Bowl Scenarios

I've got a number of questions as how the bowl season is shaping up for the Bears and for the Pac-10. With Oregon State’s Loss to Oregon on Saturday in the Civil War game, the once crowded bowl picture is beginning to look a bit more clear, at least at the top. Keep in mind that most bowl invitations have yet to be handed out, so a number of these scenarios could change. Also, I’m less knowledgeable when it comes to opponents for these bowl games, so I’ll run with what ESPN currently has with their projections. Don’t like their opponents? Take it out on them.

But here’s how I’m expecting the situation to fold out.

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn State
With a USC win over UCLA (and let’s face it, USC is going to crush UCLA), the Trojans are all but pegged in for an annual romp over the Big 10 champ. This year’s victim? Penn State.

I know, I know. Big 10 fan “But this year will be different! Penn State is the real deal!”

Yes Penn State is a quality team. But expect them to bend over for the Trojans like every other “quality” Big Ten team in years past (Michigan, Ohio State, Illinois).

By the way, this is less of a lovefest over the Trojans than it is an honest indication of what I think of the Big 10.

The Trojans do run an very small chance of squeaking into the BCS Championship game, but it’s all but finalized that the title game will consist of the SEC Champs (Florida or Alabama) and either Oklahoma, Texas, or Texas Tech from the Big 12. My money’s on the Sooners. Unfortunately.

Holiday Bowl: Oregon Ducks vs. Missouri
The Pac-10’s second place team, the Oregon Ducks, are going to be enjoying another December trip in sunny San Diego, most likely against the team I had projected to being in the championship game this year, Missouri. Whoops.

You thought Saturday’s game against the Beavers was a high scoring affair? Watch out for this matchup. You take the nation’s 4th best scoring offense (Missouri – 45.0 PPG) vs the nation’s 7th best scoring offense in the Ducks (41.9) and look for muchos puntos.

Wait, does “punto” mean point or is a derogatory term for a homosexual? Dangit…five years of Spanish and for what?


Sun Bowl: Oregon State Beavers vs. Pittsburgh
This one gets a tiny bit sketchier. While it’s most likely that the conference’s 3rd ranked team will fall in its due spot in the Sun Bowl, there are a few potential quandaries in the way.

The Sun Bowl could choose to go with Arizona, because of their geographic proximity, and the likely crowd that would follow. But it’d be hard to justify passing over two teams who are ranked higher in the conference than the Wildcats.

("I don't even know where El Paso is...")

Also, I’ve heard mumbles and grumbles about the Holiday Bowl still liking the Beavers just because of how longs its been since OSU has been there. But again, a bit hard to see that happening.

The Beavers vs. the Panthers it is!

Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona vs. TCU
-and-
Emerald Bowl: Cal vs. Miami

Alright, so here’s where some of the icky stuff begins hitting the fan. Normally, Cal would be the natural pick for the Vegas Bowl. You take the team in 4th place standing in the conference and throw them in the Vegas Bowl.

But here’s the thing: Each year the Vegas Bowl and the Emerald Bowl switch off with first dibs, and while the Las Vegas Bowl has it this year, it’s been no secret that the Emerald Bowl, which holds its game in AT&T Park in San Francisco, is squirming in its pants to have a Bay Area team in the game.

Naturally, that could have been Stanford but…oh wait—oh yeah...Cal crushed Stanford, thereby ending the Cardinal’s bowl dreams.

("Did I do that?")

So, the Emerald Bowl’s man crush has focused squarely on Cal, and it’s pretty likely at this point that the Bears will make the 30 minute drive over to Candlestick park, a stadium that somehow matches Memorial Stadium in its antiquated amenities and also features 20 minute walks from the parking lot to the stands. At least Berkeley has a BART station near by.

[Edit: My bad, so the Emerald Bowl is held at AT&T.  Must have confused it with all the talk about Cal playing at Candlestick in one of its upcoming seasons.  While it doesn't make any more attractive than the Vegas Bowl, AT&T is by leaps and bounds a nicer venue than Candlestick.]

 
So that would leave the Wildcats to face off against a solid TCU squad in the Vegas Bowl.

I know a number of Bears fans have told me their strong preference to play in the Las Vegas Bowl. It sure does make for a more fun bowl trip. There’s also a disparity in bowl payouts to the tune of a few hundred thousand. And it’s always nicer to face a ranked team.

Is there a chance the Bears land in the Vegas Bowl? Possibly. But I wouldn’t go booking any flights just yet. Instead, I’d be ready for some Candlestick loving (that just sounds bad) and a night out at the bars (win or lose).

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii vs. Arizona State
The Sun Devils can still crack this bowl if they pull off an upset over the Wildcats and--ah no one cares.

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Rankings Update: Week 14

I'll make this quick, since there hasn't been much change with Cal coming in its bye week.

Cal remained 30th in the AP Rankings, with 7 points just behind Florida State and ahead of West Virginia.

The Bears also moved up ever so slightly to 35th in the USA Today Poll with 4 points behind North Carolina and Connecticut.

Yay!


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Saturday Game Day Thoughts

Goodness gracious I'm sore. I've played football three times this week, and my body is feeling the pain. I've still got a bruise on my chest and a cuts on my tongue after getting run over by a high schooler on Sunday.

I feel so manly right now.

To aid in my recovery, I shall be partaking in the consumption of some delicious honey wheat at Jupiter's this evening. Delicious. That'll do the body good.

Oregon vs. OSU

• 6:31 (Oregon 37 Oregon State 17) - It's looking pretty likely the Bears are headed to the Emerald Bowl at this point. If the score holds up, it'd be a heart breaking way to end the season for the Beavers who have bounced back from a rough start (as they always do) to have a pretty magical season.  Losing a shot at the Rose Bowl to the hands of your bitter rivals is a taste that will stick with you for a long, long time.

• 6:36 - Hold on, the Beavers have just cut it to 37-24 after a spectacular catch by Sammie Stroughter set up a nice TD reception.

• 6:42 - Actually, the Beavers just gave up another TD run to Masoli. Oregon is up 44-24. Yeah...this probably isn't going to happen. The Beavers have already given up over 300 yards on the ground through 2 and a half quarters.

• 6:52 - The Beavers just scored again.  44-31.  Wow.  Are we on our way to hundee point game?  Just maybe...

• 7:15 - For the record, how was the NOT a face mask?  Again, the referees embarrass themselves and the conference.  And...with that fumble...the game might just be put away.

• 7:23 - The Beavers refuse to go away.  51-38 with about 8 to go in the fourth.  Ducks fans: "Just die already!"

• 7:30 - Okay, that has to be it.  After Masoli was dead in the water, chucks it down to Ed Dickson who sheds tackles to get into the end zone.  58-38 Ducks.  Sorry, it would take the greatest ending in college football history for this to go the Beavers' way.

Good thing I'm not an OSU fan. This would be painful.


USC vs. Notre Dame
After watching both teams headed to the locker room with the Trojans up 24-0, anyone else find themselves thinking that the refs should have just ended the game right there?

I mean, c'mon. I know it's a storied rivalry, but this isn't going to end well for the Irish. People might get hurt here. You wanna risk Jimmy Clausen getting a concussion or a broken leg?

C'mon Charlie, be a man. Do the right thing.

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Big Game Helmet Stickers

Offensive Player of the Game: Jahvid Best

Recently named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week, Best put on a Big Game performance for the ages. Best rushed 19 times, gaining 205 yards for a staggering 10.6 yards per carry, netting 2 rushing touchdowns on the day. He also led the team in number of receptions, including 3 passes for 35 yards and another score.

Still not impressed? Think of it this way: Best accounted for nearly 61% of the Cal’s total offense (236 all purpose yards). Absolutely absurd.

And he’s a sophomore.


