By Jon Wilner
Well, that was quite a performance. I’m not sure which was more surprising, the way Cal moved the ball on A&M’s defense, or the way Cal shut down the Aggies’ option attack. Forced to pick one, I’ll politely refuse and take both. Both were surprising…. And so Year Five of the Tedford era ends with 10 wins, a Pac-10 co-championship and a Holiday Bowl trophy (I bet it’s shapes like a dolphin): the 45-10 win over Texas A&M stands as the most impressive bowl victory of the Tedford era and the only bowl victory (so far) for the Pac-10 this season. There will be no 0-6. The following are my stars of the game for Cal. Feel free to slice and dice them, just make sure to offer your own suggestions.
Minus-10 stars: Cal quarterback Steve Levy. He changed the play in the final minute, handing off for a touchdown instead of taking a knee — and in process drew Tedford’s (very public) wrath for running up the score. Tedford looked as good as Levy looked stupid. Good thing for Levy that he’s a senior; it saves him the embarrassment of not being asked back for ‘07.
One star: Cal tailback Marshawn Lynch. In what was probably his last game as a collegian, Lynch ran hard all game, gaining 114 yards on 20 carries, scoring two touchdowns and softening up the A&M defense for his understudy, Justin Forsett.
Two stars: Cal linebacker Desmond Bishop. He set the tone defensively by making plays all over the field, usually in bone-crushing fashion. (I don’t have his tackle totals yet, but it looked like 10-12, at least.)
Three stars: Cal’s offensive line. No need to single anyone out; it was, for the most part, a collective effort. The OL protected Nate Longshore and cleared running lanes for Lynch and Forsett, who combined for 239 yards.
Four stars: Texas A&M punter Justin Brantly. His zero-yard punt early in the third quarter was the play of the game, giving Cal possession at A&M’s 41 yardline. Four plays later, Lynch was in the end zone and Cal had a 21-10 lead.
Five stars: Cal defensive coordinator Bob Gregory. Two years after his unit was embarrassed by Texas Tech’s aerial attack, Gregory had the Bears ready for A&M’s option. They looked lost on the first drive but quickly settled down and executed their assignments, played with passion and prevented big plays. They clogged the middle on handoffs and used their speed to string out the pitch plays.
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