GREG BEACHAM
BERKELEY, Calif. - Minnesota coach Glen Mason claims he doesn't really love cupcakes, yet his Gophers traditionally fatten themselves up for winter on a steady diet of easy-to-beat nonconference opponents. California coach Jeff Tedford only wishes he had a few more desserts on his schedule this season. Both coaches have a full-course meal on the menu Saturday when Minnesota travels to Memorial Stadium to face No. 22 Cal, its first ranked nonconference opponent in Mason's 10 seasons. The Golden Bears are awfully hungry after getting embarrassed in their season opener at Tennessee last week. Cal might have the nation's toughest two-game opening schedule, while the Gophers finally have a difficult early-season test.
"It's a chance for both teams to show what they're made of, what kind of season they want to have," Cal linebacker Desmond Bishop said. "I love starting out the season like this. You always want to play good teams." Mason bristles whenever someone suggests Minnesota doesn't play the best opponents outside the Big Ten, but Tedford tacitly acknowledges the importance of such warmup games - if only his predecessors at Berkeley hadn't scheduled this murderous start. Neither coach expects an easy afternoon when two of the nation's annual rushing powers collide. Marshawn Lynch managed just 74 yards against Tennessee, but seems primed to break out in the first home game of his junior season - and after both of Cal's quarterbacks struggled in the opener, Tedford seems likely to rely on his vaunted running game.
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