Sac Bee: Bowlin' with the big boys

Cal makes it three straight for the first time in 54 years - the success is paying off.
BERKELEY - Las Vegas may not be the bowl destination Cal had in mind after winning its first five games of the season. No one would argue Sin City stands up to Pasadena or Miami when it comes to college football history.
But after losses in four of their last six games sealed a trip to take on BYU today in the Las Vegas Bowl, the Bears began talking about why this game matters, not only because of recent history, but because of the program's goals for the future.
"This team is very young and there are a lot of other teams around the country that wish they could be practicing right now," senior center Marvin Philip said.
Cal (7-4) is practicing for the third consecutive December, a first for the program since appearing in and losing three straight Rose Bowls from 1949 to 1951. You can be sure coach Jeff Tedford has mentioned that important note to every high school prospect who's visited Memorial Stadium over the past few weeks.
"It's a whole different dimension when (recruits) can walk on to the field and see you practice for a bowl game," Tedford said. "When you're walking into a home to recruit for a 1-10 team, it's a lot different."
Tedford said he has "more early commitments this year than we've ever had," hasn't had to recruit for a losing team since his first year at Cal in 2002, when he inherited Tom Holmoe's 1-10 squad from the previous season. Holmoe has moved on to become the athletic director at BYU, while Tedford and Cal have moved on to compete against the nation's top programs for recruits. "Now we're competing with USC, Oklahoma, Miami," Tedford said. "That's a difference from the first year." The product of this rebirth is a promising crop of first-and second-year players, including the Bears' top two rushers and receivers.
"There are quite a few guys on this team who can enjoy the experience of a bowl game again, and we don't want to lose that," Tedford said. "We want to make sure our young guys never take it for granted." Don't expect Cal to take BYU for granted, despite the Cougars' 6-5 record and third-place finish in the Mountain West Conference. BYU features a potent spread offense - much like the one that Texas Tech used to post a 45-31 victory over Cal in last year's Holiday Bowl.
But, unlike Texas Tech, Cal's Las Vegas Bowl opponent does not feature the one thing Tedford grew extremely tired of this time last year: distraction. While many felt Cal should have been invited to a BCS game last season, there was little debate on bowl selection day this year where Cal would be headed.
"I wasn't fully aware of the hangover the BCS thing had on us last year until the night before the game," Tedford said. "It was evident during the pregame speeches that (the players) felt a little slighted."
The Bears were knocked out of the BCS running with their first loss this season. After three more defeats, it was a sure bet they were headed for Las Vegas.
"It's still a good game," senior right tackle Ryan O'Callaghan said. "We expected better at the beginning of the season, but it's still a good game."
Las Vegas Bowl
BYU (6-5) VS. CAL (7-4) Where: Sam Boyd Stadium.
When: Today, 5 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Radio: KGO 810
Who has the edge?Cal offense vs. BYU defense: Steve Levy will be back at quarterback for Cal after passing for 125 yards and a touchdown in a 27-3 victory over Stanford on Nov. 19. While Levy managed the offense well, 56 of his yards came on one play, a touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson. No matter who is calling the signals, the offense still runs through tailback Marshawn Lynch, who has 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns. BYU features an unorthodox 3-3-5 defense that will often rush Levy with six defenders. The Cougars allowed more than 30 points five times this season. Edge: Cal.
Cal defense vs. BYU offense: The Bears led the Pacific-10 Conference in scoring defense this season and were second in yards allowed. Defensive tackle Brandon Mebane and defensive back Daymeion Hughes were first-team all-conference. BYU's Curtis Brown rushed for 1,139 yards; it's not often a running back surpasses 1,000 yards in a spread offense. The Cougars were seventh nationally with 306.3 yards passing per game and churned out 463.9 yards of total offense. Edge: BYU.
Cal special teams vs. BYU special teams: Tim Mixon ranked third in the Pac-10 with a 14.9-yard average on punt returns. After giving up a punt return touchdown to Maurice Drew of UCLA on Oct. 8, Cal went the final 21 quarters without giving up a special teams touchdown. BYU hasn't scored on a punt return in 103 games, the second-longest streak in the nation behind Navy's 111. The Cougars also haven't scored on a kick return in 90 games. Edge: Cal.
Players to watchCal: Center Marvin Philip and right tackle Ryan O'Callaghan. The talented senior duo will play their last games for Cal, but both are likely headed for the NFL next year.
BYU: Brown. Besides being the Cougars' leading rusher, the junior is second on the team with 48 catches.
Quote"Sometimes if you do get used to it, you don't know what you have until you don't have it." - Cal coach Jeff Tedford, on his team playing in three consecutive bowl games.