Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Long Beach Press Enterprise: USC-Cal Scouting Report

ABOUT CAL: It's the last home game for a highly touted Cal team that fell off the national and Pac-10 maps the past month with three straight conference losses before beating Washington State, 20-17, Saturday. A win over USC would ease much of the hurt of Cal's losses to Oregon State, UCLA and Arizona State. Injuries, turnovers and the failure to make defensive stops have put Jeff Tedford's 24th-ranked Bears where they are, he said Tuesday. Cal, which beat Oregon on the road, was minutes away from a No. 1 ranking before dropping a 31-28 decision to OSU at the finish. "I think they are over that now and focused on one week at a time and playing the best they can," Tedford said.

 

CAN'T MISS CAL PLAYERS

 

WR DESEAN JACKSON (6-0 172, Jr.): He is no longer a Heisman Trophy candidate, but when you factor in his punt returns and pass receiving, he could still be as exciting a player as USC has faced outside of Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon.

 

TB JUSTIN FORSETT (5-8, 196, Sr.): He is the workhorse who leads the Pac-10 in touchdowns (12) and is second in rushing (111.7 yards a game). Forsett recorded his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season last week against Washington State, with 133 yards on a career-high 32 carries, including the winning 44-yard TD run with 2:42 left in the game.

 

C ALEX MACK (6-5, 300, Sr.): He could be the nation's top center and the Rimington Award winner. He was named midseason first-team All-American by Phil Steele's Magazine, SI.com and rivals.com after being tabbed the nation's top junior center a year ago by ESPN's Mel Kiper. He's a big reason why Cal's offensive line has permitted just eight sacks in nine games.

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