Heisman Trophy favorite Fernando Mendoza was a redshirt freshman and Cal’s third-string quarterback at the start of the 2023 season when he walked into the office of tight ends coach Tim Plough.

“Would you be willing to meet with me?” Mendoza asked. “Would you be willing to teach me the offense and talk to me about quarterback play, go through the game plan with me?”

Mendoza knew that Plough had spent virtually the entirety of his career as an offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach.

“He has this insatiable desire to be a great player. And when you’re the third-string guy, you’re not getting a lot of one-on-one time with the quarterback coach or the OC,” Plough said this week. “So he was kind of looking for some guidance, some mentorship.”

Thus began what tutor and pupil labeled th

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