By Jay Heater
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
BERKELEY - When Sacramento State coach Steve Mooshagian talks about his team's game against Cal today at Memorial Stadium as being a David versus Goliath matchup, he must be thinking of the Bears' offensive line.
Cal center Marvin Philip is ranked by The Sporting News as the No. 1 center in the country this season. Right tackle Ryan O'Callaghan is a returning first-team All-Pac-10 selection who figures to be a high NFL draft choice. Left tackle Andrew Cameron is a 350-pounder whom Cal coach Jeff Tedford calls a dominant force.
After that wall of humanity comes crashing down upon the Division I-AA Hornets' defensive line, Heisman Trophy candidate Marshawn Lynch will be coming at them with the ball in his hands.
"We understand the challenge," said Mooshagian, a former teammate of Tedford's at Cerritos College and Fresno State. "We played Oregon State two years ago and they had Steven Jackson. We held him to 108 yards rushing. We've been in these situations before."
Whether or not the Hornets managed to hold down Jackson, they lost to the Beavers 40-7.
The Bears are breaking in 13 new starters in their 2005 opener today, so Tedford would like to see things go smoothly, especially up front.
"I look for our offensive line to be even stronger this year," Tedford said. "O'Callaghan is a dominant player ... Cameron is a dominant player ... then there's Marvin. We expect our offensive line to set the tone every game. They can set our intensity by how physical they play."
The Bears' linemen understand they will be breaking in a new quarterback in Nate Longshore, a new starting tailback in Lynch and a mostly new wide receivers.
"We are going to concentrate on firing out and dominating," said junior guard Erik Robertson, the only new starter on the unit. "We will put people on their backs, hopefully, trying to run it down their throats. The great thing about this coaching staff is that if we can get a lead, they will let us run it, run it, run it."
O'Callaghan said his unit understands that it is expected to make things a bit easier for the inexperienced guys. "We've got the most experienced unit on the team," he said. "A lot of what happens will be based on our performance."
Mooshagian doesn't expect Cal to fall back much despite losing so many key skill position personnel. "I don't think there will be much of a drop-off from last season," he said. "They are an eight cylinder team learning how to fire on all cylinders."
Even if Cal makes some mistakes, Mooshagian admits that his team is a huge underdog.
"I talked to Jeff and asked him if we could use 12 players to his 11," he said. "We have a group of players who will be nervous seeing that environment. But you get hit in the Adam's Apple, you forget all that. And nobody gave the U.S. hockey team a chance to beat the Russians. This is a David and Goliath battle. We just need to focus on our job."
Cal linebacker Ryan Foltz said the Hornets will have a hard time trying to focus with the Bears' offensive line coming at them. "Our offensive line is unbelievably good," Foltz said. "They are big, fast and strong ... everything you want your line to be. And anytime you have an offensive line that can dominate up front, it keeps your defense fresh."
Note: Cal receiver Lavelle Hawkins has been ruled ineligible for today's game because he has been gone from Louisiana State University, where he enrolled in 2004 before transferring to City College of San Francisco, for less than one calendar year. NCAA rules state that a player has to be gone one calendar year from a previous four-year school to be eligible for their new school. Hawkins will be eligible for Cal's game at Washington next Saturday.
CAL REPORT
• TODAY: vs. Sacramento State, 2 p.m. TV: Comcast Sportsnet. Radio: 810-AM
CAL REPORT
• ESSENTIALS: Sacramento State at Cal at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley
• KICKOFF: 2 p.m.
• TV/RADIO: Comcast Sportsnet, 810-AM
• RECORDS: Division I-AA Sac State 3-8 in 2004; Cal 10-2
• INJURIES: Sac State -- No injuries; Cal -- DE Steve Kelly (ACL tear, out for season) and OG Brian De La Puente (ankle) are out, LB Worrell Williams (ankle) is questionable
• NOTES: Sophomore wide receiver Nick Miller, senior defensive back Brandon Smith, junior wide receiver Ryan Coogler and senior defensive lineman Walter Brock are transfers from St. Mary's College, which dropped its football program after the 2003 season. ... Sac State senior defensive lineman Brandon Povio started his college career at Cal. ... Oski will ride a Harley Davidson motorcycle into Memorial Stadium ahead of the band.
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