Modesto Bee: Wheels in motion on Bears' bus

Byron Storer and his Cal team arrive at Saturday's game in Storer Coachways buses.

By RON AGOSTINI

BERKELEY — Game day for Cal fullback Byron Storer begins when he steps off his dad's bus. Ever since Storer arrived at Cal five years ago, he and his Golden Bear teammates have ridden into Strawberry Canyon on two Storer Coachways buses. For Storer, it's family business mixed with football. But for the rolling Golden Bears, it's another part of a growing tradition for a national power.  "I wouldn't have it (Cal on Storer buses) any other way," Storer said Saturday night after the 16th-ranked Bears' impressive 45-24 whipping of No. 11 Oregon. "Our company will always give the team the first-class service it deserves." It so happened that Cal sought a new bus deal not long after Storer, the former Central Catholic star, enrolled and tried out for the team as a walk-on. The Bears have bused with the Modesto-based company the last four years.  "It's great to be associated with the team," owner-father Donald Storer said. "We feel a little pressure because you want to make sure things go right. You don't want to make a mistake when you're transporting a Pacific-10 Conference team and your son is on the bus."

The buses usually pull up 2½ hours before kickoff about 200 yards from the North Tunnel of Memorial Stadium. From there starts the "March To Victory," the team's walk beneath blue and gold balloons and flags and alongside cheerleaders, Cal Band members and backslapping fans. The plan, deployed by many teams nationwide, was hatched by coach Jeff Tedford, who sought more motivation for his team.  Four years ago, the "March To Victory" consisted of a man sitting in a lawn chair sipping a beer. Today, it's standard fare for a program rapidly rising up college football's food chain.  The pregame routine — the buses, the march, the support — was Tedford's vision. When he set foot on the Berkeley campus for the first time, Cal football was a non-entity, a down-on-its-luck program.  The important matchup with the Ducks underlined how far the Bears have progressed under Tedford. The crowd, a sellout of 72,516, reminded observers that Cal has outdrawn both the 49ers and Raiders in per-game attendance the last three years.  More important for Cal, it was a homecoming crowd ready to yell. Tedford preached all week how he hoped to establish a bona fide home field advantage, not unlike what Oregon has built in Eugene.

For Cal, mission accomplished. The atmosphere, both before and during the game, crackled with excitement. For once, it was the Ducks' turn to false-start and turn toward each other and raise their hands toward their helmet earholes to indicate "I can't hear you."  Said Storer: "I definitely felt it when I walked onto the field before the game. I couldn't take the smile off my face."  From a different angle, the game also featured a showcase of sorts for Stanislaus District football. Besides ex-CC mates Storer and linebacker Justin Moye for Cal, across the field stood Oregon true freshman Nathan Costa, the pride of Hilmar and one of the best valley high school QBs produced in recent years.  Costa needed about 20 tickets, 10 fewer than last month's trip to Fresno State, to cover his family and friends. He was pleased to nail down the No. 3 QB job, which meant for every four plays starter Dennis Dixon receives during practice and three plays for backup Brady Leaf, Costa gets one.  "I try to make it as big a deal as possible. I usually know what I'm going to do," Costa said. "School has been great so far. I have only two classes a day. I like it more than high school." At least until he had an up-close look on the pounding his teammates absorbed at Cal.

The Bears (5-1, 3-0) served notice that they've shed all resemblance to the team that collapsed in the opener at Tennessee. They topped the 40-point mark for the fifth straight time, a first in school history, and — more telling — positioned themselves as the No. 1 challenger to USC in the Pac-10. Not only did they contain one of the nation's top offenses, they pushed around a team that had beaten Cal eight of the last nine games.  "We knew we had to get some respect back (after Tennessee)," Storer said. "We blew that opportunity to show what we're about. We are coming together now. I can feel it."  As for the buses, Storer might be forced to adjust on the run. He's always been called "The Bull" by teammates over the years for his physical style and wedge-busting on kickoff coverage. But another nickname is gaining popularity.  The Bus, of course. "The guys keep telling me, 'Can I get a bus ride,?'" Storer said. "Sometimes they ask, 'Are those your buses?' and I'll say, 'Yes, they are my buses.'"  But you won't catch him asking Dad for the keys.