Kingsport Times News: Tennessee football team's spring drills will be under the microscope

By JOHN MOOREHOUSE

Times-News

Usually for Tennessee, spring football is a time for key players to get healthy, while the young or unproven guys on the roster make a case for playing time the following fall. But this isn't your usual spring for the Volunteers, who begin drills this week. The Vols' spring workouts will be watched more keenly than usual - not only by the coaches, but also by the massive Rocky Top fan base following the team's first losing season since 1988. Here are the five key questions that stand out, each of which will receive in-depth attention as the spring sessions progress.

1) Is Cutcliffe the answer?

After an underachieving year by the offense, Phillip Fulmer literally went "old school" to fix the problem, bringing back David Cutcliffe after the resignation of Randy Sanders. The Vols compiled a record of 62-11 during Cutcliffe's previous stint as coordinator, before he left to take over the Ole Miss program. From a schematic standpoint, there wasn't much difference between the offense Cutcliffe ran and the one employed by Sanders, who learned under Cutcliffe. However, last year the explosive capability of the Vols' offense was noticeably absent. Meanwhile, consider this. If Cutcliffe succeeds this coming season, he'll be one of the hot names surrounding any head coaching vacancy. Should Cutcliffe bolt, we'll be evaluating some other guy's effectiveness as offensive coordinator a year from now.

2) Who's the quarterback?

Talk about another case of déjà vu. For the third consecutive spring, the Vols face a quarterback controversy. Rising junior Erik Ainge enters the spring atop the depth chart at signal- caller after a dismal season last fall. As it turns out, he played much of the campaign with a nagging turf toe problem. It's Cutcliffe's job to try and help Ainge recapture the magic he at times displayed as a freshman.  Don't forget about redshirt freshman Jonathan Crompton, a highly touted recruit who missed all of last year recovering from shoulder surgery. Either way, you'd think Fulmer and Co. would do their darnedest to avoid another shuffling of quarterbacks, as was the case last season.

3) Who will step up at linebacker?

Somebody needs to, because all three starters from last season were seniors. As of now, the top healthy candidates are Ryan Karl, Ellix Wilson and Marvin Mitchell. Big things are expected of redshirt freshman Rico McCoy, who has the same kind of buzz that surrounded tailback Arian Foster coming out of his redshirt year. Perhaps the best linebacker on next season's team won't be available this spring due to knee surgery. Jerod Mayo received high praise from veterans like Kevin Simon and Omar Gaither this past fall, and they said he had the potential to be the next great UT linebacker.

4) Can Trooper turn around the receivers?

In 2005, Bret Smith, Robert Meachem and Jayson Swain combined for 1,138 yards and 13 touchdowns. Last fall, that same trio combined for 986 yards and just seven TDs as part of an underachieving year for receiving corps that embodied the disappointing results of the season. Enter Trooper Taylor, who moves over to coach the wideouts after two years managing the running backs. Taylor got concurrent 1,000-yard rushing seasons from Cedric Houston and Gerald Riggs Jr., finally seemed able to motivate Riggs before his injury and tutored Foster during his ascension. Taylor received an assistant head coach title and big pay increase in 2005 because he relates well to players and had success on the recruiting trail. After a subpar recruiting haul this year, Taylor may feel some heat if the receivers underachieve again.

5) Is this Turk McBride's season?

For years, people have been talking about the potential of the soft-spoken giant from New Jersey. Now, McBride has just one more chance to live up to the hype. A Parade All-American in high school, McBride was hobbled by foot and ankle problems last season, missing two games and recording only 16 tackles. But in each of the past two years, a defensive lineman emerged from relative obscurity to post a big season. In 2005, it was Jesse Mahelona. Last year, it was Jason Hall.

There's no reason McBride can't follow that trend.

 

Berkeley Daily Planet: Skepticism, Questions Greet UC Officials’ Presentations

By Richard Brenneman

Members of four city panels filed into the North Berkeley Senior Center Wednesday night to hear the university’s first formal presentation of its plans for the Memorial Stadium area. On hand were members of the Planning, Landmarks Preservation and Transportation commissions along with the Zoning Adjustment Board’s Design Review Committee. The university’s representatives included Emily Marthinsen, interim assistant vice chancellor for physical and environmental planning; Jennifer Lawrence, a principal planner in Marthinsen’s division, Catherine Koshland, vice-provost for academic planning and facilities; Robert De Liso, vice president of the university’s project management firm URS Corp, and Darryl Roberson, a principal of Studios Architecture in San Francisco, one of the designers of the stadium area projects. The stadium had been designated seismically unsafe in 1997, but plans for a retrofit had been on hold because state funds couldn’t be used for the project, Marthinsen said. Renewed interest came a year-and-a-half ago, “and it has to do with the success of the football program,” she said.

Left unsaid was the demand by Cal Bears Coach Jeff Tedford that the stadium be renovated, as a condition of getting his signature on a five-year, $1.5 million annual salary contract. Also included in the plans is a structure across Piedmont Avenue from the Stadium where Boalt Hall School of Law and Haas School of Business have proposed a joint “connection” building to house offices and a common meeting area. Wednesday’s presentation focused on four projects, two planned in the immediate future and two planned for later. The immediate projects are a 180,000-square-foot Student Athlete High Performance Center (SAHPC) along the stadium’s western wall and a four-level, 800-to-850-space underground parking lot at the site of the Maxwell Family Field immediately to the north of the stadium. Koshland said the SAHPC would house specialized training for the football teams and 12 to 13 other intercollegiate athletic teams. A seismic retroift to the stadium, including the addition of new seats, permanent lighting and other features will reduce seating from 72,000 to 60,000. Much of the reduction is to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Koshland said.

