ERIC GILMORE: TIMES COLUMNIST
QUICK HITS WHILE we look ahead to Saturday's Big Game at Stanford Stadium and dream of a celebrity boxing match between Oski and the Stanford tree.
• Stanford right-handed quarterback Trent Edwards has a sore, swollen left thumb that forced him to miss the final 18 minutes of Saturday's 20-17 win over Oregon State. Cal quarterback Joe Ayoob has a shattered psyche that forced coach Jeff Tedford to bench him in the fourth quarter of a 35-10 loss to USC. Neither "injury" is great news approaching the Big Game. But at least Edwards has medical science on his side. He can get physical therapy for a week, then resort to a painkilling shot Saturday if need be. How in the world can Ayoob regain his self-confidence after back-to-back disasters against Oregon and USC? He can't soak his head in a whirlpool or get a confidence shot. Sometimes a sports psychologist might help. That's the role Tedford will have to play this week. Of course Tedford left open the possibility of benching Ayoob for the Big Game. And there's no guarantee that Edwards' thumb will allow him to play this week. So your Big Game quarterbacks matchup could feature a pair of backups, Stanford's T.C. Ostrander vs. Cal's Steve Levy. Fans of offensive touchdowns might not like that matchup. But at least we'd be guaranteed of a classic story line, a backup quarterback leading his team to victory in the Big Game.
• Earlier in the year when Stanford lost 20-17 to UC-Davis, new coach Walt Harris looked like the second coming of Buddy Teevens. Now the Cardinal is 5-4, and Harris looks like a candidate for Pac-10 coach of the year. Tedford earned that honor in 2002, his first year in Berkeley. The Bears finished 7-5 overall and 4-4 in the Pac-10, tied for fourth. Stanford is 5-4 overall and 4-3 in the Pac-10, alone in fourth place. One more victory, either this week against Cal or next week against Notre Dame, and Harris' team will be bowl eligible. That could be enough to give Harris the coach of the year nod.
• Tedford is 3-0 against Stanford, winning those games by a combined score of 99-29.
But here are the numbers you really need to know going into the Big Game. Cal has lost four of its past five games. Stanford has won four of its past six. Yes, those qualify as trends. Yes, the Bears should be worried. And yes, they should be on the phone with some sports-minded Dr. Phil who specializes in helping quarterbacks who have lost their confidence.
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