Oakland Tribune: Cal's preparation is all wet

Bears expect soggy conditions Saturday at Oregon

By Dave Newhouse, STAFF WRITER 

BERKELEY — Splish, splash. There was a sloshing sound Tuesday at Memorial Stadium as Cal gave a bunch of footballs a bath.  Trash cans of water were brought on the field as the Golden Bears prepared for rainy conditions Saturday at Oregon by soaking footballs.  Wet footballs were handed off or thrown. In wet or dry conditions, Cal (6-2, 3-2 Pac-10) hasn't won in Eugene since 1987, a losing streak of six games. And Oregon (7-1, 4-1) will be just as tough to beat this year.  "It's wet-ball mechanics," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "You have to keep your head on a swivel offensively, defensively and on special teams, because wet balls can come out at any time."  So Cal was dunking footballs because Tedford is expecting inclement weather, and possibly increased fumbles, at Autzen Stadium.  "It'll be a lot of wet," echoed Oregon coach Mike Bellotti.  And Oregon's new offense, copied from the Urban Meyer spread offense popularized at Utah, doesn't lose effectiveness in wet climate.  "I saw Utah do it in Utah and Wyoming, worse weather than we'll ever play in," said Bellotti. "And Northwestern does it, so I'm very convinced it can be done."  Former BYU coach Gary Crowton installed Meyer's offense after joining Oregon this year as offensive coordinator. Bellotti said Crowton still is installing parts of the offense.  Cal played Utah, coached by Meyer, in 2003 and lost in the last minute, 31-24. Tedford feels that experience will help Cal's preparation for this weekend.  "We've played a few teams that are similar (to Oregon)," he said. "But there's a couple of wrinkles in Oregon's offense, like using three tight ends. Their offense is very diverse, to where you can't hone in on one phase. Spreading the offense is the key, and getting space. It's based more on deception."  Oregon has 10 East Bay players, including four De La Salle High products — starting wide receivers Demetrius Williams and Cameron Colvin, cornerback Jackie Bates, and linebacker Chris Mulvanny. And safety Anthony Trucks of Antioch High leads the Ducks with 61 tackles and eight sacks.

"Demetrius Williams is our best receiver, and one of the best receivers in this conference and maybe in the nation," said Bellotti. "He's a big-play guy. And Cameron has improved dramatically, from being a part-time player to a playmaker with great speed."  And making his first start for Oregon will be quarterback Dennis Dixon, a 6-foot-4, 192-pound sophomore from San Leandro High who will replace Kellen Clemens, lost for the season with a knee injury.  "He loves to compete, and he's an electric runner with his ability to stop, start and make people miss," Bellotti said of Dixon. "And he's a very accurate passer with the quickest release on our football team."  

BEAR TRACKS: The Cal-USC game Nov.12 will start at 12:30 p.m. in Berkeley and will be televised by ABC. ... Tedford was optimistic that offensive tackle Ryan O'Callaghan (concussion) and wide receivers Robert Jackson (collarbone) and DeSean Jackson (shoulder) will play Saturday, but not so optimistic about defensive tackle Brandon Mebane (ankle/Achilles). "He's limited," Tedford said of his availability. ... An announcement on a formal plan to upgrade Memorial Stadium is expected later this month. "We have to trust that's going to happen," Tedford said, "though it won't have all the bells and whistles you'll see (at Oregon)."