Public Comments

None of the public speakers who followed the university representatives enthused about the plans. Doris Willingham raised fears about the project’s impact on landmark structures. “The university apparently intends to demolish ... venerable, beautiful old buildings in its efforts to bring us what appears to me a high class office park,” she said. Frederica Drotos of Friends of Piedmont Way said she worried about the projects’ impacts on that streetscape—a city and state landmark—designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Drotos lamented the apparent intent of the university to sacrifice a large stand of trees to the SAHPC, a point reinforced by Joanna Dwyer, who read off a list of species and numbers, which included 46 Coast Live Oaks and five mature redwoods. Zelda Bronstein, former Berkeley planning commission chair, called the event “a one-stop dog-and-pony show.” She said informed comment was almost impossible because the university had provided no detailed information. “What we’re reduced to is sound bites. It causes anger and distrust,” said Janice Thomas, another project neighbor. “My neighborhood is at risk for being destroyed.” Noting that the underground parking structure would house twice the number of cars as the city’s five-story Center Street parking garage in a difficult to access area, Panoramic Hill resident Bill Robbins said the project didn’t make sense from a transportation planning perspective. Daniella Thompson, a member of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, noted that stadium architect John Galen Howard hadn’t wanted to locate his stadium at the site. “It was one of the reasons he was fired,” she said. Thompson decried the projects as evidence of the university’s “megalomania, growth at all costs ... the community is not going to benefit in any way.”

Official Questions

Because the university has mentioned opening up the stadium and the common area of the law and business schools’ connection building to public events, landmarks commissioner Patti Dacey—also a member of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee—asked just what the events might be. “We’re struggling with this too,” said Marthinsen, who then noted that graduations had been held in the stadium and that John F. Kennedy had delivered an address there during his presidency. “We’re looking at it as a place for other very specific campus-related and community events. We are definitely not looking at it as a venue for rock concerts.” As for the venue across the street, Marthinsen said that events there would probably be informal interactions between students of the two schools—though gubernatorial debates were suggested by university officials during an earlier press briefing. “Why can’t the parking structure be located in a more sensible area?” asked Transportation Commission Dave Campbell. UC planner Lawrence said that location meets all the university’s goals, adding that the upcoming draft environmental impact report (EIR) on the projects would look at alternatives, including one in downtown Berkeley. The document would also examine the possibility of locating the athletic training center closer to the downtown as well, she said. Design Review Committee member Burton Edwards asked the university to provide more specific views of the projects, including elevations seen from the street, “I find it really hard to think about and talk about Piedmont Avenue and Gayley Way without knowing what’s going to happen to the row of important historic structures,” he said. Planning Commissioner Gene Poschman said that had the project been within city limits, officials would have demanded “a thousand times the information” presented at the meeting. What are the actual hours of use of the planned facilities, and the number of people who will be coming and going?, he asked. How many cubic yards of earth would be excavated during construction of the parking lot and training center? Poschman also asked if the university would be providing answers to a lengthy letter city Planning Director Dan Marks had sent the university in December during the solicitation of information to be considered in the EIR. Marks had blasted the school for providing few details and questioned the university’s honesty. The response, he was informed, would come in the EIR. While Planning Commission Chair Harry Pollack said he hoped the city would be able to respond with one voice, Poschman said he was skeptical that could be achieved. Landmarks commissioner Lesley Emmington said Marks’ questions needed to be addressed in the EIR. “We need to see the answers to that letter,” she said.

Future events

Marthinsen said the public’s next opportunity to learn more about the project would come on March 13, when the stadium would be made available for tours starting at 5:45 p.m. “There will be opportunities to talk with consultants and the occupants of the building,” she added. The university will reveal a draft EIR on the project in May, followed by a 45 day period in which the public and officials will be able to make comments to be considered in the report’s final draft..

CalBears.com: Game Against Portland State Completes 2006 Football Schedule

Cal opens the 2006 season at Tennessee

Feb. 23, 2006

Complete Schedule in PDF Format

BERKELEY -- The University of California has completed its 2006 football schedule with the addition of Portland State University to the home slate.  The Vikings of the Big Sky Conference will visit Berkeley on Sept. 16th in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.  Portland State fills the one remaining opening on the Cal schedule. The September date became vacant when Louisiana Tech requested that its scheduled visit to Memorial Stadium be pushed back one season. The Bulldogs are now set to play at California on Sept. 15, 2007.  The challenging seven-game home schedule, road trips to Tennessee and Southern California, and contests against five teams coming off of bowl appearances highlight California's 2006 agenda. The season will include 12 games and will stretch from Labor Day Weekend into December.

The Golden Bears will open the season Sept. 2 in Knoxville against the University of Tennessee. It will mark the first meeting between the schools since 1987 and just the third all time between the Bears and the Volunteers. California has not faced any Southeastern Conference opponent since its last meeting against the Vols. The two teams have split their two previous games.  Tennessee will return the game in 2007 when the Bears and Vols once again open the season against each other. That game will mark the Volunteers' first visit to Berkeley. The 2006 opener will mark the third time in four years that Cal has opened on the road. The Bears lost at Kansas State in 2003, but knocked off Air Force, 56-14, to start the 2004 season.

Cal's 2006 home opener is set for Sept. 9 when the University of Minnesota visits Berkeley. Once again Cal will be facing an opponent for the first time since the 1987 season. The all-time series between the two schools is even at 2-2, but Minnesota has not visited Memorial Stadium since 1964. The Golden Gophers are coming off of an appearance in the Music City Bowl, marking their school-record fourth consecutive bowl appearance. Under head coach Jeff Tedford, Cal is 3-0 against Big Ten opponents and also has a 4-0 record in home openers.  Following the Portland State contest, Cal completes a three-game home stand on Sept. 23 when Arizona State comes to town to open Pac-10 play. The Bears and Sun Devils did not play in 2005, but both teams are coming off of bowl wins. Cal currently enjoys a three-game winning streak in the series.

On Sept. 30, Cal visits Corvallis to face the Oregon State Beavers. Cal was a 49-7 winner the last time it played at Oregon State. The Beavers were winners in 2005 in Berkeley.  Following the Oregon State contest, the Bears return home for 2006 Homecoming festivities against Oregon on Oct. 7. The last three games between the Ducks and Bears have been decided by a total of 12 points, including the 2005 overtime game in Eugene. California was a 28-27 winner the last time the game was played in Berkeley.  The Bears visit Washington State on Oct. 14. Cal came from behind to win the 2005 contest but hasn't won in Pullman since 1979. Due to the former Pac-10 schedule rotation, Cal has never played in Pullman under Tedford.

