By CHRIS NGUON
EUGENE, Ore.-Jeff Tedford and his coaching staff have proven time and time again that they know how to scout and recruit players into the Cal football program. But, after Saturday's anguishing loss to Oregon at Auzten Stadium, the question must now seriously be asked. Did Tedford, the quarterback guru himself, finally drop the ball by going after Joe Ayoob? I don't think anyone would disagree that Ayoob's performance so far this season has not nearly lived up to the hype that came with him out of City College of San Francisco, where he was named National Junior College Offensive Player of the Year in 2004. With Ayoob putting together yet another awful performance Saturday and the Bears having now lost three out of their last four contests, who is to blame for Ayoob's struggles? I can tell you one thing: blame whoever you want, just don't put it on Tedford. There was a reason that Nate Longshore was named the starter when the season began. Tedford knew Ayoob wasn't ready and Longshore was. After Aaron Rodgers decided to declare for the NFL draft and go for the money (who can blame the guy) last year, the huge void at the quarterback position put Tedford in a quandary.
He could either go into the season with a redshirt freshman in Longshore, a true freshman in Kyle Reed and a converted fullback in Steve Levy as his signal-callers, or go out and get someone with some big-game experience. And where did Tedford find Rodgers? Junior college. So, it would only make sense that Tedford would go after the top-rated junior college gunslinger in the nation. The only mistake Tedford has made in Ayoob's saga is overestimating just how fast Ayoob would progress. After Ayoob's laughable 0-for-10 performance against Sacramento State earlier this season, Tedford criticized the junior quarterback in the post-game press conference. However, as we heard again Saturday, all Tedford has been saying about Ayoob lately is that it's a team thing and that the quarterback is not the only one to blame for the passing game's deficiencies. Tedford's ho-hum attitude is reflected in the team's comments as well. After the loss Saturday, Marshawn Lynch was told by a reporter that Ayoob put the loss on himself. Lynch quickly responded by saying, "If Joe did that, then I put the loss on myself too. One person doesn't make a team."
No one ever wants to put a teammate on blast through the media and Lynch's comments speak to his leadership, but Ayoob's play this season hasn't had a whole lot of highlight-reel moments. Ayoob's titanic overthrow of tight end David Gray in the overtime period Saturday is a pass that even a high school junior varsity quarterback should be able to make. What makes Ayoob's horrid performance Saturday even more discouraging is who outplayed him. Unfazed by the pressure and wet weather, Ducks quarterback Brady Leaf threaded the needle in overtime to convert Oregon's go-ahead touchdown pass. Leaf entered the season as the Ducks' third-string quarterback. Ayoob has only been playing like it.
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