Honorable Mentions:
Shane Vereen: 12 rushes for 56 yards, 1 TD reception for 59 yards
Cal Offensive Line: 1 sack and paved way for 287 yards rushing


Defensive Player of the Game: Zack Follett
Follett was at his disruptive best on Saturday. A nominee for the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week, Follett had 10 total tackles (5 solo) on the day, including 3.5 tackles for losses. 2.5 of those were sacks which were absolute plays of beauty. Go ahead and watch the game tape, and you’ll be amazed at the speed and strength Follett showed in some of his swim and spin moves. Good stuff.

Before the season began, I asked Follett during Fan Appreciation Day whether he’d be able to get to a double digit number for sacks.

His response? “Oh yeah, definitely. Definitely.”

Follett is on his way, recording 7.5 sacks on the year (T-3rd in the conference) with two games left to play. The Pain Train also leads in the conference with tackles for loss with 17, and has pretty much wrapped up All Pac-10 honors. The only solace in losing Follett this year is knowing we’re likely to see him bring the business on Sundays.

Honorable Mentions:
Anthony Felder: 13 tackles (5 solo)
Tyson Alualu: 8 tackles (2 solo), 0.5 TFL, 1 forced fumble
Rulon Davis: 3 tackles, including 1.5 sacks

Play of the Game: Hook and Ladder (Lateral)
The gadget plays continue! Fans have yearned for some of the gadget plays that marked Tedford’s playbook his first few years at Cal. Many of those disappeared with the offense remaining steady with a no-nonsense approach to executing a standard pro-style offense.

But the trick plays have peaked their devilish heads at various points this season, and on Saturday, they feasted on an overly-pursuing and confused Stanford defense. None were more shocking or entertaining than the hook and lateral play.

After Best had ripped off a huge run in the 3rd quarter, Kevin Riley threw a quick swing pass to WR Verran Tucker who then proceeded to pitch the ball to a motioning Jahvid Best while being tackled while still in the air. Best then rushed down the sideline for an easy score with his bodyguard Mitchell Schwartz looking on in case someone decided they want to get crushed.

The rout was on.

A really fun play, and I can’t recall the last time Cal has ever used this, if ever. I wouldn’t mind seeing it again, but not too often, because you know…it’d lose its meaning and all.

Check out the highlight here (0:24 mark)


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Big Game Recap

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Obviously, Saturday’s game was an exciting win for Cal as it rolled over its Bay Area rival Stanford on what was a really fun game on absolutely beautiful day in Berkeley. Just a great day to be surrounded by fans in blue and gold and watch some fun football.

The game was a fun one to watch, particularly in the second half, particularly in that 3rd quarter which was marked by a number of explosive plays on offense and some fancy trick plays, much to the delight of the 70,089 fans in attendance.

Going into the game, there were a lot of questions about how this Cal team would respond coming off a two game losing streak to USC and Oregon State. Granted, these were against the top two teams in the conference, on the road, and were far from being winnable games by any means. But Cal came back home with many in the media and fans wondering how this team would gather itself after the losses, and wondered whether Cal would be energized, confident, and motivated to prevent a similar slide as the one they had in 2007. And they faced a stiff test against a hungry Stanford team whose bowl hopes hinged on their defending the axe. Not to mention that Harbaugh’s team was arguably the most talented Stanford team Cal had faced during the Tedford era.

Considering all the questions and the potential challenges, it was very much a relief to see just how Cal really stepped up. It’s always fun to see Cal rout someone. When the rout is over your rival Stanford, well then, the day just becomes glorious.

Best Breaks Loose
The obvious star of the day was sensational sophomore tailback Jahvid Best. Best was the healthiest he had been all season, and it showed in a performance for the ages. Following in the tradition of some big Big Game running performances, Best rushed for 201 yards on just 19 carries, and also had 3 receptions for 35 yards, to go with the 3 touchdowns he had on the day. It was quite easily the best performance Best has had as a Cal Bear, and he should very easily be this week’s conference player of the game.

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Offensive Line Steps Up
Cal’s battered offensive line featuring inexperienced backups had taken a lot of criticism the past couple of weeks. There were a lot of concerns about how Cal’s offensive line would far against a fierce Stanford pass rush—one that had led the conference with 33 sacks going into the game.

You really have to tip your hat to the offensive line that allowed just one sack (which was actually more on Riley), and for the most part, held up very well in giving Riley enough time to execute the offense. More importantly though, the offensive line really set the tone in paving the way for a big running day for Best and Vereen.

Quarterback Play
There are a lot of different ways you can look at Kevin Riley’s performance on Saturday. On the surface level, the stats looks good. Riley was 7-11 for 101 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 INT. However, you take a closer look at the numbers, and a few things become a bit more unsettling:

• 94 of his 101 passing yards were to his backs Vereen and Best. That’s right. That means 7 yards passing to non backs.
• 6 of those 7 yards from was to Riley himself, who caught a pass that was batted down in a pretty heads up play, running forward for 6 yards.
• That leaves a grand total of 1 yard to a non RB or QB, a 1 yd TD pass to Cameron Morrah.
  

That’s right. Cal’s receivers combined for 0 yards through the air.

Eesh.

In all fairness, I don’t think the offensive game plan was to ever really challenge Stanford through the air. The plan seemed pretty obvious from the get-go: Get Best and Vereen in space, and match Stanford’s physicality with speed and athleticism off the edge. I don’t think Riley took repeated shots to his receivers, because they never felt the need to.

With that said, Riley still made his share of head scratching plays. Most of them involved him trying to make a bit too much out of nothing. He had one pass that really should have been an interception, when after avoiding a sack, heaved the ball into triple coverage, only to have the defender unable to come up with the pick. He ended up getting his hand caught in the cookie jar a few drives later, missing a wide open Tad Smith down the field before getting picked off in the endzone. Riley also scrambled a bit too much and ended up eating 15 yards on a sack after he danced right into a Stanford pass rusher.

But for all his head scratching plays, I thought Riley did a fine enough job of managing the offense, and showed great poise, particularly on a lot of the trick plays. A number of those plays could have been disastrous had they not been executed or communicated properly, and you have to give Riley the credit there.

Oh and that 54 yard pass to Vereen was about as pretty a pass I’ve seen all season. You really can’t throw that any better.

So in the end, I don’t feel comfortable giving Riley anything higher than a B grade, and at the same, feel it would be unfair to give him anything lower than a C. So whether that’s a C+, or a B-, that’s for you the fan to really decide.



Great Playcalling
As much as I think the play calling this season has been fairly conservative, I was engrossed in the offensive play calling on Saturday. Cignetti and Tedford called their best game of the season offensively.

Knowing that Stanford was going to be physical up front, Cal exploited their aggression by getting the ball into the hands of Best and Vereen to the outside, with some pretty fantastic blocking by the O-line and crew. Nyan Boateng sprung Best open on a few key blocks, and I was pretty pleased with the job Cameron Morrah did as well.

As soon as Stanford began spreading their defenders a bit more, Cal came right back to rushing it up the middle. Or they began throwing in reverses to Jeremy Ross. And as soon as Stanford began paying attention to Ross, Cal would give the ball to a motioning Ross who would then pitch it right back to Best. It was almost as if they had created a new HB toss/WR reverse offense, and it was fun to watch Cal consistently stay one step ahead of Stanford’s defense.

Clap it up for the Defense
It had to have been a pretty emotional day for the Cal defense, specifically for the senior leaders. It was their last opportunity to get the axe back, and to also make true on their promise that their senior leadership would help prevent any repeat of the collapse Cal experienced last year.

Well the Seniors and some of the youngest showed up to make good on that promise.

One of the more impressive things to watch was how well Cal defended Stanford’s running game. Stanford had one of the top rushing offenses in the conference, headlined by the Pac-10’s second leading rusher, Toby Gerhart. While Gerhart managed 107 yards on 19 carries, Cal held Stanford well below their season-long rushing average, and was more impressive when one considers how well they fared against Gerhart in several goal line and short yardage situations.

