Cal Football Video: CB Cam Bynum on What Went So Terribly Wrong Defensively at Utah

The Bears came apart, allowing five touchdowns in a 35-0 loss to the Utes

Cal had gone 14 consecutive games without allowing an opponent to score as many as 25 points.

The Bears weren't always perfect defensively, but they were good enough to hold many teams down and always keep their team in the game, despite all other circumstances.

All that went quickly out the window at Utah last Saturday night.

The Utes scored touchdowns on four consecutive first-half possessions - each of them long drives - and had 28 points by halftime.

The Bears, playing third-string freshman quarterback Spencer Brasch and dealing with extensive injuries along the offensive line and at wide receiver, never had a chance.

With the defense well of its game, the Bears lost 35-0.

It was the most points Cal had allowed in more than a calendar year, dating back to a 37-7 loss to UCLA on Oct. 13, 2018.

We talked this week with junior cornerback Cam Bynum - a terrific player and a stand-up guy - and he made no excuses for the Bears' performance.

He identified poor tackling as a consistent culprit, and fessed up about blowing a man-to-nan coverage assignment on the 40-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Huntley to wide receiver Bryan Thompson that pushed the Utes' lead to 14-0 in the second quarter.

Talking in the video above, Bynum said the Bears have not lost confidence as a result of their performance, but have been forced to admit their shortcomings and address them in practice during this bye week. Bynum, in fact, held up this interview for more than 15 minutes while doing extra individual drills to sharpen his skills.

Cal returns to action a week from Saturday at home against Washington State. Kickoff was announced this week as 4 p.m.