Plenty of new college football fans for 1st game of season

But Webb, a graduate transfer from Texas Tech replacing Jared Goff – the No. 1 overall National Football League draft pick by the Los Angeles Rams – helped move Cal into control in the second quarter.

The California Golden Bears will play Hawaii’s Rainbow Warriors in the first college football game of the 2016 season at the College Football Sydney Cup on Saturday Aug. 27, 2016.

Much has been made about the glut of riveting matchups on the opening weekend of college football, but the first game of the 2016 season is in fact tonight.

And Webb is ready to dazzle the world.

“We can’t wait to get in there, to get this thing started”, Greg Madden said as a marching band warmed up inside the stadium. “It’s on global TV”.

Coaching under current MI defensive coordinator Don Brown, Lempa led Boston College to the eighth best pass defense in college football. Ray Brewer won the 2015-2016 season, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015.

A tangible reason the offense will be better is that the running game that features a few good running backs and it starts with Paul Harris who was one of eight Mountain West running backs who had 1,132 yards and he is not even listed as the starter as Diocemy Saint Juste is listed as co-starter after sitting out a year ago.

Cal’s offense has indeed stolen the show in recent seasons with Goff at the controls. The former Texas Tech signal caller completed 37 of 53 passes for 436 yards and 4 touchdowns. Webb – who transferred to Cal from Texas Tech this offseason – wasn’t particularly sharp early, but he began to find his groove as the contest progressed. They have the experience but they were not that great previous year and Cal will exploit that.

Hawaii has also offered a prolific offense in years past, and senior running back Paul Harris returns after posting 1,166 rushing yards as a junior.

Nick Rolovich is having a blast with the team by injecting a lot of fun in the program to loosen players up. Being able to gash Hawaii on the ground will be a huge difference maker in Cal’s hopes to start the season 1-0. Hawaii averaged closer o 15 points per game from a season ago.

There are more major tests coming on the mainland, including the September 3 visit to MI. “Hawaii threw a few blitzes at us and our offensive line played well”. Rolovich, whose atypical coaching approach has been lauded by the team, wants his players to breathe in the moment.

And all in all, a 51-31 win in a season opener with a brand-new quarterback and inexperienced receivers is something to build on – though giving up 6.7 yards a play to a team picked to finish last in the Mountain West also gives the defense more than little something to work on as well. “It was really important for our players to come back and have an open week after the trip …”