UNC Football early opponent preview: California Golden Bears
Keeping It Heel takes a look at each of the North Carolina Tar Heels football opponents in reverse order. This week we take a look at California.
NC State | Western Carolina | Pittsburgh | Miami | Virginia Tech | Virginia
Notre Dame | Georgia Tech | Duke | Old Dominion | Louisville
This is the first game of a home and home with California with the Tar Heels hosting this year’s contest and the Bears hosting the 2018 contest.
Both teams are looking to replace their top play makers at quarterback, receiver, and tailback. Can either team figure things out before Saturday?
Head Coach: Justin Wilcox. Career Record 0-0. This will be his first season at Cal which is his first head coaching stop.
Wilcox is taking over for Sonny Dykes who was fired after four seasons with the Golden Bears. Though never a head coach, Wilcox has spent the past 12 seasons as a defensive coordinator.
This is actually Wilcox’s second stint with Cal, he previously was a linebackers coach with the team from 2003-05.
Best Former Player: QB Aaron Rodgers, one-time Super Bowl MVP & Champion, six-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, and two-time NFL MVP.
Additionally, Rodgers has led the NFL in passer rating twice and touchdowns once.
Rodgers has passed for 36,827 yards (23rd all-time) and 297 touchdowns (11th all-time). He also has rushed for 2,544 yards and another 25 scores. Rodgers in currently entering his 13th season in the league with no signs of stopping.
Second Best Former Player: RB Marshawn Lynch, one-time Super Bowl Champion and two time participant, five-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, and led the league in rushing touchdowns twice.
For his career, Lynch has 9,112 rushing yards and 74 touchdowns. He also has 252 receptions for 1,979 yards and another nine scores.
Lynch retired last season but came back this year to play for the Oakland Raiders.
Last Season: Went 5-7 (3-6 in Pac 12 play). Finished tied for fourth in the North Division. Cal’s season was marked by a lot of up and down play.
The highs included wins over ranked Texas and Utah teams. Meanwhile the lows included losing four of their last five to end the season.
This Season: With a new coach and some new weapons, this is probably more of a rebuilding year for Cal. The Golden Bears will play seven teams who had winning records last year as well as six that went to bowl games.
Cal will be in good shape to repeat last season’s record going 5-7 for a second straight year.
Best Current Player: PK Matt Anderson. After a down year last season, the Bears loss their quarterback in Davis Webb, their leading rusher in Khalfani Muhammad, and leading receiver in Chad Hansen who are all trying to make NFL rosters this upcoming season.
With all the losses on offense, the kicker Anderson becomes one of their most reliable returning players. Last season the kicker was 22-for-26 on field goals as well as a perfect 51-of-51 on extra points.
Though he has never attempted a kick longer than 50 yards, he is 9-of-14 from beyond 40 yards. If the game is close, having a reliable kicker, could be the difference.
Match-up: Saturday, September 2nd in Chapel Hill
Prediction: Both teams are coming off disappointing seasons. The Golden Bears were looking to build off an 8-5 season and instead fell to 5-7 and fired their coach.
The Tar Heels were looking to repeat after and 11-3 season that saw them win the Coastal. After a strong start UNC fell down and finished a lowly 8-5.
Both teams are also looking for new players to step up in key positions.
With so many questions for both teams, the one key might be home field advantage which would definitely favor the Tar Heels.
Final score: UNC 28, Cal 24.
Home field advantage may or may not exist, but it is a factor. The Tar Heels should be able to beat a Bears team that is also starting a new quarterback and have a new head coach to boot.