Contra Costa Times: Cal tackle hobbled but should play

O'CALLAGHAN RESTS INJURED LEFT ANKLE

By Jay HeaterKnight Ridder  LAS VEGAS -- Dressed in street clothes, injured Cal tackle Ryan O'Callaghan watched his team practice Monday at UNLV.  O'Callaghan, the Morris Trophy winner as the Pacific-10's top offensive lineman, rolled his left ankle during practice Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley.  Losing O'Callaghan (6-foot-7, 350 pounds) would be a huge blow for the Bears as they head into the Las Vegas Bowl against Brigham Young University on Thursday at Sam Boyd Stadium.  ``Ryan has a sprained ankle and we chose to rest him,'' Coach Jeff Tedford said. ``He should play in the game.''  Practicing at O'Callaghan's right-tackle spot was senior Jonathan Murphy, who started the Big Game at left tackle for injured Scott Smith. Smith, a mid-season replacement for Andrew Cameron (out for the season after knee surgery), was back at left tackle Monday.  O'Callaghan chose not to comment on his injury.

A confident Levy

Bears junior quarterback Steve Levy said he feels more comfortable with the offense since he got a chance to start in the Big Game. ``It's all about confidence,'' said Levy, who led Cal to a 27-3 victory over Stanford in his first start. ``I'm more comfortable now, I'm not as afraid of making mental mistakes and I'm more vocal.'' Levy was asked if he hoped Tedford, who used a conservative offensive strategy against Stanford, would open up the offense against BYU. ``It's not important to me,'' he said. ``I don't care if we run 30 times and throw the ball 10 times as long as we win. We need to do whatever it takes.''  However, if the offense does open up, Levy said he is better prepared to run it. ``I am seeing the field better now,'' he said. ``I am looking off the first two receivers and throwing to the third. I have never done that before. But I have one game under my belt now, and it was with 80,000 people in the seats.''

In other news:

• USC running back Reggie Bush loves football and roller coasters -- and it makes perfect sense. Both bring thrills with breathtaking bursts of zigzag speed.  ``I guess that's kind of how I am on the field, all those twists and turns and stuff like that,'' he said. The most exciting player in college football also became the best player in 2005, and now Bush can add the Associated Press player of the year award to the haul of hardware he has accumulated.  The voting went like it did in the Heisman Trophy balloting: Bush blew away the field. He received 59 votes from a panel of 65 media members. Texas quarterback Vince Young received five votes, and Georgia quarterback D.J. Shockley got one.