Cal hosts Washington on Oct. 21 as the Bears try to win their fifth in a row over the Huskies after dropping 19 straight in the series. The first open date of the season will be Oct. 28, before Cal hosts UCLA on Nov. 4. The two UC schools have split their last six meetings, including a 47-40 UCLA win in 2005 in what was one of the Pac-10 season's most entertaining games.  The Bears return to the road on Nov. 11 to face Arizona. Cal has posted shutout wins over the Wildcats in each of the last two seasons. The following week, the Bears play their final road game when they travel to Los Angeles to face Southern California on Nov. 18. USC knocked off Cal by a 23-17 count the last time the two teams met in the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Following an open date on Thanksgiving weekend, Cal hosts Stanford in the 109th renewal of the Big Game on Dec. 2. The Bears have won the last four meetings, marking their longest winning streak in the series since 1936 through 1939.

Television plans and kickoff times will be announced at a later date.  California is coming off of an 8-4 season and finished the 2005 campaign on a two-game winning streak and ranked No. 25 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches' polls. The Bears have made three straight postseason appearances and posted a winning record in all four of its seasons under Tedford.

 

DATE            OPPONENT                         SITE             KICKOFF

Sept. 2         at Tennessee                     Knoxville        TBA

Sept. 9         Minnesota                         Berkeley        TBA

Sept. 16        Portland State                    Berkeley        TBA

Sept. 23        Arizona St*                        Berkeley        TBA

Sept. 30        at Oregon St*                    Corvallis        TBA

Oct. 7           Oregon* (HC)                     Berkeley        TBA

Oct. 14         at Washington St*              Pullman         TBA

Oct. 21         Washington*                      Berkeley        TBA

Oct. 28         Open

Nov. 4           UCLA*                               Berkeley        TBA

Nov 11           at Arizona*                        Tucson          TBA

Nov. 18         at U$C*                           Los Angeles    TBA

Nov. 25         Open

Dec. 2           Stanford*                          Berkeley        TBA

*Pac-10 Game

(HC) - Homecoming

 

Nashville Daily Times: Cal Nixes ESPN's Request to Move Cal-Vols Game to Sunday Night

No Sunday move for Vols

February 21, 2006

KNOXVILLE — A plan to move the University of Tennessee’s 2006 football season-opener against California to Sunday night has been thwarted. ESPN asked UT officials to move the game from Saturday, Sept. 2, to Sunday, Sept. 3, to accommodate the network’s request to televise the contest in prime time. Tennessee, which will host Air Force the following weekend, was intrigued. California, which makes its home debut Sept. 9 against Minnesota, was not.  Rather than push the issue, Tennessee officials expect the game to remain scheduled for Sept. 2 at an as-yet-to-be determined time. “I do not anticipate it being done at this point,” said University of Tennessee athletics director Mike Hamilton. “We were interested in moving (the game to Sunday), but I do not think California was.

“I think that process has terminated.” California athletics director Sandy Barbour was out of town during the weekend and unavailable for comment. Repeated calls to the Cal athletics offices on Monday were not returned. But a source familiar with the situation said that Cal personnel were worried about missing a full day of practice and preparation for the Minnesota game by flying home Sunday night/Monday morning. Even a chartered flight from Knoxville to the Berkeley, Calif., area would likely take six hours, getting the Golden Bears home around sunrise on the West Coast. Two years ago ESPN convinced UT officials to move the 2004 season-opener against visiting UNLV from Saturday to Sunday night. The Runnin’ Rebels agreed, and in front of a crowd of 108,625, the Vols played their first-ever Sunday game inside Neyland Stadium, winning 42-17 in the collegiate debuts of freshman quarterbacks Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge.

The City of Knoxville embraced the adjustment two years ago, moving the Labor Day fireworks celebration “Boomsday” into the Saturday night slot previously reserved for football. That same scenario seemed possible this time until the plans unraveled.

 

ESPN appeared to have a particular interest in broadcasting the game because Jeff Tedford’s California Golden Bears could be a pre-season top-10 team and challenge Southern California for the Pac-10 title. David Cutcliffe will make his return sideline appearance for Tennessee on the heels of its first losing season in 18 years. The network televised five Vols’ football games during the 2004-05 seasons.  Hamilton believed moving the game to Sunday night would have benefited both programs.  “It would have been unimpeded on Sunday night. It was something we were looking at strongly,” he said. “But it does not appear available to us at this point.”

 

CalBears.com: Cal Announces 2006 Schedule

California Announces 2006 Football Schedule

Sept. 16 home game to be announced at a later date

Feb. 17, 2006

Complete Schedule in PDF Format

BERKELEY -- A challenging seven-game home slate, road trips to Tennessee and Southern California, and contests against five teams coming off of bowl appearances highlight California's 2006 football schedule, announced Friday. The season will include 12 games and will stretch from Labor Day Weekend into December.  Cal is currently working to fulfill a home opening on Sept. 16, with that opponent to be announced later. That date became open when Louisiana Tech requested its game scheduled for Berkeley be played in 2007 instead of 2006.  The Golden Bears will open the season Sept. 2 in Knoxville against the University of Tennessee. It will mark the first meeting between the schools since 1987 and just the third all time between the Bears and the Volunteers. California has not faced any Southeastern Conference opponent since its last meeting against the Vols. The two teams have split their two previous games.  Tennessee will return the game in 2007 when the Bears and Vols once again open the season against each other. That game will mark the Volunteers' first visit to Berkeley. The 2006 opener will mark the third time in four years that Cal has opened on the road. The Bears lost at Kansas State in 2003, but knocked off Air Force, 56-14, to start the 2004 season.

Cal's 2006 home opener is set for Sept. 9 when the University of Minnesota visits Berkeley. Once again Cal will be facing an opponent for the first time since the 1987 season. The all-time series between the two schools is even at 2-2, but Minnesota has not visited Memorial Stadium since 1964. The Golden Gophers are coming off of an appearance in the Music City Bowl, marking their school-record fourth consecutive bowl appearance. Under head coach Jeff Tedford, Cal is 3-0 against Big Ten opponents and also has a 4-0 record in home openers.

