AP: Longshore Chosen As Cal's Starting QB

By GREG BEACHAM

Nate Longshore will start at quarterback for ninth-ranked California in Saturday's season opener at No. 23 Tennessee after beating out Joe Ayoob for the job. Coach Jeff Tedford announced his decision after practice at Memorial Stadium on Tuesday night. The quarterback guru is convinced Longshore has fully recovered from last season's broken leg and a minor back injury last week. "They've both had great camps, (but) somebody has got to take the first snap," Tedford said. "It's very possible they'll both play. Nate has run the offense very well. There wasn't a lot of difference between them, but Nate has been real consistent." The Golden Bears have their highest preseason ranking in 54 years despite a summer of uncertainty at quarterback, where Tedford has tutored a series of valued NFL prospects in his career.

Longshore also beat out Ayoob last season, but broke his leg near the ankle in the first half of Cal's first game. Ayoob took over and started nine games as a junior, but lost the job to third-stringer Steve Levy after throwing 11 interceptions in his final four games.   Levy, who won't travel to Knoxville as punishment for his involvement in an offseason bar fight, led Cal to victories over Stanford and Brigham Young in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Longshore, who redshirted in 2004, worked tirelessly to get back into shape after the serious injury in his college debut. He then injured his back in practice last week, forcing him to miss four days of workouts — but Tedford still had faith in the 6-foot-5 sophomore. "Either way, I'm sure we'll both play, and we just want to go out there and execute the offense," said Longshore, who stayed late after Tuesday's practice and threw 55-yard passes to receiver DeSean Jackson. "I'm excited. We're jelling and we're getting each other's timing down. We're figuring everything out, and it's coming together at the right time."

Cal changed its offense in the offseason, adding elements of a spread attack from new offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar. Ayoob starred in a spread offense in community college, but Longshore also has been adept with the shotgun snaps and athletic plays required in the spread. Ayoob, who passed for 1,707 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, took the news fairly well — though his disappointment was obvious.   "If Nate comes out and goes 10-for-10, I don't think I'll go in," Ayoob said of Saturday's game at Neyland Stadium. "But my understanding is I'll get some playing time, so we'll see what happens. It's not about who's starting or not. It's about winning games."