Chidera Uzo-Diribe (96) sacks California quarterback Jared Goff (16) in the fourth quarter of a college football game at Folsom Field in Boulder on Nov. 16, 2013. (Kathryn Scott Osler, The Denver Post)
Nobody will know for certain whether California players will come out flat or be fired up until the 2 p.m. kickoff Saturday in Berkeley, but Colorado players and coaches must wonder about the Golden Bears’ frame of mind.
California (2-1, 0-1 Pac-12) blew a 22-point second-half lead at Arizona and lost 49-45 when Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon connected with wide receiver Austin Hill for a 47-yard “Hail Mary” touchdown as time expired.
“There are two ways to go after something like that,” CU defensive coordinator Kent Baer said. “You can go into the tank and say here (a bad season) goes again. Or you get better. And I would assume California is going to get better.”
That’s also what CU sophomore safety Chidobe Awuzie anticipates.
“Those heartbreaking games hurt,” Awuzie said. “So I think they’re going to be fired up on Saturday.”
California coach Sonny Dykes sounded confident that his team will be in good spirits for the game against Colorado. in Boulder. In his second year at Cal, Dykes is still looking for his first Pac-12 win.
“The good thing about football is you really don’t have time to wallow around in your own self pity and all of that,” Dykes said.