After meeting a to-be-determined opponent on Sept. 16, Cal completes a three-game home stand on Sept. 23 when Arizona State comes to town to open Pac-10 play. The Bears and Sun Devils did not play in 2005, but both teams made bowl appearances. While Cal was winning the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl, Arizona State was winning the Insight Bowl in Phoenix. Cal currently enjoys a three-game winning streak in the series.  On Sept. 30, Cal visits Corvallis to face the Oregon State Beavers. Cal was a 49-7 winner the last time it played at Oregon State. The Beavers were winners in 2005 in Berkeley. Following the Oregon State contest, the Bears return home for 2006 Homecoming festivities against Oregon on Oct. 7. The last three games between the Ducks and Bears have been decided by a total of 12 points, including the 2005 overtime game in Eugene. California was a 28-27 winner the last time the game was played in Berkeley.  The Bears visit Washington State on Oct. 14. Cal came from behind to win the 2005 contest but hasn't won in Pullman since 1979. Due to the former Pac-10 schedule rotation, Cal has never played in Pullman under Tedford.  Cal hosts Washington on Oct. 21 as the Bears try to win their fifth in a row over the Huskies after dropping 19 straight in the series. The first open date of the season will be Oct. 28, before Cal hosts UCLA on Nov. 4. The two UC schools have split their last six meetings, including a 47-40 UCLA win in 2005 in what was one of the Pac-10 season's most entertaining games.  The Bears return to the road on Nov. 11 to face Arizona. Cal has posted shutout wins over the Wildcats in each of the last two seasons. The following week, the Bears play their final road game when they travel to Los Angeles to face Southern California on Nov. 18. USC knocked off Cal by a 23-17 count the last time the two teams met in the Los Angeles Coliseum.  Following an open date on Thanksgiving weekend, Cal hosts Stanford in the 109th renewal of the Big Game on Dec. 2. The Bears have won the last four meetings, marking their longest winning streak in the series since 1936 through 1939.

Television plans and kickoff times will be announced at a later date.  California is coming off of an 8-4 season and finished the 2005 campaign on a two-game winning streak and ranked No. 25 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches' polls. The Bears have made three straight postseason appearances and posted a winning record in all four of its seasons under Tedford.

 

DATE               OPPONENT                 SITE                KICKOFF

Sept. 2         at Tennessee           Knoxville        TBA

Sept. 9         Minnesota                Berkeley        TBA

Sept. 16        TO BE ANNOUNCED

Sept. 23        Arizona St*              Berkeley        TBA

Sept. 30        at Oregon St*          Corvallis        TBA

Oct. 7           Oregon* (HC)           Berkeley        TBA

Oct. 14         at WashingtonSt*     Pullman         TBA

Oct. 21         Washington*            Berkeley        TBA

Oct. 28         Open

Nov. 4           UCLA*                     Berkeley        TBA

Nov 11           at Arizona*              Tucson          TBA

Nov. 18         at USC*                  Los Angeles    TBA

Nov. 25         Open

Dec. 2           Stanford*                Berkeley        TBA

*Pac-10 Game

(HC) - Homecoming

 

CollegeFootballNews.com: Spring Preview 2006

Cal Excerpts:

 

Ten things to watch for this spring

***

8. The California quarterback race
Jeff Tedford is hoarding quarterbacks with Steve Levy, Nate Longshore, Joe Ayoob and Kyle Reed all ready to get an equal shot at winning the starting gig. The winner will be keeping the seat warm until Kevin Riley matures next year. Whoever takes over the starting job will be in for a monster year.

 

Other than USC and Texas, who are the top challengers for the national title?

***

11. California

Team: One of the 15 most talented in America with a fearsome offense that'll be among the nation's best.

Schedule: A win at Tennessee in the opener would put the Bears in the hunt, but road trip on November 18th at USC could end title hopes. Otherwise, it's not bad with almost all the tough games at home outside of Tennessee and USC.

***

25 non-conference games to get really, really excited about are

***

23. Minnesota at California, Sept. 9

11. California at Tennessee, Sept. 2

 

Which conference will be the best in 2006?

***

Pac 10 - It's far better than you think. USC might not be the juggernaut of the past few years, but it's not going to fall far. Cal should be incredible, Arizona State's offense will be unstoppable, Washington State should be one of the year's surprise teams, and UCLA and Oregon should be bowling. Arizona and Stanford will be much better, and Washington isn't going to get any worse. The best team should be ... USC

 

The unknown players you'll know about by the end of 2006 are:

***

Steve Levy, QB California ...

... or Nate Longshore or Joe Ayoob or Kyle Reed. Longshore was the 2005 opening day starter until he broke his leg. Ayoob was way too inconsistent after taking over the job, and Levy stepped in and was fantastic over the final three games completing 30 of 45 passes for 387 yards and three touchdowns and an interception in wins over Stanford and BYU along with mop-up time against USC.

 

Who are some of the already known players who'll go nuclear in 2006?

***

Marshawn Lynch, RB California

Dinged up for most of the year, Lynch still finished with 1,246 yards and ten touchdowns capped off by a 194-yard, three score day against BYU. Justin Forsett will certainly be a factor in the Cal ground game, but Lynch might pull a J.J. Arrington and could hit 2,000 yards if he can stay healthy.

Fox Sports: 20 coordinators you should know for 2006

Here’s the entire article:

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/5334446

 

11. OC Mike Dunbar, Cal – George Cortez is gone, but the Bears quickly replaced him with a veteran of more than 25 years, two head coaching stints and an impressive five-year run as one of the masterminds of the innovative Northwestern offense.  The reality, however, is that this is still Jeff Tedford’s offense.  He calls the plays and runs the show, and like Cortez, Dunbar will be more of a caretaker of the unit than an architect.  And while some of the system that flourished in Evanston will be heading West, don’t expect widespread use of the shotgun or a full blown installation of the spread offense at Cal.           