Cal managed to keep Stanford out of the endzone until the fourth quarter which is pretty amazing when one considers that Stanford had led the nation in red zone efficiency, scoring on an absurd 95% of their attempts.

The Bears did give up a lot of yards in the air however. Tavita Pritchard who was actually last in the conference in passing yards, threw for a ridiculous 303 yards in the air. The Bears struggled in defending a number of the underneath routes, biting often on screens and TE curls. The secondary was opportunistic however, notching three interceptions on the day, all at critical times in the game.

Cal also excelled in getting great pressure on Pritchard, recording 4 sacks on the day, again on critical 3rd downs to end drives and kill any Stanford momentum. Credit Rulon Davis an Zack Follett for both having a monster game, a fitting way to wind down their careers at Cal.

So at the end of the day, while one did cringe a bit at the number of yards given up, you’ve got to be markedly pleased with Cal’s performance. 3 interceptions, 4 sacks, and 16 points (most of which were given up in garbage time) is never really anything to scoff at.

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Special Teams
First, and foremost: Good to have you back Bryan Anger. After a few uneven performances the previous weeks, Bryan Anger was an absolute beast punting the ball on Saturday. That 76 yarder that stopped right inside the Stanford one yard line was quite honestly, one of the greatest punts I have ever seen. Anger averaged 60.2 yards on 4 punts, setting a school record. Jeezus, this kid’s going to be fun to watch for years to come.

Also, good news for the Bears was that Cal didn’t give up any big returns. While Stanford was never really a threat in the return game, special teams coverage is always an issue of discipline and lane assignments more than anything else, and Cal held the ‘Furd to just 20.4 yards per return, with the longest going just 32 yards.

The bad news was that Tavecchio again booted a ball out of bounds to start the second half, and also had a few wobblers that ended up in some blockers hands. Whether those were by design, I’m not sure. But judging by Pete Alamar’s reaction on the sidelines, I doubt that will be the case.

As much as some have ragged on Coach Alamar over the years, I will say the one area where I did actually shake my head a bit was on Stanford’s successful onside kick. You’d have to think that with Stanford down by 4 TDs in the fourth, that Stanford would at least give an onside kick an honest shot. Instead, Cal sent out the regular return formation, and gave the ball right back to the Cardinal, forcing Cal’s worn out defense to get right back out on the field.

While in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter too much (Cal did win), that was a bit of a boo boo on the coaching staff to not have fully anticipate that one.

The funniest part of it all though, was hearing some Cal after Stanford’s first offensive play following the successful onside kick.

“Wait…what happened? Why is Zack Follett out there? And which way are we going? Wait—what?”

What a game...
Just a great game. Not always the prettiest, but fun to watch. At one point during the game, probably while doing the gator chomp, or high fiving strangers around me after the hook and ladder, I remember thinking, “Man, I’m going to miss this.”

The season’s winding down, and as much as this season has had its shares of highs and lows, Saturday’s game served as a reminder of just why I love college football, and the Bears. Very few things beat being swallowed in a sea of blue and gold, on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at historic Memorial Stadium. 70,000 plus gathered to cheer on their home team, in a storied rivalry with excitement so thick you could cut it with a knife. Just a fun day. A great to be a Cal fan, and a great way to win back the axe.

Go Bears.

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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Rankings Update Week 13

Coming off an exciting win over rival Stanford in the 111th Big Game, Cal will have to sit happy with the knowledge that they have the axe and a good chance to finish strong. Breaking into the Top 25 will have to wait.

Cal made little movement in the USA Today Poll, tied with Miami for 38th with 2 points. The AP Voters seemed to think a bit more highly of the Bears’ win, giving Cal 11 points to notch them in the 30th spot right behind LSU.

Again, Cal probably won’t break back into the rankings unless they win out, including a bowl win. A 9-4 record should be good enough to crack the Top 25 and get some good positive momentum going into the offseason.


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Keys to the Big Game

Oh hizzle to yizzle. It’s that time. Big Game Week. I’m loving it, a bit more so this year, because for the first time in years, the Cal’s annual matchup against Stanford this week means just a bit more to both teams. While the game doesn’t hold national or conference implications, its outcome is of the upmost importance to both Bay Area teams.

For Stanford, a win can send the Cardinal to their first bowl game since 2001, coincidentally the last year Cal had a losing record.

For Jeff Tedford and the Bears, a victory is the winning back of the axe, a suitable salute to the seniors, and has huge implications on the teams’ confidence and recruiting efforts as they finish the season. A loss however, would be another season collapse with much more troubling offseason questions and decisions. Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News lays it out in full here.

In sum, I have the general opinion that Cal has far more lose than gain with the game, which makes it dangerously important.

Cal is coming off two losses (albeit road games against the top teams in the conference) to face the arguably the best Stanford squad since Jeff Tedford has face since taking over the program. Actually, there isn’t really any argument here, this is the best Stanford squad Tedford has faced during his time here. The Bears can’t expect to roll over the Cardinal, especially given their recent losses and the loss of the axe last year.

So Let’s Get to It

Protect Kevin Riley
Cal’s decline in production on offense has been perceptibly linked with the injuries and experience to the offensive line. And unfortunately, it’s not something you can really magically make better in such a short amount of time. You can’t suddenly inject a 3rd stringer with years of experience, or a load of skill at once. It really is one of those things that is what it is.

Cal will just have to make do with a tough situation, against one of the tougher and more physical Stanford defensive lines that leads the conferences in sacks with 32. Not an appetizing matchup for a patchwork offensive line that has given up 9 sacks in the last two games.

But if Cal expects to win, Cal has to protect Kevin Riley. Riley needs time to read through his progressions, establish a connection with his receivers, and open up the passing game. We’ve seen what has happened the last two weeks without a passing game, with nearly every facet of the offense struggling.

How do we do this? Hell if I know. I’ll lead that to our coaching staff, who I trust knows more about football and offense than I do. Perhaps it’s more double TE sets. More designed rollouts. Quick 3 step drop passing routes like slants and outs. But whatever it is, Cal has to protect Riley enough for the Stanford defense to respect that pass enough for the running game to stand any chance of opening up as well.

Oh and Riley, you have to throw the ball away at least one or two more times a game than you’ve been doing so far. If it isn’t there and you feel the heat, get rid of it, and live to play the next down with a 3rd and 8 rather than a 3rd and 16.


Slow Down Gerhart
I hate me some Stanford Cardinal. But I’m not going to lie. I’ve got some mad respect for RB Toby Gerhart. The 6’1, 232 bruiser is just so fundamentally solid it’s almost old school how he runs. He’s deceptively fast for his size, and very rarely does he not gain yardage any time he gets the ball. It’s been pretty impressive to watch.

And with Stanford’s passing offense ranking the worst in the conference with just 137.6 yards per game, Stanford isn’t shy about the fact that they’re going to run the ball, and run it often. The Cardinal have nearly a 2:1 run to pass ratio, rushing the ball 453 times on the season, versus just 248 pass attempts. Expect senior Anthony Kimble, who has rushed for 597 yards in the last seven games, to be in the mix as well.

Normally, all of this wouldn’t bode very well for a usually stout Cal run defense that has given up 191 yards per game to some of the top rushing attacks in the conference (Oregon, USC, OSU) in its past three performances.

But call me crazy, but I think Cal can hold Toby Gerhart, the conference’s second leading rusher, at bay. Cal’s defense has actually fared better against bigger backs this season, while struggling versus some of the smallish backs.

Consider this:

Smallish Backs
Jacquizz Rodgers (OSU): 27 rushes for 144 yards
Keola Antolin (AZ): 21 rushes for 149 yards
Jeremiah Johnson (Ore): 20 rushes 117 yards

Larger Backs
Ryan McCants (OSU): 7 rushes for 8 yards
LaGarette Blount (Ore): 4 rushes 1 yard
Gartrell Johnson (CSU): 15 rushes for 63 yards
Kyle Bell (CSU): 13 rushes for 35 yards

All of these performances might not mean anything on Saturday, but it does instill a level of confidence that I think Cal will be physical enough to match up against Gerhart. Now if Stanford can get him to the outside, Cal’s smaller secondary may struggle in taking him down, but our linebackers should have the speed to get there and help out in a hurry.

