Let us re-introduce you to Chase Garbers.

The redshirt senior who begins his fourth season as Cal's starting quarterback Saturday when the Golden Bears host Nevada at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium is the same guy who was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player of the Redbox Bowl in 2019. He's the same player that led the Golden Bears on a game-winning drive to beat Stanford in the Big Game in 2019, culminating the possession with an iconic 16-yard touchdown run with 1:19 remaining. He's the same quarterback that led his team to three straight wins to close out 2019, generating excitement and confidence for the 2020 season.

A global pandemic played a big part in preventing Garbers and the Bears from actualizing the expectations of 2020. But here's the good news. That same Garbers is back, along with several of the key players that contributed to the 2019 success story.

"Chase has played a lot of football here and he's had some really good moments and some tough moments," Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox said. "All those things shape us as people and players. I'm excited for Chase. He's been such a steady person in our program, and I'm looking forward to him having a great senior year."

The crescendo of the 2019 season culminated in a stark reality for Cal opponents – when Chase Garbers plays, the Golden Bears win. Cal went 7-0 in 2019 in games in which Garbers played more than half the game, and 7-2 overall when he started. Despite an uneven, COVID-19-influenced 1-3 record in 2020 in which Garbers still completed a career-high 62.5 percent of his passes, the Bears are 14-5 during Garbers' career when he starts and plays more than half the game.

"Obviously, when he's been in, we've had great success," said recently retired Cal center Michael Saffell, who is also Garbers' longtime roommate. "It looked like we broke through in 2019, but then we hit 2020."

Despite being on a couple of preseason award watch lists, Garbers doesn't seem to attract a lot of regional or national attention. He has been left off a handful of preseason rankings and honors for quarterbacks, although Garbers leads all active Pac-12 quarterbacks with his 14 wins as a starter.

"The good thing is, Chase doesn't care about that," Saffell said. "He doesn't pay attention to it, which is what you want to hear from your quarterback."

Garbers heads into the 2021 season not only with the confidence that comes with his win-loss record, but with a normal year of preparation with a new offense. Bill Musgrave took over as Cal's offensive coordinator before last season, but the abbreviated spring practice and fall training camp made it near-impossible for Garbers and the rest of the offense to master the new schemes.

The Bears were able to get in a full spring practice and training camp, and Garbers appears to be as ready as he's ever been for the beginning of a season.

"In the game of football, you need a lot of repetition to really hone your skill," Garbers said. "We had a brand new offensive coordinator but then really only had three spring practices. We didn't have a true fall camp. So, the lack of repetition was definitely a little frustrating. You wanted to get all those reps in but you couldn't due to the restrictions in place.

"I think this past spring and summer and fall camp, my confidence level in this offense and as a player is the highest it's ever been. The comfort level with coach Musgrave calling plays, and how we see the offense and how we scheme defenses is really up there. This is the most excited I've ever been as the quarterback of this team heading into a season."

Garbers, who by nature is on the quieter side, has also continued his evolution as a leader. He has become more vocal with each passing year, and enters 2021 commanding respect from everyone who touches the program.

"Everyone on the team has been able to see how far he's come and how much more comfortable he is," Cal wide receiver Nikko Remigio said. "It's that vet mentality you kind of develop going through different things. That's one of the reasons I'm so excited for what the offense is going to do this year – because of how he's approaching the game and approaching his leadership role on the team."