No amount of game planning can make up for the inability to tackle.
Arizona’s defense resembled a swinging door on Saturday, allowing 599 yards in a 49-31 loss at Cal to open Pac-12 play. It was the Wildcats’ first loss since 2009 to the Golden Bears, who scored 21 consecutive points to turn a 3-point halftime deficit into an 18-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
Defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen had warned earlier in the week that Cal, watching how North Dakota State was able to run all over Arizona, would adjust its gameplan based on flaws it saw on film.