Kevin Riley is your Starter [Updated]

I guess I was right. Kinda. I knew this feeling in my stomach was an indicator of something.

Kevin Riley will be the Cal Bears starter at quarterback.

[Update]

Kevin Riley as the starter: Thoughts and Updates

For one of the biggest announcements and most important decisions for the Cal football season, Jeff Tedford’s announcement of the starting quarterback fell a bit surreptitiously yesterday. Media members and journalists arrived at Memorial Stadium to cover the light positional drills yesterday and to receive any updates from Coach Tedford in regards to the depth chart. Yet, many knew that was something different was in the air upon observing that redshirt sophomore Kevin Riley took all the snaps with the first team offense. As practice ended and Tedford walked towards the media, reporters and journalists readied their cameras and voice recorders—they knew what was coming.

Tedford stated that he had another meeting to go to, and didn’t have time to address the media.

Hahah…but seriously. "Kevin is going to start, might as well cut to the chase," Tedford said. "Kevin's going to start the first game. We feel like both of them have had great camps. Kevin's going to take the first snaps, and we'll see how it goes from there."

No backflips. No press conferences. And not a single word from Nate Longshore who decline to comment before walking into the locker room. Perhaps the reason why such an eagerly anticipated decision was so announced so quietly is because the decision isn’t as final as many would assume.

Coach Tedford has announced that both quarterbacks, regardless of who was starting, would get playing time in the season opener. "Nate will play (against Michigan State)," Tedford said. "I don't know exactly when."

With the first game of the season a little more than a week away, a decision had to be made. Someone had to work with the first team. The team had to know who QB1 was going to be (Friday Night Lights reference yo) and had to mentally prepare accordingly. That person is going to be Riley.

However, to use a cliché for the lack of a better metaphor, the decision is set in pencil, not in stone. [Edit: My friend Eric just let me know this analogy makes no sense. So to revise it: "the decision is set in sand, not in stone." There. Better.] The evaluation process will continue through next week, and possibly through the next few games, just as Tedford said it would months ago. It’s not out of the question that Nate could become the starter again at some point in the season. More than anything, Tedford may have the sense Riley is ultimately the better QB for the team, but may need to see him more in real game situations to feel confident in his decision.

Fan reaction to Tedford’s decision hasn’t been as stifled however. Browsing Cal blog comments and message boards, many appear to be marking the moment as the ushering in of a new era in Cal football. I get the sense that some feel as though Tedford’s decision was a no-brainer and has finally “grown some.” Others who feel guilty for having doubted Tedford. Most who feel Riley is Moses in cleats waiting to lead the old Blue faithful to the promised land.

Look, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. I have many reasons to believe that we are in a very good situation with our quarterbacks. That is, barring any major injuries, I don’t think quarterback will be a serious weakness for our offense this year. With that said, let’s see what Riley can do in a full season. He’s played 2 meaningful games, and has been dramatically dynamic in both (both good and bad). Let’s remember that Longshore was 15-3 as a starter and nearly led the Bears to the Rose Bowl, before he was injured and subsequently had Cal fans around the world crap on him as the worst QB ever.

Performances can fluctuate. Opinions can change. And as most Cal fans know, expectations can often times not be met. But there’s a lot to be excited about as we count down the days and hours until the canon goes off to mark the beginning of the season. Let’s see what happens and be ready to validated or blown away if Kevin Riley is indeed going to lead Cal into the Golden Era of Cal Football.

A few links:

Daily Cal Coverage of the Announcement.

Jonathan Okane's Post on the News.

Tedford announces Riley as the starter. (What is that on Riley's face?)