Sophomore sub has fourth-best single game in Golden Bears history
By Dave Newhouse, STAFF WRITER
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — You know it's a new era of Cal football when a Heisman Trophy candidate goes down with an injury and his backup has one of the greatest days ever by a Golden Bears running back. Heisman hopeful Marshawn Lynch was in uniform Friday night but didn't play for the second straight week, his broken/dislocated left pinkie covered by the equivalent of a small parlor pillow. Lynch watched his replacement, 5-foot-8, 184-pound Justin Forsett, rush for 235 yards on 31 carries (7.6 avg.) on the heels of Forsett's 187-yard effort the week before against Illinois. Cal coach Jeff Tedford said after the 41-13 victory over New Mexico State that Lynch would have been used Friday only in an emergency. But it's possible Lynch could play on Saturday against visiting Arizona. Lynch is coming back eventually, as a starter, so what happens then to Forsett? "I'm fine with that," Forsett said. "I want this team to win a national championship." Such a comment makes Forsett, the selfless sophomore from Arlington, Texas, one of the most likable and respected Bears among teammates.
He had the fourth-best single game by a Cal runner, trailing only Jerry Drew's 283-yard game against Oregon State in 1954, John "Johnny O" Olszewski's 269-yard effort at Washington State in 1951, and J.J. Arrington's 261-yard career day at Southern Mississippi last year. "I wasn't keeping my feet moving," Forsett said of the Illinois game. "On contact, my coach (Ron Gould) told me my feet stood still." Forsett, a June bug of a running back, almost certainly will play once Lynch returns. How do you bench 422 yards in two games? But Friday offered further proof of Cal's team depth at, notably, tailback. Third-string Marcus O'Keith, averaging 11.9 yards a carry, sat out with a bruised thigh. So fourth-string Terrell Williams, a one-time Cal starter, carried eight times for 36 yards (4.5) and a touchdown. Of course, Cal's powerful offensive line is paramount in the success of its talented backs. Averaging a Pac 10-leading 264 yards per game rushing, Cal ran for a season-best 311 yards Friday. The clearing blocks of tackle Ryan O'Callaghan and center Marvin Philip were most noticeable at Aggie Memorial Stadium. Afterward, Philip addressed Cal's ragged play in spite of its 28-point win. "A win is a win, but we haven't put up a solid game yet," he said. "We're way better than we've shown." The Bears (4-0) are awaiting the X-rays on wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins, who injured an ankle in the fourth quarter after catching a 33-yard pass from Joe Ayoob. Hawkins had to be helped off the field. Cal's other new wideout, DeSean Jackson, led all receivers with nine catches for 130 yards. But Tedford was not pleased with Jackson's end-zone hand-shaking routine with teammate Robert Jordan following Jackson's 41-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. The resulting 15-yard penalty for excessive celebration was assessed on the ensuing kickoff, and Chris Williams returned the kick 94 yards for a touchdown.
"I told (Jackson), 'Don't do that again, or you're not going to play,'" Tedford said. "You score, ESPN, a lot of energy," Jackson said of his and Jordan's demonstration. "Robert and I had something planned. I won't say I regret it, but I learned from it." The highly recruited Jackson had his best game yet at Cal. "Their defense was playing off, their corners were bailing (out)," Jackson said. "I'm the person who is a playmaker. The coach told me to be patient ... I'm used to getting the ball." Jackson wasn't a blocker at Long Beach Poly, but he has improved in that area at Cal. The Bears' wideouts blocked well Friday for Forsett. "It's just effort," said Jackson. "All of us were helping out. We're all blocking as hard as we can."
Jackson is a team player, outside of the end zone. Stay tuned, Old Blues.
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