SF Chronicle: QB Ayoob's progress is impressing Tedford

CAL NOTEBOOK

Bruce Adams, Chronicle Staff Writer

Coach Jeff Tedford believes quarterback Joe Ayoob continues to improve as he makes the transition from junior college to Division I-A.  In Saturday's loss to UCLA, Ayoob completed 18 passes in 35 attempts for 215 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted once, near the end of the game just after the Bears had fallen behind by a point.  "Joe is making great strides," Tedford said of Ayoob, who has completed 54.3 percent of his passes for 1,028 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. "I think he is becoming much more comfortable."  Tedford said Ayoob, after a "jittery" start against UCLA, "kept his eyes down the field, had good vision and was accurate in throwing the football."  Ayoob said last week that he thought he and his receivers were "a step off" in the deep passing game.  "I think we've got it now," he said.  He also said he was developing a rapport with all the receivers, refusing to single out a favorite target.  Although Tedford acknowledged improvements in the passing game, he said that didn't necessarily mean a decrease in Cal's running game, ranked No. 2 in the Pac-10.  "You don't abandon the run game just to have balance in the offense," he said, "but there has to be some diversity there."  Coaching error: Tedford said a coaching error contributed to the Bruins gaining 38 yards on a fake punt, which set up a fourth-quarter touchdown.  The Bears had only 10 men on the field.  Tedford said one player thought he was being called off the field before the play began. In fact, one of the older players was yelling at his teammates on the sideline to move farther away from the field.  "That's one you can really chalk up to youth," Tedford said.  The mistake, he said, should have been noticed in time to call a timeout.  "That's not just the kid's fault. It's the fault of the coaches on the sideline," said Tedford, not naming the player or the coaches.  After the game, special-teams coach Pete Alamar took responsibility for the breakdowns, including a UCLA punt return for a touchdown and another return that set up another touchdown.