Bruce Adams, Chronicle Staff Writer
Cal starting cornerbacks Daymeion Hughes and Tim Mixon know Oregon will challenge them early and often. They can't wait. "I've got a bitter taste in my mouth," Hughes said. "I plan on showing up for this game." In the Bears' last game, a 42-38 win over Washington State Oct. 22 at Memorial Stadium, the secondary gave up five touchdown passes to quarterback Alex Brink, three of them to wide receiver Jason Hill. Oregon coach Mike Bellotti has seen it all on film now and Cal coach Jeff Tedford knows what to expect. "I'm sure they'll take their shots with that," Tedford said. And that's fine with Hughes and Mixon, who acknowledge some technical breakdowns against the Cougars. "As a corner you always have room for improvement, so another game is another chance to improve," Mixon said. Specifically, Hughes and Mixon got away from fundamentals against Washington State. For example, Hughes said he sometimes stayed in his backpedal too long and after he made his turn he occasionally looked back at the quarterback for the ball instead of keeping his eyes on the receiver he was covering. So the pair spent the bye week working on technique. Despite those breakdowns against Washington State, Mixon and Hughes are among the best corners in the Pac-10. The Bears are No. 2 in the conference in pass defense, allowing 228.2 yards a game. The team is also No. 2 in total defense, giving up 351.9 yards a game.
Hughes leads the conference in passes broken up with nine and Mixon is No. 2 with eight. Hughes is tied with Aaron Gipson of Oregon for the conference lead in interceptions with four, one of them returned for a touchdown. Mixon has three picks, including one returned for a touchdown. The two get more than their share of chances. Safety Harrison Smith, a converted cornerback himself, noted that Cal's defense emphasizes stopping the run. That means that Hughes and Mixon are usually left in man-to-man coverage with the other team's best receivers. Plus, Smith noted, the Bears began facing passing teams early in the nonconference schedule -- with Illinois running the spread-option and New Mexico State the conventional spread -- along with the normal load of pass-happy Pac-10 opponents. "It's good for us," he said. "We've got a lot of experience (against the pass) now." And with the experience, the two have gained confidence -- so critical at the corner. "I'm going to still be aggressive, but just be more conscious of my technique," Mixon said. "Whatever happens, happens. As a DB you've got to take chances." Without thinking, he added, of the consequences. "If you think you're going to get burned, you'll get burned," he said. That mental component also involved leaving mistakes in the past. "You just focus on what you did wrong and get your skills back to where they were prior to the game," Hughes said. The two get together after games and critique their play -- a task that was tempered after the Washington State game by the win and by their play late in the game when the Bears stopped the Cougars and got the ball back to their offense for two touchdown drives late in the fourth quarter. "We don't really go hard at each other," Hughes said. "We stay with constructive criticism. But we keep it real."
Briefly: Cal appears healthy heading into the Oregon game. Only three players are listed on the injury report -- and all are probable. They include defensive tackle Brandon Mebane (ankle/Achilles), wide receiver Robert Jordan (collarbone), and wide receiver Noah Smith, out since the season opener with a broken ankle.
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