In 2015, Cal entered their bye week 5-1. Bruised, battered, but hopeful. Cal had just finished a toe-to-toe battle with a Utah team that was just as capable as they were. The Bears turned the ball over again and again and again, yet somehow still found themselves mere yards away from a chance to pull off the biggest win of the past decade.
It felt like Cal under Sonny Dykes was finally taking the big leap. The Bears defense, much maligned, had found a decent enough balance to give Cal a shot at victory if the Bear Raid was capable of their usual explosiveness.