By Jay Heater
Knight Ridder
Today at Memorial Stadium, Cal's football team will be concerned about the spread. Not the one that lists the No. 15 Golden Bears (2-0) as a 21 1/2-point favorite to beat Illinois. Cal is going to have to deal with Illini Coach Ron Zook's spread offense. ``Of course, when people hear about a spread offense, they think back to the Texas Tech game,'' said Cal senior free safety Harrison Smith, referring to the Bears' Holiday Bowl loss in December. Cal fans could be forgiven for a little anxiety. Texas Tech threw for 520 yards against Cal in a 45-31 victory. Utah -- whose spread is more comparable to Illinois', Smith said -- didn't throw for a lot of yards against Cal in 2003, but it did use the spread offense to score two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 31-24 victory. ``Our defensive backs are more mature and ready to take on that challenge,'' Smith said.
The challenge appears to be formidable despite the betting line. Illinois (2-0) has averaged 36.5 points in Zook's first two games by averaging 223.5 yards rushing and 241 yards passing. Although victories over Rutgers (33-30 in overtime) and San Jose State (40-19) don't cause a stir nationally, they do show that the Illini are moving the ball. ``It's a pretty sure thing that they are going to test us,'' Cal cornerback Tim Mixon said. ``They use a lot of unconventional formations, and they move around a lot. ``But as a corner, it's fun to play against a passing team. That's what we do.'' Eight Illinois players have caught at least three passes, and not one of them has accumulated more than 100 yards -- making it difficult for the Bears to key on anyone. The Illini's starting wide receivers, senior Kendrick Jones and sophomore DaJuan Warren, are both 6-foot-2 and around 200 pounds. ``They have some big receivers,'' Smith said. ``And if they watched our game against Washington, I'm sure they think they can throw on us.'' Illinois junior quarterback Tim Brasic has completed 73.2 percent of his passes for 432 yards and three touchdowns this season. He also has rushed for 97 yards, a total that would be much higher if not for 49 yards lost to sacks. Balancing the offense is a potent running game led by junior Pierre Thomas, who has gained 142 yards and averaged 5.7 yards per carry. ``We just need to play smart,'' Smith said. ``We should be able to do that, anyway, because our coaches pretty much tell us what we need to do.''
Cal has challenges beyond Illinois. Sophomore tailback Justin Forsett will make the first start of his career in place of Marshawn Lynch, who is sitting out because of a broken knuckle on his left hand. Senior center Marvin Philip (sprained ankle) and senior guard Aaron Merz (concussion) might also miss the game, Cal Coach Jeff Tedford said. If they don't go, freshman center Noris Malele and senior guard Byran Deemer will make the first starts of their careers. On defense, senior end Tosh Lupoi will miss at least the next two games because of a sprained knee. Starting sophomore linebacker Greg Van Hoesen (sprained ankle) is also out. Freshman linebacker Worrell Williams and sophomore defensive end Phillip Mbakogu are making their first starts.
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