Last Gig: Offensive coordinator at Northwestern

Cal's First Opponent Has "Weak" (Top 25) Recruiting Class

UT gets sacked for losses

Fulmer defends class, ranked his lowest with Vols

By CHRIS LOW

Tennessean

KNOXVILLE — The only evaluation Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer puts any stock in is that of his own and his coaching staff. Never mind that the recruiting analysts say UT's 2006 signing class is the lowest rated of the Fulmer era, which comes on the heels of the first losing season in the Fulmer era. "I don't worry about the rankings," Fulmer said. "A lot of people are making a lot of money off that right now, and that's OK. It's the American way, I guess. "You really don't know how they're going to do until they get to college. I've had the five-star guy that was a flop, and I've had the two-star guy who's ended up being one of our best players." National Signing Day came and went yesterday with a whimper for the Vols, who lost one of their highest-rated players in the final hour and whiffed on four other players who were still on their board. Tight end Michael Goggans, who'd been committed to Tennessee since August, decided to stay closer to his Alexander City, Ala., home and signed with Auburn. Linebackers Kelvin Sheppard and Perry Riley signed with LSU, defensive tackle Aleric Mullins with North Carolina and Greg Davis with West Virginia. "I want to celebrate the ones we got," Fulmer said. "It disappoints you when you lose any of them. But when you recruit 60 and are only going to sign 20 to 22, then you have to lose some of them … or they lose you." The Vols announced 22 signees. Defensive tackle J.T. Mapu is also counted as part of this class, although he didn't sign a letter-of-intent. Mapu has been away for two years on a Mormon mission and plans to be back at UT in July. Rivals.com ranked the class 23rd, while Scout.com ranked it 24th. Both services had the Vols seventh in the Southeastern Conference behind Florida, LSU, Georgia, Auburn, Alabama and Mississippi. "Sometimes people that make those ratings, they've never seen (the players)," said Fulmer, whose 2005 class was ranked fourth nationally by Rivals.com. "They just go on what somebody else at some coffee shop said."

Fulmer conceded that the Vols didn't close as strongly as they normally do. In addition to Goggans going to Auburn at the last minute, Alcoa High's Brandon Warren reaffirmed his commitment to Florida State on Monday night on a Knoxville television show. "We had a couple of guys out there that were either dangling us or something," Fulmer said. "Unfortunately, that's part of the game. People say, 'Wait until the last day or don't commit. Put your hats out there and pick.' That's tough on the coaches." Fulmer, clearly agitated by some of the deception out there on the recruiting trail, said there was as much lying by prospects this year as he can ever remember. "We had some kids that just flat-out lied to you," he said. "That goes back more to their upbringing." Part of the problem, Fulmer said, is the high-profile prospects are now made out to be celebrities by the media, and some relish in keeping everybody hanging. "It's the generation now out there," Fulmer said. "It's not everywhere, but it's out there. … There are a few out there that make it a show, not only for their parents, but for their schools. You might come or you might not. But just be honest. I don't begrudge anyone for not choosing our school. That happens. We are not going to get every recruit. But just be honest." The 5-6 season last year also didn't help the Vols, not to mention the turnover in their offensive staff. "Officially, this puts an end to 2005, as far as I'm concerned," Fulmer said. "It was frustrating and challenging. What you find out is how great your fans are as you're out there recruiting, how well you're received in schools and how much support you get, and how much people believe in Tennessee football.

"We all believe it was an aberration last year, and we're ready to get back on track. Obviously, signing this many good players, a lot of people believe that as well." Fulmer said the strength of the class was in the offensive and defensive lines. Former Hillsboro High star Walter Fisher is already enrolled in school after spending the last two years at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College. Fulmer thinks Fisher will be a factor next season at defensive end. On the offensive line, the Vols scoured the country for players. They reeled in Cody Pope from San Diego, Ramone Johnson from Chicago, Jacques McClendon from Chattanooga and Darius Myers from Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy. Myers, originally from Cordova, signed year, but was placed in prep school after not qualifying academically. "The proof will be in the pudding over a period of time," Fulmer said in assessing this class. "It depends on the maturity, the development, how they handle the college atmosphere and how fast you can de-recruit them. "To be honest with you, sometimes those guys with five stars, it takes a while to make them realize they put their pants on the same way everybody does. "I like this class. I like the fact that it's physical, a good group of physical guys in it as far as linemen, big tight ends and the three linebackers we have." Fulmer said the Vols came up short in the secondary and would have also liked another receiver and defensive lineman in this class. "Overall, I thought it was a very solid class, good students, good kids, character kids," he said. "We had five guys who were honor students in this class. That's really pleasing." •

Contra Costa Times: Cal turns to Northwestern aide

By Jay Heater

BERKELEY - Already in his office at Memorial Stadium on Thursday, new Cal offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar said he isn't going "to reinvent the wheel" when it comes to the offense.  Dunbar, Northwestern's offensive coordinator for the past four years, guided the Wildcats offense to 500.3 yards per game in 2005. That ranked fourth in the country.  Dunbar ran a spread offense and used the shotgun formation. Cal coach Jeff Tedford has not been a proponent of the shotgun formation in the past. He has utilized a more conventional, although very complicated, offensive system.  "I am very aware of Coach Tedford's offensive success," said Dunbar, a University of Washington graduate (1972) who was head coach at Northern Iowa from 1997-2000. "I think this will be an opportunity to blend the two offenses together."  Since Tedford is heavily involved in his team's offensive philosophies and play-calling, Dunbar was asked if he minded going to a place where he might be overshadowed by the head coach.

"We talked a lot about it at great length," Dunbar said. "We have a plan. I know he has had success with the offense, and I don't want to mess it up.  "I do think the shotgun and spread offense have their place in college football. But the shotgun is dictated by a team's personnel. I think we are going to work on adding elements to the offense and putting the two together depending on what's best for our personnel."  After beginning his tenure at Northwestern in 2001 as the tight ends, H-backs and special teams coach, Dunbar was elevated to offensive coordinator the next year by coach Randy Walker.  "I always have been impressed with the Northwestern offense," Tedford said in a release. "Mike is a quality person. I'm excited about what he brings to the program."  Dunbar replaces George Cortez, who left the program to pursue other interests.

