By Jay Heater
BERKELEY - Perhaps this "being on an island" description for cornerbacks is all wrong. Just the thought of an island conjures up images of a day at the beach. Sun and fun. Tropical weather and tans. That wasn't the case for Cal junior cornerback Daymeion Hughes as he watched Washington State wide receiver Jason Hill race past him and accept a perfect pass from quarterback Alex Brink for a 62-yard touchdown during the Bears' 42-38 win on Oct. 22 at Memorial Stadium. Cal fans probably could sense trouble when Hill was running full speed toward the end zone as he passed Hughes, who was backpedaling for all he was worth. No hula girls or fancy drinks with umbrellas. Just cat-calls from the stands and tough questions from the coaches. If this was an island, Hughes wished it would have been a deserted one. "It's hard when you feel that everyone in the stadium hates you because you are losing the game," admitted Hughes, who will be on the spot Saturday when Cal tries to slow down Oregon's high-powered spread offense at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. Hughes isn't complaining. He likes the nature of the position, which is somewhat like being a quarterback. When things go right, the ensuing celebration can be one rocking good time. But when things go wrong, there is no place to hide. No matter about those 25 previous good plays. That searing, crummy play is all that anyone remembers. Hughes and fellow defensive backs Tim Mixon, Donnie McCleskey and Harrison Smith are well-schooled in the subject of "What have you done for me lately?" They lived through the Texas Tech Chainsaw Massacre in last year's Holiday Bowl. Despite a 2004 season full of highlight reel plays, they entered the offseason as a bunch of underachievers who were victimized for 520 yards by Red Raiders quarterback Sonny Cumbie, who might eventually find a place in Arena football. That can be a hard thing to erase from one's resume, not to mention the minds of Cal fans. The primary thought that jumps to mind when someone mentions spread offense is "Eeeee-gaaads!" Hughes and company didn't do much to bolster confidence when they allowed Hill to treat them like a bunch of road signs pointing toward the end zone. He caught six passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns, all in the third quarter. It's surprising that Cal coordinator Bob Gregory didn't stage a defensive meeting on the field, one where he would walk over and point at Hill. "How about covering that guy, fellas?" Hughes picked up the Sunday papers expecting to be blamed for everything from Hill's huge game to personally slowing down the renovation of Memorial Stadium. "They (the papers) didn't nail me as much as I thought they would," he said.
That's because everyone is saving ink for next Sunday's paper should Cal's defensive backfield have a similar meltdown in their most important contest so far this season. A win over Oregon would set up Cal for a nice bowl berth as well as breathe some life into the Nov. 12 matchup against USC, a game that lost some luster when the Bears suffered back-to-back setbacks against UCLA and Oregon State. A loss to Oregon pretty much aligns Cal with the Las Vegas Bowl or Emerald Bowl at the bottom of the Pac-10 bowl chain. Hughes knows the significance, and he is excited. "I plan on bouncing back," he said. "I'm anxious to get out there and redeem myself." Hughes is tied with Oregon's Aaron Gipson for the most interceptions in the Pac-10, with four. Hughes and Mixon, who has three interceptions, rate at the top of the conference in passes defended. Hughes has knocked down 13 passes and Mixon has swatted away 11. Despite those numbers, fans have to feel a bit uneasy about Cal's defensive backs facing two of the conference's most dangerous wide receivers in Oregon's Demetrius Williams and Cameron Colvin, both from De La Salle High School. Williams has eight touchdowns and is averaging 19.5 yards per catch. Colvin averages 17.2 yards per grab. Of course, they won't have senior quarterback Kellen Clemens throwing to them Saturday. Clemens suffered a fractured left ankle Oct. 22 and is out for the season. Sophomore Dennis Dixon will start in his place. Oregon coach Mike Bellotti was asked if Cal's defensive backs look vulnerable. "They look inconsistent," he said. "But not vulnerable." Smith said his defensive backfield teammates have earned respect. "We all go through tough times," he said. "Daymeion and Timmy understand how to get through them. I know that you aren't going to shake Daymeion's confidence. He's had a lot of good days out there. "And I know we had an issue with the deep ball in the last game, and I'm sure Oregon will put some deep balls out there. We have a challenge."
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