The last Cal team I really felt had good culture was 2008.
This was a team that struggled with clear deficiencies, particularly a passing game that regressed deeply without the 2006-07 receiving theatrics of Desean, Lavelle, RoJo and Stevens. They did not have the offensive explosiveness to overcome the best teams, and the coaching was starting to show signs of slippage.
But this was a group of hard-working individuals, coaches, and staff that was generally familiar with one another, trusted one another, and relied on an elite run game and great defense to pull out a nine-win season.