Calbears.com: Tedford Hires Northwestern Offensive Coordinator

Mike Dunbar to assume coaching duties immediately

Feb. 2, 2006

BERKELEY -- University of California head football coach Jeff Tedford has announced the hiring of Mike Dunbar as the Golden Bears' offensive coordinator. Dunbar, who has served on the football staff at Northwestern for the past five years, will assume his duties immediately. "I have always been impressed with the Northwestern offense," Tedford said of the hire, "and I know Mike Dunbar is a quality person. I'm excited about what he brings to the program."  Dunbar was the offensive coordinator at Northwestern for the past four years after serving as the Wildcats' tight ends, H-backs and special teams coach in 2001.  "I am excited about the opportunity," Dunbar said, " and I'm excited about the positive direction Cal football is heading. I'm glad to be a part of it."  Under Dunbar's direction, Northwestern had one of the nation's most potent offensive attacks in 2005. The Wildcats were fourth in the country with an average of 500.3 yards of offense per game. They led the Big Ten in that category and became just the second team in the history of that league to average 500 yards per game. Dunbar also tutored one of the most productive quarterbacks in the history of the conference as Brett Basanez set 30 Northwestern records and finished second in Big Ten history to Drew Brees in career passing yards (10,580), total offense (11,576) and completions (936).

Before he arrived in Evanston, Dunbar had a 29-15 record as head coach at Northern Iowa. Including six seasons as head coach at NAIA Central Washington (54-9-1), Dunbar's career record is 83 24-1. While at CWU, he extended a regular-season winning streak to 40 games, earned six postseason appearances, perennial top-20 rankings, and was honored as the Kodak's Region I coach of the year three times.  Dunbar has also served as offensive coordinator at Toledo and was on that staff in 1995 when the Rockets were 11-0-1 and set 21 schools records on offense. He is a graduate of the University of Washington (1972) and earned a masters of arts from Pacific Lutheran. He and his wife, Linda, have two adult children.

 

Oakland Tribune: Cal to spread offense after hiring Dunbar

New coordinator worked wonders with Northwestern's attack

By Dave Newhouse, STAFF WRITER 

BERKELEY — The spread offense at Cal? Well, not completely, but Jeff Tedford's offense will use a variation of the spread after Thursday's hiring of Mike Dunbar as offensive coordinator. Dunbar, 57, who replaces George Cortez, held a similar position at Northwestern the past four years. The Wildcats ranked fourth in the country in 2005 with 500.3 yards a game, operating out of the spread. "We're going to take elements of the spread and Cal's offense and put stress on the defense," Dunbar said. "We've got lots of work to do, but I believe we can get most of it in by spring football." That would be March 22.  Dunbar and Tedford hadn't met before, but Tedford said, "I've always been impressed with the Northwestern offense."  Dunbar now will incorporate that offense with Cal's offense, which stagnated somewhat last fall because of play repetition. Some opponents said they knew what was coming. The spread should make Cal more unpredictable.

Dunbar is a 1972 University of Washington graduate who had head-coaching experience at Central Washington (54-9-1) and Northern Iowa (29-15) before joining Northwestern five years ago as tight ends, H-backs and special teams coach.  "There's a lot of excitement here," he said of Cal. "It felt like a tremendous opportunity. I believe in (Tedford)."  Dunbar believes a pass-and-run type quarterback is "beneficial" in the spread, but the offense can be "fitted" to all personnel.

 

Modesto Bee: Cal Hires Offensive Coordinator

Cal hired Northwestern offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar on Thursday to fill the same position on coach Jeff Tedford's staff. Dunbar replaces George Cortez, who left this week to pursue a job as an NFL assistant. Tedford calls the Golden Bears' plays and tutors their quarterbacks, but Dunbar will be his top assistant in game-planning. Northwestern was fourth in the NCAA in total offense last season with an average of more than 500 yards per game.

Chicago Tribune: California dreamin' for NU coordinator

Dunbar switches schools, but not responsibilities

By Terry Bannon

The assistant coach who helped make Northwestern one of the nation's most potent offenses has left the Wildcats. Offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar is taking the same job at California, working for head coach Jeff Tedford, a noted quarterback guru. "Cal football is on the rise and this was something I wanted to try at this time," said Dunbar, 57, who grew up in the Seattle area and graduated from Washington. "And the West Coast was a lure too." Garrick McGee, who has been Northwestern's receivers coach the last two years, is expected to succeed Dunbar.

Last season Dunbar's offense was fourth in the nation in total yardage and seventh in passing . The Wildcats led the Big Ten in both categories. They set team records with 6,004 yards of total offense and 674 in one game (against Wisconsin). "I've always respected Northwestern's offense," Tedford said. "And I know Mike is a quality person. I'm excited about what he will bring to the program." Dunbar also coached the Wildcats' quarterbacks and Brett Basanez finished his career as the first-team Big Ten quarterback and was voted offensive player of the year by the media. "Anytime you lose a great coach, you miss him," Basanez said. "Whoever steps up to the plate will be fine, but it will take some time. "He taught me the system, my reads, how to be smart, work through my mistakes. "He has been around the game so long, knows it so well. He teaches every little thing, pays attention to basics and he gives his players a chance to shine."

Dunbar moved to Northwestern in 2001 after compiling a 29-15 record in four seasons as head coach at Northern Iowa. In his first year in Evanston, he coached H-backs and tight ends and was special-teams coordinator. He became offensive coordinator in 2002 when Kevin Wilson left for Oklahoma.  Dunbar succeeds George Cortez, who had been at Cal since 2002, also Tedford's first year. Cortez, who was a Calgary Stampeders assistant before moving to Berkeley, is pursuing a job as an NFL assistant.

