today), Hawkins, Johnson, and Jordan Duncan have taken a ton of reps, with Bowers noting that they've had to deal with fatigue due to lack of bodies, but they're pulled through it well.
For now though, the Bears will have a shorter practice Friday before the Spring Game Saturday at 11 AM.