Washington Football: 3 takeaways from shocking loss to Cal

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 07: Andre Baccellia #5 of the Washington Huskies is tackled by Elijah Hicks #3 of the California Golden Bears in the first quarter during their game at Husky Stadium on September 07, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 07: Hunter Bryant #1 of the Washington Huskies is tackled by Elijah Hicks #3 of the California Golden Bears in the second quarter during their game at Husky Stadium on September 07, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

2. Cal defense was stout

The Cal Bears don’t spend a ton of time in the national spotlight, so sometimes it takes the narratives a little while to catch up to reality. That’s especially the case in Berkeley. Many still hear “Cal” and think of Sonny Dykes, Jared Goff, and Davis Webb.

However, in 2019, this is a hard-nosed, defensive football team. A year ago they were top ten in the country against the pass, and near the top of the Pac-12 in most defensive metrics. On Saturday night, they were tremendous once again.

They held Jacob Eason, the ballyhooed transfer quarterback from Georgia, to a 26.6 QBR. On the night, he went 18-of-30 for 162 yards and an interception, and the Bears forced a fumble from him as well.

This isn’t new, though. Last year, Cal took down Washington by a score of 12-10. It may have taken some time for the narrative to catch up, but the Bears have established themselves as a tough defensive team that will always give you their best shot.

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