LAS VEGAS — Tosh Lupoi did not spend Tuesday defending what Cal’s offense looked like against Clemson. The Bears managed 231 yards and failed to score an offensive touchdown in a 24-10 loss, while Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele completed 16 of 29 passes for 119 yards and threw two interceptions. Cal converted three of 12 third downs, failed on both fourth-down attempts and finished with 86 rushing yards.
Lupoi called the production “flatout unacceptable” and spent the weekend going back through Cal’s three Power Four games to see where Sagapolutele had played best, where the Bears could get more from the run game and how they could protect him well enough to throw the ball downfield. Cal is averaging 379 yards per game through four weeks, but only 101.5 have come on the ground. The Bears are averaging 3.4 yards per carry and converting 36.4 percent of their third downs.
Because Cal played Clemson on Friday, Lupoi could have spent Saturday away from football. Instead, he said he spent the day away from his family and continued through Sunday and Monday reviewing the Clemson loss and Cal’s other Power Four games. Lupoi said he watched the Clemson tape multiple times while looking specifically at the situations in which Sagapolutele had been most comfortable and where the offense had consistently stalled.
“When our quarterback’s feet is set and he has clarity of his rules, there’s nobody better in the country,” Lupoi said. Sagapolutele has completed 88 of 137 passes for 985 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions through four games. He threw for 413 yards and three touchdowns against Wagner before Clemson held him to 119 yards, his lowest total of the season.
Lupoi said Cal still has to rebuild the timing between Sagapolutele and a receiving group that does not have the same established connection he played with a year ago. “We’ve got to clear up and cause clarity for sure of his progression, where the ball needs to go,” Lupoi said. He put that work on himself and the staff.
The production around Sagapolutele has been spread among several players. Chase Hendricks leads Cal with 24 catches, Ian Strong has 17 for a team-high 250 yards and Adam Mohammed has 17 for 168. Mohammed has also accounted for 336 of Cal’s 406 rushing yards, leaving the Bears dependent on him for most of their production on the ground while also using him as one of Sagapolutele’s more productive targets.
Clemson gave Cal very little downfield. PFF’s passing-direction chart credited Sagapolutele with 15 completions on 17 charted attempts either behind the line of scrimmage or no more than nine yards downfield, producing 109 yards. On throws of at least 10 yards, he went 1-of-9 for 10 yards with two interceptions. He did not complete any of his five attempts 20 or more yards downfield, and both interceptions came on deep throws outside the left numbers.
Cal’s longest completed pass of the night still came from someone other than Sagapolutele. Tight end Mason Mini threw 26 yards to Ian Strong, while Sagapolutele’s longest completion went for 17. The numbers matched what the game looked like for much of the night: Cal could complete the underneath throw, but Clemson prevented those completions from turning into the downfield passing game Lupoi wants around his quarterback.
The Bears’ best offensive possession after halftime showed how Cal could still move the ball without hitting a deep shot. Starting at its own 17, Cal went 71 yards in 11 plays, mixing Adam Mohammed, Ashten Emory and Dominic Ingrassia into the run game while Sagapolutele worked shorter throws. Mohammed caught a 15-yard pass, Dorian Thomas added seven more and the Bears reached the Clemson 12 before settling for the field goal that tied the game at 10.
Cal never scored again. Negative plays and pressure put the Bears back into longer passing situations, and the offense struggled to sustain another drive. Lupoi said his review since Friday has focused on generating more from the run game, protecting Sagapolutele and getting the vertical passing game back into the offense.
The run game has given Cal little room for error. Mohammed has 336 of the Bears’ 406 rushing yards through four games and is averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Ashten Emory is next among Cal running backs with 55 yards. The Bears have reached the red zone 13 times and scored on 12 of those possessions, but only eight have ended with touchdowns.
Lupoi has also redistributed responsibilities within Cal’s offensive staff as part of the response to Clemson, though he declined to give details that could help UNLV prepare for Saturday. He referenced Pat McCann, Nick Rolovich and Keith Bhonapha while discussing the experience available around offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville.
Dan Mullen said Monday that Sagapolutele is most dangerous when the original play breaks down and he gets another chance to create outside the pocket. Mullen’s concern is not built around designed quarterback runs. He said Sagapolutele has the arm talent to make every throw and becomes especially difficult once a defense has covered the original concept, the pocket starts to move and he buys enough time to find another receiver.
Cal spent the weekend trying to make the decisions before that point easier for him.
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