SF Chronicle: Northwestern offensive whiz joins Tedford's staff

Bruce Adams, Chronicle Staff Writer

Mike Dunbar is well aware of the considerable shadow Jeff Tedford casts on his offensive coordinator. "I don't have a problem with that," he said. Dunbar, on the staff at Northwestern the last five years -- the past four as offensive coordinator -- became Cal's new offensive coordinator Thursday, replacing George Cortez. With Tedford heavily involved in the offense -- from game planning to working with the quarterbacks to calling many of the plays -- Dunbar takes a job where he could labor in relative obscurity. At least that was the case with Cortez. Dunbar comes from a passing-oriented spread offense that was one of the most potent in the nation but varies greatly from the more balanced system favored by Tedford. "We've talked a great deal," Dunbar said, adding that he's previously been involved with systems similar to Cal's. "I think it will work out very well."

He said he's also confident he and Tedford will find a comfortable ground where they can share some of the duties, including play calling. Rumors begin circulating about the change after Cal beat BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl, but it was just announced Thursday. "I have always been impressed with the Northwestern offense," Tedford said in a statement. "And I know Mike Dunbar is a quality person. I'm excited about what he brings to the program." The past season Northwestern's offense was No. 4 in the nation with an average of 500.3 yards a game. One of the biggest issues facing Cal's offense next season will be the uncertainty at quarterback. Dunbar comes well-prepared to join Tedford as another quarterback mentor. His latest pupil, Brett Basanez, set 30 records at Northwestern and finished his career ranking second in Big-10 history behind former Purdue star Drew Brees in passing yards, total offense and completions. Before joining the staff at Northwestern, Dunbar compiled an 83-24-1 record as a head coach, with stints at Northern Iowa and NAIA Central Washington. He also served at offensive coordinator at Toledo. Cortez is leaving Cal to pursue a career in the NFL or possibly find a post closer to his native Texas. Tedford said the split was amicable and "by mutual agreement." This is the third change in Tedford's staff since the bowl game. Dan Ferrigno, with coaching stops at Cal, USC and Oregon, was hired as wide receivers coach, replacing Eric Kiesau, who accepted a post at Colorado as coordinator of the passing game. Bob Foster, a veteran coach who was on Tedford's staff his first year at Cal, returned as linebackers coach. Foster coached 19 years at UC Davis and was defensive coordinator at Oregon. He replaces Justin Wilcox who went to Boise State as defensive coordinator.

Briefly: Wide receiver DeSean Jackson is concentrating on his offseason football conditioning and is not, as initially planned, playing baseball at Cal, Tedford said. ... Wide receiver Jesse Canada, who was a member of last year's recruiting class but left school because of personal issues, is back at Cal and will rejoin the team as a walk-on.

 

SF Chronicle: Tedford's persistence pays off

Bears make up for lack of marquee names with plenty of talent
Bruce Adams
Cal coach Jeff Tedford spent some fretful hours before getting his brood rounded up and on safe ground, out of harm's way and protected from the USCs, Miamis and Notre Dames of the world. On the eve of letter-of-intent day -- when a recruit can sign with the college of his choice -- Tedford found himself "baby sitting" running back James Montgomery. "I tucked him in," Tedford said of his phone calls to Rancho Cordova (Sacramento County) late Tuesday night. Tedford was on the phone with him again at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
"He was hounded hard by practically everyone," Tedford said. Among the most persistent were USC and Washington, still calling the Cordova High star after letter-of-intent day dawned. "He stayed strong," Tedford said. "I was really proud of him." In between calls to Montgomery, Tedford had spent Tuesday night contacting all of his recruits. "Text messaging is awesome," he said.
He was in his office at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, already with an eye on the fax machine. By 9 a.m., all the letters had been received.
All in a day's work in the often frantic and always competitive business of college recruiting. One night in Los Angeles, Tedford made three home visits, eating dinner with each family. On another three-day swing, he drove from San Diego to Orange County to Los Angeles to Fresno and finally to Oakland, where he caught a plane for Seattle.
Along the way, he even had dealings with some former NFL players. Newly signed defensive end Keith Browner Jr. is the son of the Browner who was a linebacker at USC and in the NFL, and incoming wide receiver Daniel Lofton is the son of former Stanford and NFL receiver James Lofton.
This class might lack a marquee name but is packed with talent. A few of the notables include quarterback Kevin Riley from Beaverton, Ore., defensive tackle Derrick Hill from McClymonds High in Oakland, cornerback Darian Hagan from Crenshaw High in L.A., and running backs Montgomery and Tracy Slocum. Tedford discovered Slocum more than a year ago when the coach was watching wide receiver DeSean Jackson, now at Cal but then at Long Beach Poly, in a game against Slocum's team from Clovis East (Fresno County).
There's even a "sleeper." Wide receiver Jeremy Ross was not heavily recruited out of Laguna Creek High in Elk Grove (Sacramento County), although USC made a run at him only a few days ago. "He's a bright-eyed kid who loves to play," said Tedford, also mentioning that Ross' time of 4.39 in the 40 was the fastest at the Stanford Nike combine in May.
The class numbers 21, including defensive lineman Tyson Alualu from St. Louis High in Honolulu, a member of last year's recruiting class who stayed home because of "family issues" and enrolled at Cal just last month.
Briefly: Offensive coordinator George Cortez is leaving either to pursue a career in the NFL or find a position in his native Texas. Tedford plans on naming a replacement "in the next couple days." ... Junior offensive tackle Andrew Cameron, out most of the 2005 season with a knee injury, will not return in '06 for medical reasons.

