Trap Games: UNT vs. Cal

[Coach Andy Mac]

North Texas qualified for the Conference USA title game a season ago, but the real danger for California is that its season opener against UNT occurs on the road. The Golden Bears have a ton of transfers, and with this being their first game with several new faces, a less-than-ideal situation could present itself.

Breakdown: California has one of the Pac-12's toughest tests when facing Auburn, which has been rejuvenated following the hiring of Hugh Freeze. The Golden Bears' clash with the Tigers comes during Week 2 and falls between dates with North Texas and Idaho, which could lead to some assuming the Golden Bears would have one of the most manageable schedules in the conference. But California faces Washington, Utah and Oregon with each of those games coming on the road in venues often described as among the loudest in the Pac-12.

LINK: https://247sports.com/longformarticle/pac-12-football-biggest-trap-games-in-2023-for-every-team-in-lea-209762327/#2164922

[tmjerm]

Let’s Ball State em on the hot turf! 

[TheReal_jayD]

Cal looking at North Texas on schedule:

 

[southsideguy]

I wonder if we hold a little advantage since our HC coached in the PAC 10

[MGNation92]

  On 5/10/2023 at 3:01 PM, southsideguy said:

I wonder if we hold a little advantage since our HC coached in the PAC 10

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Honestly feel better about Caponi in this one. Jake Spavital is their OC and is a Air Raid/Kevin Sumlin disciple. There isn't gonna be one thing they run that Caponi hasn't seen/prepared for in his time at Iowa St.

[UNTLifer]

  On 5/10/2023 at 3:56 AM, tmjerm said:

Let’s Ball State em on the hot turf! 

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Need a Laramie Lee

 

[MeanGreenTeeth]

  On 5/10/2023 at 3:19 PM, MGNation92 said:

Honestly feel better about Caponi in this one. Jake Spavital is their OC and is a Air Raid/Kevin Sumlin disciple. There isn't gonna be one thing they run that Caponi hasn't seen/prepared for in his time at Iowa St.

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So.. Cal got stuck with Spav.  Poor bastards..

[MeanGreenTexan]

  On 5/10/2023 at 3:19 PM, MGNation92 said:

Honestly feel better about Caponi in this one. Jake Spavital is their OC and is a Air Raid/Kevin Sumlin disciple. There isn't gonna be one thing they run that Caponi hasn't seen/prepared for in his time at Iowa St.

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It wont take long for Bloesch to have his fingerprints all over their offense, and for Wilcox to see how smart he is & can Spavital.
He knows a lot of the defensive personnel here (re: player strengths & weaknesses).
This could be a VERY SLOPPY game as it's going to be 2 teams with new systems they're breaking in for the first time at game speed against an opponent. Both will be trying to figure out what they can & can't do well, with the exception being Cal's defense.

[cousin oliver]

  On 5/10/2023 at 3:19 PM, MGNation92 said:

Honestly feel better about Caponi in this one. Jake Spavital is their OC and is a Air Raid/Kevin Sumlin disciple. There isn't gonna be one thing they run that Caponi hasn't seen/prepared for in his time at Iowa St.

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The last time they played us they seemed much more pedestrian than what these coaches plan to do.

[El Paso Eagle]

  On 5/10/2023 at 4:37 PM, MeanGreenTeeth said:

So.. Cal got stuck with Spav.  Poor bastards..

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Sometimes coaches are better coordinators than head coaches. Let's hope he waits until the 2nd game to try and show it.

[meanrob]

  On 5/10/2023 at 5:22 PM, cousin oliver said:

The last time they played us they seemed much more pedestrian than what these coaches plan to do.

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They had a very good defense and a mediocre quarterback and they leaned into that. 

Still, we should've moved the ball better that game. That game and Iowa were lost opportunities. 

[Jonnyeagle]

  On 5/10/2023 at 10:19 PM, meanrob said:

That was sort of Seth’s MO wasn’t it?

[RBP79]

Let's see how fall practice goes and who the QB is. There so much yet to find out about this team....same goes for Cal.

But at this point in time at like our chances.

[peanuts104]

  On 5/10/2023 at 5:10 PM, MeanGreenTexan said:

It wont take long for Bloesch to have his fingerprints all over their offense, and for Wilcox to see how smart he is & can Spavital.
He knows a lot of the defensive personnel here (re: player strengths & weaknesses).
This could be a VERY SLOPPY game as it's going to be 2 teams with new systems they're breaking in for the first time at game speed against an opponent. Both will be trying to figure out what they can & can't do well, with the exception being Cal's defense.

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Bloesch knows the trenches, but that's about it. Not too worried, especially since we're going back to 3-3-5.

[UNTcrazy727]

  On 5/10/2023 at 10:19 PM, meanrob said:

They had a very good defense and a mediocre quarterback and they leaned into that. 

Still, we should've moved the ball better that game. That game and Iowa were lost opportunities. 

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Cal's QB was sooo bad. If he was halfway decent they would have beat us by multiple scores. 

[southsideguy]

is that same qb back this year?

[UNTLifer]

  On 5/12/2023 at 2:17 PM, southsideguy said:

is that same qb back this year?

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No.  Sounds like a transfer from TCU, Sam Jackson V, will be starting for the Bears this year.

[bstnsportsfan3]

  On 5/10/2023 at 10:29 PM, Jonnyeagle said:

That was sort of Seth’s MO wasn’t it?

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yes, and one of the main reasons he is gone now