I expect Stanford to produce on the ground. Their brand of football is physical enough to wear down defenses. But don’t be surprised if Cal can hold Gerhart from running roughshod all over the Bears all day.

And here’s hoping the Bears don’t just shut down Gerhart, and let Kimble go nuts.

No Special Teams SNAFUs
Cal’s Special Teams this year has been like dating a psycho girl. The funs times are spontaneously thrilling while the bad times are morose and downright scary. Cal has to right the ship after giving up essentially 14 points in last week’s loss to the Beavers. The good news is that Stanford doesn’t feature nearly as dangerous return men as either James Rodgers or Sammie Stroughter. Stanford punt returner Doug Baldwin, only averages 8.61 yards per return and has just 155 return yards on the season. RB Jeremy Stewart is a bit better at the kick return position, averaging just 23.4 yards on 14 returns.

It also encouraging to hear that kicker Giorgio Tavecchio had a strong day of practice on Thursday, reportedly kicking one of his kickoffs to the goal line, which is something I don’t think any Cal kicker has done all season, either in game or in practice.

Punter Bryan Anger had one of his tougher performance against the Beavers, but should be ready to bounce to back against Stanford. Anger has been the brightest spot for this year’s special teams unit, but has struggled with a bit of consistency as of late.

If the Giorgio can consistently boot the ball inside the 10, and the coverage team stays more disciplined in covering their lanes, holding the return men inside the 30, Cal should have a pretty solid day on Special Teams. And in a game that might be closer than comfort, this could be critical.

In Closing
Cal comes into the game against a dangerous opponent—a team that’s probably better than their record indicates, and will be playing the game of their lives in hopes of becoming bowl eligible for the first time in seven years. There are a lot of reasons to be scared about facing team, both because of their strengths and Cal’s deficiencies.

The Bears are absolutely capable of losing their game if they’re not careful. But I think they will be. I’m cautiously optimistic Cal is capable of getting back the axe, finishing the season strong, and throwing themselves back into contention for a conference championship next year. I know I’m getting a bit ahead of myself, but I’m residing my hope that the Bears will be able to take care of business.

If not, then geez. I wouldn’t even know what to make of it.

Go Bears! Beat the ‘Furd.

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Recruiting Update: Cal gets another big DB commitment in Steve Williams

The recruiting trail heats up for Cal. The Bears picked up their biggest defensive player commitment from Steve Williams, a 4-star cornerback from Texas. Williams had decommitted from Oklahoma before taking a visit to Cal during their impressive defensive victory over Arizona State. Williams apparently liked what he saw.

"I like how (the Bears) change their coverages and are more aggressive at times than Oklahoma. Their schemes match my physical style more."

"I'd been thinking about switching to Cal," said Williams to The Bear Insider. "I talked to the Cal coaches the other day and let them know I wanted to commit.

Again, this is a big get for the Bears, nabbing their second Top 20 Defensive Back in the past week. The 5’10, 160 lbs DB is highly regarded, ranked the 8th-best cornerback in the nation by ESPN, 20th by Rivals, and 18th by Scout. Williams has clocked in a 4.38 forty time, which, if accurate, makes him the fastest DB recruit in years for the Bears.


Cal appears to be stacking up their defensive secondary, with Williams joining 3 star DB Vachel Samuels and 3 star safety Alex Logan. Recruits impressed by Cal’s defense? That’s new. Refreshing, but new. C’mon Kennard, join the party.

The Bear Insider has a great article up on Williams.

Another big time recruit is making his visit to Cal this weekend for the Big Game, Adam Hall. The 4 star recruit is freakishly athletic, and can play either WR or DB. Let's hope the Bears layeth the smacketh down on the Furd, and impresseth Halleth.

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Bears Relocating to Candlestick Park?

At least that's what the UC Regents board is discussing later today. Cal is looking into alternative locations during the stadium retrofitting that might take place during the 2011 season, which would force the Bears out of the stadium for at least a year.

I personally thought that Oakland Coliseum made a bit more sense, and would certainly be a bit more convenient for most East Bay folks.

You can check out the Chron's article here and Ray Ratto's take here.

Ratto's got some verbose but valid knocks against Memorial Stadium, but that's part of the charm. Sure, you have to climb the hill, but there are few things more enjoyable than making the hike up to Tightwad Hill in a sea of blue and gold on beautiful Saturday afternoon. Candlestick? Not so much charm. At least we wouldn't have to deal with portapotties. (spelling?)

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Bear Bits: Riley Starter for now, Another Recruit, and Bears in the NFL

Man, I’m out of town for a few days and the whole Cal community bustles with news. Typically, I do my Helmet Stickers and Play of the game feature on Tuesdays, but with it being Big Game week, I’ve decided to hit up a few newsworthy items first. Look for the Helmet Stickers a little later.

Riley Is Your Starter…For Now
An interesting tidbit came out of yesterday’s media luncheon according to Jonathan Okanes. Coach Tedford had already announced after the Oregon State game that Kevin Riley would remain the starter against Stanford. However, Tedford announced that Brock Mansion will compete against Kevin Riley for the starting QB spot.

It’s not in the least surprising, but interesting that the news came at this point in the year. Mansion has become much more comfortable with the offense since Spring Ball, and Kevin Riley hasn’t done much to solidify his spot as the starting QB. Just something to chew on for now.

Cal Nabs Star Safety
Cal picked up their 5th commitment from safety Alex Logan over the weekend. Logan (6’3, 200) is a 3-star recruit by scout.com and is considered the 17th best safety in the nation according to ESPN, 33rd according to Scout.

Logan had fielded offers from 15 other schools including Texas Tech, Nebraska, Oregon, and mulled an offer from his hometown school of Colorado during his fifth and final visit there. But ultimately, Logan chose Cal, citing how he impressed he’s been with Cal’s secondary this year.

"I've been impressed with Syd'Quan Thompson and Darian Hagan. “They've got some good players and really develop guys well, plus they told me that I'd have a good opportunity to get some early playing time too.”

The Bear Insider also has a great article up Cal’s new commit.

While Cal has been a little slow behind other Pac-10 schools in terms of recruiting this season, this is still a big get for the Bears. Cal is also very much in the game for some other star recruits who are still taking their time. Please Devon Kennard, you’ll love Cal.

Speaking of our secondary, this season has been a breakout year not only for star junior CB Syd’Quan Thompson who notched his 4 interception of the season to tie him for first in the conference, but for redshirt sophomore Darian Hagan, who currently leads the nation in passes broken up with 15. Opposing offenses have tried to pick on Hagan all season with the emergence of Thompson on the other side of the ball, but Hagan has answered the call nearly each time. While Thompson is still the more polished and experienced of the two defensive backs, Hagan has shown more upside in his first year as a starter, and could potentially end up being the better of the two when it’s all said and done.

Both Thompson and Hagan, along with DB Chris Conte and safeties Sean Cattouse, Brett Johnson, and Marcus Ezeff should be back next year. Best secondary in the conference in 2009? Just maybe.


Initial Line for Stanford: +10.5
Eh. I think it seems about right. Dangerous, but fair. Stanford’s going to be pumped for this game. It’s their last shot at becoming bowl eligible. It’s more about pride for the Bears. Avinash has a guest post about this over at CGB.

Bears in the NFL
Anyone else follow some former Cal players go Beastmode over the weekend?

Marshawn Lynch had the most notable performance, carrying the rock 23 times for 119 yards, and also caught 10 passes for 58 yards and score in a 27-29 loss to Cleveland. While Beastmode’s yardage is down, he is on pace to blow past last year’s scoring total, already having 7 TDs versus last year’s 7.

