Cal Sports Report

Ben Marshall's Catch Overshadows QB Competition at Cal Scrimmage

Fernando Mendoza, Chandler Rogers both perform well Sunday; Justin Wilcox is no closer to deciding on a starting quarterback

Jake Curtis

Chandler Rogers
Chandler Rogers /
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Cal coaches came no closer to deciding on a starting quarterback as a result of Sunday’s scrimmage as both contenders, third-year sophomore Fernando Mendoza and sixth-year senior Chandler Rogers, played pretty well and neither was noticeably better than the other.

While the quarterback competition is the main focus of Cal’s preseason training camp, that issue was overshadowed on Sunday by a one-handed, off-balance catch made by redshirt freshman tight end Ben Marshall that brought oohs and aahs from the small crowd in attendance.

“It was impressive,” said Cal head coach Justin Wilcox.

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Mendoza likened it to the catch that Odell Beckham Jr. made in 2014. 

Marshall must continue to make attention-grabbing plays to earn playing time this season because he is well down the depth chart at tight end.

The quarterback situation is more important for Cal’s success in 2024.   Mendoza, who started the final eight games for Cal last season, is nominally the No. 1 quarterback at the moment, but Rogers is very much in the mix.  Ohio University transfer quarterback CJ Harris also received considerable playing time on Sunday.

Mendoza was 13-for-20 for 113 yards, no interceptions and no touchdowns in his five drives, while Rogers wound up 11-for-16 for 135 yards, no interceptions and a 75-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tobias Merriweather in his five drives.  Each had snaps with the first- and second-team offenses and went against the first- and second-team defenses. Harris had the best numbers: 10-for-12 for 115 yards, no interceptions and two touchdowns, although he never operated with the first-team offense or against the first-team defense.

“All three of them had really good moments,” Wilcox said.

Wilcox said he would like to make a decision on a starter “as soon as possible, but we’re not going to make a decision because of a date.”

Both Mendoza and Rogers were pleased with their performances.

“I feel like I played really well, very efficient,” Rogers said.

Does he feel like he has a chance to be the starter?

“Yes, I definitely do,” he said.

Does he expect to be the starter?

Rogers and Mendoza were both diplomatic in their response to that question, saying the coaches will decide that.

“I think all of us expect to be the starter,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza looked like a starter on Sunday.

“I think I performed pretty well,” he said. “Kept the ball out of harm’s way.”

The fact that none of the three quarterbacks threw an interception was notable because Cal committed 28 turnovers last season, the fourth-most in the country.  However, the fact that quarterbacks could not be tackled during Sunday's scrimmage made it easier for them to avoid mistakes.

Rogers threw five interceptions as North Texas’ starter last season while Mendoza threw 10 picks as Cal’s starter in 2023.

Mendoza pointed out that the key to the offense is not the quarterback or the receivers or the running backs. It’s the offensive line.

“If you have a great O-line, you’re going to have a good offense,” Mendoza said.

Tackles T.J. Session and Nick Morrow, guards Rush Reimer and Will McDonald and center Bastian Swinney made up the first-team offensive line on Sunday, although Sioape Vatikani is likely to be a starter at guard when he recovers from his leg injury.

One thing the quarterbacks could not demonstrate on Sunday was their escapability or their ability to run, because quarterbacks could not be tackled during the scrimmage.  Rogers feels that is an asset of his that will show up when the action is live.

Receiver Notes

---Merriweather’s 75-yard touchdown reception demonstrated he has the speed to get behind defenses, something offensive coordinator Mike Bloesch has been emphasizing.  However, it also showed a mixup in the Cal secondary, which was a problem in 2023 when the Bears allowed too many big plays.

---Slot receiver Mavin Anderson was the top receiver on Sunday with four catches for 62 yards, and that does not include a 32-yard reception that was negated by a penalty. (A full officiating crew was present at the scrimmage.)

---Isaac Torres, a walk-on, caught two passes, including a 7-yard touchdown reception.

Absentees

Three projected starters – Vatikani, slot receiver Mikey Matthews and outside linebacker Xavier Carlton – did not participate in the scrimmage because of injuries, but Wilcox expects all three to return to practice soon and should be ready for the August 31 opener against UC Davis.

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Jake Curtis

JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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