ANG Newspapers: Cal faces clone of Texas Tech offense

By Dave Newhouse, STAFF WRITER 

BERKELEY — Jeff Tedford's two least favorite words in a coaching capacity just might be Texas Tech.  Texas Tech's 45-31 humiliation of Cal in last December's Holiday Bowl still rankles Tedford, to the point of his recently referring to "confidence turning into arrogance" among his players that dismal night in San Diego.  Cal will get a reminder of Texas Tech on Friday night, when the Bears play at New Mexico State. The Aggies' new head coach, Hal Mumme, was a mentor to Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, who was Mumme's offensive coordinator at Iowa Wesleyan, Valdosta State and Kentucky over a 10-year period.

In fact, they teach the same wide-open, pass-until-your-arm-falls-off system, which means Cal's linebackers and defensive backs will be in a marathon foot race going backward once again.  "It's pretty similar," Mumme said Tuesday of his and Leach's offensive schemes. "Our idea of balance is to spread the ball out. We have five different receivers, and guys who can run with the ball. We try tomake defenses stop more than one guy."  Some balance. The Aggies average 262 yards a game passing and 28.7 yards rushing. "They can do some damage," Tedford said, "just as we saw Texas Tech did (Dec. 30). So we have a good challenge. We have to limit the big play and make them earn everything they get."

Tedford's defensive coordinator, Bob Gregory, is studying the Cal-Texas Tech game film — horror film? — to prepare for New Mexico State.  The main difference between Cal and New Mexico State, offensive philosophies aside, is the Bears are 3-0, and the Aggies 0-3. The Aggies are considered one of worst teams in Division I-A football.    "Well, you can have all the schemes in the world, but players make games," Mumme said realistically. "Cal's loaded. They've got a lot of great players ... big, strong athletes who can run pretty fast."

What is Mumme's rebuilding plan?

"We need to recruit to our system," he said. "Everyone knows it's a growth process. All the places I've been, it's taken a couple of years."  Before New Mexico State, Mumme was head coach at Southeastern Louisiana, helping revive the program after an 18-year absence and leading the Lions to a 12-11 record in two seasons.

BEAR TRACKS: Tedford said the pain in tailback Marshawn Lynch's broken/dislocated left pinkie has "pretty much subsided," though Lynch remains uncertain for Friday. ... Freshman linebacker Anthony Felder will make his second straight start. "He made a lot happen," Tedford said of Felder's game against Illinois. "He's very athletic, very fast, and he can cover sideline to sideline very well."... Tedford was asked if Cal has become a "football school" again, like the late 1940s. "I wouldn't say we're a football school," he said. "Our football program is doing fairly well now, and there's a lot of energy and support. Sometimes I take my headset off to hear the crowd. I was very pleased with the crowd support Saturday. Illinois was called for a couple of illegal procedure penalties, and the crowd noise helps that."