Aaron Rodgers had another efficient performance for the Packers, going 23-30 for 227 yards, 2 TDs and one INT. Rodgers has a 94.5 QB Rating, completing 64.5% of his passes for 2351 yards, 15 TDs and 6 INTs. He also has 3 rushing TDs and 126 rushing yards, which is 3 more yards than…

…JJ Arrington, who only has 123 yards on the year on just 21 carries. He did however have his best day as a pro, carrying the ball 8 times for 40 yards and a TD, to go along with 3 catches for 21 yards and a score. Dayam JJ, where have YOU been?

Read the rest of the post and comments here >>

Oregon State Recap

(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Watching the game with some friends in a stuffy classroom at Harvard Medical School on Saturday afternoon, I watched with disappointment as Cal fell to the Oregon State Beavers 34-21. And it sucked.

Like Cal’s loss the previous week against USC, the Bears found themselves in the game late into the fourth quarter, trailing only by one score thanks in a large part to another solid performance by Cal’s defense. And just like last week’s loss, it was Cal’s offense that was unable to create any momentum for the Bears in another disheartening defeat.

Offensive Woes Continue
While the loss is unquestionably a team effort, with all each unit sharing some blame, it was evident that both the offensive and special teams units had more of a hand in Saturday’s defeat.

While many blogs and forums are already proclaiming the somewhat obvious, I’ll reiterate it here: this is the worst Cal offense of the Jeff Tedford era. While a few stat nerds (no offense Avinash) might be able to pull up the data to prove this point, or possibly suggest otherwise, I’ve never seen a Tedford offense struggle so strongly and so consistently as I have this year.

Whereas the 2007 squad averaged fewer points per game as the 2008 iteration, one has to consider just how many points this year have come off defensive turnovers or big plays on special teams. Moreover, a significant portion of Cal’s points this year have either resulted from the occasional big run on the ground, or great field position from plays by the special teams or defensive units. Long sustained scoring drives have been few and far in between.

Saturday’s game was a perfect illustration of this with Cal scoring just 21 points. The first touchdown came off of terrific field position due to Jahvid Best’s 51 yard kick return, setting up Verran Tucker’s 5-yard jump ball TD. The second score came off a beautifully designed wide receiver pass trick play. The final score came off of another fantastic Jahvid Best 65 yard TD run, set up by some pretty impressive blocking.

All great plays, but not much else. Cal has become reliant on great field position or big plays to score, and has not shown the ability to consistently march down the field with any semblance of sustained scoring drives.

The Bears’ decrease in offensive production has obviously coincided with the streak of injuries to the offensive line, which was fully exposed on Saturday. The battered and inexperienced O-line, featuring a number of second and third stringers, was harassed all day, at times unable to hold off just three OSU pass rushers, and gave up 5 sacks while unable to give Riley sufficient time to make plays in the air.

Even more unsettling is the continued lack of production in the passing game. Considering neither Nate Longshore or Kevin Riley have proven to be the clear answer at QB, one would have hoped that Riley would have fared better after having received most of the reps during practice. That would not be the case though, with Riley struggling with a 11-25 performance for only 117 yards, one TD and an interception return for a TD late in the game.

While the lack of pass protection made it difficult for Riley to see much success in the air, Riley and his receivers will still have to take responsibility for what has been a rough patch of performances the last two games. I’m unconvinced that all the sacks were on the offensive line as Riley continues to hold the ball a bit longer than necessary, is a step slow in his reads, and remains a tad off in his accuracy. His receivers also have to help Riley out by getting open a bit quicker and making sure they hold on to the ball despite whatever crushing hits may follow.


Special Teams
“Dammit Alamar.”

I found myself reciting the line like it was the chorus of a bad Limp Bizkit song. To a certain extent, it’s somewhat of an unfair criticism, considering it’s not the Special Teams coach out there on the field covering kickoffs and punts. And you have to give credit where credit is due to some of the more explosive and talented return men in the conference with James Rodgers and Sammie Stroughter.

But consider that 14 of the 34 points given up on Saturday are on the Special Teams unit, with an early kickoff returned 86 yards for a score and a punt return setting up a 2 yard TD run. Throw in the fact that OSU’s average starting field position was on the 45-yard line, and one has to wonder just who exactly that reflects on. Saturday’s game was the worst special teams performance all season, and one that Cal coaches and players will look back on with disappointment and some “what ifs” for some time to come.

Defense Does Its Thing
With Cal’s offense and Special Teams struggling, Cal’s defense did a respectable job of holding OSU to just 13 points when excluding Riley’s pick six, and the special teams return blunders. Admirable, when considering that the Beavers had come into the game averaging nearly 34 PPG.

The defense still had their share of issues. I don’t think anyone was pleased with the chunk of yards they gave up in some second and third and long situations. On one occasion, I believe Cal gave up a 2nd and 30. Second and THIRTY?

Further, the defense struggled in the second half with OSU’s excellent back Jacquizz Rodgers. (BTW, this kid is a stud. He is as patient of a back I’ve seen in a while, while demonstrating an uncanny ability cut quick quickly while also moving piles; impressive considering his 5’7 frame.) While Rodgers never had a huge play, he consistently ripped off good yardage on first and second down, making it difficult for the Bears to get off the field on defense. It’s a bit more understandable though, when one considers the talent OSU has in Rodgers. In sum, the Bears struggled a bit with Rodgers in the second half, but which team this year hasn’t?

On a side note, one has to wonder, where the hell would the Beavers be without the Rodgers brothers? I think those two account for nearly 50% of OSU’s total offense. Just think about that for a second.

Minor gripes aside, the heart and soul of this team still lives in its defense. In some areas, I continue to see improvement (Props to you Darian Hagan), and despite losing 3 solid linebackers, I’m excited at the prospect of next year’s defensive squad.

Questionable Officiating?
I very rarely blame the outcomes of any games on officiating. I’m of the camp who feels that a team has enough opportunities on the field to make up for the occasional bad call or no call which inevitably happens from time to time. With that said, there was some pretty poor officiating during the game, and Zack Follett wasn’t the only one who noticed a number of pretty blatant holds on OSU that weren’t called.

Again, not that any of this excuses any of the other Cal deficiencies, but it was still frustrating to watch.

As for the Beavers...
While the game was certainly in reach for the Bears, and a winnable game, you have to give credit to OSU, particularly their defense that made life miserable for the Bears’ offensive line and Kevin Riley. They were the better team on Saturday.

In terms of conference race implications, I’ll be cheering for Oregon State to win a Rose Bowl Berth. While I would have loved for Cal to have been the ones to dethrone USC from their bragging rights perch of being conference champs, I’d still celebrate seeing USC knocked out of the position. Not that it matters much for the Trojans, who are all but assured of receiving an at-large BCS bowl bid. It might however, be what is needed to bring more parity and legitimacy to the Pac-10 conference.

Moving Forward
The Bears don’t have long to regroup and prepare themselves for what is their last remaining “big game” on the schedule with none other than their rival Stanford in the “Big Game.”

Many of Cal’s initial goals have all faded, whether it was the small chance at a Rose Bowl, or a co-conference championship. The Bears still have a chance at a national ranking by season’s end, and winning out including a victory over Stanford would be a satisfying finish for the team and its seniors in what has been an up and down growing season for the Bears.

While it’s a bit late to develop an identity on offense, Cal will have to do what it can in facing a much improved and competitive Stanford squad. The biggest enigma is how it can go about doing so with an inexperienced and injury-plagued offensive line. More reps for Kevin Riley and his receiving corps. will certainly help, as will an emphasis on both blocking assignments and special teams coverage.

But coming off their first losing streak since last year’s collapse, one can undoubtedly look at the next two games as the true litmus test as to whether the team’s new “chemistry” is the real deal, or merely lip service in hopes of forgetting last season’s nightmare. After all, Cal has the same record going into last two games as last year. If the team isn’t able to regroup, they run the chance of experiencing the same disappointment.