Contra Costa Times: Cal hopes recruits are blue chips off old block

By Jay Heater
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
BERKELEY - It would be understandable if Cal coach Jeff Tedford expects a little extra out of the 2006 recruiting class that he announced at Memorial Stadium on Wednesday, the first day high school seniors could sign national letters of intent to play football.
"Six of our guys' dads are coaches," Tedford noted. "And you can tell that they are coaches' kids. They just talk to you different." One of the coaches' sons is quarterback Kevin Riley, whose father, Faustin Riley, is the offensive coordinator at Beaverton (Ore.) High School. "You go into his house and there is this big-screen TV where he and his dad watch film," Tedford said. "Kevin has been around football all of his life." Riley was one of 10 high school All-Americans among the 16 players signed by Cal on Wednesday. Cal also signed four junior college players and announced that former St. Louis High School-Honolulu defensive lineman Tyson Alualu, who signed with Cal in 2005, has enrolled this semester.
Tedford not only picked up an extremely talented group, which was rated No. 23 nationally by Scout.com on Wednesday, he also is excited about working with athletes who have extensive football backgrounds. Included in that group are four players -- wide receiver Daniel Lofton, defensive end Keith Browner, Jr., defensive back Brandon Jones and defensive tackle Mike Costanzo -- whose fathers played in the NFL. Watching a highlight film of Lofton (Westview High-San Diego) on Wednesday during a news conference, Tedford said, "Look at him run. He looks just like his father. He's got that long stride."
Lofton's father is Pro Football Hall of Famer James Lofton, a wide receiver with the Bills, Packers and Raiders who now is an assistant coach with the Chargers. Daniel Lofton is about the same height as his dad at 6-foot-2, but at 190 pounds he has yet to fill into his frame. Browner, a 6-6, 235-pounder out of Dorsey High-Los Angeles, isn't as thick as his dad, former Bucs and Chargers player Keith Browner Sr. "You look at those kids, Lofton and Browner, and then you look at their dads and you kind of see the before and after picture," Tedford said.
Costanzo's dad, Richard Costanzo, was an offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys, and Jones' dad, Lyndall Jones, was a fullback for the Eagles and Falcons.
Costanzo, a PrepStar All-American, was a huge local signing for Cal out of Monte Vista High. Tedford snapped up two of the East Bay's top talents in Costanzo and McClymonds defensive tackle Derrick Hill Jr.
Cal's junior college transfers were signed to address immediate needs. Mt. San Antonio College defensive end Rulon Davis will be a sophomore who is expected to give the Bears a pass rushing threat they have lacked at the position. Solano Community College's Mike Gibson and El Camino College's Mark Gray are offensive linemen who should give Cal more depth on a line that suffered heavy graduation losses.
Tedford filled a huge need by signing punter Andrew Larson out of Saddleback Junior College in Mission Viejo. A first-team All-American by the JC Athletic Bureau, Larson averaged 42.6 yards per punt last season.

Notes: Tedford announced that offensive coordinator George Cortez has left the program to pursue other interests. According to sources, Cal has picked Northwestern offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar to replace him. Tedford said an announcement on a new offensive coordinator would come in a few days. ... Cal freshman wide receiver Jesse Canada, a scholarship player who left school for a semester to deal with some personal problems, is back with the team. Tedford said Canada will be a walk-on athlete this season and will try to earn back his scholarship. ... Cal is expected to fill the open date on its 2006 schedule as early as Friday. Division I-AA schools Montana State, Weber State, Idaho State and UC Davis are being considered. ... Tedford said junior offensive tackle Andrew Cameron has retired from football due to numerous injuries. ... Cal wide receiver DeSean Jackson will not play baseball as expected so he can concentrate on getting stronger for next football season.

AP: Cal offensive coordinator Cortez leaves Bears

Associated Press
BERKELEY, Calif. - Offensive coordinator George Cortez left California's football program Wednesday, and coach Jeff Tedford hopes to name a successor this week. Cortez had been with the Golden Bears since Tedford took over the program in 2002, also serving as quarterbacks coach. He was the top assistant in an offense mostly run by Tedford, who calls Cal's plays and oversees his quarterbacks' development.
The parting was amicable and expected, Tedford said. Cortez, a veteran CFL assistant coach who left the Calgary Stampeders in 2001 to join Tedford's staff, hopes to become an NFL assistant or move back to his native Texas.
Receivers coach Eric Kiesau also left the Bears earlier in the offseason, becoming the receivers coach and passing game coordinator under new Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins.

CalBears.com: Jeff Tedford Signing Day Quotes

2006 Class
Feb. 1, 2006
On The Class: "I feel like the skills we have acquired in this class are exceptional. We have very, very good speed and the physical abilities of the linemen will allow them to contribute, possibly early, but they will definitely provide depth for now and in the future. "I am very proud of our staff. They worked hard during the process and it's obviously very competitive. I am very proud of their efforts and it been a tremendous success as we wrap things up today."
On Andrew Larson: "We addressed the need for a punter with Andrew Larson from Saddleback. He was a huge signing for us. He was heavily recruited and with the loss of David Lonie he fills an immediate need."
On The Class of Linemen: "With the two inside guys, in Michael Costanzo and Derrick Hill, and the two outside guys in Keith Browner and Rulon Davis, we have people who can really rush the passer. And add in Tyson Aluala from last year's class...We feel pretty good about those slots. Rulon Davis is a guy who can really run and will help us on the edge. We also feel like we are very athletic with our offense linemen."
On Targeting Student-Athletes: "We have 17 California players. I think there are eight from southern California...I think we have six players who are coaches' sons and you notice that at some level. They are students of the game and see things a little differently."
Immediate Impact Players: The JC guys obviously. Mike Gibson has a chance, Mark Gray has a chance, Rulon Davis has a chance and Larson. We have four junior-college kids and there is a reason why you recruit them. If you didn't feel they could come in and compete, you probably shouldn't have been recruiting them."
On Kevin Riley: Kevin is a very good player. He was the player of the year in Oregon. He came to our camp and really impressed us. I saw him at the Nike combine. He throws a great deep ball and he's a student of the game. He's a guy who has been around football all of his life. He has the tools to be successful in our offense.
On Darian Hagan: I don't know if you saw the city championship (L.A), but he was very instrumental in winning that game. He can really run. He will play on the corner for us to start out but he can play safety. Because he can run so well and has great range, he could come in and compete early."
On The Buzz: I really believe there are some players here like Derrick Hill, Tracy Slocum, James Montgomery, those guys bring a lot of sizzle...Darian Hagan. I think a guy that will really be a sleeper who wasn't highly recruited was Jeremy Ross. He was in our camp and we were really excited about him. He will be a guy that could be a sleeper that not a lot of people know about."