BERKELEY - There might be no such thing as a gimme in college football - just ask UC Davis and Stanford - but it's pretty clear Cal's schedule is about to become tougher. No. 12 Cal is 4-0 after victories over Sacramento State, Washington, Illinois and New Mexico State, which have a combined record of 3-13. The Bears' average margin of victory is 30 points. Cal starts the meat of its Pacific-10 Conference schedule Saturday at 4 p.m. when it hosts Arizona. The Wildcats are 1-2 but are coming off a one-touchdown loss to No. 12 Purdue two weeks ago and feature the conference's stingiest passing defense at 164.3 yards a game. "It will be much more competitive, much more physical," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said of his team's seven remaining games, all against conference foes. "The Pac-10 is just always that way. Each and every week is a dogfight out there. Our players know that this week."
Tedford apparently forgot about last year's 38-0 victory at Arizona, 49-7 win at Oregon State, 41-6 victory over Stanford and 27-0 win over Arizona State. Tedford will have one more weapon this week in tailback Marshawn Lynch, who has missed two straight games with a broken left little finger. Tedford said Lynch "absolutely will play" but doesn't know how much. Arizona's passing defense might give quarterback Joe Ayoob trouble, but the Wildcats have yielded a conference-worst 202 yards a game on the ground. Even without Lynch, the Bears have averaged 275.8 rushing yards a game, sixth in the country. Justin Forsett has filled in nicely for Lynch, collecting 511 yards and four touchdowns. Lynch's injury, along with injuries to four other starters, has made the Bears' first 4-0 start since 1996 a little more difficult. The way Cal has handled those setbacks has impressed Tedford. "The key is how they handle the adversity and keep playing," Tedford said. "They have proven that they will do that." Valley watch - The injury bug keeps spreading, and Stockton's Lavelle Hawkins is the latest player to take a hit. The wide receiver from Edison High School has not practiced this week and is wearing a boot on his left ankle after getting injured in last week's win over New Mexico State.
• Cal quarterbacks have been sacked just four times this year, thanks in part to the solid play of center Marvin Philip of Cameron Park.
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