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Rankings Update: Week 12

Cal posted back-to-back losses for the first time this season, and subsequently plummeted out of the polls.

The Bears fell to 39th in the AP Poll, receiving only two points from voters. Cal was a no-show in the USA Today Poll, with no points received.

The Bears are 6-4 on the season, and while it remains possible that the Bears might be ranked if they finish 8-4 on the regular season, it seems more realistic that Cal would have to win out their remaining games including their postseason bowl to pop back into the rankings.

Again, rankings really stopped being a relevant issue for the Bears since their loss to Maryland back in September, but still interesting to track nonetheless.


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I'm back!

I'm back bizzles. Well not really. I'm still chilling on the East Coast, but since my trip is winding down, it looks like I may have an opportunity to get back into my blogging ways.

Not that most are really eager to read anything on the Bears following their disheartening loss to Oregon State on Saturday.

But considering I'm looking at a 3 hour layover in Philadelphia tomorrow on my way back to Cali, you guys are getting some blogging whether you like it or not.


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Out of Town...

Hey all,

As a quick heads up, I'll be out of town vacationing on the beautifully rainy East Coast this week. So yes, I shall be watching Cal vs. OSU in Boston somewhere. Any suggestions? Otherwise, ESPN360.com it is.

This also means there will be a lack of posts this week. If I am posting, it's probably an indication of how much fun I'm having out there.

So you may see a few guest posts on the site...but probably not. Stay tuned. Actually, that's a lot to ask. Just promise to miss me.


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USC Helmet Stickers and Play of the Game

Offensive Player of the Game: Nyan Boateng
Blech. Finding an offensive player of the game in a matchup where Cal amassed its lowest yardage and point total in the Jeff Tedford era is not really an easy feat. Especially when considering not a single player was responsible for more than 100 yards, including either quarterback.

The game ball on offense goes to Nyan Boateng however, who he established himself as one of the Bears’ top receivers, and led the team in receiving yards with 43 yards on 4 catches. He also managed to hold on to the ball on a great catch despite getting absolutely crushed by a pair of USC defenders in which his helmet flew off.

Boateng has struggled with inconsistency throughout the year, but it’s good to see his undeniable talent beginning to emerge to some consistent productivity on the field.

I could have given the sticker to Verran Tucker, especially for that spectacular catch in the 3rd quarter, but his lining up off the line of scrimmage negated a touchdown, so you have to consider that against him a bit when making the final selection.

Honorable mentions:
Verran Tucker: 3 catches, 40 yards.
Nate Longshore: 11-15, 79 yards.
Will Ta’ufo’ou: 1 rush 21 yards (longest of the day), 1 catch for 4 yards


Defensive Player of the Game: Anthony Felder
This one is also a bit difficult, but fortunately, for different reasons. While this week’s performance may not have been quite as impressive as the one against the Oregon Ducks a few weeks ago, it still serves to show the number of playmakers on this Cal defense.

Darian Hagan has somehow outshined Syd’Quan Thompson at the cornerback position the past few week, Cameron Jordan has been an absolute revelation at defensive end, recording 4 sacks in the past 5 weeks since becoming a starter, and Mike Mohammed is very close to relieving any doubts about whether we’ll have much of a dropoff at the linebacker position, as he currently leads the team in tackles.

But, it’s about time to give Tony his due. The Beast from Washington is second on the team in total tackles (60), and 13th in the conference. Felder was all over the field on Saturday and proved to be the most consistent tackler in helping the Cal defense control the USC offense from putting the game out of reach for the Bears, particularly in Bear territory. Felder led the team in tackles with 10, including 8 solo.

Honorable Mentions:
Mike Mohammed: 7 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 sack
Zack Follett: 5 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 Forced fumble
Cameron Jordan: 6 tackles, 1 sack

Play of the Game: Verran Tucker’s One-Handed Catch
While I was tempted to give it to any one of Bryan Anger’s punts, which might have been our best defensive/offensive weapons (depending on how you look at it) on Saturday, Tucker’s catch in the third quarter was absolutely out of control.

After Kevin Riley launched a deep ball down the field, Tucker out positioned the Trojan defender and made an absolutely spectacular one-handed grab to pull down the ball. Wow. Probably one of the most impressive catches in the Tedford era. A few have been a bit more clutch (MacArthur’s catch vs. Oregon ’04), and a few others have been as physically impressive (Desean Jackson’s vs. Air Force ’07), but this one was mighty money.

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USC Recap

“Everyone understands what a special group they have on defense,” Tedford said. “You can’t beat yourself in situations, have penalties, get a touchdown called back, especially when you play a defense like that.”

Tedford’s quote pretty much encapsulates everything there is to say about Saturday’s game, so I’ll leave it at that.

…

Alright, I’ll throw in a few more thoughts, although Coach Tedford said most of what there was to say. I said last week that Cal would have to play its best game of the season in order to pull out the upset against the Trojans, and Saturday’s effort was far from perfection.

I’m not going to throw out any inane comments about how Saturday’s game was a game we SHOULD have won. The truth is, there was a reason why USC was favored to win that game, and win it by a lot. They feature the most athletic players, and some of the best coaching staffs in the country. They remain in discussion of being one of the top teams deserving of being the national title hunt discussion.

With that having been said, Cal was absolutely capable of winning that game yesterday. The game was never really out of reach until the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. Moreover, Cal had plenty of opportunities on which they were never able to capitalize. However, there were too many mistakes, too many penalties, too many questionable play calls, and an overall lack of cohesion of offense that squandered whatever chances Cal had to win that game despite a strong defensive and special teams performance.

A few thoughts:

Offense Catches up with the Bears
Whatever hopes Cal had in winning the game went down the drain as soon as it became apparent that Cal wasn’t on their game offensively. The Bears were only able to manage 165 total net yards, and were held to their lowest scoring total in…a long time.

For all intents and purposes, most of Cal’s deficiencies can be sourced back to a banged up Cal offensive line that was unable to consistently open up the holes for a running game, or consistently give their quarterbacks enough time to open it up in the air. Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen combined for just 33 yards on the ground, and both quarterbacks combined for just 138 yards.

What was most frustrating about Saturday night’s loss however wasn’t so much Cal’s struggles against USC’s premier defense. That could have been expected to a certain extent. What was the most painful to watch however, was just how often Cal shot themselves in the foot. Cal had 8 penalties for 50 yards with most of those penalties being false start penalties by the offensive line that put Cal in many third and long situations throughout the game. It’s tough enough to move the ball against USC. It’s nearly impossible when you nearly double the number of yards you have to gain to do so.

Speaking of penalties, no other play exemplified just how much Cal shot themselves in the foot than the TD pass to Vereen that was called back after Jeremy Ross lined up incorrectly on the line of scrimmage. Oy vey. Even after that play however, Cal still had a great shot at evening up the score after a pass interference penalty gave the Bears a first down on USC’s 15 yard line. Riley was intercepted in the endzone however, and that would be the closest Cal would get all night.

Cal had three different shots in the third quarter to put some points on the board. A Syd’Quan punt return to the 34 yard line and a fumble recovery in Trojans territory gave the Bears plenty of chances to put some points on the board. But the aforementioned penalties, a tough night for the Bears’ offensive line, and lack of cohesion in the passing game prevented any of that from the get go.


Defense Should Be Proud
I know my saying this isn’t going to help anyone on Cal’s defense feel any better today, but Cal’s defense should be proud of themselves today. Those guys played their hearts out and matched up with one of the elite teams in the country. While some media pundits will talk about USC’s inconsistency on offense, Cal showed they were up to the task of stopping USC from going buck wild on them, and held USC to just 10 points until the closing minutes of the game.

By the way, that was not a TD catch. Shame on the officiating team for not reviewing the play. You also would have hoped that someone from the coaching staff in the booth could have caught that a tad sooner.

Anyway, I digress.

Sure, it was hardly the defense’s best showing of the season, and some sloppy tackling contributed to USC racking up 411 total yards, which is never anything to write home about. Still, the defense was the sole reason Cal was still in the game late into the fourth quarter by preventing one of the nation’s top scoring offenses from putting up too many points.

I was particularly encouraged by how Cal stiffened up when USC got in Cal’s territory and on third down, keeping the Trojans to subpar 4-11 conversion rate. It may not always have been fun to watch, but holding the Trojans to 17 points was still a win for this defense. Again, not that this provides any solace for the team.

Longshore vs. Riley
Sigh. I don’t even know what more to really say about this. Is there still a QB Controversy? Blah. I guess. I don’t know. I really wish it were a case where both QBs were playing really well, with one QB just playing that much better. Unfortunately this isn’t it.

Longshore played better than Riley. But in all honestly, neither played very well. Longshore went 11-15 for 79 yards. Longshore’s stat sheet looks better than his performance would indicate, with two interceptions negated due to USC penalties. However, the offense while at times stagnant, was still efficient and able to move—at times.

Riley went 4-16 for 59 yards and an interception. While the offense appeared to be a bit more explosive with Riley in, he did miss appear his receivers on a number of occasions. While there were a number of drops, several of those were on Riley as much as they were on the receivers, with Riley overleading his receivers, or throwing behind them right into a crushing hit. Riley was also sacked 3 times during the game.

The QB switch made some sense, I suppose. Longshore wasn’t playing too poorly, but with USC’s pass rush, you obviously wanted a more mobile QB back there. However, it’s hard to imagine that Nate would have played that much poorly than Riley in the second half. Regardless, it’s a lot easier to talk about the right time to have made a switch (if at all) in hindsight. Not sure either QB could have really gotten the job if they had a full game under their belt, but it’s tough not knowing for sure.


Tough Loss but Looking Ahead…
No one will deny that this was a tough loss. Again, it wasn’t so much the fact that Cal lost, but how they lost, with many missed opportunities.

However, now isn’t the time to begin moping or for a fan base to write off a season simply because the Rose Bowl is again out of the team’s grasp. The Bears face a tough and very confident Oregon State team this upcoming weekend for second place in the conference and a very respectable Holiday Bowl, which will undoubtedly match them up with a highly ranked Big 12 team (Oklahoma State, Missouri, or Oklahoma anyone?).

The Bears are still searching for an identity on offense. Considering how banged up the offensive line is, I’m not sure where to begin. Playing with better discipline and avoiding any costly penalties is a start. But Cal will need to reestablish a running game that has gone into hiding the previous two games, and developing some chemistry in the passing game.

Otherwise this “tough loss” feeling will turn into a gut-wrenching one very soon.

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Rankings Update Week 11

Cal continues their season long tradition of dropping out of the polls as soon as they work themselves back into them. Although, it was a bit of a stretch to expect to Cal to stay in the rankings after their matchup with USC, it’s still a bit discouraging to see Cal develop an allergic reaction to being ranked.

The good news is that Cal didn’t drop as much as I thought they might. After entering the game ranked 21st, it appears the voters placed some added value on Cal’s strong defensive performance, and placed the loss more on USC being a dominant team, rather than Cal being a bad one.

Cal is ranked 26th in both the AP and USA Today Polls with 73 and 50 points respectively.


Of note is that Oregon State has broken into the AP and USA Today polls at 23rd and 25th, just in time for their matchup against Cal on Saturday. If Cal wins, expect Cal to switch spots with the Beavers to get back into the rankings. Assuming Cal can win out, it’s reasonable to think that Cal can finish in the mid teens in the polls to finish the season.

Drop one of the next three however, and Cal might finish their second consecutive season unranked. Stay tuned.

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Keys to the Game: USC

(It's time to rumble)

Despite my previous post that Cal fans might be instilled with levels of “Yes We Can” optimism following the historical election, some may be slowly settling back into the scabrous grounds of reality. We’re facing USC this weekend.

Fearful? Not really. But I’ll be honest, I’m not expecting the Bears to win this game.

Don’t get me wrong, I hope they win. I want them to win. Lord knows I want them to win. Next to Stanford, there is no other team I would like to see the Bears beat down than the boys of Troy.

But it’s hard for me to expect that to happen.

Why?

Maybe it’s because since Pete Carroll has taken over, the Trojans have posted the best record college football with a ridiculous 83-15 record, with 6 of those losses coming in Carroll’s first rebuilding year. Meaning, since 2001, the Trojans are 77-9, while snatching up two national titles, six consecutive top-four finishes and Pac-10 titles in the process.

Maybe it’s because this Saturday marks the 87th consecutive week in which the Trojans are ranked.

Maybe it’s because Pete Carroll is a perfect 24-0 at USC in the month of November. He does not lose this time of the year.

Maybe it’s because the Trojans have outscored their opponents 214-20 in the last five games, shutting out 3 of their last four.

Maybe it’s because, quite simply, the Bears are facing off against a team from the greatest dynasty in college football history.

Can the Bears beat the Trojans? Absolutely. But considering the opponent on Saturday, they can ill-afford to make any mistakes and will have to click on ALL cylinders to do so.

Let’s break it down:

Defense Must Again Save the Day
The defense this season thus far has been a success by anyone’s standards. To say that the Bears would not have seen the level of success they have had this year without their defense, would be a monumental understatement.

With that having been said, the Cal’s defense will have to be disciplined and execute perfectly on Saturday. I don’t think Cal’s defense matches up too poorly with the USC’s offense.

USC features a solid stable of 5-star running back recruits in Joe McKnight, Stafon Johnson, and CJ Gable. The three split carries to average over 205 yards on the ground as a team, and are going to be productive against any defense. However, I think the 3-4 has shown that as long as Cal’s defenders follow their assignments, and focus on making the proper tackles, they can contain USC’s rushing offense from taking over the game.

It gets a little sketchier in terms of the passing game though. Mark Sanchez’s inconsistently has been widely overblown, and Sanchez still leads the Pac-10 in passing efficiency with 22 passing touchdowns, 1,884 yards and a 163.3 passer rating. Moreover, USC’s receivers feature a pretty strong size advantage over Cal’s talented, but undersized secondary.

Cal’s defensive line will have their work cut out for them against USC’s offensive line that has only allowed 9 sacks all season. If Cal can get enough pressure on Sanchez without having to commit too many of their linebackers, and can flush him out of the pocket into different zone packages, Cal may be able to continue its ways of leading the nation in interceptions.


Offense will have to play its best game all year
My biggest concern lies in the matchup between the Bears’ offense against the Trojans’ defense.

The Bears have beaten and rolled over some mediocre teams this year, solely on the strength of their defense or special teams. Case in point, Kevin Riley passed for just 59 yards in a 42-7 win over CSU, and just 51 yards in a 66-3 romp over WSU. Fortunately, Cal excelled in other facets in the game to make up for any deficiencies on offense.

That’s not going to cut it against the best defense (statistically) in the country. The Trojans are first in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense (211.6 yards per game), scoring defense (7.1 points per game) and opponent passer rating (82.3). They have held their last three opponents to a combined 488 yards and have forced seven turnovers.

Granted those opponents have included two of the worst teams in the nation (Wash and WSU), but one can’t deny the quality of this defense.

So what do the Bears have to do on offense?

The Bears are going to have be balanced. They can’t look to capitalize on any particular defensive unit, with the Trojans leading the conference in both passing and rushing defense. They will have to continue to keep the Trojans guessing and can’t afford to get conservative or be typical with their playcalling for any minute. Once the Trojans start keying on the run, they will have to pass to set up the run. Once they begin blitzing any fewer than two defenders, they will have to go back to draws and power run formations.

Coaching will have to get the plays in quickly, to allow either Riley or Longshore enough time to make his pre-snap reads to get a sense of where the blitzes might be coming. Because this defense will blitz, hard, often and from nearly every direction.

While perfect execution from every player goes without saying (no drops, missed assignments, turnovers), the onus may fall on the coaching staff and the quarterback to make sure everything up to the snap sets the Bears up for success.

(USC does not lose here)

Win the Turnover Battle…By A Lot
No turnovers. Nearly impossible right? But I’m serious. The Bears have excelled this year in the turnover category, leading the conference with a +8 turnover margin.

However, with a matchup of this proportion, against a team this good, Cal won’t be able to squeak by with a -1 turnover margin like it did against Oregon. The Trojans are a selfish bunch, and will not give as many gifts as other teams have done. The Bears will have to be hungry and will need to recover any fumble, or bait as many passes as it can get.

On the flip side, the Bears can absolutely not afford to give up the ball, once. One turnover may be the difference between a 3 point win and a 2 touchdown loss. It’s that critical. Whether it’s Kevin Riley or Nate Longshore leading the drives, the Bears won’t be able to get by with any interceptions. And if Riley’s concussion forces Longshore out there, Nate is going to have to do better than the two touchdowns and 4 interceptions he’s thrown against USC in his past two starts.

“So…you’re telling me there’s a chance!”
Yes there’s a chance. The Bears can go against the college football gods that have bestowed such ridiculous success against the Trojans and go against history, while writing their own.

But they’re pretty much going to have play the game of their lives. USC doesn’t usually beat themselves (unless it’s Stanford). The Bears are going to have to execute, the coaches will have to try and stay one step ahead at all times, and by golly, we’re going to need just a little bit of luck.

Prediction?
USC 27 Cal 17

What I hope for:
Cal 31 USC 27 on a last minute TD strike from Longshore to Boateng.

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"Yes We Can" and other Bears Bits

On the day after one of the most historical elections ever, Cal fans are left to ponder their upcoming matchup with USC in some of the most dynamic modern circumstances imaginable.

[Editor’s note: Not trying to get political here, but regardless one’s political orientation, one has to recognize that last night was an amazing night that will forever change the course of our nation and the world. Wow.]

But if there was one message from last night that Cal fans could hope to adopt for their own hopes for this weekend’s matchup against USC, it’s that “Yes We Can.”

A little overdramatic? Most likely. But consider this:

• The Bears enter as 20.5 point underdogs to USC. And that number has actually risen from the initial line of 17.5 from earlier in the week. Clearly, the experts in Vegas are growing even more wary of putting any faith in Cal by the day.

• The Trojans are a perfect 24-0 under Pete Carroll in November. Just think about that. USC has not lost in November (when it counts the most) in the Carroll regime in nearly 6 years. Pete Carroll does not lose in November.

• Other records: Carroll is 28-7 against Top 25 teams, and is 49-9 in Pac-10 play. This goes along with his 6 straight Pac-10 titles and 6 straight AP Top 4 finishes, and back to back national championships.

Whatever. Despite those gaudy numbers, there must a be a remote voice in Bears fans’ hearts that cry out “Yes We Can.” For the Cal Bears team, that message must be a roar if they’re expected to pull off what would be a monumental upset.

Yes We Can.

Bears Bits

• With the Bears win over the Ducks last Saturday, the Bears are now bowl eligible and will go bowling for the seventh straight year. While bowl eligibility was a given in fans’ expectations, let us still continue to cherish even a consistent level of success. We could be Michigan.

• Zack Follett was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week. This comes a week after fellow linebacker Mike Mohammed’s honor. Go Pain Train. You deserve it. Now bring the business on Sat.

• Defensive linemen Rulon Davis and Cody Jones were back in pads on Tuesday’s practice. Both might be able to provide depth to a beat up defensive line. Good to hear, especially for Davis, the veteran senior who has battled injuries throughout his career at Cal.

• For those headed to the USC Game, be sure to check out the official tailgate party put on by the California Alumni Association at 2:30 on Saturday. My friend DJ Franchise will be spinning and making sure Bears fans are rocking.

Here’s the conversation between Franchise and me.

Franchise: i'll be DJing and they'll have people on the mic
should be fun
Franchise: i'm working to get a young alumni crowd going
so its not all old peeps
me: haha that'd be good once u start djing
Franchise: i know
it will still be older songs
and stuff
top 40
more rockish
but should be fun
me: u gotta do "don't stop believing by journey
Franchise: yep
me: and u gotta mix "we're not going to take it" with sound bites from this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_fShwQlANc
btw
not work safe
audio wise that is
so only play that if u have headphones

Check out the full details here:

• Don’t have a ticket? Some are still available. Try checking my sponsor site for some Trojan Tickets and see what’s available there.

Alright, stay tuned in the next day or so for the Keys to the Game.

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Oregon Helmet Stickers and Play of the Game

This will probably be the last bit I write about the Oregon game (a shame really) as we get ready for USC. No doubt, most of the talk will be about what the Bears will need to do to pull off the upset this weekend, but I still gotta give the boys their due.

Offensive Player of the Game: Nate Longshore
It didn’t look like much on the stat sheet. Longshore had a quiet 13-27 passing for 136 yards and a TD.

It also may not have appeared have to been much for a fan base who, upon seeing Longshore enter the game for an injured Kevin Riley, thought they might have flash back of Longshore’s interceptions late in the game of the also rain-heavy USC game from last year.

And it also didn’t appear to be much for Longshore who avoided speaking with the media after Saturday’s game.

But Longshore came in and “got ‘er done.” Again, while his stats may not have looked like much, he was cool and efficient on a day with the worst conditions imaginable for a QB. He stood tall in the pocket, and completed critical third and fourth downs and showed no signs of shaken confidence. He managed the game, and most importantly, avoided any turnovers.

While some think I might be too overgenerous for complimenting Longshore for not messing up too heavily, considering the game was littered with turnovers and mistakes from both teams, that in itself is an accomplishment.

Again, this doesn’t do much to establish either QB as a clear cut starter, and I still think Riley should start Saturday (if healthy), it does a lot to establish confidence in knowing Nate can be capable and filling in, should Riley flounder.

Honorable Mentions
Entire Offensive Line: 1 sack against conference’s top pass rush defense
Shane Vereen: 21 rushes for 61 yards, 1 TD, 4 catches for 25 yards
Verran Tucker: 6 catches for 83 yards
Nyan Boateng: 3 catches for 56 yards, 1 TD


Defensive Player of the Game: Zack Follett
Choosing the game’s defensive helmet sticker has easily become one of the most fun parts of my week. There are just so many to choose from. Mike Mohammed followed up his Pac-10 defensive performance of the week by earning a starting spot and leading the team in tackles. Darian Hagan more than held his own on his side of the field with 3 pass breakups, and Worrell Williams had that critical interception to set up Cal’s score. And let’s not forget the performance our D-Line had.

But you can’t NOT give it to the Pain Train. Zack Follett was all over the field on Saturday, posting 11 tackles (8 solo) on the day. 3 of those tackles went for a loss, including one sack. And he had a diving pass deflection for good measure.

Needless to say, Follett brought the business.

Honorable Mentions
Mike Mohammed: 14 tackles (10 solo)
Cameron Jordan: 10 tackles (2.5 TFL) including one sack.
Darian Hagan: 6 tackles and 3 pass breakups.
Worrell Williams: 8 tackles (4 solo) and a 50 yard interception return.

Play of the Game: Matt Russi’s Muffed Punt Recovery
While the game was mirred in turnovers, the play of the game was one that was pretty much given to us.

With the Ducks beginning to swing the momentum in their favor, Jairus Byrd muffed a punt which led to Matt Russi recovering the ball on the Oregon 6 yard line to set up Shane Vereen’s ensuing 2 yard TD run, which ultimately sealed the game for the Bears.

Ted Lee over at the Bear Insider has a great indepth article on Russi.

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