Tedfordville no-no: 'Boo-hoo, Aaron's gone'

Without Rodgers, Cal coach is marching comfortably forward with either Ayoob or Longshore
BERKELEY — It would have been so much easier if Aaron Rodgers had simply stayed and exercised his final year of eligibility. In retrospect, even though he's now Brett Favre's celebrated understudy in Green Bay, Rodgers might have felt the same way considering how it all turned out. But Cal's Jeff Tedford, never one for fantasy over reality, hasn't once paused to consider the "what ifs" ever since Rodgers departed a year early to the NFL. Since January, basically, Coach Grindstone has been too busy recruiting, teaching and programming successors to run his intricate offense.
So here it is mid-August, 16 days away from the Golden Bears' first game of the 2005 season, and while much of the outside world still believes that Cal's quarterback position is a big fat question mark — with Conundrum slightly aheadof Quandary right now — Tedford doesn't even blink at the mention of external perceptions. "They said the same thing when Kyle Boller left," he said impassively. You get the feeling Tedford has uttered that line before, too, inserting the name of any number of quarterbacks he has dispatched to the pros over the years while assessing the new kids under center. One day, he'll undoubtedly plug in Joe Ayoob or Nathan Longshore into that quote ... or maybe both.
Tedford said he'd be comfortable going with either of those guys as his starting quarterback throughout this year but hasn't yet picked a front-runner for the long haul. Both will get significant playing time in the Sept.3 opener against Sacramento State and shared duties could continue until a clear favorite is determined. "We'll see how it works," Tedford said. "We'll see who can handle the huddle, who can run the team best in a game-type situation." Each quarterback brings something a little different to the mix. Longshore, a redshirt freshman who has been learning if not playing the past year, is a tall, classic drop-back passer with a strong arm. Ayoob, a City College of San Francisco transfer, is a bit smaller and more mobile, and perhaps a bit more reminiscent of Rodgers.
Tedford doesn't really have a preference for either style. It's all about game management and quick, sound decision-making to him. Even in practice, precision execution takes precedent over a pretty throw. "They (the quarterbacks) have to control the offense," the coach said. "It's a lot more than just about their job. They have to put us in a position to have successful plays. There's a lot more to it than just what you see. It's how they get signals, how they get us in the huddle. Do they get us off on time? Do they put us in a position so that everyone else on offense can be successful? They have a huge responsibility that way."
How huge? Ayoob admitted he was fairly overwhelmed when he first started assimilating it all last spring but estimated he's about 95 percent Tedfordized. Through the rough periods, he had a trusty sounding board in Rodgers himself.
"He willingly gave me his phone number and said, 'You know, if you have any problems or you feel stress, just give me call because I've been through it,'" Ayoob said. "And I did call him in the spring a few times. He told me, 'It's going to be hard at first. You're not going to get it the first time around. But you just have to stay with it, study your playbook and when fall camp comes around, they reteach everything and it'll be in your head.' It's actually worked out just like he said."
Ayoob has been projected in some circles as the eventual starter since he only has a two-year window at Cal while Longshore still has four. But just as Rodgers had to take the job from holdover Reggie Robertson, Ayoob will have to demonstrate he's more steady-ready than Longshore, who is two years younger.
Tedford, as he always has, will weigh things fairly. Experience in the system and knowledge of it is one of Longshore's top assets. But Ayoob has done a good job bridging the gap. "After spring, Nate was much further ahead but not really anymore," the coach said.
Whichever quarterback lands the job will be sitting at the wheel of a hot Ferrari. All the other components of another terrific Cal offense seem to be in place — a standout tailback in Marshawn Lynch, a tough, experienced offensive line and a deep, versatile receiving corps sporting one of the scariest freshman prospects in the country, DeSean Jackson.
And come now, considering his quarterback star chart, does it make any sense at all that Tedford is going to wind up with a yokel behind the wheel? Bzzzt, sorry. There are many things to fret about in this mad old world, but that's definitely not one of them.