Cal Football: Cal vs. UC Davis (8.31.2024) Postgame Presser - Fernando Mendoza

Hi, Fernando. Great. Great job today. Great win. Doug Parrish here with football organically. I asked Coach Wilcox about this, but it turns out the tempo for the first beginning of the game seemed like you guys were just moving the ball a little bit. But, you know, there was some inconsistency there a little bit. But how did you feel about that? Yeah, well, Mr. Parrish, always a good to see you. But second of all, especially in the first drive and the first second drive, he scored. But the first drive I put that on me, it was a little bit of anxiety for everybody. We've worked so hard. We've done so many walkthroughs that when the game came, it's a little bit of like nervousness. But then after that we're like, Hey, we do this. We're the better team. Respect to them, but were the better team were well oiled offense. We're going to get this and we're going to go and do tempo and learn to score because that's what our offense thrives off of. It thrives off of energy, passion and tempo. So when we have the tempo, we can get the defense misaligned. All our offensive players are very sharp, can make their reads very quick. Therefore we can able to were able to move the ball quickly down the field and efficiently. Thank you. On that fourth, fourth and fourth play early in the third quarter, were you surprised that you went for it and how important was it to convert that? Yeah, I was. I was I guess I was very thankful for the opportunity. It was it's that's one where you're not really sure. But once the offense stayed on the field, I was very excited that Coach Wilcox had the faith in the offense. And then Mikey MATTHEWS had an amazing route. I mean, he shook the guy, right came left as I was trying to put it in his vicinity because he has an amazing hands. And I knew that if I was put in the vicinity that Mike was going to catch it and get the first down. So that's meant to him great blocking by the O-line to some pressure. And I didn't feel anything. So it was it was a great play. Good momentum shift from the head coach. High ball coach has faith in us to get those fourth downs. You know Steve Kroner from the San Francisco Chronicle. How are you, Jesse? Mr. Crowder, it's you. And you, Mr. Mendoza, For the first time that I can remember, you alternated at QB with Chandler one. Did you know that going in that that was going to be the case? And two, could you foresee that happening Games two, three, four into the season? Yeah, Coach bless. Coach Wilcox. Good. Go over there. Very transparent coaches so they let us know prior to game day that we were going to be alternating in some type of way in fashion. They tried to do it that was in every drive just because it's difficult to get a rhythm and flow. But that's a like they said, I mean, that's it's more of a coach. Wilcox question. Whatever opportunity I get, I'm happy to be on the field. I'm going to make the most of it. So whether I'm rotating, whether I'm the guy, whether if I'm not the guy, whatever I can do to help the team win, whatever opportunity I get, I'm going to make sure that I maximize it and help my teammates. Jimmy Gilbert Insider. Fernando, what's the story with the week after you got going there? Yeah, always good seeing you, Jim. This week off Jersey. A lot of people don't know this, but he was banged up earlier in the week and our starting center Will McDonald one of my best friends he went down unfortunately and off although he was injured stepped up to that starting role and mid-game. He also he got injured or banged up a little bit and he had the fortitude and mental toughness to come back in the game. Not someone that doesn't get enough love, especially with all the O-line. We got Rush t.j, we got Bastian, we got Nick who battled through injury, but we have all those guys and I could go on and on about everybody else. But yeah, it's why I show appreciation and support for him being able to battle through that injury and whether it was major, which I hopefully it wasn't or minor or whatever shall be. It's just the mental fortitude that although we're up 20 points on UC Davis that he still wants to be there in there with us with a couple of starting offensive linemen and a couple starting receivers out, does that contribute to sort of the disjointed nature of the offense? Do you guys struggle to push the ball down the field consistently? Is it is it affecting your rhythm, you know, kind of mixing and matching with guys that maybe are experienced but you haven't played together much in fall? CAMP Yeah, back back in fall camp started since Chandler and I we're rotating and competing along with C.J. Harris and belabor I'm on E.J. I got a lot of reps with every receiver group which was a blessing. Looking back at it and that that is something that I was able to give a great connection with. Isaiah Hunter, who started out at the Three's the start of fall camp, and now he was catching back, is on the field. He saved my butt on that, on that shallow catch. So being able to have chemistry with those guys probably wasn't as much I've had with Tobias and Keon, truthfully. But I still have a ton of confidence in those guys and I think it's more of just playing the game. We played against our guys so long and having the game and be like, okay, we were there nine months. We're actually in the game now. It took us a little settle in, but that momentum is going to carry through Auburn and onto the season and we all feel very confident in each other. Thomas Done right for California. Fernando, how do you personally self sustain a rhythm knowing that you're going to actively be pulled from the game? Not for performance reasons? Yeah, that's great question Thomas also appreciate it. So you're one of your friends tagged me in the burrito post. It's good that that's love up Yeah like you said that that that is a great question and I think that like you said it's not ideal for for either of us. But if it helps the team, I know we're both very open to it and I think it's really staying engaged. I think especially when you're in that situation, if you're on the sideline next to Coach Blast, engage in the offense and acting as if you were in at that moment that mentally it allows you to still be in that moment. And yeah, I didn't need to get a couple extra throws on the sideline, but mentally, if I'm playing the game in my head next to Coach Blessing, next Coach Gilbert, see what they're thinking. It's actually kind of good to take a step back sometimes and see what they're thinking. Mid-rise to kind of get there. You know what? Yeah, that's what they're thinking in mid drive in different situations as you see them on the field for that. But yeah, like I said, just mentally staying engaged and supporting and leading my teammates. Last question for Fernando here in the front. Hey, Fernando, Emmanuel Mesereau with The Daily Californian. I wanted to ask, we heard a little bit from Coach Wilcox about the work that's going to go into preparing for Auburn. Crowd noise being on the road in the heat. I wanted to ask you what he what steps are you going to have to take to prefer to prepare for that contest? Yeah, Thank you. That's an amazing question. Auburn I'm from Miami, Florida. And whenever I go back down from break, it's a lot more humid. And that's something we really to get used to because although it was sunny today, it was still great. It was great weather. Great weather. Obviously, I play quarterbacks is a little different, but I didn't break too much of a sweat. Like, I obviously sweated a lot, but not not as if I would if we played in Jordan here Stadium. So I think it's getting the extra conditioning after practice, pushing those guys and pushing my teammates at the actual conditioning. Although it might be hard that one more lap around the field that one more gasser and mentally to have the confidence that we can go out against anybody and execute at a high level. So a lot of learning tape for myself in this game and that's something confident that we'll be able to fix. And now that we have something to watch against another team and their tendencies and how we work through the iPads in the game, the in-game communication with the helmet and all the other variables, I think they're going to be very prepared to Auburn and really excited to play them. Great fans, great team, great overall atmosphere. Thanks, Fernando. Thank you, guys. So.