Cal Football: How to Grade Jack Plummer's Gutsy, Imperfect Game vs. Notre Dame

Cal's quarterback survived six sacks and bouts of inaccuracy to give his team a chance.

Quarterback Jack Plummer could have been speaking for every Cal fan on Saturday when he lamented, “We had ‘em, we had ‘em. There’s no reason we shouldn’t have won that game.”

The Bears made it close — closer by far than they were in four previous defeats to Notre Dame, from 1959 through the most recent meeting in 1967, when they were outscored by a combined margin of 138-27.

This one ended as a 24-17 loss in front of 77,622 fans at Notre Dame Stadium when Plummer’s Hail Mary pass from the Irish 35-yard line to the end zone was volleyed about by players from both teams before falling incomplete on the game’s final play.

“Gut-wrenching,” coach Justin Wilcox called it.

*** Four big plays that changed the Cal-Notre Dame game.

Plummer, the senior transfer from Purdue, was in the middle of everything for the Bears.

He threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to J.Michael Sturdivant early in the second quarter for Cal’s first-ever lead against the Irish.

He scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to give the Bears a 17-14 lead before halftime.

But Plummer was hounded all game by the Notre Dame defensive front, sacked six times — it felt like more — and pressured on nearly every passing down.

Wilcox said the Bears knew Notre Dame would be strong on both lines, adding, “I thought that was evident today.”

In other words, the Irish defensive line was often too much for the Cal O-line.

Jack Plummer scrambles into open space against Notre Dame / Photo by Michael Caterina, USA Today

Plummer actually used the pressure to his advantage on five different improv plays, scrambling away from pass rushers for gains of 9, 21, 10, 24 and 16 yards — all of them converting first downs.

“I didn’t expect to do that coming in. None of those were designed quarterback runs — they were all just scrambles,” Plummer said. “I think people doubt my athleticism. I’m there to win games. I’m there to do whatever I’ve got to do.”

He certainly convinced teammate Daniel Scott, the Bears’ senior safety.

“Jack played his butt off to try to give the offense as many options and chances as he could,” he said.

But it wasn’t all good. After completing 11 of 20 pass attempts for 141 yards with a touchdown in the first half, Plummer connected on just one of his first 11 tries — for 7 yards — to open the second half.

Again, some of that was due to constant pressure. But Plummer wouldn’t let himself off the hook that easily.

“The offense, we’ve got to do our part,” he said. “It starts with me — I’ve got to play better.

“I’ve got to stand in there and be tough and throw the ball accurately and take hits. That’s part of playing quarterback. That’s what you sign up for . . . standing in there and roping one in there and taking a hit. That feels good. I didn’t do that today.”

Asked later how he thought he played, Plummer shrugged.

“I thought I played OK, not great, not bad,” he said.

After completing 69 percent of his passes against UC Davis and UNLV, Plummer connected on just 29 percent (5 for-17) in the second half against the Irish.

“Got to be more accurate,” he said. “Got to stand in there a little longer and pump it out and anticipate a little bit better. Put a little more air under the ball if I can get it out of my hand a little earlier and let the guys run under it.”

Bottom line: Jack Plummer was far from perfect Saturday - Notre Dame's defense didn't allow that. But he gave the Bears a chance and played with the kind of grit that endears a quarterback to his teammates.

Cover photo of Jack Plummer being sacked by Jacob Laccey by Michael Caterina, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo