Oregon vs. Cal 2007 - Ezeff's Hit

Cal Ranked #3

AP, USA Today and Harris Interactive all have Cal at #3.  Here is the link.

Cal's Remaining Schedule

10/13/07 vs. Oregon State  Berkeley, Calif. TBA

10/20/07 at UCLA  Pasadena, Calif. TBA

10/27/07 at Arizona State  Tempe, Ariz. 7:00 p.m. PT

11/03/07 vs. Washington State  Berkeley, Calif. 7:00 p.m. PT

11/10/07 vs. USC  Berkeley, Calif. 5:00 p.m. PT

11/17/07 at Washington  Seattle, Wash TBA

12/01/07 at Stanford  Stanford, Calif. 4:00 p.m. PT

LA Times: Play stands as called: Cal beats Oregon - Longshore's x-rays are Negative

No. 6 Bears hang on, 31-24, as No. 11 Ducks come within inches of scoring with time winding down on a play that requires a review.

By Chris Dufresne

EUGENE, Ore. -- The game changed so DeSean Jackson-fast.  One minute an Oregon receiver was stretching for the score-tying touchdown and a few minutes later California players were being asked about winning the national championship.  There was a replay involved -- at Autzen Stadium, conducted by Pacific 10 Conference officials -- but this time they didn't pull an Oklahoma. And, in the moment the replay verdict was upheld Saturday, the entire college football landscape got hedge clipped.  No. 6 California held on to outlast No. 11 Oregon, 31-24, and the jubilant Bears, after celebrating on foreign turf, made a bee-line back to Berkeley to consider their place in this year's conversation after the biggest road win of Coach Jeff Tedford's era. We're talking about inches possibly swaying a national title race one way or another. Oregon had first and goal at the Cal five with 22 seconds left. Receiver Cameron Colvin accepted a pass in the left flat and tried to sneak the ball inside the left pylon when he was hit by defensive back Marcus Ezeff.

Ezeff said he was trying to take Colvin's "head off" on the play, but actually thought he had surrendered the potential score-tying touchdown. Actually, on the tackle, the ball popped loose from Colvin and through the end zone. Side judge Bernard Samuels signaled touchback. Pending further review and plenty of anxious moments. "I was just sitting over there, kind of having a heart attack," Ezeff said of his demeanor during the replay delay. Final verdict ended a great game between mirror-like programs. Cal improved to 5-0 while Oregon fell, if you can call it that, to 4-1. The Heisman Trophy campaign of Cal receiver Jackson, who finished with 11 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns, was resurrected while Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon's hopes took a dent when two of his passes were intercepted in the final 4 minutes 30 seconds. Before that, he hadn't had a pass intercepted this season. Dixon still finished with 306 yards passing and nearly redeemed himself on the Ducks' last-minute drive, conducted without any timeouts. But it all ended when touchdown turned into touchback. "He was trying to make a play," Dixon said of Colvin's end-zone stretch. "I don't judge him for nothing."

Colvin said he thought he'd crossed the goal and "that's the way it goes." Cal earned a victory in one of the most ear-throbbing venues in the country and escaped Autzen without committing a turnover while getting three from Oregon. Cal had lost seven straight games at Autzen dating back 20 years. This time, though, the Bears rallied for 28 second-half points after trailing, 10-3, at the half. The score was 24-24 with 4:23 left when linebacker Anthony Felderintercepted a Dixon pass at the Oregon 21. Three plays later, Justin Forsett scored on a one-yard run and Cal made the lead stand. Jackson, who had only three catches the previous week against Arizona, came up big, his speed affecting Oregon's entire game plan. "All year I've been waiting for the opportunity to make plays for my teammates," Jackson said. It was the kind of road win Cal needed to spruce up its national resume. Maybe these Bears have been hardened by lessons learned last year at Tennessee, and Arizona and USC, and are now ready to make a serious run to the top. "It's so early," Tedford said, "this is one game. I don't know about all that national stuff."

Yet, after a day in which four top-10 schools lost, Cal figures up to be No. 3 in today's polls. And the last time Cal was ranked No. 3 was Oct. 18, 1952. Remember, this year USC comes to Berkeley, on Nov. 10.  Maybe this is the year it all breaks Cal's way -- or doesn't break. Quarterback Nate Longshore hobbled off the field in the fourth quarter because of a right ankle injury. Longshore returned after having his ankle heavily wrapped, but he limped out of Autzen under the gaze of watchful eyes. "We have our fingers crossed," Tedford said. Later, it was revealed that X-rays on Longshore's ankle were negative, which could not have been more positive news for Cal. The Bears have a bye this week before playing host to Oregon State on Oct. 13. Cal has been highly regarded before, only to get tripped up in unlikely places such as Tucson. "It's not over," linebacker Worrell Williams said of the season. "It's just getting started." With all the losing that went on Saturday, Oregon may not even be in for that much of a poll fall. How far do you drop No. 11 after it loses in the final seconds against No. 6? "It's a long, long season," Dixon said. "Anything can happen in college football. You never know."

 

AP: On a day of upsets, Cal leaps into national title hunt

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- The road to the national title took a detour through the scenic Willamette Valley on Saturday.   A string of upsets raised the stakes in a stirring showdown between No. 6 California and 11th-ranked Oregon.  It had already been big enough to draw the largest football crowd in the state's history, 59,273. But a roar swept through the packed Autzen Stadium grandstand when the public-address announcer read a stunning score from Boulder.  

Colorado 27, No. 3 Oklahoma 24.  The Sooners' loss, coupled with fifth-ranked West Virginia's upset at South Florida on Friday night, had opened an express lane to national title contention.  The only question: would Cal or Oregon take it?  California, here they come.  The Golden Bears' pulsating 31-24 victory should leave them No. 3, at worst, when The Associated Press Top 25 comes out on Sunday.  "Thank God we've got a bye (next weekend) so we can dwell on it a little bit," Cal linebacker Worrell Williams said. "We don't want to even think about the national championship right now."  Williams paused and smiled, the sweat rolling off his face.  "I mean, it's on our minds," Williams said. "Definitely, we knew coming into this game that if we didn't win this game, there wasn't going to be a chance for it."

And the Bears control their own destiny because top-ranked Southern California visits Berkeley on Nov. 10.  Cal still has to take care of business until then, against Oregon State, at UCLA, at No. 23 Arizona State and against Washington State.  This game, however, sent a loud message about Cal's grit -- and about the caliber of play in the Pac-10, often portrayed as Southern California and the Nine Dwarves.  At halftime, with Oregon ahead 10-3, it looked as if a Big Ten game had broken out. The only thing missing was a silo behind the stadium.  The second half was more like it, with the teams combining for six touchdowns. It looked like there would be a seventh until Oregon's Cameron Colvin fumbled trying to stretch the ball over the goal line with 16 seconds to go, a play that was upheld on a lengthy video review.  Because the game took place in daylight, fans in the East didn't have to stay up until the middle of the night to see it, and ESPN's GameDay crew was here to spread the word.  "You can never tell with people watching us on the East Coast," said tailback Justin Forsett, who ran for 101 tough yards. "But I hope they saw this one."  It began to rain moments after the game ended, but that didn't stop wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Lavelle Hawkins, along with tailback Jahvid Best, from leaping a low restraining wall and diving into the Cal band.

"I saw West Virginia lose last night," said Jackson, who revved up his Heisman Trophy candidacy with 11 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns. "I know it was a big thing for us to come in here and get this victory. It's crucial for us."  The Bears had already served notice they were serious about contending for a national title in a decisive 45-31 victory over Tennessee on Sept. 1. That result lost a little luster when the Volunteers got steamrolled by Florida a few weeks later.  It will take a while for this win to lose luster. Autzen Stadium is one of the West Coast's most intimidating venues, a place so tough the mascot was suspended for one game after beating up the Houston Cougar earlier this month.

This is the same howling den where Oklahoma lost last season, albeit with a little help from the refs.  Cal marched in and, after enduring some early bumps, marched out with its championship aspirations intact.  Coach Jeff Tedford beat his former boss, Mike Bellotti, in Eugene for the first time in three tries.  "This place is so difficult; it's a great crowd, and the noise," Tedford said. "It's just real gratifying to win here."  Even though Cal conceded 497 yards, it showed a toughness not normally associated with Pac-10 teams. Cal harassed Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon into his first two interceptions of the season.  The Golden Bears defense was without playmaking linebacker Zack Follett, sidelined with a neck injury. Meanwhile, defensive line anchor Matt Malele, who has a foot injury, was limited to one assist.

"This win lets the world know that Cal can play some football," Hawkins said. "This win proved to our team that we can do it."  For Oregon, the loss stung, but it's hard to imagine Oregon plummeting in the polls after taking the No. 6 team down to the final seconds, especially after No. 7 Texas and No. 10 Rutgers lost to unrated foes.  "It's a long season," Dixon said. "Anything can happen in college football. You never know."  Said Best, "Oregon is a good team too. They deserve to be high in the rankings."  Just not as high as Cal, the newest national title contender on the West Coast.  "No team can beat Cal," Williams said. "Except for Cal."

Oregonian: Late turnover dooms Ducks

The Oregon Ducks nearly bailed themselves out of two late turnovers, but in the end it was just that -- another turnover -- that doomed the 11th-ranked Ducks in a 31-24 loss to No. 6 California on Saturday.  It was a frustrating fourth quarter for the Ducks.  Quarterback Dennis Dixon threw his first interception of the season, and after Cal took a 31-24 lead, another Dixon pass bounced into the hands of a Cal defender. Oregon's defense held the Golden Bears after that, however, and with 1 minute, 45 seconds to play, Dixon began to drive the Ducks down the field. With 22 seconds left, Dixon had Oregon with a first-and-goal at the Cal 5-yard line. Then, disaster struck.

Dixon found receiver Cameron Colvin on the left sideline. As Colvin headed toward the goal line, he took a hit from Cal's Marcus Ezeff at the 1-yard line that jarred the ball loose. It bounced into the end zone, then out of bounds. A hush fell over the stadium as a replay confirmed Oregon fans' worst fears: The ruling on the field of a Cal touchback stood.

Cal took over with 16 seconds to play, Bears quarterback Nate Longshore took a knee and most of Autzen Stadium tried to figure out what had just happened. It was eerily similar to last season's game against Oklahoma, when a controversial pass interference penalty helped Oregon to a 34-33 victory over the Sooners. This time, the Ducks came away with the loss.

 

San Jose Mercury: Cal outlasts Oregon: The biggest win of the Tedford era

And the Cal game ball goes to … Dennis Dixon.

Cal 31, Oregon 24 – and you just knew it would go down to the wire, with the refs confused and the game hanging in the balance.  I mean, it’s Eugene, after all.  (The refs made the right call, but be honest, Cal fans: You had to be thinking: “Are we gonna get the Oklahoma treatment?”)

Cal 31, Oregon 24 – the biggest win of Jeff Tedford’s tenure, and when you consider the stakes, there really isn’t anything close. A conference road win over a ranked team that keeps Cal alive in the Rose Bowl and BCS races … the Bears haven’t had a win like that since … since … since forever. Of course, it’s only the biggest win for the next two weeks.

The moment the soon-to-be-No. 4-ranked Bears take the field against Oregon State on Oct. 13, that becomes the biggest game, and hence the biggest win or loss. Cal has entered what amounts to a single-elimination tournament, with the Pac-10 title on the line each week. With USC out there, the Bears cannot afford to lose to anyone, anytime, anywhere. What struck me most about the victory was this: Cal did to Oregon what USC has done to Cal, and everyone else, so many times over the years.  When it came to winning time — the second half of a tight game, with plays out there to be made — the Bears’ playmakers made all the big plays … just like Booty and Leinart and Jarrett and Bush and White have done:

* Quarterback Nate Longshore stood strong in the pocket and completed a slew of third-down passes in the second half. He finished 28-of-43 for 285 yards and two touchdown and no interceptions. (Which reminds me: Oregon had 4 turnovers, Cal had NONE — more USC-ness from the Bears.)

* Tailback Justin Forsett set the second-half tone with tough running that helped open up the passing lanes.  He finished with 101 yards and two touchdowns.

* And receiver DeSean Jackson kept his Heisman hopes alive with a sensational second half, a handful of big catches, third down catches, touchdown catches.  His 31-yard TD reception, including a juke-the-cornerback move on the right sideline, was one of the best plays of the week nationally (and it was quite a week, by the way). Jackson finished with 11 catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns — the best game of his career considering the stakes.

* And the defense, for all its bend-bend-bend didn’t actually break. In fact, the Bears had three takeaways down the stretch, two of them gift-wrapped by Dixon. Watching the riveting second half, I couldn’t help thinking of Cal’s loss at USC last season, a game with Rose Bowl implications that was tight late in the third quarter … until Booty and Jarrett and friends made all the big play. Big game, ranked opponent, winning time — and Cal’s playmakers came through.  When was the last time that happened?

SF Chronicle: Heart-stopping play averts heartbreaker of a touchdown

Ray Ratto

Marcus Ezeff knew he was doomed when he felt the Oregon wide receiver bump him and separate him from Duck Cameron Colvin at about the 3-yard line. There are ways to avoid or adjust to pick plays, true, but they are very difficult to react to, especially when the game-tying touchdown and the national rankings picture are about to be defined in a six-second interval.  So Ezeff - Cal's sophomore rover, who had already been flagged for a late hit that set up Oregon's first touchdown and knew he would be fingered for this one as well, did the only thing he could do - ran as hard as he could to catch and hit Colvin before he reached the end zone with what surely would have been Oregon's 30th and 31st points.  And he delivered a hit on Colvin that jarred the ball loose at the 1-yard line and bounced out of bounds in the end zone to seal Cal's nail-bitingest win in the Jeff Tedford era, a 31-24 win over 11th-ranked Oregon that (a) surely elevated Cal to no lower than fourth in today's polls, and quite possibly to third, (b) put them squarely in the national championship debate that has been reserved for LSU and USC, (c) allowed Tedford to unclench his jaw after days of what he called "being on edge, absolutely" ... and (d) saved Ezeff from a sort-of myocardial infarction.

"Yeah, when they (the officials) were reviewing it, I was having kind of a heart attack," he said with a smile. "I thought he'd scored, or they'd have it on the 1-yard line, but then I saw our coaches yelling and making the touchback signal. But the review was taking forever."  We'll get back to the quasi-MI in a moment, but Ezeff's hit deserves a proper set-up. It came at the end of a second half that looked like what America had been promised by these two teams - an absolute offensive punch-out, to be decided by the last fist. True, it came after a first half that looked like Wisconsin-Iowa in a snowstorm, but you can't always get what you want from your bookie. It came at the end of a nine-play, 77-yard Oregon drive that was going to negate the two fourth-quarter interceptions Ducks quarterback Dennis Dixon had thrown, as well as the fumbled punt by Andre Crenshaw. It came at the end of a drive that took only a minute, 29 seconds despite Oregon having no time outs. And it came with the entire nation watching, a fact which was lost on nobody in the Cal camp, even though they are hesitant to make much of what will surely be their high ranking.

"Honestly, I don't think we'll have to talk to them much about the national picture stuff," Tedford said as he held dinner in the handy take-home box for him and his wife Donna. "I think this group knows how to handle it." But? "But we will talk to them about it, sure." Of course. The old football coach's creed - never a let a message go delivered fewer than three or four times. That, though, is tomorrow's problem, along with an injury list that includes quarterback Nate Longshore (sprained ankle, X-rays negative, no need to go for the cutlery).

Today is a day for the Bears to celebrate with a canceled practice, and to wait for the polls to validate one of their finest efforts in years. And for Ezeff, the Santa Rosa Montgomery High product whose elevation from scout team wizard to starter was swift enough to give most folks the bends, it is a day to reflect on what must be his most momentous athletic deed ever. "It was a totally illegal play," he said. "I got picked, and all I was trying to do was get back to him and make a play. That's my job. That's what I do. That's how I make my living." In other words: "I was trying to knock his head off."

Instead, as Colvin tried to stretch the ball to the goal line, Ezeff hit his right arm and knocked the ball loose, where it bounced in the end zone just inside the sideline, and then out completely. Line judge Manuel Alonzo threw his bean bag where the fumble occurred, but only started to give a touchback signal (an extended arm waved up and down several times) before running to confer with side judge Bernard Samuels, who gave sort of a dolphin-armed touchback signal before they both ran to confer with referee Jack Wood, who in turn conferred with the replay booth for what seemed like no more than an hour and a half before announcing that yes, the fumble did occur in the field of play, yes it was a touchback, yes Cal would be given the ball, and yes they would survive.

"It was pretty clear to all of us that it had to be a touchback," Tedford said as director of football operations Mike McHugh stood nearby nodding. "But the longer it took, the more you start to wonder if they're going to make the right call. There must have been a TV time out or something, but you start thinking about what happened here last year (where a notoriously bad call and bad replay work cost Oklahoma a win over the Ducks and created a national firestorm of sorts). But fortunately they got it right."

Fortunately for Tedford, to be sure. He tries to keep his keel even, to the point of sometimes coming off as an insurance adjuster in doubleknit shorts, but he was clearly off his feed this week. He wanted this game because he had never beaten his former employers in his former place of employment, because Oregon was the other candidate for prince regent in what is known as USC's kingdom, and because it represented the truest test yet for a team with a national reputation for playing in the Holiday Bowl.  Test passed, with a few teeth ground down to the nerve on the side. And the defense, Cal's much-advertised weakness, bent without breaking, took Oregon's best shots and forced the fourth quarter interceptions that kept the Ducks at arms' length, literally as it turns out. Put another way, there is not another team in the nation whose leading interceptor (Tyson Alualu) is a 6-4, 288-pound defensive tackle.

Ultimately, though, this was Marcus Ezeff's moment. One hard hit at the last possible useful moment that changed the national college football landscape, kept his team undefeated, allowed him to atone for the late hit and the pick, and freed Tedford's jaw for re-clenching when the USC game comes up in November. As he said, "It's my job." As he also said, "I was having kind of a heart attack." Man, that's one lousy job ... and one strong heart.

 

New York Times: Cal Holds Its Ground and Sets Its Sights on a Title

By PETE THAMEL

EUGENE, Ore., Sept. 29 — On a weekend when college football’s national championship landscape changed drastically, it took a game on an overcast day in the Pacific Northwest to add some clarity to the national title and Heisman Trophy races. Sixth-ranked California’s thrilling 31-24 victory at No. 11 Oregon legitimized the Golden Bears (5-0, 2-0 Pacific-10 Conference) as national contenders. It also placed Cal’s star receiver, DeSean Jackson, in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race, thanks to his 161 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.  But the Bears were only a yard from being possible upset victims themselves. Defensive back Marcus Ezeff forced Oregon receiver Cameron Colvin to fumble through the end zone with 16 seconds left to seal the victory for Cal.   The Bears’ victory means that the road to the Pac-10 title and perhaps the national championship game will go through Berkeley, where Cal will play host to No. 1 Southern California on Nov. 10.  “It kind of lets everyone know across the world that Cal can play some football,” Cal receiver Lavelle Hawkins said. “A lot of guys don’t think we’re as good as we are. This is a great, great game for us.”

The Ducks (4-1, 1-1) were inches from having the road to the national title run through Eugene. Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon recovered from throwing his first two interceptions of the season in the game’s final five minutes to lead Oregon on a hair-raising final drive.   Starting with 1 minute 54 seconds remaining and no timeouts, he completed 7 of 9 passes on the drive, putting the Ducks at first-and-goal from the 5-yard line with 22 seconds left.  “I was getting ready for overtime,” Cal Coach Jeff Tedford said. “From the 5? They’re too good from there.”   But it ended in heartbreak instead of a Heisman moment for Dixon, who finished the day 31 of 44 for 306 yards and a touchdown. He completed a pass in the flat to Colvin, who was wide open because of a pick play, and Colvin appeared to have a clear path to the end zone.   But Ezeff closed fast and knocked the ball loose as Colvin reached for the pylon instead of securing the ball and barreling forward.  “I was trying to reach in,” Colvin said. “No doubt about it.”

Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti said: “You can’t do that. You have to hang on to the football and break the plane.”  Colvin did not know if he had scored or fumbled until he looked down and saw a referee’s marker. The play went to review.  But the call stood, giving Oregon its fourth turnover of a wild fourth quarter, in which Cal scored 21 points and nearly squandered two 7-point leads.  “I was sitting over there kind of having a heart attack,” Ezeff said of the wait.  That final fumble shifted the game’s star to Jackson, who had 11 catches over all and scored both his touchdowns in the fourth quarter.  His defining moment came on a 31-yard touchdown pass from Nate Longshore that gave Cal a 24-17 lead early in the fourth quarter. Jackson caught the ball at the 25-yard line and juked Oregon defensive back Jairus Byrd so violently that Byrd fell to the turf. Jackson high-stepped into the end zone untouched from there, even raising his arm slightly in what appeared to be a pose emulating the Heisman Trophy’s stiff-arm position.

Jackson had broken free on the game’s first play, then waved his arms in frustration when he did not get the ball. After that, it seemed as if Longshore did not miss him for the rest of the game. Longshore finished 28 of 43 for 285 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.  Longshore injured his ankle and missed part of a series in the fourth quarter. X-rays were negative, and he should be healthy when the Bears play host to Oregon State after a bye week.  

The schedule stacks up well for Cal from this point. Their toughest game, against Southern California, is at home, and the Bears will probably be favored in all of their road games: at U.C.L.A., Arizona State, Washington and Stanford.  “We’re not really going to worry about that,” Jackson said of Cal’s position as one of the teams to beat in the Pac-10. “We’re going to just keep winning football games. If it happens to be like that, we’re glad about it.”  And thanks to a timely fumble and perhaps a pinch of luck, the Bears and their fans in Berkeley can dream big.  “It’s crazy,” Colvin said. “That’s the game of football. It comes down to small things.”

Sports Network: Golden Bears hold off Ducks in Pac-10 battle

Cameron Colvin's stretch for the end zone was just short, as the Oregon wide receiver fumbled out of the California end zone for a touchback with 16 seconds left, and the sixth-ranked Golden Bears held on for a 31-24 win over the 11th-ranked Ducks in a crucial Pac-10 showdown.  DeSean Jackson had 11 catches for 161 yards and two scores for California (5-0, 2-0 Pac-10), and Justin Forsett gained 106 yards on 23 carries with two TDs. Nate Longshore, who missed a series late in the game with an apparent ankle injury, completed 28-of-43 passes for 285 yards and two scores.  Dennis Dixon went 31-of-44 passing for 306 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted twice for Oregon (4-1, 1-1). Dixon also added a TD run for the Ducks, who got 120 yards on 21 carries and a score from Jonathan Stewart. Colvin finished with 74 yards on seven catches with a score for Oregon, but couldn't break the plane for the tying score in the final minute.

Longshore took a late hit to his leg late in the final quarter, twisting his ankle, and he left for a possession while the ankle was wrapped. Freshman Kevin Riley came in for Longshore, handing off a few times before Cal punted. Longshore was back on the field on the following Cal possession, but was obviously hindered by the injury, and the Bears offense could not sustain a drive to run off the clock.   The Ducks took over at their own 23 with 1:45 left, looking for the game-tying touchdown. Dixon found Jeremiah Johnson for 26 yards, putting the Ducks at the Cal 40, and two plays later hooked up with Colvin on 14-yard gain to the 20.  A 15-yard pass to Jaison Williams set the Ducks up at the Cal 5 with 22 seconds left. On the following play, Dixon threw left to Colvin, who took the ball to the outside and stretched out, trying to put the ball over the pylon, but it was punched out of his hands and through the end zone. The officials gathered for a few seconds before signaling for the game-ending touchback, which stood up after official review, handing the Bears the win.   "You can't do that," said Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti of Colvin's fumble. "You have to hang on to the football and break the plane."

The only score in the first quarter was Matt Evensen's 32-yard field goal with 47 seconds left, giving Oregon a 3-0 lead. The defenses held the offenses in check in the second quarter as well.   Cal evened the score on Jordan Kay's 34-yard field goal with 6:20 left in the half. The Ducks were able to answer, though, finally piecing together a drive late in the half. Stewart capped the 16-play, 80-yard drive with his five-yard burst up the middle, and the Ducks took a 10-3 lead with 1:44 left in the half.   Cal knotted the game at 10-10 late in the third quarter, with Longshore hooking up with Jackson on a 25-yard scoring toss, capping a six-play, 58-yard drive with 4:44 left in the quarter.   The Ducks went to the big play on their next drive to again take the lead, on a 42-yard connection from Dixon to Colvin, giving Oregon a 17-10 lead with 2:39 left in the third quarter.  The Bears opened the fourth quarter by closing their eight-play, 59-yard drive with a one-yard dive by Forsett, tying the game at 17-17 with 14:20 left in regulation.  Cal took over at midfield on their next drive, thanks to a shanked punt, and capitalized quickly, with Longshore finding Jackson for a 31-yard score, and the Bears jumped on top 24-17 with 11:52 left.

Dixon led the Ducks back, though, marching them 91 yards on 10 plays, and pushing in the end zone himself on a one-yard dive that again tied things, this time at 24-24 with 7:06 left.  Dixon threw a crucial pick to Anthony Felder, though, giving the Bears possession deep in Oregon territory. They moved 21 yards on three plays, with Forsett's one-yard TD run giving Cal the seven point edge with 3:11 left.  "I don't know if I can put into words how proud I am of these guys," said Cal head coach Jeff Tedford. "I'm just so proud of them and I think today was an all-around great team effort and we came up with some big plays."

Game Notes

Oregon outgained Cal, 497-400...Forsett's TD extended his streak to six consecutive games with a rushing touchdown...California leads the all-time series with Oregon by a count of 38-30-2, but the Ducks had won eight of the last 10.

ESPN: Ezeff's hit boosts Bears' national title hopes

Mark Schlabach

EUGENE, Ore. -- As California's Marcus Ezeff lay on the turf in the west end zone of Autzen Stadium on Saturday, his legs aching and his lungs burning, the hard-hitting safety expected the worst.  Ezeff already was mentally preparing for overtime, which meant at least one more possession against Oregon's high-octane offense. At the time, Ezeff believed the Ducks had just driven 77 yards in 89 seconds to score the game-tying touchdown in a thrilling Pac-10 shootout.  With the No. 6-ranked Bears leading No. 11-ranked Oregon 31-24, Ducks quarterback Dennis Dixon had driven his team right down the field in the final two minutes. Oregon reached the California 40 with 53 seconds to play. The Ducks were on the Bears' 20 with 29 seconds to go, then the 5 with only 22 seconds left.  "They did a nice job of making it down the field," California coach Jeff Tedford said. "I was getting ready for overtime. From the 5? They're too good from there."

After Tedford called timeout to let his defense catch its breath, the Ducks lined up to try to tie the game. Dixon took the snap and threw to the left side for senior receiver Cameron Colvin, who caught the pass around the 4. Ezeff had to fight through a block -- which he described as an illegal pick by a different Ducks receiver -- before he chased down Colvin near the end zone.   Ezeff leveled Colvin near the 1-yard line, but the Ducks receiver tried to stretch his right arm and the football around the pylon at the end zone. The football fell out of his hand.  It bounced into the end zone and rolled out of bounds.  "In my mind, I thought he scored," Ezeff said. "I was like, 'Damn, I'm going to be in trouble with my coaches.' But then I looked up and saw [cornerback] Brandon Hampton going after the football. I saw my coaches running at me making the signal for a touchback."

Ezeff's game-saving tackle also saved California's improbable national championship hopes, which had been buoyed Friday night when fifth-ranked West Virginia lost at South Florida and again Saturday when third-ranked Oklahoma lost at unranked Colorado.  But first the Bears had to survive an instant replay review in the stadium where the Sooners were jobbed a year ago.   "It was pretty conclusive," California defensive coordinator Bob Gregory said. "It was very evident the ball went into the end zone and out of bounds. We would have been very surprised if they'd turned it the other way. It was just so obvious it couldn't have gone the other way."  It didn't go the other way, and the Bears took possession at their 20-yard line. They took a knee to run out the final 16 seconds and preserve a 31-24 victory, which stunned much of the sold-out crowd of 59,273, the largest crowd to ever watch a football game in the state of Oregon.  It was California's first win here since 1987, after having lost seven games in a row in Eugene.

"It's a huge win for us," said Bears receiver DeSean Jackson, who had a career-high 11 catches for 161 yards, including two touchdowns in the second half. "To come out here in Eugene and win as an underdog, it really is a big step for us. I saw West Virginia lose last night, and I knew it was important for us to come in here and play big. We've just got to keep winning football games."  When the Bears play again, they might be ranked higher in the national polls than they have been in 55 years. California, which was ranked No. 4 in 1952, doesn't play next weekend. And at least one team currently ranked ahead of Cal will lose before the Bears play Oregon State on Oct. 13 in Berkeley, Calif. Second-ranked LSU hosts No. 4 Florida on Oct. 6 in Baton Rouge, La.

So five games into the season, California seems like a national championship contender like never before.  "We knew coming into this game that our season was on the line," Cal linebacker Worrell Williams said. "This game was our season. West Virginia fell off. Oklahoma fell off. I heard Texas even fell off. All we had to do was win. It was tough, but we got it done."  The Bears nearly fell more than once Saturday. Defenses dominated the first half of a game that was expected to be a track meet. The Ducks led 10-3 at the half, after the Bears were limited to only 119 yards of offense in the first two quarters. Oregon shut down tailback Justin Forsett and prevented quarterback Nate Longshore from throwing down field.

Finally, Jackson broke the game open late in the third quarter. Jackson caught a 25-yard touchdown from Longshore to tie the score at 10 with 4:44 to go in the third. Later, Jackson put the Bears ahead 24-17 with a 31-yard touchdown catch. On that play, Jackson caught the pass, shuffled his feet to make cornerback Jairus Byrd miss, then ran down the right sideline for the go-ahead touchdown.  "All ya'll been waiting for me to make some plays to help my team, and this was an opportunity to do it," said Jackson, who hadn't caught a touchdown pass in the previous four games and hadn't had more than 45 receiving yards in a game this season. "Oregon had a great defense and they play a lot of man-to-man coverage. Sometimes they had a safety roll over the top. Coach Tedford and the coaches did a great job of calling my number."

The Bears finally got Dixon's number in the final 4½ minutes. After the Ducks tied the score at 24 on Dixon's 1-yard sneak for a touchdown with 7:06 to play, California was forced to punt from midfield.  The crowd stood and cheered as it anticipated watching Dixon lead the Ducks down the field again. On first-and-10 from the Oregon 11, Dixon dropped back and tried to throw over the middle to receiver Jaison Williams. But linebacker Anthony Felder stepped in front of the pass and intercepted it.   "I don't think he was expecting me," Felder said. "I picked up on that route earlier in the game and thought he might go back to it. I snuck back inside and jumped the route."

The Bears took over at the Oregon 21, and it took them only three plays to score the go-ahead touchdown. Forsett ran for 8 yards on first down and 12 on second. On first-and-goal from the 1, Forsett scored off left guard to put Cal ahead 31-24 with 3:11 to go.  Oregon still had plenty of time left, and Dixon took the Ducks right back down the field. He completed two quick passes, and then Jonathan Stewart broke a 23-yard run with less than 2½ minutes to play. But on first-and-10 from the Cal 17, defensive tackle Mika Kane deflected Dixon's pass to Stewart and it was intercepted by end Tyson Alualu.  "The turnovers were huge," Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said. "That's what we talk about all year long, but that's the undoing of a good football team."  But the Bears were the better football team, at least on this crisp, blustery day in the great Northwest. And if the Bears don't stumble during the next five weeks and prove they're the best team in California when they play No. 1 USC on Nov. 10 in Berkeley, they might eventually get an opportunity to prove they're the best team in the country.

"I think we're contenders and I know Southern Cal is going there [to Berkeley]," Forsett said. "But that's far away right now. We've got a lot of big games and we don't need any upsets."  Just one or two more of the teams ahead of the Bears.

Rivals.com: Cal Makes Statement at Oregon

UGENE, Ore. – Sophomore safety Marcus Ezeff was the last person to realize he'd made the biggest play of California's season.  The Bears were clinging to a 31-24 lead over Oregon in the final minute when Ezeff arrived late to tackle Ducks wide receiver Cameron Colvin near the end zone. Ezeff assumed Colvin's catch had tied the game or given the Ducks the ball at California's 1.  Just when Ezeff started imagining the scolding he would receive from his coaches, he noticed they were in a surprisingly cheerful mood.  "When I saw my coaches running up and giving the touchback sign," Ezeff said, "that's when I knew it was a fumble."  zeff reached Colvin just as the receiver was trying to move the ball from one hand to the other in an attempt to stretch it across the goal line. Ezeff's hit caused the ball to roll into the end zone and head out of bounds with 16 seconds left.

"I thought it was across (the plane)," Colvin said after the Ducks' heartbreaking 31-24 loss. "I was looking at the refs for the touchdown, but that's how it goes."  It was the kind of play that can help create a season of destiny.  California has been overlooked in the national-title discussion, perhaps for good reason. The Golden Bears never have played in a BCS bowl and haven't reached the Rose Bowl since 1959.  But this Cal team just might be different. This marked the first time the Golden Bears had won at Autzen Stadium in two decades. And losses this weekend by No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 4 Florida and No. 5 West Virginia should allow the Bears to enter their bye week as at least the third-ranked team in the nation.  "Everybody knows across the world now that Cal can play some football," said wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins, who grabbed a baton and joined teammate Robert Jordan in conducting the California band during a wild postgame celebration. "A lot of people didn't know we're as good as we are."  Cal wide receiver DeSean Jackson recaptured his 2006 form by catching 11 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon reverted to his 2006 form by throwing two interceptions in the last five minutes, but he still drove the Ducks into position for a game-tying touchdown in the final seconds.  Oregon's Jonathan Stewart and California's Justin Forsett – the two leading rushers in the Pac-10 – both gained more than 100 yards.

Read the entire article here.

AP: Bears, Ducks are mirror images

Cal players, coaches set for loud crowd at Autzen

By GREG BEACHAM

BERKELEY, Calif. — Brandon Hampton has a grudging respect for the Oregon students who pack Autzen Stadium, even while he grits his teeth at the incessant yelling and the mean jeering — and those confounded, nonstop duck calls.  "Those students are just behind you, all the time, right on your back," the California safety said. "They're great. It's like they're almost on the sideline with you."  Hampton didn't even know that the real Oregon student section is over behind the Ducks' own sideline, near the west end zone of that remarkably boisterous field. Those noisemakers behind the visiting bench are mostly just regular quacks — and they'll be out in force Saturday for a big chapter in one of college football's most underrated rivalries.

When No. 6 Cal (4-0, 1-0 Pac-10) visits 11th-ranked Oregon (4-0, 1-0), it's more than a conference showdown that will set the early tone in the annual race to dethrone USC.

It's another meeting of two strikingly similar programs with intertwined histories, coaching staffs and recruiting pools — and a 2-2 record against each other since former Oregon offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford flew away and went south for the fall.  Though they're separated by 500 miles, the schools feel a lot closer together during football season. It starts with the students, since Oregon has such a sizable population of Northern California kids — who couldn't get into Cal, the Bears' wiseacre fans say — that some call it the University of California at Eugene. And the programs' connections are even more labyrinthine. Ducks quarterback Dennis Dixon and receiver Cameron Colvin are East Bay natives, as is Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, who also employed Cal defensive coordinator Bob Gregory before he left with Tedford to revive the Golden Bears' slumbering program with strategies and management skills honed in Eugene.  For example, Tedford immediately redesigned the Bears' uniforms when he arrived in Berkeley. Last season, the Bears debuted their garish yellow jerseys — just like something the fashion-forward Ducks would wear — for their 45-24 win over Oregon.

Most of the key players on both teams were recruited by both schools, with Cal gradually denting Bellotti's long-standing pipeline to the East Bay's richest talent.  Tedford and Bellotti are still perfectly friendly, but both would love to gain a decisive edge in a rivalry that's featured two wins apiece for the home team since Tedford defected in 2002 (the schools didn't play that year). All the players that Tedford recruited to Oregon finally have left the school, making this meeting a bit less personal — but still just as tough in front of the crazy Autzen fans.  "The crowd there is unbelievably educated about when to be loud and when to calm down when they have the ball," Tedford said. "It's a very, very tough environment with the noise and communicating. It was kind of different my first year back there, to be on the other side." Tedford lost in his first two trips to Oregon with Cal, but both games were frenetic, high-scoring affairs that went down to the final minute. The Bears haven't won at Autzen since 1987 — a fact that Oregon's fans won't hesitate to cite for them.

"Twenty-year streaks have nothing do with these guys," Tedford said. "Some of them weren't even born 20 years ago, so it has nothing to do with them. It's about this year. That's what counts. That's all that matters." There's no shortage of motivation this season, however. Oregon could be jealous of the national attention and higher ranking bestowed on Cal, while the Bears were surprised to hear they're a point-spread underdog despite their lofty poll spot. "We're not really worrying about it," Oregon linebacker Jerome Boyd said. "We're just worrying about ourselves. We like the fact that they're coming to our stadium, and we like the fact that (ESPN) Gameday is coming, but who wouldn't like that, you know?"

Though both schools are ranked going into their meeting for the third straight season, the hype and the connections won't obscure a meeting between two schools with exceptional offenses and still-evolving defenses. "It's one of the loudest, if not the loudest, stadium in the Pac-10," Cal right guard Noris Malele said. "It's always a fun place to play, because they get on you from the start for everything. It's a tough atmosphere, but that makes it fun as well. The noise is out there, so we've got to do what we can to stay together."

 

SportingNews: Cal hopes to get in Dixon's head at Oregon

Cal’s strategy for stopping Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon? Rattle him.   It worked last year when the Golden Bears intercepted Dixon's first pass in Berkeley and went on to a 45-24 victory. Perhaps the same will succeed Saturday when the No. 11 Ducks host sixth-ranked Cal (4-0, 1-0 Pac-10).   "I feel like we're already in his head before we even started. Any quarterback, you can always get into his head if you try," said Bears safety Brandon Hampton, who intercepted that first pass.   Cal picked off Dixon three times in the game a season ago. Oregon (4-0, 1-0) went on to lose five of its next eight games, and Dixon was benched in favor of Brady Leaf in the final regular season game against Oregon State.  Then Dixon took off to play baseball with the Atlanta Braves organization during the summer, leaving some to question his commitment to the team.  But the talented senior rejoined the Ducks this fall and embraced new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly's speedy, no-huddle, spread-option schemes.

Now four victories into the season, Dixon has thrown for 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. He's run for four more scores, including a faked Statue of Liberty play against Michigan at the Big House.  He ranks fourth in the nation in passing efficiency and leads the league in total offense, with an average of nearly 306 yards.  "His running and his confidence is impressive. He gives them a chance to win every game, even more so than last year, I think. They spread the offense, and then Dixon gets his rushes," Hampton said. "It's kind of sneaky."  That said, California's defense will turn up the pressure on Dixon.  "You put enough hits on a guy, he'll get rattled, no matter who he is. That's not to say he's soft, because he gets up from every hit I've seen, but you can rattle any guy," linebacker Worrell Williams said.

The Golden Bears are ranked fourth in the Pac-10 in total defense (361 yards), with the linebackers leading the way. They've combined for 132 tackles, 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception. However, they will be without Zack Follett, who has a neck stinger.  Cal's defense has scored twice on fumble recoveries.  Dixon is well aware of Cal's defense -- it did sting him last year, after all.  "They're a great team and you can never underestimate a defense, to tell you the truth. You never know what they're going to throw at you," he said. "You have to anticipate the hard and react to the easy."

The Ducks have a seven-game winning streak against Cal at Autzen Stadium. Cal coach Jeff Tedford, former offensive coordinator for Oregon, has yet to win in Eugene with the Bears.  The last Cal road win against the Ducks came in 1987.  "This will be definitely the toughest game we've played so far," Hampton said. "I feel that every week is a tough game, but this game is more important because we have that rivalry with Oregon. They have a great team, and I'm sure they will be in the running for the Pac-10 towards the end of the season."

Covers.com: Set up for a letdown: Oregon Ducks

By JULIAN DICKINSON

This isn’t just another Pac-10 game.  Tell me when was the last time ESPN’s College Gameday made the trip to Eugene, Oregon? And how long has it been since serious national title talk about the Oregon Ducks made its way beyond the Cascade Mountains?  Funny enough, it was back in 2000 when Joey Harrington was the quarterback and … who was that guy calling the plays for the Ducks?  Oh yeah. Jeff Tedford, the current coach of the California Golden Bears and arch nemesis of Mike Bellotti.  Any college coach will tell you that you can’t ask for better exposure than what Oregon and Cal will receive as the centerpiece of ESPN’s all-day coverage, but there’s pressure that comes with it, too.

It’s not just because the entire country will be watching, but also because of the implications of winning and losing. This game is injected with the same kind of juice that fueled Michigan-Ohio State last year, and the winner will be set up to compete with USC for the Pac-10 crown and a realistic shot at the BCS title.  The loser might as well start thinking about next year.   So with all that on the line, Autzen Stadium will be a pressure cooker on Saturday afternoon – and pressure is not something that the Ducks, who are 5-point favorites in the game, have handled well since Bellotti has been on his own at the Oregon helm.  If you listened to the rumblings around Eugene over the last few years, you’d know that Tedford gets much of the credit for the Ducks’ success in those winning years and since his defection, Bellotti hasn’t been able to win the big games.

Oregon has had good teams, but since Tedford left after 2001, the Ducks have not won a bowl game – and don’t think that Bellotti isn’t painfully aware of that fact.  The Oregonian ran a column this week in which columnist John Canzano shed some light on the effect that Tedford’s legacy at Oregon has had on Bellotti. The article claims the Ducks coach feels slighted by the accolades and recognition given to Tedford and desperately wants some glory for himself.   The situation, Canzano claims, has driven Bellotti to thrust himself into the limelight at inopportune times, often meddling with coordinators and play-calling much to the detriment of the team.  “In case you've ever sat watching an Oregon football game,” Canzano writes, “where the Ducks were winning, and everything was working, and suddenly, Bellotti inserted himself into the game by calling a trick play, or onside kicking, or changing quarterbacks, or doing something so strikingly absurd that you couldn't help notice him, well, maybe you understand now what that's all about.”

None of this bodes will for Oregon in a game that holds all the pressure and atmosphere of a bowl game. This is a situation where Tedford holds the trump card, not just because of Bellotti's failures in big games, but also because of the memory of last year's 45-24 win over Oregon in which the Bears ran out to an early lead and never let go.

To look at the rosters, the talent level is almost identical. Both teams are stacked with enough playmakers to run up the score on any team and weaknesses are few and far between.  All of which indicates that this game could come down to coaching. With the eyes of the college football world focused on Eugene, things could very likely get personal for these two coaches, especially on Bellotti’s end considering his purported complex regarding Tedford and his legacy.   Expect this game to be a high-scoring affair with highlights galore. It should also be a close one, but when the pressure is on and the game is on the line, I wouldn’t trust Bellotti to make the right decisions for his team.

Oregon’s dream season could turn into a nightmare this weekend.

Oregon Daily Emerald: Offensive stars take center stage

Bellotti expects Stewart to be more patient and Duck fans hope Colvin can repeat last week's performance

By: Kevin Hudson

Normally, when a team's top receiver goes down with a season-ending injury, that team's offensive production can be expected to decrease.  For No. 11 Oregon, which stands poised to vault into conference and Bowl Championship Series contention with a win over No. 6 California Saturday, expectations remain unchanged despite losing senior Brian Paysinger to a season-ending knee injury last week.  In his debut as Paysinger's replacement in Oregon's 55-31 win at Stanford, senior wide receiver Cameron Colvin led all receivers with a career high eight receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown. His 71-yard touchdown catch on the game's first play from scrimmage helped assure his teammates and coaches that there would be no drop-off in the passing game. "Cam scoring on the first play was great to kind of ease our worries about that a little bit," said senior right tackle Geoff Schwartz. "He had a great game, so we know we have guys that can step in." Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti was equally encouraged by the senior receiver's performance. "(Paysinger) is a great player and we're going to miss him," he said. "But obviously Cameron Colvin stepped up last week which is really awesome for him and awesome for us."

Last season's loss

Last season the Ducks went to Berkeley in much the same situation as they find themselves this season: Undefeated and looking to make a case for themselves in the conference race and the BCS bowl hunt. After defeating the Ducks soundly 45-24, Cal went on to a 10-win season. The Ducks lost five of their next eight games to slide to a 7-6 finish. Bellotti said in his weekly press conference that he doesn't envision the same kind of downward slide for this season's team in the event of a loss. "To me it was a combination of a lot of things that maybe started in the Cal game, but in reality to me this team has learned from that," he said. "They are aware of what occurred last year, why it occurred, and how it occurred, and I think regardless of the outcome of this game we're a good football team. We're going to compete every single game."

One factor in last season's one-sided contest was what Cal was able to do to shut down Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart, who was held to 25 yards on 18 rushing attempts. This season, Bellotti expects to see different results based on the increased maturity Stewart has shown in his running style. "He's a very, very talented guy that each day is getting better as a running back," said Bellotti. "He's utilizing not just his speed but some subtle change of pace, setting the blocks up, seeing the field much, much better. He's a much, much improved running back from last year's Cal game."

New addition

New transfer Jamere Holland started classes and came to his first Duck football practice this week. Holland comes to Oregon from Southern California, where the SuperPrep All-American redshirted the 2006 football season and competed for the Trojan track team. NCAA rules prohibit him from taking part in this season but he will be eligible for 2008 as a sophomore.

San Jose Mercury: For Longshore, upcoming big games will be a test

This is it for Cal quarterback Nate Longshore. This is his chance to win a big road game, to become an elite quarterback, to take the Bears where they haven't been since 1959.

Starting with Saturday's showdown at Oregon and stretching into November, Cal plays four huge games that will determine its fate in the Pacific-10 Conference title race. Longshore, the junior from Canyon Country, is in charge. Is he up to the challenge of beating No. 11 Oregon, UCLA, No. 23 Arizona State and No. 1 USC?  In similar situations last year, he was not. Longshore struggled in the season-shaping games at Tennessee and USC, completing just 48 percent of his passes, with one touchdown and three interceptions. (In the other 11 games, he hit on 62 percent of his throws, with 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.) Granted, those were the toughest environments he has faced, against nasty, physical defenses. And he wasn't the only Cal player who wilted. But what Longshore will experience Saturday in Eugene is much closer to what he experienced in Knoxville and L.A. than to his other 16 starts.

The Ducks might not have the defensive ferocity that USC and Tennessee did, but they have a good secondary that will force Longshore to be precise. Autzen Stadium will be bedlam, requiring Longshore to communicate flawlessly at the line of scrimmage. And the pressure will be enormous, with ESPN's "Game Day" on hand, ABC broadcasting the game regionally and Rose  Bowl positioning in the balance. It's a huge game for the Bears - the kind of game that will require Longshore to make big plays in the fourth quarter and avoid killer mistakes in all quarters. "I've got so many talented guys around me, my job is to get them the ball in open space and let them do their thing," he said. "There isn't any extra pressure on me. I just have to get the ball to them and stay out of the way." If Longshore can do it at Oregon, you figure he can do it next month at UCLA and Arizona State and possibly against USC in November in what could be the biggest game in the modern era of Cal football. If he can do it in Eugene, the Bears have a chance for a special season, a Rose Bowl season. If he can't, then book those Holiday (or Sun) bowl flights now. Old and Young Blues have reason to be concerned - not only because of how Longshore played in big road games last season, but because of how he has played in several games this season. His decisions have been sound and his numbers aren't bad (63.3 completion percentage, only two interceptions). But he has thrown just five touchdown passes, and his longest completion to a receiver is 27 yards.

It's not like DeSean Jackson & Co. haven't been open. Cal's offense is all about space: using Justin Forsett and the running game to open up passing lanes. So far, Forsett has run well and the lanes have opened. But something's not quite right with the downfield passing game, and that something is the quarterback. "We've just missed some opportunities in games," Longshore said. "There have been some overthrows. I missed a few times." Those misfires haven't hurt the Bears so far. But they will hurt at Oregon, and at UCLA, and at Arizona State, and they will hurt the Bears against USC. For Cal to play on Jan. 1, Longshore must get sharp, and he must get sharp in a hurry.

 

Salem News: No. 11 Oregon and No. 6 Cal Ready for Epic Pac-10 Battle

EUGENE, Ore. - Saturday’s kickoff between No. 11 Oregon and No. 6 California at Autzen Stadium is set for 12:30 p.m. PDT. The game will be televised by ESPN on ABC.  Oregon leads the Pac-10 in rushing offense at 299.8 yards per game, more than 50 yards per game better than runnerup USC (244.7).   TB Jonathan Stewart is the Pac-10 individual leader at 125.8 yards per game.  Stewart rushed for 160 yards in win at Stanford last week and added 150 yards on four kickoff returns to account for 310 all-purpose yards.  In addition to leading the league in rushing, Stewart also leads in kickoff returns with a 31.9-yard average.  California coach Jeff Tedford served four years (1998-2001) as Oregon's offensive coordinator before taking over the helm at Berkeley. Golden Bears' six-game winning streak is longest among Pac-10 teams.

WR Lavelle Hawkins is tied for second in Pac-10 in receptions and fellow WR Robert Jordan has caught at least one pass in 34 consecutive games.   TB Justin Forsett is second in the Pac-10 in rushing at 121.0 yards per game and has topped the 100-yard mark in three of four games. He has scored touchdowns in five straight games.  Cal has scored 40 or more points in nine of its last 16 games, and are averaging 41.5 points per game this year.  The Bears have lost only four turnovers in four games, fewest in the Pac-10.

Cal's 28 first-quarter points in a 45-27 win against Arizona last week tied the school record for most points in a quarter against a Pac-10 team.  In Arizona game, QB Nate Longshore surpassed 4,000 career passing yards. He now stands a 4,004.

THE SERIES

California leads the all-time series, 37-30-2, but the Ducks have had the edge in recent years, taking eight of the last 10 meetings dating to 1994.  Oregon has a seven-game winning streak against Cal at Autzen Stadium, where the Bears last tasted victory (20-6) in 1987.  Last season, California capitalized on four UO turnovers and won 45-24 in Berkeley.

QUICK HITS

• ESPN College GameDay makes its second ever visit to Autzen Stadium, having last traveled to Eugene in 2000.

• Oregon ranks fourth nationally in rushing at 299.75 yards per game.

• JR RB Jonathan Stewart is seventh in the country in all-purpose yards (205.75 ypg) and 11th in rushing (125.75).

• Stewart’s first-half touchdown at Stanford was the 20th rushing TD of his career.

• The Ducks are 4-0 for the second consecutive season and sixth time in Mike Bellotti’s 13 seasons as head coach.

• Oregon has had at least one scoring play of 70 yards or more in all four games this season.

• SR QB Dennis Dixon has at least one passing AND rushing touchdown in every game in 2007.

• The Ducks have scored 11 or more points in the 1st quarter of every game this season.

• Oregon (48.5 ppg) and Cal (41.5 ppg) are the No. 1 and No. 3 scoring teams in the Pac-10, respectively.

DIXON NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAIN

For the second time this season, SR QB Dennis Dixon has been named the Pac-10’s offensive Player of the Week.  Dixon accounted for career-highs of five touchdowns (4 pass, 1 rush), 367 passing yards and 27 completions in leading Oregon to a 55-31 road win against Stanford on Sept. 22.  The senior from San Leandro, Calif., also took home the award in Week 2, following his four-touchdown performance in the Ducks’ 39-7 victory at Michigan.  Dixon is the first Duck to earn multiple offensive POTW awards in the same season since quarterback Joey Harrington in 2001 (Oct. 6 & Nov. 3).

ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY RETURNS TO EUGENE

ESPN College GameDay will produce its weekly college football preview show from the University of Oregon on Saturday morning preceding the Ducks’ home game vs. California.

The premier college football pre-game show, which has aired weekly on ESPN since its inception in 1989, features hosts Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit, and will air live from 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. (PDT).  The show began producing the telecast from college campuses around the country in 1993. Details surrounding the exact site of the production will be released early this week, with the general public encouraged to be part of the production free of charge.  It will mark the second Eugene appearance for the show, which includes features, predictions and highlights of some of this week’s top games from around the country, and the third time the Ducks have played a role in the network’s award-winning college football preview show.  The production’s last Oregon appearance occurred in 2000 when it made its first-ever appearance in the Pacific Northwest on Sept. 23 prior to the Oregon-UCLA game.

LIGHTNING STRIKES

Of Oregon’s 24 total drives resulting in touchdowns this season, six have taken 18 seconds or less, nine have occured in less than one minute and 15 have lasted fewer than 120 seconds.

AUTZEN ADVANTAGE

Oregon’s 41-year old facility has earned the reputation as one of the nation’s toughest college football venues for visiting teams.  The Ducks have produced a 58-16 record (.784) in Autzen Stadium in the 13th season under the direction of Mike Bellotti.  Since encountering an uncharacteristic 3-3 record at home in 2004, Oregon has bounced back to win 12 of its last 14 games on its home turf.  Since California’s last win in Eugene in 1987, the Ducks have prevailed in the last seven Autzen Stadium meetings between the two schools.

VS. THE TOP 25

Although Mike Bellotti-coached teams have accumulated a 21-22 record against Top 25-ranked opponents, the Ducks are 10-7 in Autzen Stadium since 1995 and 3-1 vs. the Top-10 at home during that same span. The only setback was dealt by then No. 1 ranked USC in 2005, 45-13.

ELITE VISITORS

Oregon has hosted an opponent ranked among the nation’s Top-10 on 20 occasions since Autzen Stadium opened in 1967, with the Ducks accumulating an 8-11-1 ledger.  USC’s 2005 win in Eugene snapped a five-game winning streak at home against elite visitors, with their 31-27 victory over Michigan in 2003 marking their last home win over a Top 10-ranked foe.  The Ducks have played 24 games under Bellotti where both Oregon and its opponent were ranked among the nation’s Top 25, with the Ducks accumulating a 14-10 mark on those occasions.

RUNNING IT UP

The Ducks have surpassed the 300-yard rushing mark in three of their four games this season, totaling 339 vs. Houston, 331 at Michigan and 307 vs. Fresno State.  That string of three straight marked the first time in the Mike Bellotti era that the Ducks put up more rushing yards than passing yards in three consecutive games.  Oregon has five games of 300-plus since the start of 2006 and the game against the Houston Cougars marked the highest total since setting the school record of 446 yards at Washington State Oct. 27, 2001.

BALL MAGNETS

In the first three games of the season the Ducks had a player recover a fumble AND record an interception.  SO CB Jairus Byrd did it in back-to-back games to start the year and SO CB Walter Thurmond III accomplished the feat Sept. 15 vs. Fresno State.  Thurmond returned his fumble recovery 25 yards for his first career touchdown.

HALF FULL

Oregon’s 42 first-half points vs. Fresno State were the most in a half by the Ducks since scoring 49 in the opening half of a 72-10 home victory over Nevada on Sept. 18, 1999.

RECORD RUSH

JR RB Jonathan Stewart set an Autzen Stadium record for the longest run in the venue’s history with his 88-yard touchdown vs. Fresno State on Sept. 15.  The carry was also the second longest in school history behind a 92-yard gallop by Bob Smith in 1938.

TURNOVER TURNAROUND

A year ago, the Ducks turned the football over 32 times (including 25 times in the last nine games) to finish 109th in the country (out of 119 schools) in turnover margin.  Through the first four games this year, the Ducks have benefited from 12 opponents’ turnovers while coughing the ball up themselves only five times to rank tied for sixth in the country in turnover margin (1.75).

PUNTING PROFICIENCY

Not since 2002 has Oregon climbed out of the bottom half of the Pac-10 rankings in net punting.  Yet the Ducks hope to change that.  Ranking 15th in the country as a team, Oregon is currently tops in the conference (39.0-yard average) while junior newcomer Josh Syria finds himself tied for 30th nationally (42.8-yard avg.) and second in the Pac-10.

CENTURY MARK PROVES KEY

The Ducks are 9-0 since the start of 2006 when they have a 100-yard rusher.  JR RB Jonathan Stewart has managed the feat eight times - most recently at Stanford - while SR QB Dennis Dixon accounts for the other. In the eight other games, UO is 2-6.

 

ESPN: With multitude of options, Jackson isn't a one-man show at Cal

By Ted Miller

Oregon coach Mike Bellotti has been asked to explain what most worries him about California's offense, and he almost breaks out into a Woody Allen routine.  Kvetch, kvetch, kvetch.  Who can blame him? A few minutes of watching film of the Golden Bears' offense makes even a hard-nosed football coach wring his hands like a Manhattan intellectual ritualistically reviewing a litany of worries.   Oy vey! It's not just DeSean Jackson, is it coach? "We're just as concerned about [running back] Justin Forsett," Bellotti said. "He's the guy who makes that offense go."   Fair enough. Forsett is second in the Pac-10 with 121 yards rushing per game and is tied for the lead with seven touchdowns. Not to take anything away from Jackson. "DeSean is the most explosive player in Division I football," Bellotti said.

But he's not the only one. There are also receivers Lavelle Hawkins, who leads the team in receptions with 25, and Robert Jordan, who's caught a pass in 34 consecutive games. And don't forget speedster freshman tailback Jahvid Best, who averages 12.4 yards per carry. "They've all got great speed and are playmakers," Bellotti said.  What about the quarterback, junior Nate Longshore, who's already surpassed 4,000 career yards passing. "Nate Longshore is the triggerman," Bellotti said.  The sum total is nearly 42 points per game and a lot of kvetching from opposing coaches and their defensive coordinators. So many things to fret about. What's a defense to do?  Of course, Bellotti might be playing a little possum. His offense, after all, averages 49 points per game, and his 11th-ranked team will be playing inside the friendly confines of frenzied Autzen Stadium when the No. 6 Bears come calling Saturday (ABC, 3:30 ET).  Cal hasn't won in Eugene since 1987.

The consensus is the winner becomes the leading potential foil for top-ranked USC in the conference, stakes that are big enough to attract ESPN's "GameDay" troika for a rare West Coast swing. Jackson began the year as The Show. He was a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, a 1,000-yard receiver in 2006 who'd already returned five punts for touchdowns. He took a sixth to the house in the season-opening pounding of Tennessee, a highlight-reel, lickety-split number that left the Volunteers -- and a national television audience -- gaping.

But Jackson also hurt his thumb during Cal's 45-31 victory, and that has limited his production. Remember: Without an opposable thumb, humans would just have paws, which are not conducive for gripping a football when opponents are pummeling you.  That's how Cal's offense ended up more like the "X-Men" instead of Batman and a handful of Robins.

It starts with Longshore, the wisecracking, loosey-goosey quarterback who dyed his hair blue during the preseason, though he breezily dismisses his primacy in the offense. "I've got so many talented guys that my responsibility is to get them the ball in open space and let them do their thing," he said. "I don't think there's much pressure on me. It's more I get it to them and stay out of the way."  He got in Oregon's way a bit last year, throwing three touchdowns passes and running for another in a 45-24 blowout victory, a game that started the then-unbeaten Ducks downward spiral from a No. 11 ranking to a 7-6 finish, capped by a humiliating 38-8 defeat to BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Longshore keeps everyone loose. For example, he enjoys entertaining his huddled teammates during lengthy television timeouts. During the Tennessee game, he related to them how he'd run into a gaggle of Vols fans, clad head-to-toe in orange, who started jawing when they spied his Cal hat at a Berkeley restaurant two days before the game.  "They didn't know who I was," Longshore recalled. "They were just busy telling me how they were going to stomp all over us. I asked them if they wore those [orange] shirts on the weekends to go hunting, but they didn't think that was too funny."

Forsett knows all about on-field humor. Opposing defensive players tend to find his size -- 5-foot-8, 196 pounds -- amusing. They call him "5-3", a knock on his height, or "little man." Until he starts gashing them. Oregon knows all about Forsett, who's rushed for more than 2,000 yards at Cal, despite spending the previous two seasons backing up Marshawn Lynch. He contributed 163 of the Bears' 235 yards on the ground against the Ducks last year. The most improved player of the bunch is surely Hawkins, whose 25 receptions ranks second in the conference. His summer work with Longshore ensured he wouldn't merely become Jackson's sidekick.   Jordan is the steady one. Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 a year ago, he leads the Bears with 30 starts and 121 career receptions. Oh, and the freshman? Best is only one of the nation's fastest players, see his 10.31 100 meters that won the California state championship last spring, though Longshore uses another measure to note Best's raw speed. "His face jiggles funny when he runs," Longshore said. "Anytime your face is moving like that when you run, you've got to be moving."

Most teams have tried to roll their coverages toward Jackson, using a safety or linebacker to provide help "over the top," as coaches are wont to say. It hasn't worked, a fact that Arizona coach Mike Stoops bemoaned after losing 45-27 at Cal. The Wildcats muted Jackson, but that left gaps for the other guys to slip through.  Or, as Hawkins said, "DeSean, he can go the distance. Every time Forsett touches the ball, he can go the distance. Robert Jordan, he can go the distance. Jahvid? Any of those guys. We all can go the distance." For an opposing coach, to paraphrase Woody Allen, that can divide a game between the horrible and the miserable.

Oregonian: The glue in Dixon's game

With his offensive scheme, Chip Kelly is hoping to take Oregon's quarterback to Heisman-like levels

JOHN HUNT

EUGENE -- Chip Kelly knew the knock. It was noon, and his quarterbacks meeting was scheduled for 1:40 p.m. It could only be one guy.  "Hey, D, couple minutes," Oregon's offensive coordinator said to his prized pupil, quarterback Dennis Dixon. "You going to be in the film room?"  Yes, Dixon was going to the film room. Without the film room and without Kelly, Oregon's quarterback would not be a Heisman Trophy candidate or among the nation's leaders in passer rating or about to play his fifth game of the season without having thrown an interception.  And, yes, this is Cal week -- the showdown of unbeatens, the sixth-ranked California Golden Bears and the No. 11 Ducks is Saturday, complete with ESPN "College GameDay" coverage -- but it could be any week. Dixon, the formerly maligned quarterback, is eager to learn from Kelly, the coach from the Football Championship Subdivision who has quickly proved himself eager to teach.  To most, Kelly is Oregon's offensive coordinator, but the part of his job title that usually is left off is perhaps the most important part: quarterbacks coach.  In the two months since he returned from playing professional baseball, Dixon has formed a bond with Kelly. Together, they have lifted the Ducks to No. 7 in the nation in total offense heading into Saturday's game, which promises to be a celebration of offense (the teams are combining to average 90 points a game).

"I don't know if people have the right perception of him," Kelly said of Dixon, who has earned his degree and is taking graduate classes. "He studies as hard as anybody I've ever coached. He really works at the Xs and Os aspect of the game."  Just as he helped interview Kelly before coach Mike Bellotti hired him in the offseason, Dixon has a say in what plays Kelly calls.  "It really doesn't matter what I like, because I'm not throwing the ball," Kelly said. "It's what does he feel comfortable doing, or what does he like? He's the one who's going to execute it.  "You can be a great scheme guy and call these great plays, but if the guy throws the ball in the dirt, you can't just say, 'Well, the guy was open.' You figure out why he's throwing the ball in the dirt."  From the day he was hired away from the University of New Hampshire, Kelly has evaded questions about any confidence Dixon lost after losing the starting job last season. Kelly's stock response: "I wasn't here last year."

Part of it was that Kelly wanted to form his own opinion and part of it was that he knew what he had, after talking to Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen, a good friend and fellow native of Manchester, N.H.  While at Utah under current Gators coach Urban Meyer, Mullen recruited Dixon to be the Utes' next quarterback after Alex Smith, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft.  "We recruited him hard," Mullen said of Dixon. "I told Chip he's the guy we really wanted at Utah. He's perfect for the system."  To label Kelly's and Mullen's systems as spread-option might be a little simplistic. They are creative, attacking offenses that are fun to watch.  "I think we both enjoy trying to do things a little different from the ordinary," Mullen said. "We run sound offenses, traditional offenses schematically, but with outside-the-box thinking.  They might spread it to run, pack it in tight to pass -- heck, they might try a Statue of Liberty play and fake another on national television against Michigan.

"It's kind of staying ahead of the curve," Mullen said. "Both of us have kind of found the path. This way of doing things has been successful for both of us."  Kelly's offenses at New Hampshire, where he played and then had served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach since 1999, averaged more than 400 yards per game in seven of his eight seasons. It was all spread-option and no-huddle.  "I don't think you're necessarily married to a system," said Kelly, 43, who is single but whose fiancee is due in town soon. "It's just about moving the football, and there's a lot of different ways to do it."  Take California coach Jeff Tedford, for example. Tedford, an offensive coordinator under Bellotti from 1998-2001 who calls his own plays now, flirted with the spread offense last season before sticking with basically the same offense the Ducks used to run. Spread or no, Kelly admires Tedford's work.  "If you don't look and study those guys, then you're probably hindering yourself, because there are always things to learn," Kelly said.

Kelly's offense is fast-paced, unpredictable, at times flashy, but stubbornly dedicated to establishing the run. The Ducks are fourth in the nation in rushing (300 yards per game), and Saturday's game features not only the top two threats to USC in the Pacific-10 Conference, but also the conference's top two rushers in Oregon's Jonathan Stewart (126 yards per game) and Cal's Justin Forsett (121).  Tedford, too, is well-grounded -- Forsett is on pace to put up the 10th 1,000-yard season by a Cal running back in Tedford's six seasons.  In off-field personality, there are few similarities. Kelly is the fast-talking East Coaster; Tedford, the laid-back Californian. But the common thread as coaches -- one that Tedford has proved through the years and Kelly appears likely to share -- is the ability to coach quarterbacks.  "They are capable of not only directing an offensive scheme but coaching up the quarterback in that scheme and making it something that those young men understand," Bellotti said. "The quarterbacks become one with the offense. I think that's what happened to Dennis, and certainly Jeff has had great success."  In his 15 years at Cal, Oregon and Fresno State (1992-97), Tedford has developed six NFL first-round draft picks: Trent Dilfer, Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, David Carr, Kyle Boller and Aaron Rodgers.  Under Kelly at New Hampshire last season, Ricky Santos won the Walter Payton Award, given to the top offensive player in -the Football Championship Subdivision. And the strides so far with Dixon, in his senior season, have been remarkable -- although, as Bellotti points out, Dixon was just as impressive last year before the Ducks' debacle at Cal.

Dixon's defining moment so far this season -- even more than his 80-yard touchdown run against Houston -- was his nine-yard scoring run at Michigan off of the fake Statue of Liberty play.  Kelly denied that the national television audience had anything to do with that play call.  "If you saw the Towson game in 2004 versus the University of New Hampshire with 4,000 people in the stands, you would have seen the same play," he said.  Oregon borrowed a play -- a quarterback keeper off a fake handoff to a receiver -- from Kelly's New Hampshire offense last season, before Kelly was hired. Mullen borrows from Kelly, and vice versa. Kelly and his Oregon predecessor, Gary Crowton, exchanged ideas throughout last season.  The term "guru" might be a little cliche when used about offensive coordinators, but "junkie" might not, Bellotti said.  "They have to be junkies, football junkies," Bellotti said. "They have to really eat, live, sleep football, because they are the guys that are creative within the box and also have to think outside the box. Chip does that."

The spread-option thinking might be outside the box, but it's also inside a close circle, not that Kelly is afraid to share. At times in open practices early in the week, Kelly breaks out some creative plays that have not made it into any game.  "I call them high-maintenance plays," Kelly said. "If you've got to run it three, four, five times, you probably should just get rid of it and call something else."  For Dixon's lesson plan on this day, Kelly is preparing "cut-ups," video of plays broken down by any situation imaginable -- third downs, blitzes, plays from the left hash, etc. -- that come as rapid-fire as they do in Kelly's real-life, no-huddle offense. Bellotti said this computer literacy was one reason behind Kelly's hiring.  "Hey, I still type with two fingers," Kelly said, as he prepared to join Dixon in the film room.  It is time to become more at one with the offense.  "The thing about football that I've always loved is that you get out of it what you put into it," Kelly said. "Dennis' success is not a surprise to me, because I've seen how hard he's worked at it. He's getting out of it on Saturdays exactly what he's put into it."

 

Oregonian: Halftime Magic

The halftime sledgehammer - that tool that Oregon coach Mike Bellotti used so successfully two years ago to urge his players to pound the opponent into submission - certainly did its job.  This year, maybe the coaches are using a brick - as in, a brick wall - because compared to the first half, the Ducks defense has been positively impenetrable in the second. Consider this... Oregon's rush defense has been porous in the first half. That rubber band defense? Oh snap.

Teams vs. Oregon in first half: 92 rushes, 493 yards (5.36 ypc), 5 TDs.

Teams vs. Oregon in second half: 69 rushes, 166 yards (2.41 ypc), 1 TD.

"Sometimes a good talking to changes things,'' defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti said. "Sometimes an opportunity to settle down and go over things helps.''

Register Guard: UO's pass defense rests with Byrd and Thurmond

Conversations about great cornerback tandems in the last two decades at Oregon usually start with Alex Molden and Kenny Wheaton in 1994, and end with Rashad Bauman and Steve Smith in 2001.   Go ahead and add another duo to the discussion. This year's starting twosome of Jairus Byrd and Walter Thurmond III, each just a sophomore, is earning itself a place among Oregon's great cornerback crews. Through four games this season, neither has allowed a passing touchdown.  Opposing wide receivers have just two touchdown receptions against the No. 11 Ducks this fall, both against safeties. Only one was by the great receiver combination at Michigan that included Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington.  Until this week, that was the best receiving corps Oregon has faced this season. That will change at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, when the Ducks (4-0) are visited by No. 6 California (4-0) and its trio of DeSean Jackson, Lavelle Hawkins and Robert Jordan.

"They pose a lot of challenges with their speed and ability to stretch the field," Byrd said. "It'll be a test, but I think we're up for it."  They've been game for everything else thrown at them the past two years. Byrd joined Thurmond in the starting lineup for the third game last fall, and they're on track to start their 15th game together against the Bears.  They go about their jobs in different ways. Byrd, at 6-foot and 208 pounds, is the more physical of the two, favoring press coverage so he can chuck his man at the line and bump him off his route. Thurmond, 6-foot and 185 pounds, is smaller and faster, preferring to play off his man and use his closing speed to make up open space.  "They both kind of know their strengths and weaknesses and play to them," UO defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti said. "And they're both real confident. Confident guys that have short-term memories can be great corners."  Added UO coach Mike Bellotti: "They look different on the field, but the results are very similar. ... I think they have the abilities to give them a chance to go to the next level.

"What you look for in a corner is a person that can cover, a person that understands where the ball is, a person who will make a tackle and a person that has the confidence to play regardless of what happened on the last play. Those guys have that."  For both Byrd and Thurmond, their devotion to the mental side of the game sets them apart in the eyes of coaches.  Bellotti, Aliotti and UO defensive backs coach John Neal all spoke of intelligence, pride, competitiveness and toughness when describing their cornerbacks.

And, Neal said, "They have that little magic about whatever it is that makes them a good football player or good athlete on the field. They have all the ingredients."  What neither has is the kind of bravado typical of players in their position, like Bauman. Thurmond is a bit more outgoing than Byrd, but neither wastes much energy talking trash or clowning with teammates.  Rather, they spend time analyzing film together, and trading tips on opposing receivers. Byrd sticks to the left side of the field and Thurmond to the right against a typical offensive formation, so they're switching among different receivers throughout most games.

"We're pretty similar, like to joke around and have fun," Thurmond said. "We know that, when it's time to work, we're both ready to go to work. But when you're not having fun, it takes away from the game."  Thurmond pointed out that "fun" in their terms involves competition. In particular, they seem to relish physical contact more than most corners.

Through four games, Thurmond is third on the team with 33 tackles, and Byrd is sixth with 19. They've also combined for three interceptions and three fumble recoveries. "A lot of corners don't like to get their hands dirty," Thurmond said. "We like to be like safeties and go make tackles. We love it."  They should have ample chances to test those tackling abilities this week. Besides a stable of talented wideouts, the Bears boast the Pac-10's second-leading rusher, Justin Forsett. Byrd and Thurmond will surely be asked to help stop runs to the outside. And the Ducks need to decide whether they can afford to drop their safeties into run coverage, and leave their cornerbacks alone on the outside against the pass.

Of the two, Thurmond seems to have drawn more attention from opposing offenses this fall. By playing off receivers, he has been susceptible to underneath routes, though he has responded with eight pass breakups and an interception. His per-game average of 2.25 passes defended is third in the nation.  Neal doesn't think the opposition had necessarily been picking on Thurmond over Byrd so far this season. And if that changes this week, he said, so be it.  "Maybe Cal will go after one of them," Neal said. "We'll see. Let them come. We've got to accept the challenge, no matter which one gets the opportunity."

 

Oregon Daily Emerald: Slow start doesn't change Jackson's potent abilities

The junior wideout is still a threat to break the big one on any play

By: Doug Bonham

"DeSean Jackson, when healthy, is the best offensive weapon in the world."  Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti's strong statement this week is warranted given the permanent threat that Jackson - California's 6-foot, 172-pound junior wide receiver from Los Angeles - poses opponents, both on offense and as a returner on special teams. Even with relatively modest statistics, the preseason Heisman Trophy candidate Jackson still is the game-changer for Cal.  Jackson has, in a backward way, helped out the rest of the Bears' offense by taking a lot of the focus. This has allowed senior wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins to lead the team in receiving (Jackson is second), and, combined with Cal's strong offensive line, made senior running back Justin Forsett the Pacific-10 Conference's second-leading rusher behind Oregon's Jonathan Stewart. "I'm sure that people are aware of where he (Jackson) is and try to keep help to that side, to a degree," Bellotti said.

That goes double for special teams. Jackson is an electrifying punt and kickoff returner, with six career punt returns for touchdowns. His return for a touchdown in the opening day 45-31 victory over Tennessee is still one of the best highlights of the season and looks like something straight out of NCAA 08.  Jackson's decline in production hasn't hurt the Bears too much, though - California is still averaging 41.5 points per game, third in the Pac-10 behind the Ducks and USC, and winning by an average margin of 17 points per game. For that, Forsett can be thanked - he is second in total yards and average yards per game this season, and leads the conference in rushing touchdowns. Hawkins and Forsett are third and fourth in all-purpose yards in the conference as well.  "You have to stop the running game," Bellotti said. "To my mind, Justin Forsett is the thing that makes that thing go. He's the cog that is always there - you always have to guard against him because he's a tough runner that is small enough to hide behind things, so you don't see him." The Ducks couldn't stop Forsett last year. In their matchup in Berkeley, Calif., last season, Forsett ran for 163 yards and one touchdown in the then-No. 16 Bears' blowout 45-24 win over the then-No. 11 Ducks. He is vital to the Bears; when he was rested in Cal's game last week against Arizona, a 25-point early lead evaporated down to a gap of just nine points. Forsett returned to the game to score a touchdown, and finished with 117 rushing yards.

Keeping all of those options in check is going to be a large task for the Ducks and Bellotti. "Their offensive line forces you to stop the run, and that opens up the throwing lanes," Bellotti said. "So I think we have to be very careful in how we approach this, about making sure we don't commit too much and create too many islands." "We're just trying to slow them down," said cornerback Walter Thurmond III, "and try to get a hand on them." That sort of attitude may seem defeatist to Oregon fans, but considering the size and skills of Cal's receivers, slowing them down for at least one drive may prove decisive. In a matchup between two high-powered offenses that may prove to be a basketball-style race to 50 points, one stop could prove to be the difference between a win and a loss - for either side.

And with all of the offensive talent on hand between both teams - three of the conference's best rushers in Stewart, Jeremiah Johnson and Forsett, two of the conference's more poised passers in Dennis Dixon and Nate Longshore, and a bundle of the best receivers - those lucky enough to get tickets to Autzen Stadium for Saturday's game are likely to see a high scoring contest. Jackson may even get his first receiving touchdown of the season to justify the double teams and punts to the sidelines.

San Jose Mercury: Is Cal-Oregon the biggest game of the Tedford era?

By Jon Wilner

Was trying to get a handle on this lil’ old tussle in Eugene (latest weather forecast: cloudy and 65).  Trying to get a handle on just how big it is — as big as the hype, bigger than the hype … dramatically overhyped? And then it hit me: It’s not the biggest game of the Jeff Tedford era at Cal, but it would be the biggest win. There have been a bunch of big games, games with Pac-10 title and BCS repercussions. And the Bears have lost them all, except the Tennessee game to start this season.  But that was at home. And Tennessee might not be that good. And it had no impact on the Pac-10 title and only a moderate impact on Cal getting to the Rose Bowl. So it was a big game, yes, but not a huge win — not now, not yet. But think about the other “big” games in the Tedford era:

* At USC in 2004 (for Pac-10 supremacy/Rose Bowl/BCS) — 23-17 loss

* At UCLA in 2005 (Cal was unbeaten and ranked 10th) — 47-40 loss

* At Tennessee in 2006 (Cal was No. 9 and thinking BCS title) — 35-18 loss

* At USC in 2006 (Rose Bowl at stake) — 23-9 loss

All on the road, all losses.  Which brings us to Saturday, in Eugene, against the No. 11 Ducks, with ESPN GameDay there and ABC’s cameras rolling. No, the Rose Bowl is not on the line. There are too many games left, and USC is standing in the way. But for the Bears, this is the first in a series of games they must win to get to USC, to make that Nov. 10 home date with the Trojans something consequential, something enormous. If they lose Saturday, then this was another important road game that ended in defeat — like the ones listed above. But if they win, it’s big … the biggest road win of the Tedford era, for certain.  Not because of what it does, but because of what it could enable Cal to do.

San Jose Mercury: Cal receiver has some catching up to do

It's not his fault: Defenses focusing on Cal standout

By Jonathan Okanes

Cal has one of the most dynamic offenses in the country, ranking 15th in scoring at 41.5 points per game. The No. 6 Bears also feature one of the most exciting players in college football, preseason Heisman Trophy candidate DeSean Jackson.  Surely, there is a correlation, right? Sort of. While Jackson certainly has made an impact through the first four games, it has been more as a decoy. Defenses are focused on stopping the wide receiver, and that's opening more of the field for others to make plays. "He obviously is a playmaker. We have to find ways to get him the ball," quarterback Nate Longshore said. "But at the same time, if the defense takes that away, I don't think that will stop us from reaching our full potential." Receiver Lavelle Hawkins has been the biggest beneficiary of the attention Jackson is drawing. Hawkins has caught 25 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears also have been running well, led by tailback Justin Forsett, who ranks second in the Pacific-10 at 121 yards per game. "For us to be successful, we need to try to get the ball into his hands a little bit more," Coach Jeff Tedford said of Jackson. "It's not that we haven't been trying. It's just sometimes they take it away. You can't be foolish and force things just to prove a point. But it would be nice to have him a little bit more a part of the game plan as we move forward here."

Jackson led the Bears with 59 catches for   1,060 yards and nine touchdowns last season, but this year he has just 17 receptions for 151 yards heading into Saturday's showdown at No. 11 Oregon. Jackson also has been hampered by a sprained thumb for most of the season.  “I'm not too worried about it," Jackson said. "Obviously, I want to touch the ball as much as possible. All I can do is keep practicing and come to the games prepared. A lot of defenses are focusing on me. It's just one of those things I have to deal with. I'm not mad. I'm not upset."

Jackson kept himself on the Heisman radar with an electrifying 77-yard punt return for a touchdown in the season opener against Tennessee and a 73-yard run for a score on an end-around against Colorado State. But over the past two games against Louisiana Tech and Arizona, he has just eight catches for 67 yards and minus-7 yards on four punt returns.  "I'm not caught up in the Heisman too much," Jackson said. "I've just got to be ready to make something happen at any given time. This is a big game this week and anything can happen. If my number is called, I have to be ready to make a big play. If I keep making big plays, the Heisman is still going to be there for me." The mystery is if and when opponents will stop paying extra attention to Jackson because other players are hurting them. As the Bears' numbers on offense demonstrate, the approach hasn't been working. "It probably will come back to DeSean at some point because I don't know that they can continue to leave the other guys open like they're doing," Tedford said.

• Linebacker Zack Follett (neck) and fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou (knee) will not play Saturday, Tedford said. Defensive tackle Matt Malele (foot) will return after missing last week's game.

 

Oregon Daily Emerald: Oregon hosts California in a marquee matchup that has attracted the national spotlight

By: Kevin Hudson | Sports Reporter

Saturday's game between No. 6 California and No. 11 Oregon is the biggest game for the Ducks so far this season and possibly the biggest in the last several seasons in terms of national media attention and early conference title implications.  "We are undefeated as is Cal and certainly this is a big game for a lot of reasons," said Oregon coach Mike Bellotti. Oregon (4-0, 1-0 Pacific-10 Conference) went to Cal (4-0, 1-0 Pac-10) undefeated through four games last season and were beaten convincingly, 45-24. With that in mind, and the national spotlight on Eugene this weekend, players have said that a lack of focus shouldn't be a factor for them this week. The game, set to start at 12:30 p.m. at Autzen Stadium, is being broadcast regionally on ABC.  "It's another big game and this is why we came to Oregon is to play big games like this," said senior linebacker Kwame Agyeman. "I think everyone understands what kind of a practice week we need to have and what kind of effort we need to put in after practice as far as studying film and stuff like that."

As for any lingering effects of last weekend's second quarter, Agyeman said the team will use it as a learning experience. "At the moment it wasn't a good thing at all, but it was a good thing I guess if you look at it at the end," he said. "We just have to know that we can't let up on anybody. We know that we are capable of killing ourselves but we're also capable of doing things like the third and the fourth quarter and just dominating a team."  And while this is the kind of marquee matchup college football junkies love, it may not be the typical high-scoring, field-stretching affair that many have come to expect from Pacific-10 Conference football, as both teams have shown a penchant for running the ball. The Ducks have been more effective on the ground, averaging about 80 yards more per game than the Bears, and Cal coach Jeff Tedford believes that the best way to defend against Oregon's offense is to run the football, control the clock, and keep the ball away from them.

"They really haven't been slowed down," said Tedford. "I don't know that you're going to stop them but hopefully we can contain them a little bit. We're going to have to do a good job on offense to help keep our defense off the field."  This is a significant strategic adjustment for a team that, much like Oregon, tends to score quickly. This season, the Bears have 11 scoring drives of two minutes or less, along with seven drives that lasted less than one minute. A punt return touchdown, a kickoff return touchdown and two fumbles returned for scores added to the quick drives gives Cal 15 scores in less than two minutes.  But despite periods of solid play shown by the Oregon run defense, Tedford believes that it can be exploited.  "I think people have had some good runs against them," he said. "Some of it happens late in the game when they make some substitutions because they've had big leads and given up some big plays."  Tedford's faith in the Cal running game centers around senior tailback Justin Forsett, who hung 163 yards and a touchdown on the Ducks last year in Berkeley.  Forsett comes into this weekend with seven touchdowns and an average of 121 rushing yards per game. "He has taken some hits and he's bouncing up," said Tedford of Forsett. "He doesn't go down very easily, you're going to have to bring him to the ground. You're not just going to be able to bump into him and bring him down."

San Jose Mercury: Cal-Oregon preview: Are the DBs ready for the onslaught?

By Jon Wilner

I ask that question of both sets of defensive backs.  From what I’ve seen, Oregon has a slight edge in the secondary. It has good cover corners and solid safeties. (The Ducks always have good cover corners, it seems, and sophomores Jairus Byrd and Walter Thurmond might turn out to be their best tandem since Alex Molden and Kenny Wheaton.)

Cal’s defensive backs are veterans, too, but it seems like there have more wide-open receivers than maybe there should be.    I know, I know, Arizona’s passing numbers (309 yards) were inflated because of the attempts (61) — the yards-per-attempt was actually low — and that the Cats didn’t compete a pass longer than 29 yards. But look at it this way, Bears fans: The Oregon offense is twice as good as Arizona’s, maybe even three times as good. The Ducks are more efficient, more versatile, have more playmakers, a much better quarterback and a much better running game. Cal’s defensive coordinator, Bob Gregory, is one of the best in the Pac-10 — he has never gotten enough credit in Berkeley because of the scoreboard-busting, attention-grabbing Jeff Tedford offense — and Gregory often employs the “bend-but-don’t-break” approach.

But based on what I’ve seen, I wonder if Cal’s defensive backs can stay with Oregon’s receivers. The Bears will have to commit so many bodies to containing Jonathan Stewart and Dennis Dixon that the corners and safeties will be in dangerous man-to-man situations. Then again, the same could be said of Oregon’s DBs, who will face an array of playmakers like they have not seen this season. Cal has a ton of speed, a playbook that makes use of that speed and a running game that accentuates it.  If Justin Forsett runs effectively, that will open passing lanes for DeSean Jackson and friends, put them in space in one-on-one matchups with the Ducks corners. How does Oregon plan to contain Cal?

“We’re going to mix man and zone to keep them off-balanced,” Ducks Coach Mike Bellotti said.  But Bellotti made it clear that stopping Forsett is Oregon’s priority (and concern).

“He makes them go. He’s a tough runner, and he’s small enough to hide behind things. he forces you to stop the run. “That opens the throwing lanes. We have to be careful not to commit too much and create islands” (ie: leave Thurmond and Byrd in too many one-on-one situations). The point — and it has taken me, what?, 18 paragraphs to get to it — is that the game could very well hinge on which sets of cornerbacks do the best job in man-to-man coverage. It only takes one gaffe to change the game, and it only takes one moment of brilliance to win it.

Daily Cal: Bears, Ducks to Rumble in Saturday Exhibit at Autzen Zoo

Cal to Face Its Highest-Ranked Opponent So Far in 2007 as Underdogs in Eugene, Ore.

BY Steffi Chan

Tailback Justin Forsett has not paid too much attention to the No. 11 Oregon football team so far this season.  In fact, besides studying film this week, Forsett hasn’t seen any of the Ducks in action since last year’s 45-24 blowout victory.  That is, save for one.   A few months ago, Forsett and Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart both participated in the indoor 60 meter race during track and field season.  “I know he’s fast—I ran against him in track indoors, so I know he can move,” Forsett said of Stewart, the Pac-10’s leading rusher. “We weren’t in the same heat but it was the same race. He had the faster time.”  Saturday, Forsett will compete with Stewart on a different turf when the No. 6 Cal football team takes on the Ducks at 12:30 p.m., at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.

Both teams are aware of the massive implications of tomorrow’s matchup, out of which only one of the two ranked teams can emerge with a still-spotless record and a probable shot at the conference title.  “This will be definitely the toughest game we’ve played so far. I feel like every week is a tough game, but this game is more important because we have that rivalry with Oregon,” cornerback Brandon Hampton said. “They have a great team and they’ll be right in the running for the Pac-10 during the end of the season. We’ve got to win this game early.”   After their victory over Arizona last week, the Bears players have reiterated the fact that they have yet to play a complete game. If Cal (4-0, 1-0 in the Pac-10) were ever to fulfill such a task, there may be no better time than Saturday.  Meanwhile, neither history nor environment is on the Bears’ side. Cal has not won in at Autzen Stadium—an infamously hostile venue for opposing teams—since 1987.  “The crowd there is unbelievably educated about when to be loud and when to calm down when they have the ball,” coach Jeff Tedford said. “It’s a very tough environment.”

On paper, the Ducks (4-0, 1-0) will undoubtedly present the Bears their greatest challenge yet. Led by dual-threat quarterback Dennis Dixon—who has improved by leaps and bounds from last season and now leads the Pac-10 in pass efficiency—Oregon is first in the conference in scoring offense, rushing offense and total offense.  Dixon, a senior, has amassed 291 yards on the ground with four touchdowns, and 932 yards through the air for 11 more—already surpassing his 14 scores in 2006.  “(Dixon) is in his comfort-zone right now. He has great weapons around him, a great offensive line—they’re running the ball very well—and he has great receivers. He’s such a threat because when they have the running game, they can throw the football and then he can pull it down and run,” Tedford said. “It’s a scary group.”  Slowing down the Ducks offense doesn’t look as if it’ll be an easy task for Cal’s defense. The group that has shown weakness against much less dangerous offenses, and will be without defensive end Rulon Davis (foot) and linebacker Zack Follett (neck).  If the Bears defense cannot stop the Ducks' attack, the game may very well turn into a highly anticipated fireworks show, as Cal is not short on offensive weapons by any means, putting up 41.5 points per game, third in the Pac-10.

“If we are going to win, it’s going to be on our offense,” said wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who has been hampered by a thumb injury but said he’s 95-percent recovered. “We are going to have to score a lot of points.”  Oregon coach Mike Bellotti is quite familiar with what Jackson can do, after the wideout twice burned the Ducks for a score last season, returning a punt 65 yards to the end zone and receiving a 35-yard touchdown pass.  “I would say that Cal’s receivers are the best we’ve faced, by far,” Bellotti said. “This is a very potent offense.”  To combat the Bears’ offensive arsenal—which will be without fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou—Oregon will employ a mix of man and zone defenses.

“We have to be careful with what (we) do,” Bellotti said. “You also have to stop the running game. In my mind Justin Forsett is the thing that makes them go.  “I think we have to be very careful when we approach this about making sure we don’t come in too much, making too many islands for our DBs versus wide receivers.”

USA Today: Forsett rushes into limelight at California

By Kelly Whiteside, USA TODAY

For Justin Forsett, February 2004 arrived with no place to sign on the dotted line.

The 5-8 running back assumed he was headed to Notre Dame, but the Irish offered scholarships to two bigger running backs. Which was news to him.   It would be easy to say Forsett, now a senior at California, had the last laugh. Notre Dame is 0-4. The school where he landed is 4-0. But holding grudges isn't Forsett's nature.  "It was a tremendous blessing for me to end up where I am," he says. "At the time I couldn't see it. I didn't know where I'd be after Notre Dame turned me down, and it definitely hurt. But God works in mysterious ways, and there couldn't be a better place than here."  So how did Forsett get from nowhere to here? From castoff to Cal's most valuable player so far as the No. 6 Golden Bears head into Saturday's critical game at No. 12 Oregon?  Before signing day in 2004, Notre Dame's running backs coach at the time, Buzz Preston, visited Forsett and his father, Rodney, and mother, Abby, at his high school, Grace Prep in Arlington, Texas. According to the Forsetts, Preston said Notre Dame would have a scholarship for him.

"We left the meeting feeling wonderful because we were on our way to Notre Dame," says Rodney, a minister.   About a week before signing day, Justin called Notre Dame, then coached by Tyrone Willingham. "I hadn't heard from them in a while," he says. "They told me they didn't need me anymore."  Preston, now at New Mexico, says the Irish never offered Forsett a scholarship. It wasn't for lack of ability; the Irish simply were looking for taller backs. This much was certain: Forsett was blindsided by the news. "Forsett loses lone offer," read the headline on the Rivals.com recruiting site on Jan. 28, 2004. After signing day passed, Forsett's high school coach, Mike Barber, a former NFL player, feverishly sent more highlight tapes to coaches around the country. None of the schools in Texas or Florida, where Forsett played his first two years of high school football, were interested. "Nothing. Nobody. Even Baylor didn't want him," Rodney says. South Carolina State was an option, but Forsett's goal was to play Division I-A. Forsett's highlight tape landed at Cal. "We watched his tape and thought this is too good to be true," coach Jeff Tedford says. "There's got to be something wrong with this kid. There's a skeleton in the closet somewhere. So we thoroughly investigated everything about him and brought him here with his father, and he's the greatest kid you ever want to meet."

For the past three seasons, Forsett fully embraced his backup role to J.J. Arrington and Marshawn Lynch. "Not one complaint," Cal running backs coach Ron Gould says. "All he did was come out and work." To prepare for the leading role this year and the physical punishment that comes with it, Forsett added about 15 pounds of muscle and is now about 200 pounds. When needed the most, Forsett has shined. In Cal's opening win against Tennessee, Forsett ran for 156 yards on 26 carries. Last week against Arizona, Cal's offense stalled when Forsett was nursing ankle and quadriceps soreness. After the Wildcats scored 17 unanswered points, Forsett lobbied to go back in and led the Bears on their final touchdown drive.  Forsett is the Pacific-10's second-leading rusher (121.0 yards a game), behind only Oregon's Jonathan Stewart (125.8). He's also tied for the conference lead with seven touchdowns. "He's been a guy who's carried the load for us so far," Tedford says.  Other Pac-10 tailbacks have received more attention. The nine at Southern California, for instance.

Others have flashy promotion websites, such as the Heisman Trophy campaign for Cal wide receiver/punt returner DeSean Jackson. But so far for the Bears, No. 20 has also been the one to watch. "Right now we're just as concerned with Justin Forsett (as Jackson)," Oregon coach Mike Bellotti says. "(Forsett's) the guy that makes that offense go because every down he's a factor to deal with."

 

Chicago Sun Times Picks Cal over Oregon

A challenging situation

Winner of Pac-10 showdown will be marked as primary threat to Trojans

BY HERB GOULD Staff Reporter

SPOTLIGHT GAME: NO. 6 CALIFORNIA AT NO. 11 OREGON 2:30 p.m. Saturday: Let's face it. Partly because their games tend to kick off at about the same time as the Bears' pregame radio shows begin, we usually overlook the Pac-10.  The exception is USC, which transcends time zones because of its storied history and its recent dominance. And isn't the Trojans' Oct. 20 trip to Notre Dame going to be a treat, or scary, depending on your feelings about the Irish?  The real question, though, is whether anyone in the Pac-10 can lasso Traveler. The top two contenders will provide some answers Saturday, when sixth-ranked California visits No. 11 Oregon. Are the upstart Ducks, who already ruffled feathers by piling on at Michigan 39-7, the real deal?

And how good are the Golden Bears? Cal generally is considered the Pac-10's best hope for unseating USC. To make that Nov. 10 meeting in Berkeley as momentous as possible, though, Cal will need to survive the Ducks in Eugene. And raucous Autzen Stadium is one of the toughest trips for visiting teams. ''I feel pretty sure what our potential can be, but, no, we haven't reached that yet,'' Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. ''We've shown flashes at times, but we're not there yet.'' One X-factor in this Pac-10 showdown is the health of the Golden Bears. The list starts with tailback Justin Forsett (ankle, quadriceps), who left in the second quarter of a 45-27 victory over Arizona but returned in the fourth quarter. Forsett, who averages 121 yards, will play Saturday but will need to play tough. In addition, three defensive starters missed the Arizona game. Another concern is Cal's 14 penalties for 121 yards against the Wildcats, the most in Tedford's six seasons in Berkeley. Yet another issue is the Golden Bears' tendency toward second-half letups. Arizona got back in the game with 17 unanswered second-half points. Cal also blew big leads against Tennessee (a 45-31 win) and Colorado State (34-28).

The combination of Forsett and wide receiver/punt returner DeSean Jackson is worrisome to Oregon coach Mike Bellotti. ''[Jackson] is the most explosive player in Division I football,'' Bellotti said. ''And we're as concerned about Justin Forsett. He's the guy that makes that offense go.'' Cal has been giving up points, but it attributes that to seeing three no-huddle spread offenses in its first four weeks. At least Oregon's wide-open offense won't be something new. ''When you're in a spread, offenses are just going to move the ball,'' Cal defensive coordinator Bob Gregory said. ''That's just the nature of the game. I've been proud of a lot of things we've done, but it doesn't get any easier.'' In an apt preamble, Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon and Cal safety Thomas DeCoud were this week's Pac-10 players of the week on offense and defense. Who's a candidate for next week will go a long way toward crowning a winning team. The other unknown is how Cal will handle Autzen Stadium, which has been a haunted house for many talented visitors, including Oklahoma, which howled for weeks about getting jobbed by the referees last September.  In 2005, the Golden Bears lost in overtime in a drenching rain. On their visit before that, half of Autzen's lights went out.

One final matchup to watch: Cal's Golden Bear mascot will need to keep an eye on his Oregon Duck counterpart, who's coming off a one-game suspension for pummeling Shasta, the Houston Cougar mascot, during Oregon's home opener. Video of that battle is a Youtube.com staple. Matt Stolt, who plays Shasta, gave this scouting report to ESPN.com's Pat Forde: ''My advice to any mascot that goes against him is not to worry. I think the duck's in enough trouble right now.'' Sizing up the Ducks and the Bears is not as easily done. But Saturday's game will provide plenty of answers.

The line: Oregon by 5½.

Herb Gould's pick: Cal, 35-31.

SF Chronicle: High-flying Bears, Ducks have horse on horizon

Ray Ratto

This is the other place Jeff Tedford hasn't conquered. The one, you know about - the one down south, the one with the horse. This is the other.  Not that the Cal coach wants to make a big deal of it, which is to say, not that he wants you to make a big deal of it.  "That has nothing to do with us," Tedford said as his team prepared for Oregon in Eugene, where the Bears haven't won since 1987. "All we can do is say what's happened in the last five years, and it seems like the home team has always won. We've had a chance to win there both times we've played up there, and we haven't pulled it off ... it's about this year. That's all that counts. That's what matters."

True enough. But the real question is, how much does it matter? Is this game really the be-all and end-all of the loser's season? Is the winner really expected to run the table around USC? Is the Pac-10 really this top-heavy?  The novelty 8-ball's typical response in the face of such questions is "Reply hazy. Try again." The actual answer, though, is a lot closer to "No, this is an important game, but it isn't a season-breaker."  Now it is a season-breaker if you're thinking that either the Golden Bears or Ducks are a BCS-level team - if you think their lofty ratings of 6 for Cal and 11 for Oregon are a true reflection of the world as it will exist on Dec. 5. Fact is, as slogs go, this is going to be lot harder and longer than the dream world of ESPN GameDay would have us believe. This game is an event, a potentially great game (that, if Cal knows what's good for it, won't be as great as the over-under number of 72 suggests), but it can't be a deal-breaker. Not with so many other potential land mines between now and their own personal red zones.

What is in play here and now is national profiles. The winner looks good on network television and on the midweek chat shows for the upcoming week. Cal can consolidate its place in the lower half of the Top 10 and impress Eastern time zone voters who haven't bothered to watch them since Tennessee. Oregon can be the new Cal, only with the Michigan win replacing the Tennessee win as the signature nonconference victory.

But the actual heavy lifting at Autzen Stadium on Saturday will be done in only one area of endeavor, and it won't be poll position, or profile, or even those dreamy dreams of January football. This game will be won and lost when Cal has the ball, because Cal's best chance to win is running the ball. More specifically, keeping the ball by running it for so long that Oregon can't turn it into a first-team-to-50 coin flip.  Cal's offensive strength was, and is, in its run game. Justin Forsett, Jahvid Best and to a lesser extent Will Ta'ufo'ou not only change games but define them. The passing game is still a fits-and-starts operation, and in any event, Tedford is still a safety-first coach whose safe play also happens to be effervescent.  More than philosophy, though, there is pure pragmatism in this approach. Cal's defense, like Oregon's, is suspect. The defense needs to see as little of Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon's improved magic as possible, and that means being on the field no more than 25 minutes. The Bears need time of possession in the old-fashioned, grind-it-out way, where they keep the ball on long drives, and they do that better on the ground than in the air.

In other words, the much-anticipated offensive show in which the first team to 56 wins works against Cal's best interests, and Tedford knows it. Thus, he has to be the one person in Autzen Stadium who has access to the brake pedal, even if that means he is the buzz-killer in the lemon-yellow T-shirt. This is certainly possible for him. As of Monday, he was the last man in the industry not to know about Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy's pyrospectacular four-minute rant at the Daily Oklahoman writer, and the reason he didn't know is because he has never heard of YouTube. Now that's taking Luddite philosophy to a new level. It also reveals a piece of the inner Tedford - the guy who knows what he believes and believes in what he knows, and the rest of the world goes on around him.

He will be only minimally aware of the hoopla about him and the national demand for a classic Pac-10 game without defense or untried offensive trickery. He knows he has to win to stay in the conference hunt because there are too many other potential issues to navigate after this week (UCLA, Arizona State, and of course, the Horse) to get too giddy about this game. This game, in this town. The other town he doesn't have a piece of yet.

Cal Saturday

Who: Cal (4-0, 1-0 Pac-10) vs. Oregon (4-0, 1-0)

Where: Eugene

When: 12:30 p.m.

TV/Radio: Channel: 7 Channel: 10 / 810

 

Daily Cal: Cal vs. Oregon: Is It All, or Nothing at All?

BY Gerald Nicdao

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes and USC dominating the Pac-10.   Ever since Pete Carroll took over, it’s been the same song and dance. The Trojans are the conference champs and then it’s either Cal or Oregon vying for the title of “other team in the Pac-10.”   The calendar may say that we’re only four weeks into the college football season. The calendar may say that both teams still have tests against teams like Arizona State or (whatever-happened-to) UCLA. But in the end, tomorrow’s winner has that inside track to be this year’s version of David, trying to bring down the Goliath known as USC.   But some don’t agree.

“It’s one game,” Bears coach Jeff Tedford said. “Whatever happens in this game, you can use as motivation either way. But it’s one game. We’ll prepare our best for this game, but no, I don’t think this has anything to do with the rest of the season.”  Really? It won’t have any bearing for what happens in the next two months?  Last year, Oregon was 4-0 coming to Memorial Stadium. Cal was 3-1 and picking up some steam after losing the season opener to Tennessee. The Ducks were also averaging 40 points a game and quarterback Dennis Dixon looked unstoppable.   Enter Brandon Hampton, who intercepted Dixon’s first pass. That led to an easy Bears touchdown and, as they say, the rest is history, with Cal holding the high-powered Ducks offense to 24 points in a dominating win.  “I feel like we were already in (Dixon’s) head before the game started,” Hampton said about his interception.  After that game, the Bears kept winning until USC got in the way. Oregon, on the other hand, won just three more games the rest of the season – two conference games and gimme over Division I-AA Portland State.  Dixon wasn’t the same after losing to Cal either.  He threw just three touchdowns in his last six games and was picked off eight times in that span. Dixon was also benched for the team’s rivalry match against Oregon State to end the season.

But Ducks coach Mike Bellotti won’t admit that the loss in Berkeley derailed the season—at least he won’t admit it too much.  “Regardless of the outcome of this game, it won’t affect this season like it did last year,” Bellotti said. “This game didn’t affect that. We played poorly, to our mistake. It was later in the season where we really fell down. To me it was probably a combination of things that started from the Cal game, but in reality, this team has learned from that.”  So Coach Tedford, you still want to dispute that this game isn’t going to have any effect on the end of the season?  He may have a point, however. The Trojans still have to travel to both Eugene, Ore., and Berkeley. If whoever loses Saturday can somehow knock USC off, there is still hope  to salvage the season.  But that’s a huge if, and the way the college football season is turning out right now, whoever plays second-fiddle to the Trojans may get that bid to the Rose Bowl.  That’s something either team has not done for quite awhile—though Cal’s drought is a little bit longer than Oregon’s.

While the coaches aren’t talking about how important winning tomorrow’s game is, the players sure are.  “They’ve been beating up on people pretty bad and I’m sure that they’ll beat up on some people in the Pac-10,” Hampton said. “They’ll be right in the running during the end of the season. We’ve got to win this game early. It is important for the end of the season.”  In the end, the result of tomorrow’s game can mean either a shot at the Rose Bowl or being banished to the ... Las Vegas Bowl.

 

Oregonian: Kickoffs keep UO on toes

JOHN HUNT The Oregonian Staff

EUGENE -- As football problems go, Oregon has a good one: The Ducks have had trouble covering a few kicks, partly because they kick off so much.   Oregon kicked off 10 times last week in its rout (at least in the second half) of Stanford, and on three of those, the Cardinal got good returns, taking advantage of low kicks, cover men who had difficulty shedding blocks and safeties who couldn't keep the ball contained.  The Ducks got away with it at Stanford, but this week is different. Not only are the stakes so much higher and the game likely to be so much closer, but the returners are so much better.  "They have three guys on their team who are better than anyone we've faced all year -- three of them," Oregon special teams coach Tom Osborne said.

The California Golden Bears have DeSean Jackson returning punts. He's already returned six for touchdowns in his career -- a school and conference record -- including a 65-yarder against Oregon last season, when he ran all the way across the field, reversed and ran untouched into the end zone.  They have Lavelle Hawkins and Jahvid Best returning kickoffs. Hawkins ran one back all the way against Louisiana Tech two weeks ago, and Best is a freshman with "great, great speed," according to Osborne.  Gone are the days when Oregon simply could power the ball through the end zone. A rule change effective this season moved the ball back five yards to the 30-yard line for kickoffs, and if you're not teeing it up in the desert, it probably will be returned.  The Ducks have had issues the other way, too. Oregon punt returner Andiel Brown had to be yanked from the Stanford game, in favor of Derrick Jones and Aaron Pflugrad, because of two poor decisions on balls that should have been fair caught.  Brown, who said he hasn't signaled for a fair catch in his life, got an earful from coach Mike Bellotti on the sideline, but this week Bellotti made a point to ensure everyone that he is not changing punt returners.

"He's fearless, he catches everything, and that's awesome," Bellotti said. "But there are choices. Discretion becoming the better part of valor has to come into the equation at some point. I need to temper his courage a little bit with knowledge and protection of the football."  And Cal has cause for concern when it kicks off to the Ducks. The Bears are allowing 37.2 yards per return, ninth in the Pac-10, and the Ducks have the conference's leading kick returner in Jonathan Stewart (31.9 yards per return). Four times this season, Oregon would have had a kickoff return touchdown if not for tackles made by the kicker.  "We are going to have to get better there," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "It's the one that gets to the 50-yard line that drives you crazy a little bit."  In a game that figures to be close in the end, any special teams breakdowns will be magnified.

Seattle Times: College Football | Spotlight hits Eugene

By Bud Withers

Biggest college football game in Eugene since ... ?  Never? Never swoops up a lot of territory, but the game Saturday matching No. 6 California and the 11th-ranked Ducks pits the teams with the best collective ratings ever to play on Eugene turf. Of course, it's still early and rankings are hardly solidified, but it appears safe to call this the best early season matchup in history at Oregon (or at least since Hugo Bezdek and Shy Huntington patrolled the sideline for the Ducks nine decades ago). ESPN's "College GameDay" needed no convincing. It will be in town for its ninth visit to a Pac-10 site, and only the second to the Northwest (Eugene has both of them). "It's the best thing that could happen," said Oregon coach Mike Bellotti. "In this day and age, it's the mark of having arrived." Hyperbole, perhaps, except this matchup is so succulent for its offensive potential and entertainment value that it seems hard to oversell. Oregon has averaged 48.5 points against a better schedule than a lot of people have played, and Cal averages 41.5.

The outcome might tilt on which quarterback has the better day. Oregon's Dennis Dixon is one of six Division I passers not to have thrown an interception. He has 11 touchdowns and a gaudy 188.1 efficiency rating. His ascendancy is remarkable, considering both he was bad enough at the end of 2006 to be benched for the entire Civil War game, and he spent most of the summer playing baseball. "Last spring and this fall camp, I don't know if he threw an interception," said Bellotti. "He was being a little choosier with his throws."

Bellotti decided this year to have his team elect season-long captains, and he said, "When Dennis arrived was when the team elected him a captain. That, to me, was when he won the respect of his teammates." Cal's Nate Longshore, meanwhile, must prove he can lead the Bears to a meaningful road victory. His best Pac-10 triumphs away from home last year were at Oregon State and Washington State.  But back to that biggest-game-ever-in-Eugene debate. Some of the other candidates:

• Michigan, 2003: The Wolverines were third-ranked when No. 22 Oregon upset them 31-27.

• Washington, 2000: The Huskies were No. 6 when the 20th-ranked Ducks won 23-16 in front of the loudest crowd I've ever heard — including those at Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Georgia and Notre Dame. Washington tight end Jerramy Stevens thought so, too, saying, "I never heard a snap count all day."

• Arizona, 1994: The Ducks had to have this one to sustain their surprise Rose Bowl run after "The Pick" to beat Washington the week before. They got it, winning 10-9, but their last two victories to clinch the Pasadena berth came on the road.

• Oregon State, 1957: Now we're talking Hayward Field days. Oregon was 15th, and in a battle of 7-2 teams, facing an OSU club that rose as high as No. 7 earlier in the season. The Beavers won 10-7, no doubt grating mightily on the Ducks but not costing them a Rose Bowl bid — OSU couldn't go because of the no-repeat rule in effect at the time.

 

USA Today: Weekend Preview

Here is the link.

 

No. 6 California visits No. 12 Oregon in Saturday's most important matchup in the national title hunt, with the winner emerging as the top challenger to Southern California's Pac-10 supremacy. Both teams have shown vulnerabilities in the secondary, which could make for an entertaining series of big plays. Ducks QB Dennis Dixon will be without one of his best weapons, WR Brian Paysinger (knee). He'll count on WRs Cameron Colvin and Jaison Williams to take up the slack. Golden Bears QB Nate Longshore has been making opponents pay for double teaming WR DeSean Jackson, utilizing WRs Lavelle Hawkins and Robert Jordan. But with all the deep threats, the game probably will turn on which ground game does a better job controlling the ball. Again, both are well equipped with the Ducks' Jonathan Stewart and Cal's Justin Forsett topping the Pac-10 rushing chart.

SF Chronicle: Athletic safety DeCoud is a hit from backfield to YouTube

When teammates rattle off the most impressive talents of Cal safety Thomas DeCoud, it sounds like they're describing a fictional superhero.  "He's an athletic freak of nature," middle linebacker Worrell Williams said.  "His hands are like vacuums," said Steve Levy, a former Cal quarterback and ex-roommate of DeCoud.  "He's got the speed to chase anyone down," cornerback Brandon Hampton said.  "I've been hit by everybody on the team," tailback Justin Forsett said. "When Thomas hits you, it's not something you want to remember." It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's Thomas DeCoud.

OK, so he can't leap over tall buildings in a single bound, but he can do just about anything else on a football field. DeCoud had 10 tackles, an interception, a fumble-inducing sack and recovered a separate fumble in Saturday's 45-27 win over Arizona. "Thomas always plays well, but he really made some big plays," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said after that game. "Thomas is one of our guys who is just rock solid week-in and week-out." DeCoud - whose play will be critical Saturday against Oregon's high-octane attack - earned Pac-10 defensive player of the week honors this week for the first time, but he had already gained some national attention. NFL scouts are impressed with his 6-foot-3, 204-pound frame and his tackling technique that is among the nation's surest. He's ranked as the country's No. 3 safety by most draft experts, and he'll probably rise from his current third-round-pick projection at the NFL combine. He has sub-4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash, leaping ability and weight-lifting prowess. There was serious talk last season that DeCoud, an all-league guard at Pinole Valley High, might join the Bears' basketball team when it endured a series of injuries. When Cal had an injury-riddled receiving corps in 2005, Levy lobbied for DeCoud to move to wideout.

That athleticism helped DeCoud make his initial collegiate impact on special teams. In addition to his unworldly six blocked kicks, he laid a block on a punt return last season that knocked out UCLA's Korey Bosworth and set up DeSean's Jackson's 72-yard touchdown . A clip of the play has been viewed more than 88,000 times on Youtube.com. There is also a Youtube video of DeCoud singing and dancing on a recent karaoke night that hasn't gotten nearly as much attention. Fortunately. "It's awesome," DeCoud joked. "No, really it's more like yelling and screaming into a microphone, but it has some pretty good dancing." DeCoud's ability to immediately switch from serious on-field leader to his cartoon-fanatic, electronics-crazed, off-field demeanor is another attribute that sets him apart. Levy remembers waking up at 2 some mornings and finding DeCoud laughing at DVDs of the cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and DeCoud waited in line past midnight on a recent night to be one of the first to get the Halo 3 video game. "He's really a hybrid personality in that way," Levy said. "He knows when to be serious, but he doesn't miss any chances to have fun, either. Not a lot of people can do that." In one moment, DeCoud displays a lyrical soul with the ability to make defensive schemes sound almost like poetry. In the next, he's joking and bragging about when he and his father had matching box-top fade haircuts, accessorized with rat tails. DeCoud's parents are mainstays at Cal practices. His grandmother comes occasionally, and his grandfather, John Thomas, played 10 seasons as an offensive lineman for the 49ers. During a recent practice, DeCoud made a spectacular, leaping play to knock down a pass, but his grandmother wanted more. She screamed, "You've got to catch that, Thomas." He looked to the bleachers, and said, "I'm trying, Grandma." "He's an explosive guy with talent, but he also has charisma and a great personality," Williams said. "He's a charmer. He's everything you look for in a leader."

 

Seattle Post Intelligencer: Pac-10 Notebook: Collapse or rebirth?

Oregon can make national statement with win over Cal

By TED MILLER

If it's going to happen -- and many of you Seattle-area Duckfighters certainly hope it will -- it should start this weekend against California.  The semi-annual Oregon collapse.

Otherwise, expect Oregon's Zeros to become heroes again, with their green-lightning offense electrifying the Pac-10 until a red-letter visit from USC on Oct. 27. Both No. 11 Oregon and No. 6 California imagine themselves as the best potential foil for the USC juggernaut, a conflict attractive enough to lure ESPN's "GameDay" crew to the West Coast on Saturday morning. There are myriad storylines that have eclipsed the old "Cal coach Jeff Tedford used to be Oregon's offensive coordinator under Mike Bellotti." Start with this: Cal hasn't won at Autzen Stadium since 1987. Then hearken back to last season. Oregon, sporting its fancy-pants, high-scoring spread offense and multitalented quarterback Dennis Dixon, was 4-0 and ranked 11th when it squared off against the Bears. Sound familiar? Wait, there's more. Just like 2006, the Ducks have notched a marquee non-conference victory over a traditional national power that had been tarnished in some way: Oklahoma last year (officiating) and Michigan this year (Appalachian State).

In 2006, the Ducks went to Berkeley to make a statement. And they did. They were drubbed 45-24, in large part because Dixon imploded, tossing three interceptions while looking overwhelmed by the moment. He lost his confidence thereafter, and the Ducks lost six of their final nine games, including a humiliating 38-8 loss to BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. Yet any notion that Dixon lacked the ability to bounce back is kaput. He's been nothing less than brilliant thus far, with an 11-to-zip touchdown-to-interception ratio, a 68.8 completion percentage -- he ranks fourth in the nation in passing efficiency -- and 306 yards of total offense per game. The Ducks lead the Pac-10 in scoring (48.5 points per game) and total offense (536.8 ypg). If he plays well and beats Cal, how could he not become a leading Heisman Trophy candidate?  Of course, the Bears offense isn't too shabby either.  Quarterback Nate Longshore distributes the ball to the conference's best array of weapons: tailback Justin Forsett and receivers DeSean Jackson, Lavelle Hawkins and Robert Jordan. And don't forget true freshman speedster Jahvid Best, who averages 12.4 yards per carry and might be the fastest player in the conference.

"I've got so many talented guys that my responsibility is to get them the ball in open space and let them do their thing," Longshore said. "I don't think there's much pressure on me. It's more I get it to them and stay out of the way." He got in Oregon's way a bit last year, throwing three touchdown passes and running for another. Yet that game was in Berkeley. Things won't be so pleasant at Autzen Stadium. That home-field advantage is why, if you're looking for a reason to doubt Oregon, you may not want to look at the schedule. The Ducks' remaining road games -- Washington, Arizona and UCLA -- don't appear terribly daunting. If they beat the Bears, that expected collapse could transform into something else entirely: national title contention.

Los Angeles Times: To map out success, start at Oregon

The No. 11 Ducks are preparing to play No. 6 California, which is one of many accomplished programs that can claim ties to Eugene.

 

Memo to Georgia: The road, this week, does not lead back to you.  It leads to Oregon.  Not generally considered the cradle of anything except rain, Oregon is suddenly a crossed-legged guru from which all college football eminence flows. No. 6 California plays at No. 11 Oregon in Eugene in a marquee game being televised by ABC and announced by former Oregon quarterback Dan Fouts. Oregon has been coached since 1995 by Mike Bellotti, but when he looks across the field Saturday, it's going to be like looking in a pond reflection. Cal is almost an Oregon subsidiary.

Golden Bears Coach Jeff Tedford was Oregon's offensive coordinator from 1998 to 2001, and since arriving in Berkeley five years ago, Tedford has raided Eugene like your teenager raids the snack cupboard. Defensive coordinator Bob Gregory, receivers coach Dan Ferrigno and running backs coach Ron Gould once drew plays in Eugene.  Cal's director of football operations, strength and conditioning coach and equipment man all formerly worked in Oregon. So did the team's video coordinator, head equipment manager, assistant equipment manager and a recruiting assistant. You can't cross a train track these days without tripping over Oregon ties.

 

Read the entire article here.

<snip>

* Nobody is really expecting defense to play a prominent role when Oregon (No. 1 in Pac-10 scoring offense at 48.5 points per game) and Cal (No. 3 at 41.5) play. But Cal Coach Tedford, in order to win, clumsily offered, "somebody's got to slow each other down."

Oregonian: Sentiment has no part in coaching

It's inevitable that in any pairing of opponents that features a friendship, a relationship, a past connection of any kind (their fathers played together in 1973!) there will be a moment in which the following question is posed:  Is it difficult going up against your friend/former colleague/brother/father/sister's cousin's former roommate?  And the answer, almost always, is no.

"No," Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said Tuesday when asked about going up against California on Saturday, which is coached by Jeff Tedford, a former Oregon assistant.   There are exceptions. Earlier this season, the Bowden family said the annual clash of pop Bobby's Florida State team and son Tommy's Clemson team is hard and no fun. But these are still competitive people, and competitive people don't want to lose. Not to father. Not to son. Not to former offensive coordinator or former boss.  The problem with the question -- other than that it gets asked every year -- is that it forgets that the best coaches and players are really kind of heartless. How else would you describe the Ducks' offense the past four games. It's been chillingly efficient and brutally productive. That game plan doesn't change because a familiar face is on the other sideline, and Tedford's not going to pull DeSean Jackson aside pregame and say, "Hey, take it easy."  We once committed assault against a putter after missing a 3-footer. Against Dad. At a miniature golf course. Bellotti said when he and Tedford play golf they want to beat each other. And here comes the bulletin board material for the week.  Who wins?  "I'd say probably usually me," Bellotti said. "But it's close. He's competitive."  OK. It's bulletin board material for the country club locker room, but you see the point. There's nothing sentimental about a football game. It's a violent exercise in absolutes. Score or don't. Win or lose. And if you happen to beat a friend in the process, all the better. It'll make for good conversation over the next round of golf.

 

San Jose Mercury: Cal-Oregon preview: Is Nate Longshore up to the challenge?

By Jon Wilner

My guess is that I’m writing what many Cal fans are thinking this week: Time for quarterback Nate Longshore to play big in a big game — a big road game.  Over the course of his season-and-a-third as a starter, Longshore has been very good at home and very good against teams the Bears should handle. But in the biggest roadies of his career, at Tennessee and at USC last season, Longshore struggled.   He completed just 48 percent of his passes, averaged 130.5 yards and had one touchdown and three interceptions.

Compare that to his performance in the other 11 games of 2006: Completion percentage of 62, per-game average of 251 yards, 23 TDs and 10 INTs. Granted, those were the toughest environments he has faced, against nasty, physical defenses. He wasn’t the only Cal player who wilted in the face of the challenges. But what Longshore will experience Saturday at Oregon is much closer to what he experienced in Knoxville and L.A. than to all the other games. The Ducks might not have the defensive ferocity that USC and UT did, but they have a very good secondary that will force Longshore to be precise. The atmosphere will be awesome, requiring him to be as much manager as player, especially in regard to communicating at the line of scrimmage.

And the stakes will be enormous, with all kinds of postseason implications. It’s a huge game, on par with the Tennessee and USC games last year — the kind of game that requires quarterbacks to make big plays in the fourth quarter, to avoid killer mistakes in all quarters. It’s the kind of game in which elite quarterbacks excel. If Longshore can do it at Oregon, you figure he can do it next month at UCLA and at Arizona State and possibly at home against USC in November what could be the biggest game Cal has played in a half century. If he can do it in Eugene, the Bears have a chance for a special season, a Rose Bowl season. If he can’t, then book those Holiday (or Sun) bowl flights now.

Cal fans have reason to be concerned — not only because of how Longshore played in big road games last season, but because of how he has played in several games this season. His decisions have been sound and his numbers aren’t bad (completion percentage of 63.3, only two interceptions), but the he has only thrown five touchdowns. And it’s not like the Bears haven’t had receivers open. Their offense is all about space: using Justin Forsett and the running game to get DeSean Jackson, Robert Jordan and Lavelle Hawkins open downfield. Something’s not quite right with the passing game, and that something is the quarterback.  As Coach Jeff Tedford acknowledged last week, Longshore is missing open targets.

I asked Longshore about it Tuesday. “We’ve just missed some opportunities in games,” he said. “There have been some overthrows. I missed a few times.” Good for him for being stand-up enough to admit it. (No surprise there; Longshore’s a stand-up guy.) His misfires didn’t hurt the Bears against Tennessee, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech or Arizona.  But if he’s a little wild Saturday — if he plays like he did in Knoxville and the Coliseum — then Cal will have a tough time winning.

Register-Guard: Lights, rain, noise ... frogs?: Cal comes prepared for anything at Autzen

By Rob Moseley

Published: Wednesday, September 26, 2007

 

First darkness overcame the sideline, then a torrential rain drenched overtime.

At this point, Jeff Tedford is probably preparing for a plague of frogs when his No. 6 California Golden Bears play No. 11 Oregon in Autzen Stadium on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

It's been 20 years since Cal last won at Autzen Stadium, a 20-6 decision back in 1987. The Ducks have won seven straight over the Bears at home since, including the last two in which Tedford, the former UO offensive coordinator, was the Cal head coach.

Odd circumstances have colored each of Cal's last two visits to Autzen Stadium, including one of the strangest moments in the 40-year-old venue's history.

Early in the fourth quarter, with Cal ahead 10-7, the game was delayed for 23 minutes when a bank of lights on the stadium's south side went dark. The Bears scored shortly after play resumed to go ahead by 10 points, but the Ducks got a 31-yard touchdown catch-wrestle-and-run by tight end Tim Day to get within three, then drove to the winning score with less than a minute left.

Quarterback Kellen Clemens was a sophomore when he engineered that comeback. Two years later, when the Bears returned to Autzen, he was on the sideline after suffering a career-ending ankle injury at Arizona in the previous game.

That Cal game was Dennis Dixon's first career start, but by the time the game went into overtime, Brady Leaf was under center, and a downpour was drenching the stadium. The rain may have factored into a missed 53-yard field goal attempt by the Bears to end regulation, a kick that for a few moments looked good.

In overtime, the Ducks converted two third downs, the second a touchdown pass from Leaf to James Finley. The Bears got a two-yard run to start their possession, followed by three straight incompletions, the last one just overthrown to a wide-open tight end. Tedford and the Bears walked off the field losers once again, and wet ones at that.

Regardless of the outcome this week, Tedford is at least expecting more manageable playing conditions.

"Yeah, I heard it's going to be in the 70s and sunny this week, but it's still a tough place to play," Tedford said. "It was kind of freaky that the lights went out when they did. And then any time you play there in November, you're always going to run the risk of inclement conditons.

"This time it should be nice. But it still doesn't make it any easier to play there."

That stems from all the noise generated by the crowd, a particularly significant factor this week in that this will be Cal quarterback Nate Longshore's first trip to Autzen.

"It's never easy to deal with an environment where you can't hear anything," Tedford said. "So we're going to be really challenged for that. It's very difficult to win at Autzen Stadium. It's just so loud and difficult to communicate there."

Fewer penalties makes

offense more efficient

The Ducks continued to prove themselves a more mature group this past Saturday, from the way Cameron Colvin stepped in for injured Brian Paysinger, to the way the team reacted to a halftime deficit, to their continued ability to limit penalties.

Key to the 34-point rally against Stanford was that the Ducks weren't penalized once in the second half (although one holding call was declined).

That after Oregon's offense didn't commit a penalty in the opener against Houston.

For the season, the Ducks have been flagged 24 times for 230 yards.

Should they qualify for a bowl and play 13 games, their current pace would put them at 78 penalties for 748 yards for the season. Those totals would be lower than any in the previous five years at Oregon, which includes seasons of 12 and 11 games.

The play of a veteran offensive line has been a big factor in the limited penalties this fall. Through four games, just two false starts and one holding call have been flagged against Oregon's blockers.

Ducks bring their best ranking into top-10 tilt

Saturday's game will be the 21st visit by a top-10 team to Autzen Stadium and will feature Oregon's highest ranking for any of those games.

For the first 17 of those visits by top-10 teams, the Ducks weren't ranked. But they have been for the last four: 20th when they beat No. 6 Washington in 2000, 22nd when they beat Michigan in 2003, 24th when they lost to No. 1 USC in 2005, and 11th this Saturday against No. 6 Cal.

The Ducks are 8-11-1 in the previous 20 matchups.

NO. 11 OREGON VS. NO. 6 CALIFORNIA

• 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Autzen Stadium. TV: ABC. Radio: KUGN-AM (590) and KZEL-FM (96.1).

Desean Jackson Punt Return vs. Oregon - 2006

SF Chronicle: No love for Bears in rowdy Autzen

The last time former Cal quarterback Steve Levy was in Eugene, Ore., a fan tried to steal his helmet.    "Their fans are out of control," Levy said Tuesday, recalling the aftermath of the Ducks' 27-20 overtime win in 2005. "Oregon fans are the funniest, most ruthless fans. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one fan trying to grab my helmet, and I ran over there and knocked him right out (with a shoulder shiver)."   That's about Cal's only success story from Oregon's Autzen Stadium in the last two decades. The No. 6 Bears, who play at No. 11 Oregon on Saturday, haven't won in Eugene since 1987, when coach Bruce Snyder recorded his first road win with a 20-6 victory.  "That has nothing to do with us," current Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "All we can control is what has happened in the last five years. Twenty-year streaks have nothing to do with these guys; they weren't even born then."

In so many ways, however, it does have a lot to do with this year's team. Cal plays four of its five most talented conference opponents on the road this season, and struggling in Oregon is symptomatic of the Bears' road play in general.   Tedford has ended the school's long losing streaks against a number Pac-10 foes, and he has won 79.4 percent of his home games against 58.6 away from Memorial Stadium. The Bears haven't won against a hosting, ranked team since 2002, when they beat three such teams.   Cal averaged 14.8 less points in away games than it did at home last year and is averaging 44 points in Berkeley and scored 34 points in its one road game this season. Quarterback Nate Longshore completes nearly 10 percent fewer passes, throws for 45.5 less yards and has a 6-to-9 vs. 17-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio when playing away from the friendly confines of Strawberry Canyon.  "The main thing toward succeeding as a quarterback on the road is communication," said Troy Taylor, a commentator for KGO (810 AM) and the quarterback of the Bears' 1987 win in Eugene. "Crowd noise is almost an unfair advantage. You can't check plays, you seemingly have less time on the play clock and everything starts to feel really rushed."   That's ever apparent at Autzen Stadium, where 54,000 fans scream and yell at all the right times. The front rows almost jut up against the sidelines, and the bleachers are built nearly perpendicular to the field so the noise has nowhere to escape.

"You can hear a pin drop when their offense is on the field, and when our offense is out there, it's like being in a thunderstorm," Cal safety Thomas DeCoud said.  "I like to think that the players make the difference, but certainly, the environment helps us," Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said. "Our stadium is the best place to play a game in college football. It's the loudest. Our fans are unbelievable in terms of their excitement and energy that they pass on to the team."   Tedford knows all about it. He was Oregon's offensive coordinator from 1998 to 2001 and has come close to solving the Autzen riddle since, losing twice by a combined score of 11 points.   "The crowd there is unbelievably educated on when to be loud and when to calm down," he said. "It's just a very, very tough environment."   Like most successful coaches, Tedford compares road games to business trips. Although Taylor said he didn't remember many details from the 1987 win, he does recall how his team went about its business.   "We were in control the whole time," Taylor said. "I think you can take any crowd out of the game. Anytime you can get on top, the crowd will hang in there a little while, but eventually, they quiet down or leave."  Seats probably won't empty too early for this go-around. For the first time this season, Cal is the underdog with Oregon favored by a mere 4 1/2 points.  "Why are we the underdog?" Cal cornerback Brandon Hampton asked before answering his own question. "Maybe it's because we haven't won there in 20 years."

 

Briefly: Tedford said fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou partially tore the PCL in his left knee, but he still could play Saturday. "He's a tough, tough guy," Tedford said about Ta'ufo'ou, who earlier this season returned to practice only 11 days after spraining the MCL in the same knee. "If it's just a pain issue, I imagine he'll play." ... Tedford listed linebacker Zack Follett (neck) as day-to-day, defensive tackle Matt Malele (foot) as probable, and defensive end Rulon Davis (foot) as doubtful.

Road rage

During coach Jeff Tedford's five-plus seasons, Cal has won 70.2 percent of its games and almost 80 percent at Memorial Stadium. The Bears have won 58.6 percent on the road.

Travel guide

Cal hasn't beaten Oregon in Eugene since a 20-6 win in 1987, including an 0-2 record under coach Jeff Tedford. Here are some other notable travel trends:

-- The Bears are 9-8 against ranked teams under Tedford, but only 3-6 against ranked teams on the road.

-- Quarterback Nate Longshore completes almost 10 percent fewer of his passes on the road and averages 45.5 less yards. His touchdown-to-interception ratio drops from 17-3 to 6-9 when he leaves Strawberry Canyon.

Honolulu Advertiser: Cal, Oregon players lay it on line in Pac-10 showdown

Here is the link.

 

By Dennis Anderson

Two defensive linemen from Hawai'i will line up across from two offensive linemen from Hawai'i Saturday in the first Pac-10 college football showdown of the season.  California (4-0), ranked sixth nationally in the media and coaches' polls, plays at Oregon (4-0), ranked 11th by media and 12th by coaches, at Eugene, Ore. (9:30 a.m. in Hawai'i on KITV).

Sophomore end/tackle Tyson Alualu (6 feet 4, 288 pounds, wearing No. 44), a 2005 Saint Louis graduate from Kalihi, and junior tackle Mika Kane (6-3, 305, No. 98), a 2005 Kamehameha-O'ahu graduate from Makaha, will start on defense for California's Golden Bears.  Junior tackle Max Unger (6-5, 300, No. 60), a 2004 Hawai'i Prep graduate from Kamuela, and senior guard Pat So'oalo (6-5, 332, No. 66), a 2003 Kailua High graduate, will start on offense for the Oregon Ducks.  "I play both defensive end and defensive tackle on the right side," Alualu said yesterday. "If I am inside at tackle, I might get a chance at So'oalo. He plays left guard. If I'm outside, I go against Unger at left tackle."

Alualu became the hero of every defensive lineman in the universe in the first quarter of last Saturday's game against Arizona when he scooped a fumble by the quarterback on the Arizona 4 and dived into the end zone for a touchdown.  Defensive linemen live for that moment and few ever experience it, but Alualu did it once before, when he was playing for Saint Louis in a preseason game against Kaiser. "It's being at the right place at the right time," he said. Alualu and Kane are at the right place at the right time as far as Ken Delgado, Cal's defensive line coach, is concerned. "They both possess power and quickness, and present problems for an offense," Delgado says. "They are more athletic than you might think they are. Mika has exceptional body control and is one of the most powerful players we have. "The really good thing," Delgado adds, "is that both are very intelligent players. They can do a lot of things, they absorb and learn technique quickly."

Although 'Iolani grad Joe Igber set rushing records there from 1999-2002, Cal has not had multiple players from Hawai'i in years — maybe ever. Delgado, who recruits the Islands, said that changed after Abu Ma'afala (Kamehameha '02) transferred to Berkeley from the University of Hawai'i in 2004. Ma'afala wanted to go to the Mainland and Doug Tom, who had played for Delgado at San Diego State and was an assistant at Kamehameha, steered him to Cal. Ma'afala, who is now coaching at a high school in Indiana while his wife finishes her degree at Notre Dame, was the student host for Alualu and Kane when they made their recruiting visit in 2005. "It was sort of a package deal," Delgado said. "Having Abu here established a comfort zone for them. They both liked it. If one had not, it might have been different. ... It's hard to leave Hawai'i, but they have strong, supportive families." Alualu's enrollment at Cal was delayed a semester while he married the former Desire' Pomele, a Farrington grad, and they had a son, Tyree, who will be 2 in November.

He and Kane met on their recruiting trip and now are nearly inseparable. "You don't see one without the other," Delgado said. "When Tyson scored Saturday, Mika was the first guy there to pick him up and celebrate." "Tyson is really blossoming and coming into his own. He's getting better and better every game," said defensive captain Thomas DeCoud, the free safety whose hit caused the fumble Alualu recovered. "Tyson and Mika anchor our defensive line." "Right place, the right time," summarizes Alualu's feelings about Cal.

"We have great talent on this team," he says "It's an honor to play with them and with these coaches. I'm glad I came to this school." Alualu has a simple answer for his touchdown, his wife and son, and his presence at Cal. "I give thanks and the glory to God," he says. "He makes everything happen. If not for him, none of this would be possible." Kane, who has been starting since his true freshman season, says injury problems that kept him out four games the last two seasons are behind him and he is looking forward to "getting a few snaps against the Hawai'i boys" in Eugene on Saturday. "There are a lot of people from Hawai'i in the Pac-10 and it's been fun to play against them," Kane said. Some he has enjoyed battling, Kane said, were Jeremy Perry (Kahuku) of Oregon State, Brandon Rodd ('Aiea) and Shawn Lauvao (Farrington) of Arizona State, and Brennan Carvalho, his high school teammate, of Portland State.

The trickle of talent from Hawai'i to Berkeley that began with Igber and Ma'afala and gushed with Alualu and Kane is turning into a torrent. Three 2007 recruits are red-shirting, learning and saving their eligibility. They are defensive ends Solomona Aigamaua and Scott Smith, both from Saint Louis, and tight end Savai'i Eselu from Moanalua. "The redshirts are really quality kids," Delgado said. "They will be good players for us."

Daily Emerald: One wideout down, Duck receivers try to regroup

Paysinger's injury termed 'just a horrible loss' by one teammate

By: Jacob

When senior wide receiver Brian Paysinger went down for the season with a knee injury last Thursday, it was a serious blow to No. 11 Oregon (4-0 overall, 1-0 Pacific-10 Conference) as it lost one its most seasoned and explosive players.  Paysinger was the one who caught the winning touchdown catch against Oklahoma last year. He's the one who hauled in an 85-yard touchdown in the 39-7 win against Michigan. He led the team with 165 receiving yards before last week's 55-31 win over Stanford. "That was just a horrible loss," right tackle Geoff Schwartz said. "Brian is one of our great receivers and he's a great guy and it was tough for him to go out like that." For the fellow wide receivers, the loss stings even more. "We felt like we lost a family member when he got hurt," Garren Strong said.  While the Ducks will miss his production and positive attitude on the field, fortunately for Oregon, it has enough talent to offset the loss of a starting wide receiver.

Senior Cameron Colvin, who was a starter his sophomore year, erased some doubts about losing Paysinger when he caught eight passes for 136 yards and a touchdown against Stanford. In that game alone, he gained more yards than he did in all of the 2006 season, when he caught 18 passes for 121 yards and zero touchdowns. For some, Colvin's performance may have come as a surprise considering his inconsistency throughout his career at Oregon. For the Oregon receivers, it should almost be expected of him considering his skills. "He's a big guy; he's strong, fast, physical," Jaison Williams said. "It's just unfortunate this is how you get him on the field. But now that he's on there, much praise to him. He's doing his job." Against Stanford, Colvin proved that he's a more than capable fill-in for Paysinger, but he shouldn't have to expect to replace all the production entirely on his own. Williams, as well, gained over 100 yards and it was his first time since the Portland State game last season. Williams went over the 100-yard mark five times in 2006, mostly early last season, but hasn't had the same quick start this year. For him, it's just a matter of circumstance. "Ironically, it's happened in most of our big games," Williams said.

Paysinger hasn't visited practice since injuring the knee and attempts to reach him by phone have been unsuccessful. Bellotti said he's not at liberty to say what kind of knee injury it was, but that it will require surgery and will likely take a nine to 12-month recovery process. Strong, who watched the injury occur on practice film, said it didn't look like anything out of the ordinary. "At first, we didn't know how bad it was," he said. "He was running a route and his foot just got caught in the grass and someone wrapped him up but he didn't move." Strong said he talks to Paysinger every day and that he maintains a positive attitude despite ending his career at Oregon with an injury. He can't be granted a sixth year of eligibility because he utilized his redshirt season in 2003. "He's really upbeat about it," he said. "He thinks everything happens for a reason."

Dixon wins second Pac-10 award

For the second time this season, quarterback Dennis Dixon won the Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Week award for his performance at Stanford. Dixon completed 75 percent of his passes for 367 yards and five total touchdowns.  Dixon is one of four quarterbacks nationwide who have yet to throw an interception in a team's first four games this season.

Daily Cal: Up Against the Odds, Cal Prepares for Autzen Upset

BY Gerald Nicdao

• When the No. 6 Cal football team travels to Eugene, Ore., for a 12:30 p.m. tilt with No. 11 Oregon, it will be the first time all year that the Bears will not be favored to win.

Cal opened the week as a four-and-a-half point underdog, and as of Tuesday, the Ducks were five-and-a-half point favorites.  But a few of the Bears players don’t mind the low expectations.  “That’s good,” linebacker Worrell Williams said. “We like to think that we’re a team that is confident and explosive. To come into a game ranked higher than them and still be the underdogs gives us a little extra something to fight for.”  One reason for the unfavorable odds may be the fact that Cal has not won in Autzen Stadium since 1987. Under coach Jeff Tedford, the Bears have been involved in tightly contested games, losing 21-17 in 2003 and dropping an overtime decision 27-20 in 2005.  “We’ve had a chance to win up there both times we’ve gone up there,” Tedford said. “Twenty year streaks and stuff like that has nothing to do with these guys—some of these guys weren’t even born 20 years ago. It’s about this year. That’s what counts.”  

• Autzen Stadium will likely be the most difficult and hostile venue Cal will travel to this year.  Though its official capacity is only 54,000, it has been considered by many to be the loudest stadium in the Pac-10 for opposing offenses.  “It’s very tough,” Tedford said. “The crowd there is unbelievably educated on when to be loud and when to calm down when they have the ball. It’s just a very tough environment with the noise and just trying to communicate.”  This week, the Bears will try to prepare for the Autzen Zoo by amping up the simulated crowd noise in practice.  “It’s obviously a tough atmosphere to play, but it also makes it a lot more fun for us as well,” offensive guard Noris Malele said. “It doesn’t seat a lot of fans as you would expect, but the noise is still there.”

• Progress is being made on the injuries that hit the defense two weeks ago in the Louisiana Tech game.  Defensive tackle Matt Malele is expected to practice this week and linebacker Zack Follett participated in the walk-through Sunday.  Malele—who is suffering from a sprained foot muscle—is listed as probable going into Saturday’s game. Follett, on the other hand, may take a little bit more time to recover from his neck injury.  “It’s completely his decision (when to return),” Tedford said about Follett. “We’re not going to put him at any risk whatsoever.”  Tedford also said that defensive end Rulon Davis, who sprained his foot against the Bulldogs, will be out for this game.

• After recovering from sprained ligaments in his left knee, fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou is hurt again.  The junior partially tore his posterior cruciate ligament in the win over Arizona.

Tedford said that the team will rest Ta’ufo’ou this week.  “There’s a possibility that he can play this week,” Tedford said. “He’s a tough guy. His pain level today wasn’t as high as it has been. If there’s any chance at all—if it’s just a pain issue—he’ll play.”

• ESPN College GameDay will be broadcasting live from Eugene before the start of the game Saturday.  It marks the second time that Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso have traveled to Autzen Stadium. It’s also the Ducks’ third time being featured on GameDay.  “In this day and age, it’s the mark of finally having arrived,” Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said. “Certainly, just the hype alone is great. Obviously we want to play well. I’ve told our players to enjoy this.”  This is also the second time Cal has been showcased on the college football pregame show. The last time GameDay was at a Bears football game was in 2004—before the Cal-USC game in Los Angeles.  “That’s the fun part about it,” Williams said. “We’re serious about what we do, but when GameDay comes down and talks about you and the pros and cons about your team, it kind of stirs it up. It’s kind of fun to get caught up in it, but we know where our focus is.”

Statesman Journal: Eugene, Ducks in spotlight as ESPN, Cal come to town

GARY HOROWITZ

EUGENE -- Oregon tailback Jonathan Stewart laughed at the hypothetical image. No, he won't be painting his face yellow and green for the ESPN College GameDay show.  But many Oregon fans likely will go to extremes via face paint, signs, and funky hairdos for a chance to be seen on college football's premier pregame show, which will air from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday at a site to be determined at or near Autzen Stadium.  Will Lee Corso wear the Duck headgear when it's time for his prediction of the Oregon-California game? Or will he draw the ire of fans by donning the Cal Bear? No matter, it's all in good fun.  What matters most is that Eugene will be the capital of the college football universe. "It's something that you want, the national attention," Stewart said. Fans will be flocking to Eugene before sunrise. By the time kickoff arrives at 12:30 p.m., they'll be in a frenzy. The game between No. 11 Oregon and No. 6 Cal figures to have Rose Bowl and possibly national championship implications. Having ESPN's Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, and host Chris Fowler in town gives it the final stamp of big-game authenticity.

"Since I've been here it probably rivals the (2006) Oklahoma game and maybe the Civil War a few years ago when we were 9-1," offensive tackle Geoff Schwartz said. "This is a huge game for us." Since ESPN College GameDay began producing its telecasts from college campuses in 1993, the show has originated from Eugene once, for the Oregon-UCLA game Sept. 23, 2000. The Ducks won that game 29-10, and went on to finish 10-2 and defeat Texas in the Holiday Bowl. Oregon players will be waking up in their hotel rooms when the GameDay show begins and won't be part of the festivities. "But it is a good deal to wake up and see that they're there," linebacker Kwame Agyeman said. "It adds more excitement, but it's for fans more than us." It also provides free marketing for Oregon. "It's exposure for the entire university," said coach Mike Bellotti, who was mum on making a pregame appearance on the show. "It's not just Oregon football. It's Oregon athletics. It's the University of Oregon. It's the town of Eugene. I think it's really sort of a neat deal." Not to be lost in the hype is the game itself. Oregon and Cal are 4-0, and the winner controls its own destiny in the Pac-10. That is, of course, if the winner can knock off No. 1 USC down the road. The Ducks (Oct. 27) and Bears (Nov. 10) both play the Trojans at home.

Ducks quarterback Dennis Dixon is playing like a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, and it's tempting to get caught up in a season that appears to have so much promise. But fast starts have turned into late season fades for Oregon in recent years. The Ducks were 4-0 last season before absorbing a 45-24 loss at Cal. Oregon went on to lose its last four games, punctuated by a 38-8 debacle against BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl to finish 7-6. The 2003 team was 4-0 and coming off an upset of then-No. 3 Michigan at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks were blown out the following week at home by Washington State, and finished the season 8-5. "I'm treating it as all the games. We're taking it one game at a time," said Dixon, offering a familiar cliché. "It's the only game this week. We've got to focus and finish." While it's true that this is the only game Oregon will play this week, the outcome will affect the remainder of the season. There's also this subplot: Cal coach Jeff Tedford, who was the Ducks' offensive coordinator under Bellotti for four years and left after the 2001 Fiesta Bowl season, has turned the Bears into the second best team in the Pac-10. Tedford and Bellotti often compete for the same players, and winning this game on a national stage could influence potential recruits. College football fans across the nation will be watching.

San Jose Mercury: Cal is facing a real pro: Oregon's QB

Here is the link.

A two-sport star: Dixon's summer job was baseball

By Jeff Faraudo

Dennis Dixon called it a career decision. Coming off a rocky finish to his 2006 season as Oregon's quarterback, he took an unusual turn on the road to his senior year. He decided to play baseball last summer.  Drafted in the fifth round by the Atlanta Braves, the San Leandro High graduate raised some eyebrows and drew the momentary disapproval of Ducks Coach Mike Bellotti when he signed and reported to Kissimmee, Fla., in July for a month of rookie ball.  "I said publicly, I wish he were reading defenses rather than reading curveballs," Bellotti said. "Certainly the timing wasn't good. But I think he took it as a challenge, and I knew he was committed to football."  Dixon, who hadn't played baseball since high school, said, "You come to college to find a job. Basically, I felt like the baseball opportunity was a job. I could see myself pursuing that in the future. As of right now, football is on my mind." All evidence suggests the detour to the diamond didn't hurt Dixon. The Ducks are ranked 11th headed into their Pacific-10 Conference showdown Saturday against No. 6 Cal.  No player in the Pac-10 is performing better than Dixon, who is fourth nationally in pass efficiency, has thrown 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions, and is averaging 233 yards passing and 72.8 yards rushing per game in Oregon's no-huddle spread attack.

A big rematch

He has been named Pac-10 offensive player of the week  twice in the past four weeks.  Of course, this is the same crossroads Dixon and the Ducks faced a year ago, when they squared off with Cal in Berkeley in a game matching 4-0 teams. Dixon's first pass was picked off and he threw another interception during a 45-24 rout that sent the Ducks spiraling to a 3-6 record in their final nine games. Dixon personified the Ducks' troubles, throwing 12 interceptions over the final nine games, and ultimately lost his starting job.

"We lost our focus a little bit," Dixon said of the late-season skid. "The trust factor on both sides of the ball was affected." So was the monthlong baseball diversion potentially a risky move? "I always thought baseball was the best thing for him," said Chip Kelly, Oregon's new offensive coordinator. "He was put in different competitive situations than he sees in a football game, but there's a lot of carry-over. He saw things from a different light and I think he matured."

But even while in Florida, then in Danville, Va., for a week with a higher-level Braves rookie team, Dixon never let football stray far from his thoughts. He packed a football, playbook and game tapes along with his outfielder's glove and cleats, and says he spent at least four hours each day working on football. "I played catch (with a football) with my teammates," he said. "I put them in the outfield and threw slants and fades."

May have pro options

Dixon hit just .178 in 28 games but earned the admiration of his employers. "We are encouraged by his baseball ability and his athletic ability and by how terrific a young man he is," said Kurt Kemp, director of player personnel for the Braves. "Our impressions were absolutely fantastic. "This is not a guy who has never played baseball. He just hadn't played it in four years." Kemp said the Braves look forward to Dixon returning for spring training but understand the NFL might provide him with options. "It would be shortsighted of us to do anything but hope he is successful," Kemp said. Right now, the focus of Dixon and the Ducks is on Cal. "Everything is a work in progress," Bellotti said. "We started off real well last year." Dixon is the least of Bellotti's concerns. He said the quarterback was so good in fall camp that he was voted captain by his teammates. His decision-making has been great and he has improved his ability to throw the long pass.

After Dixon passed for 292 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 76 yards and another score in the Ducks' 39-7 thrashing of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Bellotti said, "We've seen nothing but that kind of performance since fall camp." Even the Wolverines and 100,000 fans in the Big House didn't present the scenario Dixon and his teammates encountered Saturday at Stanford. The Ducks roared to a 21-3 lead, then allowed the Cardinal to score 28 unanswered points. Three Oregon fumbles - the first of them by Dixon - fueled the Stanford rally. "I talked to him during the game about staying the course and being a leader," Kelly said. "He's a year older and a year wiser, and I think that showed. It was the first real test he's faced, and he responded." Dixon threw for three second-half touchdowns and the Ducks avoided a costly stumble with a 55-31 victory. "He came through tremendously," receiver Cameron Colvin told the Eugene Register-Guard. "He calmed himself, he calmed our offense down and said, 'Let's go, we've got to do this.' " Now the Ducks have to do it against Cal, which hasn't won in Eugene since 1987 but helped unravel Oregon's dreams a year ago. "I know he'll be thinking about us all week. We got after him a little bit last year," said defensive back Brandon Hampton, who intercepted Dixon's first pass against Cal a year ago. "He has a little more confidence now. You can tell just by some of the choices he's making on film. He's at his best right now."

San Jose Mercury: Cal-Oregon: Will it be a shootout?

Here is the link.

 

By Jon Wilner

Tuesday, September 25th, 2007 at 8:54 pm in Cal, Oregon. Trying to get a handle on the little tussle in Eugene, so I made two clicks with the mouse Tuesday afternoon. The first was to weather.com: 69 and partly cloudy on Saturday.  The second was to vegasinsider.com: the over/under is 72. Hmmmm.  Oregon is averaging 49 points per game, seventh in the country. Cal is averaging 42 ppg, 15th in the country. Neither defense has been granite this season, or anything approaching granite.  Given those numbers, 72 isn’t much.

(Note: I’m not advocating taking the over/under in any form; I’m just using the number to make a point.)

But anyone expecting a shootout might want to re-think. I’m not saying the final will be 14-10, but I wouldn’t count on it being 48-45, either. It never is when these teams meet in Eugene. Oregon and Cal have squared off four times since Jeff Tedford left Oregon to rebuild the Bears, with each team winning twice at home. Granted, four games isn’t a huge sample, but it’s good enough for my purpose: The games in Eugene have been closer and lower-scoring than the games in Berkeley.

In Eugene:

2003: Oregon 21, Cal 17

2005: Oregon 27, Cal 20 (OT)

differential: 11

total points: 85

 

In Berkeley:

2004: Cal 28, Oregon 27

2006: Cal 45, Oregon 24

differential: 22

total points: 124

 

Is the weather the difference, or is there something about Autzen Stadium, or is it pure coincidence? I asked Jeff Tedford and Mike Bellotti about the relatively low-scoring games in Eugene, and neither had an answer. Tedford suggested that the rainy weather two years ago had an impact, and that’s indisputable.  But there has to be more to it, to why the other game in Eugene was a 38-pointer and why the games in berkeley are so much more high-scoring. Or maybe there’s less to it — maybe it really is a coincidence. One possibility: In both ‘03 and ‘05, Tedford went to Autzen with inexperienced quarterbacks. Maybe the playcalling was a bit more conservative. Or maybe Bellotti thought he was outmanned in the Berkeley games and felt the Ducks had to open things up to keep pace with Cal. I’m not sure if there’s any truth to those theories or if there’s something else at play. But it seems to me that this might not be quite the shootout I expected a few weeks ago.

Oregon’s run defense is vulnerable, so you’d figure Tedford would lean heavily on the ground game to control the tempo, keep the pass rush off Nate Longshore and keep the Ducks’ offense off the field.  (Of Justin Forsett, Bellotti said: ‘He’s the guy that makes that offense go.”)  Bellotti might want to do the same — keep Cal’s offense off the field — and he might want to pressure Cal’s inexperienced, banged-up defensive line with a combination of Jonathan Stewart and Dennis Dixon on the ground. So 14-10? No way. But if the running games dominate, it won’t be a shootout.

San Jose Mercury: Leader of Cal defensive line expected to play Saturday

MALELE HEALTHY; LINEBACKER FOLLETT LISTED AS DAY TO DAY

By Jonathan Okanes

Here is the link.

No. 6 Cal appears to be getting healthier as it prepares for its pivotal game at No. 11 Oregon on Saturday.  Defensive tackle Matt Malele, who sat out the Bears' 45-27 victory over Arizona last weekend because of a strained foot, is probable, Coach Jeff Tedford said Tuesday. Malele is the only returning starter on the defensive line and teammates look to him for leadership.  "When he does get back out there, I know he's going to be hungry," said guard Noris Malele, Matt's cousin. "I don't know if he's frustrated or anxious. I know once he does get back out there, he'll be ready to go." Starting linebacker Zack Follett is day to day but "looked pretty good on Sunday" during the team's conditioning practice, Tedford said. Follett, who also missed the Arizona game, is recovering from a neck stinger suffered against Louisiana Tech. "On Sunday, he ran really well, but his legs aren't the problem," Tedford said. "It's his neck. He plays the game very physically and likes to hit people. So until his neck is completely better and he feels very comfortable . . . we're not going to put him at any risk whatsoever."  Neck stingers can become serious if a player returns before the symptoms have completely disappeared. If Follett is unable to play, Justin Moye is expected to start in his place again.

Starting defensive end Rulon Davis, who missed the Arizona game because of a sprained foot, probably will be out again this week, Tedford said. Starting fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou suffered a partial tear of the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee but could play against the Ducks, Tedford said. Ta'ufo'ou, who missed the end of training camp because of a sprained medial collateral ligament in the same knee but came back much earlier than expected, suffered the injury Saturday but came back to reel off a 14-yard run during the Bears' final scoring drive.  "He's a tough, tough guy," Tedford said. "We'll rest him through the week and I know he will rehab continually through the week. If there's any chance at all - if it's just a pain issue - he'll play, I would imagine."

• Although there are many things for Tedford to be satisfied about, he hasn't been happy with the Bears' kickoff coverage. Cal is allowing 37.2 yards per return, which is ninth in the Pacific-10. Considering the Bears are facing the conference's top kick returner in Oregon's Jonathan Stewart (31.9 yards per return), it's something they want to shore up immediately. "We are going to have to get better there," Tedford said. "It's the one that gets to the 50-yard line that drives you crazy a little bit." Tedford also said this season's new rule moving kickoffs back from the 35-yard line to the 30 is contributing to better returns in general. "With where the kickoff is now, that's going to happen every now and then," he said.

• ESPN will broadcast its "College Gameday" show live from Autzen Stadium on Saturday. The show, featuring Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso, airs from a different location each week, depending on the magnitude of the game.

• Saturday's game will feature the Pac-10's top running backs - Stewart (125.8 yards per game) and Cal's Justin Forsett (121). .

• Oregon and Cal are tied for sixth in the country in turnover margin (1.75).

 

Arizona Daily Star: Cal-Oregon matchup prompts media glare

By Patrick Finley

The last time Cal traveled to Oregon, in 2005, the Golden Bears lost in overtime during a biblical downpour.   The time before that, half of Autzen Stadium's lights went out, something Cal coach Jeff Tedford recalled Tuesday as "kinda freaky."   Saturday might have an even rarer occurrence — ESPN's College GameDay is visiting a Pac-10 town, and USC is not playing.   “That's kind of the sign of the times with our conference," Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. "There's Oregon-Cal, all that is built up into that kind of a game. They're both undefeated, and it's one of the best games in the country."  It is the conference game of the young season, set for 12:30 p.m. by ABC (Channel 9) and featuring analyst Lee Corso and crew camped out in Eugene.  But with the top-ranked Trojans lurking atop the national rankings, few have any illusions that the game will decide the conference champion.

The loser, however, probably will be eliminated from the picture.  "We'll find out this week, between us as the 11th team and them as the sixth, who's going to continue to be in line for the conference championship," Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said.  The winner of the game might have the inside track for the Rose Bowl.  If USC advances to the national title game, the second-place Pac-10 team likely would go to Pasadena — provided it qualifies for the Bowl Championship Series. And it is difficult to imagine the BCS admitting a two-loss Pac-10 team that does not own a share of the conference title.  But that is getting too far ahead — at least for Week 5.  The combined résumés of Oregon and Cal are impressive. They are a combined 8-0. Oregon leads the Pac-10 with 48.5 points per game; Cal is third with 41.5. Both have slayed a national power — Cal beat Tennessee; Oregon routed Michigan.  But Oregon will come in undermanned; the Ducks' leading receiver, Brian Paysinger, is lost for 9 to 12 months with an injury Bellotti has not disclosed. "It was very difficult to lose Brian," he said. "He was our best receiver."  Saturday against Stanford, two receivers filled in nicely. Cameron Colvin caught eight passes for 136 yards, and Jaison Williams caught seven for 113.  Add that to quarterback Dennis Dixon totaling 305.8 yards in total offense and running back Jonathan Stewart being ranked 11th in the nation with 125.75 rushing, and it's hard to pick your poison.  "They have so many weapons," said Tedford, Oregon's offensive coordinator from 1998 to 2001. "They can throw it. They can run it. Dennis can pull it down and run it himself. They're a really scary group."  Cal seems just as balanced. Wide receiver-punt returner DeSean Jackson is an all highlight-reel player — Bellotti calls him "the most explosive player in Division I football" — but running back Justin Forsett averages 121 yards per game.  "Right now, we're as concerned about Justin Forsett," Bellotti said. "He's the guy that makes that offense go."

Oregonian: California comes calling with big-time offense

Bears receiver DeSean Jackson is struggling, but Cal has a host of offensive weapons similar to UO

JOHN HUNT

DeSean Jackson's numbers are scary because they are so . . . well . . . small.  California's big-play receiver and Heisman Trophy candidate has the kind of statistics that wouldn't excite a tight end. His per game averages are about four catches and 38 yards. He hasn't cracked 50 yards yet -- a level he reached in all but two games last season -- and doesn't have a touchdown catch.  "DeSean Jackson, when healthy, is the best offensive weapon in the world," said Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, whose 11th-ranked Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Pacific-10 Conference) face Jackson and the No. 6 Golden Bears (4-0, 1-0) on Saturday at Autzen Stadium and on a national stage.  Jackson has scored on a run and on a punt return, but why is he another world from his production of last season, when he was a 1,000-yard receiver and widely regarded as the most dangerous player in college football?

"I'm sure that people are aware of where he is and try to keep help to that side, to a degree," Bellotti said of the strategy of rolling coverages toward a particular receiver. "His (thumb) injury probably has hurt them a little bit, certainly in terms of not touching the ball as often as probably everybody would like."  Since spraining his left thumb in the season opener against Tennessee, Jackson has had to wear a cast in practice and has dropped a few passes in games. But it hasn't hurt Cal, which is averaging 41.5 points -- third in the Pac-10 behind Oregon (48.5) and USC (44.7).  Fellow receiver Lavelle Hawkins has picked up the slack, averaging six catches and 79 yards per game, with two touchdown catches. The equally athletic Robert Jordan rounds out the group of receivers who Bellotti called "the best we've faced, by far."  Then there's running back Justin Forsett, second to Oregon's Jonathan Stewart in rushing in the conference (121 yards per game) and freshman Jahvid Best, a speedy hybrid runner/receiver, to keep defenses further off-balance.  "(Best) comes in and adds to the problem," secondary coach John Neal said. "That's the strategy every game for them, to figure out how to have some sort of balance so they can overwhelm you with five guys."  And if Jackson breaks out, look out. In Cal's 45-24 win at Berkeley, Calif., last season, Jackson caught a 36-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, then took a punt back 65 yards for another touchdown in the second that gave Cal a 28-3 lead. That's one of six career punt return touchdowns for the junior, who has gained at least 20 yards on a play 43 times in those two-plus seasons.

But it's not Jackson's team, and that's one of the ways Cal and Oregon are similar -- the array of offensive weapons -- even though Cal runs a different offense (though similar to the Ducks' old offense). The teams know each other so well, but stopping each other isn't easy.  "You have to be careful what you do," Bellotti said. "You have to stop the running game. To my mind, Justin Forsett is the thing that makes that thing go. He's the cog that is always there -- you always have to guard against him because he's a tough runner that is small enough to hide behind things, so you don't see him."  Last week against Arizona, the Bears got out to another early 28-3 lead and tried to rest Forsett but had to put him back in when the Wildcats closed to 38-27. He iced the game with a touchdown and finished with 117 yards.  "He forces you to stop the run," Bellotti said. "Their offensive line forces you to stop the run, and that opens up the throwing lanes. So I think we have to be very careful in how we approach this, about making sure we don't commit too much and create too many islands for our (defensive backs) versus their wide receivers."  The Ducks are fortunate to have defensive backs with "quick feet and short memories," said Bellotti, and who aren't afraid of being on an island -- even if it's an island on network television and with ESPN's "College GameDay" on hand for college football's biggest game of the weekend.  "We're just trying to slow them down," cornerback Walter Thurmond said, "and try to get a hand on them."  Maybe a short memory makes Jackson seem a little less of a threat. The numbers, after all, are small. But like Saturday's game, they are only going to get bigger.

 

San Jose Mercury: Jeff Tedford looks ahead to Oregon

A transcript from Jeff Tedford's weekly media luncheon held Tuesday in Berkeley...

 

On Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon:

Not only is he athletic, it looks like he's doing with the offense, he's in his comfort-zone right now, there's no question about it. He has great weapons around him, a great offensive line - they're running the ball very, very well - and he has great receivers. He's such a threat because when they have the running game, they can throw the football and then he can pull it down and run; it's a very explosive offense. He really looks comfortable with what he's doing. He makes really good decisions on when to pull it down, he hasn't thrown an interception yet, he's making great decisions. When he does pull it down, he can make you miss and that's the scary part, he's not some five-flat guy who's running with the football, when he pulls it down, he can make a lot of yards. It's a scary group.

On if playing Cal is Oregon's first true test of the season:

They played Michigan, I think that's a pretty good test. Michigan has a lot of good players and Oregon did a nice job against them. They really haven't been slowed down. I don't know that you're going to stop them but hopefully we can contain them a little bit. We're going to have to do a good job on offense to help keep our defense off the field because they are very explosive.

On playing offense against Oregon:

I think people have had some good runs against  them and some of it happens late in the game when they make some substitutions because they've had big leads and given up some big plays. Their first-team defense has done a pretty good job and I think some of that is misleading because at the end of the game, some guys can get some big plays on them.

On playing at Autzen Stadium:

It's very tough. The crowd there is unbelievably educated about when to be loud and when to calm down when they have the ball. It's a very, very tough environment with the noise and communicating and things like that. It was kind of different my first year back there to be on the other side. They do a nice job there. We had to play in some bad weather a couple years ago, but it's supposed to be around 70 degrees and sunny on Saturday so weather shouldn't be a factor.

On not having won at Oregon since 1987:

That has nothing to do with us. All we can do is say what's happened in the last five years and it seems like the home team has always won. We've had a chance to win up there both times we've played up there, and we didn't pull it off. Twenty-year streaks have nothing do with these guys. Some of them weren't even born 20 years ago so it has nothing to do with them. It's about this year, that's what counts, that's all the matters.

On any frustration for DeSean Jackson:

DeSean's doing great, I'm really pleased with DeSean's attitude. He was really, really happy to win the game last week, he was really fired up that last series where just had to go in and run the ball out, he was fired up. He's got a great attitude and he wants to win as much as anyone. But for us to be successful, we need to try to get the ball in his hands a little bit more. It's not that we haven't been trying. It's just that sometimes they take it away and you can't be foolish and try to force things just to prove a point. It would be nice to have him a little bit more part of the game plan as we move forward here. Our running game has run it very well and the other guys are catching the ball and doing a nice job. It will probably come back to DeSean at some point because I don't know that they can continue to leave the other guys open like they have been doing.

On tailback Justin Forsett:

He has taken some hits and he's bouncing up. You can tell when he's running in traffic, he's moving the pile. He has great balance already but now he has more strength to go along with that. He doesn't go down very easily, you're going to have to bring him to the ground, you're not just going to be able to bump into him and bring him down.

On Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti:

Mike is a great guy, he's a great coach, and they have a great staff. He does a great job with that team. There's not really any philosophy that he has that I think we can take advantage of or anything like that. He's very sound, always makes good decisions with penalty decisions or situations in games, he's very, very sound that way. He does a great job with that team.

On Tedford's past association with Oregon:

I have great respect for them, I have great friends on that staff that I've worked with and I've known for a long time. I don't have any players on that team that I helped recruit or anything like that anymore. All the people there, the fans and the staff, are people that I have a great deal of respect for.

On the value of Justin Forsett's experience entering this year:

I think a lot. If this would have been Justin's true first year of experience, you may not be able to rely on some of that. But he's had a lot of carries for us over the last three years so he's not a rookie by any means. He understands the game, he understands how to hang onto the football, he understands when to stay in-bounds, when it's time to go down, all those types of things. I think all the experience over the past years has helped with all those things.

On containing Oregon junior running back Jonathan Stewart:They're running the ball close to the 300 yards per game and I think he's the league's leading rusher now. It's key to be able to slow him down a little bit. He's a great player and they have really good schemes and hopefully we don't let him get too loose to often. He's going to get some, you're not going to stop him completely, but hopefully we can limit him.

On kickoff returns:  We are going have to get better there. I think our average starting point was about the 31-yardline and our goal was the 28 but when they get to the 50-yardline that drives you crazy a little bit. I'm not so sure if [with the new kickoff rule] that's going to happen every now and then. I would be very interested to see the difference in the starting positions since they changed the kickoff line, I would have to bet that it's got to be at least 10-15 yards more. We can be better there, it's not just because they moved the kickoff back, we can be better.

 

MSNBC: Cal-Oregon winner will be for real

By Michael Ventre

This Saturday, all eyes in the college football world focus on the West, which isn’t easy, because many of the ones in the East, South and Midwest suffer from pigskin myopia and therefore have to be fitted with corrective aids.  But it’s true, no matter what Les Miles and the rest of the Pac-10’s peanut gallery think. The game between sixth-ranked California and 11th-ranked Oregon — both unbeaten — is the clash of all clashes, at least this Saturday.  Last year, Cal burned its national title credentials with one nightmarish performance at Knoxville. The Bears then spent the rest of the season trying to atone. And they were only marginally successful, as losses in consecutive weeks to Arizona and USC illustrate. They did finish on a high note, walloping Texas A&M 45-10 in the Holiday Bowl. And thanks to USC’s flop against UCLA, the Bears came away with a share of the Pac-10 title.  But all of that only built expectations high for 2007. Now that Cal has gotten revenge on both Tennessee and Arizona thus far, quarterback Nate Longshore, wide receiver DeSean Jackson, coach Jeff Tedford & Co. are standing proudly as a legitimate national power.

And in this corner … the Oregon Ducks, who had to rally to beat Stanford on Saturday 55-31, but who also have a giant victory at Ann Arbor on their ‘07 record.  Like the Bears, the Ducks are also 4-0. But unlike the Bears, the Ducks didn’t recover and salvage their 2006 season with a string of rousing efforts. Oregon finished 2006 with four straight losses; in fact, beginning with a 45-24 defeat at Berkeley on Oct. 7 — its first setback after opening the season 4-0 — the Ducks proceeded to lose six of their final nine, including a complete no-show against BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.  This is a “prove it” game for both programs. Cal wants to be taken seriously among the big boys. The Bears certainly have the coaching and the athletes. But they also have a perception problem, which probably dates back to at least 2004 when they defeated, but failed to clobber, Southern Mississippi, 26-16, on the road in their final regular-season game.  That allowed Mack Brown to work the room. He convinced enough poll voters to put his Texas team above Cal. The Longhorns thus went to the Rose Bowl. The disappointed Bears sulked their way to the Holiday Bowl, where they were embarrassed, 45-31, by Texas Tech. Like a brand of lettuce found to have E. coli in its bags, it takes a while before the public trusts your brand again. Cal is only now getting the love back. In 2005, Oregon reported a robbery also. The Ducks, despite finishing 10-1 in the regular season, were overlooked for a BCS berth, and Ohio State and Notre Dame got the nods instead.

Alas, it appears the Pac-10 will always battle for respect. But this week, a hard-fought confrontation between Cal and Oregon will go a long way toward raising the profiles of both the conference in general and those two programs in particular. In a year in which Louisville is upended by Syracuse, Michigan loses at home to Appalachian State, and Notre Dame is 0-4 for the first time ever, the Cal-Oregon matchup is practically college football’s version of the Super Bowl — at least on Saturday.

CBS Sportsline: Oregon over Cal

4 of the 5 “experts” on CBS Sportsline pick Oregon over Cal.  Here is the link.

Sports Illustrated: Cory McCartney Picks Cal over Oregon

The first of Cal's Pac-10 road tests comes against an Oregon team that is fourth in the nation in rushing offense (299.75 yards per game) and could give the Bears trouble. But after two weeks without a touchdown DeSean Jackson is due for a big game.

Cal 35, Oregon 28

Here is the link.

Cal vs. Oregon: Latest Line

The spread opened at 4 ½ and is now Oregon by 5 ½.

Arizona Daily Wildcat: Jackson chirping after win

After No. 6 California defeated the Arizona football team Saturday, punt returner/ wide receiver DeSean Jackson had a few choice words for his old high school rival.  In a press conference after the game, Jackson was asked about playing against UA cornerback Antoine Cason again.  "He can't say anything when we win like that," Jackson said of Cal's 45-27 victory.  Cason said Monday he never said anything to Jackson leading up to the game that would possibly ignite Jackson to be angry at him, adding that there is no "bad beef" between the two. "We're competitors," Cason said. "We're going to talk trash, you know. We're friends. I saw him after the game and our families were together. "After a win, of course you have a little confidence. I guess that's how he felt at that particular moment. They did win, and I can't say anything. "Before the game I just said 'What's up? Play hard.' But on the field of course I'm trying to take his head off."

Cason, who covered Jackson for a good portion of the game, mainly kept him in check, holding him to 39 yards on three catches. Jackson also failed in his primary threat as a punt returner. Known to never call for a fair catch, Jackson was tackled for a one-yard loss on his lone return. Jackson did go on to compliment Cason, however. "I tried to adjust to him, but he was doing great," he said.

San Jose Mercury: Cal knows it can, must play better

IN SEARCH OF A COMPLETE GAME

By Jonathan Okanes

Cal is 4-0 and ranked sixth in the Associated Press poll, but the players are well aware they have yet to reach their full potential. In which game did they come the closest? "They're all tied for last," linebacker Worrell Williams said. It's probably in the Bears' best interest to be so self-critical, because they probably will have to put together more-complete performances to contend for a spot in the Bowl Championship Series. It wouldn't be a bad idea to start Saturday, when they visit No. 11 Oregon. "It actually makes me kind of happy because we haven't played a complete game yet" and we're 4-0, Williams said. "When we do, it's going to be scary." It could be scary if they don't, too. The Ducks (4-0) have been one of the surprising teams in the country this season, with quarterback Dennis Dixon putting on a series of breathtaking performances to make Oregon the top-ranked offense in the Pacific-10. The Ducks lead the conference in scoring (48.5 points per game), total offense (536.8 yards per game) and rushing (299.8 ypg). Their victories have come by an average of 27 points. "I don't think we've played a full game yet," Cal running back Justin Forsett said. "Consistency is the key. Our offense plays great at times, but we have to be consistent. We can't take any quarters off. I think we're pretty close; we're one step away from playing a complete game. But we have to put all the pieces together."

The Bears looked  ready to put together an excellent performance during the first half of their 45-27 victory Saturday against Arizona, but they faltered in the second half and provided some nervous moments when the Wildcats cut a 28-point deficit to 11 early in the fourth quarter.  Cal's offense has been virtually unstoppable, but it runs into lulls at inopportune times. The defense, meanwhile, is still a work in progress. Cal slowed down Arizona's spread offense in the first half but allowed some sustained drives in the second half that allowed the Wildcats to come back. "I'm pretty sure what our potential may be, but we haven't reached that yet on a consistent basis," Coach Jeff Tedford said. "There are flashes from time to time, but we haven't put together a full game yet." While Cal's defense has given up its share of yards, it also has had a knack for the big play. The Bears are tied for second in the Pac-10 with 11 takeaways. One of the Bears' biggest problems is health - starting defensive linemen Matt Malele (foot) and Rulon Davis (foot) and starting linebacker Zack Follett (neck stinger) all missed the Arizona game, and it appears only Malele has a good chance of returning this week.

 

New York Times: Tuesday Kickoff

Here is the link.

 

The Oregonian’s John Canzano said there’s a strong undercurrent of Mike Bellotti vs. Jeff Tedford in this weekend’s Cal-Oregon game, which is the biggest on this weekend’s college football slate. Bellotti Tedford is a former Tedford Bellotti assistant who got a lot of credit for the Ducks’ victories in the Holiday Bowl and Fiesta Bowl back in the Joey Harrington era.

Canzano sets the stakes: “So, what do you suppose Saturday is really about to Bellotti? Quieting the whispers among his own fan base. Proving to the country that he deserved all the accolades that went Tedford’s way. Plain and simple, hanging on to his legacy. It’s not that often that a person gets an opportunity to prove himself with so many watching, and Bellotti understands the stakes.”

From the Cal side, Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News says that its Oregon or bust for the Bears DeSean Jackson. He writes: “It’s not even October, and DeSean Jackson has already reached a make-or-break moment in his Heisman Trophy chase.”

Oregonian: UO's passing game takes a hit

The Ducks lose their leading receiver but have Jaison Williams and others ready to go 

JOHN HUNT

A couple of weeks ago, Oregon coach Mike Bellotti called this the healthiest football team he has ever coached early in the season, "knock on wood."  He didn't knock hard enough, as the 11th-ranked Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Pacific-10 Conference) will play the entire conference schedule and a probable bowl game without receiver Brian Paysinger, the all-around good guy who was the team's leader in receiving yards before suffering a right knee injury in practice last week.  "It's a horrible loss," tackle Geoff Schwartz said. "He's a great player, great guy, always works hard and does the right thing."   But as good a receiver as Paysinger was, the Ducks have proved he is replaceable -- at least against Stanford -- as they prepare to take on No. 6 California (4-0, 1-0) on Saturday at Autzen Stadium.  Cameron Colvin, a senior who had been the forgotten man in the offense, reminded many of his talents Saturday at Stanford, catching eight passes for 136 yards in the 55-31 win, including a 71-yard touchdown catch on the first play from scrimmage.  "Cameron's just as explosive as Brian was," said receiver Garren Strong, who returned but never could recover from an ankle injury suffered in the second game of last season. "He's a leader, too; he was a senior and all that. Cameron has to get on board and just really focus on what's going on."  Paysinger was not at practice Monday, and there has been a secrecy surrounding the injury since it happened Thursday, when he got his right foot caught in the grass as he was being tackled. Bellotti declined to comment on specifics of the injury, only that it would mean a recovery time of nine to 12 months. Team doctor Robert Crist also wouldn't discuss specifics, citing HIPAA laws.  The injury means that the focal point of Oregon's passing game could again become Jaison Williams, who was among the nation's receiving leaders last year before suffering a back injury in the USC game. And Williams has been something of a good luck charm -- the Ducks are 5-1 when he has 100 or more receiving yards.

"Ironically, it's happened in most of our big games," Williams said.  Williams had five catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns in the second half at Stanford as Oregon outscored the Cardinal 31-0 and quarterback Dennis Dixon -- 12 of 12 in the third quarter -- seemed in one of the most comfortable passing zones he has been in all season. Although Cal ranks sixth in the Pac-10 in pass defense and is allowing a league-worst 66 percent completion percentage, the Golden Bears are regarded as having a better pass defense than Stanford, which was unable to cool off one of the nation's hottest passers.  Dixon, selected Monday the Pac-10 offensive player of the week for the second time in three weeks, still hasn't thrown an interception this season (he had three last year at Cal). There are only three other quarterbacks in the nation who are interception-free four games into the season (and throwing at least 15 passes a game): Kentucky's Andre Woodson, Cullen Harper of Clemson and West Virginia's Patrick White.  A new target for Dixon is freshman Aaron Pflugrad, who was told last Tuesday that he would be redshirting, only to find out two days later that he was added to the travel squad. He caught one pass for four yards against Stanford.  Dixon won't have a chance to throw to Jamere Holland, though. The former USC receiver, who transferred to Oregon and plans to play in the 2008 season, attended class Monday but did not finish his physical examinations in time to practice.  Safety Ryan DePalo, who returned in five months from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, thanks in large part to a tireless work ethic, said although Paysinger's Oregon career is finished, he could recover in less than nine months.  "It just depends on how much work he puts in," DePalo said. "And knowing Brian, he'll put a whole lot of work in."  Paysinger is not eligible for a medical redshirt because he redshirted in 2003.

 

Oregonian: Vindication is the goal for Bellotti

(Thanks to Joseph for sending the link)

The unofficial policy inside the athletic department at the University of Oregon used to discourage any display of affection for former assistant Jeff Tedford.  There were to be no Tedford bobblehead dolls allowed on desks. No Tedford photographs on the walls. No Tedford-coached team magnet schedules.  If you wanted to talk about Tedford's coaching genius?  Best to whisper.  The minds and desks of support staff in Eugene were to be kept Tedford-free. Which is why one staffer was scolded by a cruising athletic-department enforcer a couple of years ago after she cut out a small newspaper piece about Tedford and taped it in an inconspicuous place on her cubicle wall.  The clipping came down.  I only bring this up because Oregon and California will meet Saturday in what is the most significant college football matchup in the country. And we all know the since-relaxed unofficial department policy failed to do the one thing that it was designed to do years ago -- make you stop talking and thinking about Tedford.  What?

You thought Cal-Oregon was just a football game?  Consider that Tedford, and not Mike Bellotti, received much of the credit for Oregon's national breakthrough in the Holiday Bowl and Fiesta Bowl victories. And that Tedford, then Bellotti's assistant, was given all the acclaim as the offensive brainchild who won big with Joey Harrington under center and whisked away to Berkeley, where he's built his own empire.  Also, consider that while Tedford has won loads of games, Oregon has struggled with inconsistency and had an embarrassing recruiting scandal in which it was penalized by the NCAA for breaking the rules while trying to steal a Cal recruit.   (Ducks insiders insist that Tedford turned in Oregon on that infraction, by the way.)  So, what do you suppose Saturday is really about to Bellotti?   Quieting the whispers among his own fan base. Proving to the country that he deserved all the accolades that went Tedford's way. Plain and simple, hanging on to his legacy. It's not that often that a person gets an opportunity to prove himself with so many watching, and Bellotti understands the stakes.  These guys are friends, sure. They like and respect each other. But insiders tell you there's some certifiable one-way jealousy here. Bellotti, who hasn't won a bowl game since Tedford left, finds himself getting too little of the credit for the success he had with Tedford on staff in Eugene. The envy was woefully transparent when Bellotti scrapped Tedford's offense, and took up the spread. By doing so, Bellotti is not-so-subtly suggesting that he's not only the man in charge in Eugene, but that he, not Tedford, is the real offensive genius.  He aims to prove it Saturday.

A game?  Sure. There's going to be a ball, goal posts, and 22 players on the field at Autzen Stadium. But what we're really seeing is Bellotti wrestling with his legacy. He's desperately attempting to protect that which he's lost the victories that defined his best seasons. To do so, Bellotti must understand that he has to beat Tedford with both programs highly ranked, both teams with capable playmakers, and the entire country watching.  Bellotti doesn't just want a victory Saturday.

He needs one.  Plenty will be made of the serial defections of current Ducks associate athletic director Jim Bartko from Eugene to Berkeley and back to Eugene. Tedford probably feels understandably jilted by Bartko. Maybe enough for this one to be termed by some, "The Backbiting Bowl." Even with Bartko back in Eugene, there's a cadre of support staff in Berkeley who bolted Oregon to follow Tedford. Things are so co-mingled here, that you should know, the enforcer who took down the newspaper clipping in Eugene now works for Tedford at Cal.  This game isn't about protecting turf, it's about preserving ego.  It's not enough that Bellotti has the longest tenure of any conference coach. Because Tedford is there, coaching Cal into the Top 10, reminding everyone that he's the real miracle worker. And that's the poetry in this meeting -- the teams are so capable, that for the first time it feels like we're going to find out which of these two coaches is better.

Anyone who has spent any time around Bellotti understands how important it is to him that he receive proper credit for success. The offensive coordinators who followed Tedford -- Andy Ludwig and Gary Crowton -- weren't allowed autonomy to do their jobs well. Bellotti began to act so insecurely that he didn't even allow the coordinators to consistently sit in the coaching sky box when they called the plays. He wanted them on the sideline, where he could meddle. And whenever you ask Bellotti who called which plays, his current and former assistants will tell you, Bellotti likes to take credit for the plays that work, while dishing the blame for the ones that don't.  Some of that is human nature, I suppose. In case you've ever sat watching an Oregon football game where the Ducks were winning, and everything was working, and suddenly, Bellotti inserted himself into the game by calling a trick play, or onside kicking, or changing quarterbacks, or doing something so strikingly absurd that you couldn't help notice him, well, maybe you understand now what that's all about.  It's not enough to win. Bellotti needs you to know that he's there, pulling the levers.  That is, if they win.

 

The Oregonian: Ducks' Top Receiver Paysinger out for season

Oregon receiver Brian Paysinger will have surgery later this week on his right knee and will miss the rest of the season, coach Mike Bellotti said Sunday.  Asked whether Paysinger, who hurt the knee during Thursday's practice, could return for a bowl game, Bellotti said, "No, I don't think so."  Paysinger was the Ducks' leader in receiving yards (nine catches for 165 yards) entering Saturday's 55-31 win at Stanford but probably has made his last appearance on the field for the Ducks. No details were available on the injury.  Cameron Colvin, Paysinger's replacement, had four catches coming into the Stanford game and had double that (eight catches for 136 yards) Saturday.  "It's different," Colvin said. "You play about 70 snaps, you can feel it."  Bellotti said he was pleased with Colvin's play but wants to see more attention to detail.  "He certainly made his presence felt early and often," Bellotti said. "I think he can do some things from a ball security standpoint and a blocking standpoint to improve."  

Saturday's recap: The Ducks, who rose from No. 13 to No. 11 in The Associated Press poll, overcame a shaky second quarter and a surprising halftime deficit to beat Stanford 55-31 on Saturday night at Stanford Stadium.  After losing three fumbles and being outscored 28-3 in the second quarter, Oregon rode the passing of Dennis Dixon to a victory in its Pacific-10 Conference opener and its sixth consecutive win over the Cardinal.  Dixon completed all 12 of his passes in the third quarter for 156 yards in the Ducks' most pass-oriented game of the season. Dixon finished 27 of 36 for 367 yards passing and ran for another 15 yards.  Jonathan Stewart chipped in with 160 rushing yards on 19 carries, but Oregon's streak of 300-yard rushing performances was snapped at three.  On defense, the Ducks were again susceptible to the run, allowing Anthony Kimble his first 100-yard rushing game -- he reached that mark in the second quarter.  Still, those issues seemed to be fixed at halftime. The Ducks outscored Stanford 31-0 and outgained the Cardinal 372 yards to 127 in the second half.  

GameDay is coming: It is official. ESPN's "College GameDay" will be in Eugene for Saturday's game against California. It will be the second "GameDay" appearance in Eugene, after the crew visited in 2000 for the Ducks' game with UCLA.

Out of focus? When asked whether his team, which had committed a total of two turnovers in its first three games before its case of dropsies in the second quarter, had lost focus, Bellotti said that wasn't the case.  "No," he said. "We lost the football."  

Stopping Stanford: For the first time this season, somebody other than a defensive back led the Ducks in tackles. Linebacker Jerome Boyd had 11, including a game-high seven solo tackles.  Doffing the redshirt: Freshman Aaron Pflugrad, son of receivers coach Robin Pflugrad, saw his first action of the season and caught a four-yard pass from Dixon. Pflugrad wouldn't have made the trip to the Bay Area if not for Paysinger's injury.  

Injuries: Guard Josh Tschirgi (back) played but did not start against Stanford. Jeremiah Johnson (hamstring) carried 14 times for 60 yards. Tackle Fenuki Tupou sustained a mild concussion and is probable for Cal, Bellotti said.

 

San Jose Mercury: It's Oregon or bust for DeSean Jackson's Heisman chances

By Jon Wilner

It’s not even October, and DeSean Jackson has already reached a make-or-break moment in his Heisman Trophy chase.  A big game at Oregon featuring big plays, and he stays alive.  Another do-nothing game, and he’s done.  After a huge opening day, with that sensational punt return against Tennessee on national television, Jackson has done very little (partly because of a sprained thumb) on games seen by very few people:

A 73-yard touchdown run in the cave of Ft. Collins, and then uneventful afternoons against Louisiana Tech and Arizona.  And during his big-play drought, other candidates have posted huge numbers: Florida’s Tim Tebow, Arkansas’ Darren McFadden and USC’s John David Booty, to name three. It could be worse for Jackson. He could have had bad games in big games. Rule No. 3 of Heisman races — I’m not sure what Nos. 1 and 2 are, but this feels like a 3 — is that it’s always better to have off-days when nobody’s watching.  But people will be watching on Saturday. ESPN’s Gameday crew will be there. ABC will show the game regionally. Reporters from across the region and the country will attend. Huge game against a ranked team … those are made-to-order settings for Heisman candidates. Those settings were crucial for the only other receiver/returners to win the Heisman: Notre Dame’s Tim Brown and Michigan’s Desmond Howard. (Brown did it against Michigan, Howard against Notre Dame.) I don’t think Jackson needs huge numbers against Oregon. He doesn’t need 10 catches for 180 yards or anything like that. What he needs are big plays, spectacular plays, plays that change or win the game — plays of which Heisman candidates are made.

Now, the Hotline’s weekly look at the contenders (in some semblance of order):

<LINK>

***Cal receiver DeSean Jackson

Last week: Caught three passes for 39 yards in victory over Arizona.

This week: at Oregon.

Season to date: Has 17 catches and no receiving TDs. Averaging 8.9 yards per catch.

How he stacks up: Fading. Needs a big game at Oregon.

<Snip>

***Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon

Last week: Threw for 367 yards and 4 TDs in win over Stanford.

This week: vs. Cal

Season to date: Passer rating of 188, with 11 TD passes and has not thrown an interception.

How he stacks up: Probably has too far to climb. Like Jackson, he needs a big game this week.

ESPN Radio: Oregon-Cal Will Be One for the Ages

Here is the link to the podcast.

Cal vs. Oregon

Cal is ranked 6^th on the AP, USA Today, and Harris Interactive polls, while Oregon is ranked 11^th on the AP poll, 12^th on the USA Today poll, and 10^th on the Harris Interactive poll.  The current spread favors Oregon by 4 ½.

Oregon Daily Emerald: Cal and GameDay are in town; start up the hype

By: Kevin Hudson

 

While I believe that the 55-31 final score does qualify Oregon's win over Stanford as a blowout, it feels to me like the Ducks really dodged a bullet. But in recent seasons, even successful ones, Oregon has been caught squarely in the chest by it, and Stanford has been a likely suspect. Remember 2001? Stanford ripped a ticket to the National Championship game out of Oregon's hands; they may have stolen a Heisman trophy from Joey Harrington, too.  But this fall Duck fans' dreams weren't crushed by the Cardinal, and the good news is that they dodged this bullet by a combination of tenacity and poise, traits that the team has lacked over the last few years. And though I (and I'm sure many of you) sat with my head in my hands after that dreadful second quarter Saturday night, I woke up Sunday morning grinning from ear to ear at the prospect of No. 6 California facing No. 11 Oregon here at Autzen Stadium this weekend.   So let's dust off the hype machine and get it cranked up. Games like these only come along once in a great while, and I'm thrilled to get a chance to cover such an event. As a native Oregonian, son of a Duck, and a football fan in general, the game itself promises to be one for the ages - and it will be a grand spectacle as well.   "This game will obviously have a lot of hype and a lot of attention," said Oregon coach Mike Bellotti.

Rumors have been swirling all week about ESPN College GameDay coming to town for the matchup, and the athletic department confirmed Sunday that Chris Fowler has contacted school officials to get the ball rolling. It will be the third time that the show has covered a Duck game. The first two times were for games against UCLA, in Los Angeles in 1998, and in Eugene in 2000.  You might not have heard it yet, but the buzz around this game will build up to a dull roar by mid-week. By Saturday this town will be an absolute madhouse. Those that turn up their noses at the passion of Duck football fans will lament that the heathens have cause to be boisterous. The rest of us, especially the sports media, will savor it.

Bellotti sees GameDay coming to town as a good thing for the program, and a factor in preparation.  "It's a very positive factor," he said. "In this day and age young people view that as an enticing thing ... the hype involved lends, not more importance to the game, but more attention." As for the matchup, I have to believe that Cal will be the favorite, even on the road. DeSean Jackson, sure to be every college football analyst's favorite "x-factor" this week, torched the Ducks last year with a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 36-yard touchdown reception in Cal's 45-24 victory over Oregon in Berkeley.  And don't forget Justin Forsett. He is second in the conference in rushing to this point and he had a career day against the Ducks last year, rushing for 163 yards in the second half after Marshawn Lynch was sidelined by a leg injury.  To this point, one-third of the way through the season, the Ducks have answered many of the questions that surrounded them coming in. The offense has proven that if teams stack the box against the run it can burn them with the long ball, and vice versa. The defense has proven that it can buckle down and get stops when it counts. The team as a whole has proven that it has strong veteran leadership and poise under pressure.  The only question left for this team is how they will perform against elite competition. We'll find out Saturday.

Oregonian: Sleepless Tedford to count Ducks

Expect California coach Jeff Tedford to spend a long week in his lair inside Berkeley's Memorial Stadium, poring over scouting reports, peering at video and trying to plug leaks as he prepares for the No. 6 Golden Bears' game this week at No. 11 Oregon.  Cal is 4-0, 1-0 in the Pacific-10 Conference, but the Bears will bring a shaky defense, a long injury list and a disturbing penalty problem when they come north to Autzen Stadium.  Perhaps an even greater concern for Tedford is his team's tendency to give up big leads in the second half. It hasn't cost the Bears so far, but they can't afford to lose focus against the explosive Ducks (4-0, 1-0).   Cal held off Arizona 45-27 Saturday, but not before nearly squandering a 38-10 lead.   In fact, "Air Zona" clicked for 17 consecutive points to pull within 11 early in the fourth quarter as the Cal crowd grew antsy. Willie Tuitama, operating the Wildcats' new spread passing attack, threw for 309 yards and set school records with 42 completions and 61 attempts.  It's not the first time something like that has happened. The Bears blew big leads against Tennessee and Colorado State, too.  In the end, Cal got its running game going when injured tailback Justin Forsett re-entered the lineup. That allowed the Bears to control the ball and regain both the tempo and the momentum from Arizona.  Forsett's condition will be a topic of conversation all week. He originally exited the Arizona game late in the second quarter because of a tweaked ankle and a quadriceps bruise. He returned in the fourth quarter, after backup James Montgomery's fumble.  Wide receiver DeSean Jackson told reporters he sought out Forsett on the sideline.

"I told him to go to coach and let him know he was ready," Jackson said. "It's crucial having him in the backfield."  At 100 percent, the 5-foot-8, 186-pound senior is tough to handle, running behind Cal's big, zone-blocking offensive line. Forsett has excellent vision, instant acceleration and surprising power -- exactly what the soft, UO run defense doesn't need.  If he's hobbled, it's advantage Oregon, because Cal's offense is most effective when it's in balance, and this figures to be a shootout.  Cal has other injury problems. The explosive Jackson hasn't been big factor in the Bears' passing game since spraining his left thumb in the opener against Tennessee.  Three starters -- defensive tackle Matt Malele (foot), defensive end Rulon Davis (foot) and linebacker Zack Follett (neck) -- missed the Arizona game.  Surprisingly, for a Tedford-coached team, Cal committed 14 penalties for 121 yards against the Wildcats. For the season, the Bears are averaging 70.7 penalty yards per game. Last season, they averaged 49.3.  It adds up to a long week for Tedford, who rarely leaves the stadium during the season. He eats and sleeps in his office.  This week, he might sleep a little less.

 

AP: Cal prepares for defining trip to Oregon

With the preliminaries finished and last season's scores all settled, Lavelle Hawkins can't wait to find out whether No. 6 California is a national title contender or just another good bunch of Golden Bears.  "I started thinking about Oregon in the fourth quarter," Hawkins said after the Bears (4-0, 1-0) opened their Pac-10 schedule Saturday with a comfortable 45-27 win over Arizona.  Hawkins' sentiments were echoed by his teammates, who realize Cal's meeting with the 11th-ranked Ducks this weekend in Eugene serves the same purpose as last season's game between the West Coast powers, won convincingly by Cal.  The winner stays on track for Bowl Championship Series consideration and stakes its claim as top-ranked USC's biggest rival for the conference crown, while the loser starts thinking about the Holiday Bowl.  At least that's the way most of Cal's players see it, and their coaches won't dissuade them.  "The win over Tennessee was big, but conference games are always bigger, and Oregon is one of our biggest rivals," said safety Thomas DeCoud, who had an interception, a fumble recovery and a sack during an outstanding game against the Wildcats.

"They're a great team, and that game means a lot," DeCoud said. "They run the same kind of offense (as Arizona does), but I think they do it a little better. It's definitely good to play against a team that likes to chuck the rock. That's a defensive back's dream."  Cal's victory over Arizona was its second win over a school that beat the Bears in 2006, following a season-opening victory over Tennessee. The September schedule provided easy motivational fodder for Cal's coaches, who must now keep their players focused on the rigors of Pac-10 play.  "I feel pretty sure what our potential can be, but no, we haven't reached that yet," coach Jeff Tedford said. "We've shown flashes at times, but we're not there yet."  Cal averaged 41.5 points in its first four games, showing off an offense with seemingly no significant weaknesses. Even the rebuilding offensive line has been outstanding, allowing only three sacks and opening plenty of holes for tailback Justin Forsett.  "We've played good, but I don't think we've played a full game yet," said Forsett, who has seven TDs while averaging 121 yards rushing. "I think we're one step away from having that complete game."  Though the Bears' defense doesn't have stellar statistics, coordinator Bob Gregory is happy with its play -- particularly after losing three starters to injuries. Defensive linemen Matt Malele (foot) and Rulon Davis (foot) and linebacker Zack Follett (neck) all might not be back for the trip to Oregon.  Cal has faced three no-huddle spread offenses in its first four weeks, with another wide-open game coming up Saturday.  "When you're in a spread, offenses are just going to move the ball," Gregory said. "That's just the nature of the game. I've been proud of a lot of things we've done, but it doesn't get any easier."

The rest of Tedford's concerns seem fairly minor, he acknowledges. Cal's 14 penalties for 121 yards against Arizona were the most called on the Bears in Tedford's six seasons at the school, though the coach said several calls were "ticky-tack."  Tedford also would prefer to get the ball to DeSean Jackson more often, but the junior playmaker had just three catches for 39 yards against Arizona, giving him 17 receptions for 151 yards without a touchdown -- though he has scored on a punt return and a run.  But Jackson doesn't seem discouraged four games into a season he began with Heisman Trophy aspirations. He even thought of another score to settle: Cal's 27-20 overtime loss at Oregon in 2005.   "I think we've still got work to do," Jackson said. "It's going to be a great game at Oregon. We lost there my freshman year, so we've got to be thinking about that."

 

Mercury News: Receiver Longshore isn't really an option

If Cal quarterback Nate Longshore expects to be on the receiving end of a touchdown catch anytime soon, he might want to consult with running back Justin Forsett. The Bears lined up Forsett behind center three times in the red zone during Saturday's 45-27 victory over Arizona, and he scored on touchdown runs of 9 and 3 yards. Longshore lined up as a wide receiver. "We're going to run a fade," Longshore joked. "We're going to have Justin run it a few times, then throw it over the top to me."  Forsett said he enjoyed taking the direct snaps, and wouldn't mind showing off his arm one day. But he might not be too interested in throwing to Longshore. "It probably wouldn't go in that direction," he said. Coach Jeff Tedford said he likes Forsett taking the snap directly because it gives the Bears a one-back set that spreads the field. As for Longshore's responsibility on the play? "He just turns around and stands there," Tedford said. "We just tell him not to get hurt and don't get in the way. Just line up on the ball and stand there." 

• Cal committed 14 penalties - the most in Tedford's six seasons in Berkeley - for 121 yards, including a handful of personal fouls. The Bears were flagged for two personal fouls - roughing the passer, against defensive end Cameron Jordan, and a late hit by safety Robert Peele - to extend an Arizona drive in the fourth quarter with Cal protecting its 45-27 lead.  "There were a couple things that were poor judgment," Tedford said. "Guys were trying to make plays. A couple of those calls where ticky-tack down the stretch. I was getting ready to tell (Jordan) good job because he pulled off the quarterback and just touched him with his hands. He didn't go into him with his head or anything like that. I didn't agree with that call."

• DeSean Jackson had a quiet day, with three catches for 39 yards and one punt return for minus-1 yard. He continues to get a lot of attention from opposing defenses, which is one of the reasons Lavelle Hawkins is having a stellar season. Hawkins had six catches for 95 yards and a touchdown Saturday.

San Jose Mercury: Forsett is Cal's most crucial player

By Ann Killion

He doesn't have the big name. The flashy moves. The Heisman Trophy campaign. Those belong to his current teammates, just as they once belonged to the guy he replaced. The one who is now earning a paycheck with the Buffalo Bills.

But Justin Forsett is the most important player on the Cal football team.  If you disagree, you weren't watching the Bears' Pacific-10 opener against Arizona on Saturday.  Toward the end of the first half, Forsett was banged up on an incomplete screen pass and limped off the field. But everything was cool with the sixth-ranked Bears, right? They had a commanding 31-10 halftime lead.  But while Forsett sat out almost all of the third quarter and the start of the fourth, a football game broke out. Arizona stormed back. The Bears' offense could not sustain a drive, and Forsett's replacement, James Montgomery, saw the ball punched out and recovered by the Wildcats. All of a sudden the score was 38-27, and memories of last year's devastating collapse against Arizona were surfacing. And so the guys with the big names and flashy moves, the one with the Heisman Trophy campaign, knew exactly what was needed. DeSean Jackson went to Forsett on the sideline. "I told him to go to Coach and let him know he was ready," Jackson said. "It's crucial having him in the backfield." Lavelle Hawkins had told Forsett to take a seat and rest earlier, "but then I told him, 'Please get up.' "

Coach Jeff Tedford didn't need much convincing.

"At that point we needed to run the football," Tedford said. "They were making a serious comeback. And Justin really gave us a spark when we needed it. "He's so reliable and solid as far as hanging onto the ball," the coach added. "He has great vision and runs so hard. He's a warrior." This was one of the questions coming into the season: Could the Bears replace Marshawn Lynch, the superstar who led the conference in rushing and scoring? Through the first four games of the season, the answer is unequivocally yes. Forsett came into Saturday's game leading the conference in rushing and scoring. "I did?" he said. "I didn't know that." Feel free to completely believe him. Forsett is not only a punishing runner who carries defenders around like a chunky fashion accessory, he's also the humble son of a Texas clergyman and beloved by his teammates. "There's no better kid than Justin Forsett," Tedford said. "He's the most unselfish, hardworking team guy that there is." Which made him the perfect candidate for his role as back-seat back for the past three seasons. He came to Cal in the same class as Lynch, when J.J. Arrington was the starting tailback. Though he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards in 2005, Forsett was completely overshadowed by Lynch. Last season his production dropped to 626 yards while Lynch was the headliner. "We knew he was going to get his chance sooner or later," Tedford said. "But he's probably glad Marshawn came out" for the NFL draft. Actually, Forsett says he wasn't. He misses his friend, who he talks to every week. He said he wasn't just counting the days until he could be the man in the backfield. "I wouldn't say I was happy he left," Forsett said. "He's like my brother. It goes beyond football - that's just a small part of life. I would gladly have taken the same role I was asked to take in the past." Not that he minds being the starter.

"Having more responsibility and being a leader on the team, that's something I've been wanting for a long time," he said. "I've always believed in my abilities and knew I could play." He has already had three 100-yard rushing days this season. On Saturday he rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns. The first touchdown came on a direct snap to Forsett, with quarterback Nate Longshore split out on the left side. Forsett took the snap, put his head down and carried tacklers 9 yards into the end zone for the Bears' first score. Cal has yet to put together a complete game, and will face a challenge next weekend when it travels to Oregon. The defense had some problems with Arizona's no-huddle offense (the Wildcats threw the ball 62 times). Tedford said he was concerned about kickoff coverages and some of the dumb penalties late in the game. And he was very concerned about the offense's ability to maintain drives and eat up the clock. But those latter concerns faded when Forsett came up to him in the fourth quarter. "I told him I was ready," Forsett said. "Nothing was going to stop me from getting in there. Our win was in jeopardy." Forsett came in and took the ball, gaining 12 yards and a first down. Later in the drive he ripped off 8 yards, then 15 yards. On second-and-goal he again took a direct snap and ran 3 yards for the touchdown. Cal 45, Arizona 27. That's where the score would stay, and everyone in the stadium could breathe a sigh of relief. The game was in good hands - the hands of the Bears' most important player.

SF Chronicle: Razing Arizona - Cal avenges last year's disaster in the desert

Rusty Simmons

Early Saturday morning, Cal coach Jeff Tedford showed his team a short video tape. It included images of a couple of Bears players' distraught faces and the Arizona students storming the field after the Wildcats staged a 24-20 upset last season.  It had just the effect Tedford was after.  Safety Thomas DeCoud used the haunting memories to fuel his fire, and tailback Justin Forsett played through a hobbled ankle and a quadriceps contusion, because the bitter taste of a year ago was renewed in his craw. DeCoud set the tone in Saturday's 45-27 payback in Strawberry Canyon, and when Arizona made a late threat, Forsett slammed the door shut.  DeCoud had 10 tackles, a fumble-inducing sack, a recovery on another fumble and an interception. By halftime, he had already compiled four of the tackles, including the sack, and picked off the pass as Cal burst out to a 31-10 lead.  Arizona, however, mounted a comeback as the Bears' offense stalled with Forsett on the sideline. When Jason Bondzio drilled a 32-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 38-27, receivers Lavelle Hawkins and DeSean Jackson mandated that Forsett get back on the field.  "Once they started coming back a little bit, I had to get back in there," said Forsett, who returned to the game and ran fives times for 39 yards on the game-clinching touchdown drive. "Nothing was going to stop me from getting in there on the last drive. The win was in jeopardy, and I had to get out there and do my part."

On the drive, there were no signs of Forsett's leg injuries. In fact, there were no signs of the usually-reserved Forsett at all. He emphatically nodded his head and demanded the ball as he knocked out 12-, 8- and 15-yard runs before punching in the 3-yard touchdown.  "They were about to give us our first L of the season, and I wasn't about to let that happen," said Forsett, who totaled 117 yards and two scores on 23 carries. "I decided to get in there and be a spark."  Early in the game, that spark was provided by DeCoud, who was literally all over the field as Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama tossed the ball around in the Wildcats' newly installed spread offense. DeCoud recorded the first sack of his career but didn't realize he had knocked the ball loose. As defensive end Tyson Alualu scrambled to recover the fumble and return it 4 yards for the touchdown, DeCoud cheered while looking in the opposite direction of the ball. "He's the captain, the general of our D," middle linebacker Worrell Williams said. "He's always steady, flying around and making plays." Alualu's touchdown gave Cal a 28-3 lead with 2:12 remaining in the first quarter. The Bears took pride in scoring 28 first-quarter points against a solid Arizona defense, which hadn't given up that much in a quarter since Oregon State accomplished the feat in 2003, but most of the postgame talk was about failing to put the Wildcats away. While No. 6 Cal (4-0 overall, 1-0 Pac-10) has gotten rid of the Tennessee and Arizona ghosts from a year ago, it still hasn't played a complete game. The Bears let Tennessee cut their 17-point lead to 7, saw Colorado State turn a 20-point thumping into a 6-point thriller and outscored Louisiana Tech only 14-6 in the second half of last week's 42-12 win. "We can't take any quarters off," Forsett said. "We're one step away from playing a complete game, but we've got to put all of the pieces together." That will be ever important this week as Cal prepares for its stiffest test of the season, a Sept. 29 game at No. 13 Oregon, which is averaging 46.3 points and 519.3 yards of total offense a game. "They're explosive," Williams said. "We've been seeing a lot of spread, so we'll be ready. But no one we'll see this year runs the spread quite like them and with the athletes they have." Against Arizona's spread, which is decidedly different than Oregon's spread-option attack, Cal allowed 309 passing yards but only 21 yards on the ground, had three sacks and forced four turnovers. "They don't pay average people," said Williams, referring to the Ducks' stellar personnel. "We're going to have to come with it."

SF Chronicle: Bear flag dilemma

Rusty Simmons

Here is the link.

Seemingly every Cal coach and player has a different idea as to why the offense has had its share of stalls and the defense has yielded its share of scoring drives.  Quarterback Nate Longshore says he's missing open receivers. The receivers claim they're running the wrong routes.  Middle linebacker Worrell Williams says the bevy of offensive schemes they have faced is tough. Defensive coordinator Bob Gregory says the unit is on the field too much. Here's the middle ground: They all agree that penalties are getting in the way of that true statement game. Even in its 45-27 win over Arizona on Saturday, Cal was penalized 14 times for 121 yards. Both are record-worsts during coach Jeff Tedford's tenure.  "Yeah, I'm concerned about it," Tedford said. The Bears have been penalized 35 times for 287 yards in four games this season. Last year, they averaged 49.3 penalty yards a game. "We've got to fix that," Williams said. "Now."  The silver lining is that few of the penalties were of the execution variety this week. "A couple of them were poor judgments when guys were trying to make plays," Tedford said, "and, on some of them, I didn't agree with the calls."  

MASH unit: Without three starters, Cal's defense didn't have a letdown. Defensive tackle Matt Malele (foot), defensive end Rulon Davis (foot) and linebacker Zack Follett (neck) were replaced by Cody Jones, Tad Smith and Justin Moye, respectively.  Jones and Smith each had a pair of tackles and consistently got good pressure on Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama. Mika Kane (five tackles) and Derrick Hill (one sack) each filled in along the defensive front, too.  Moye had four tackles, and reserve linebackers Eddie Young and Michael Mohamed combined for five more. 

No Heisman highlights: For the second consecutive week, receiver/returner extraordinaire DeSean Jackson was held without a touchdown. He scored 23 times in his first 26 games, and his Heisman campaign could have used a highlight against All-America cornerback Antoine Cason.  Jackson had three catches for 39 yards and had minus-1 yard on his lone punt return. Surprisingly, Jackson wasn't covered by Cason too often. Instead, the Wildcats used their lockdown guy on the other side and kept two defenders on Jackson for most of the game.  "He's a good player, so I thought he would be on me a little bit more," Jackson said. "It's not necessarily frustrating. I know what I'm capable of doing, and teams are focusing on taking that away."

Briefly: Cal has won five consecutive Pac-10 openers. ... The Bears have scored more than 40 points in 14 of their last 23 home games. ... Receiver Robert Jordan has at least one catch in 34 consecutive games and is two off the school's all-time record, which was set by Brian Treggs (1988-91). ... Safety Thomas DeCoud, Jones, center Alex Mack and tight end Craig Stevens were this week's captains. ... Fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou appeared to re-injure his sprained left MCL in the fourth quarter, but he returned to throw the lead block on Justin Forsett's game-clinching 3-yard touchdown run.

 

Contra Costa Times: Forsett has answer for 'jeopardy'

Banged-up back lifts Cal

By Jonathan Okanes

Here is the link.

BERKELEY -- Cal was enjoying a big lead against Arizona on Saturday when wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins pleaded with banged-up tailback Justin Forsett to take a seat. After the Wildcats scored 17 unanswered points, Hawkins had another plea.

"I told him, 'Please get up,' " Hawkins said.  Forsett re-entered the game after the Bears' hefty lead had been trimmed to 11 points, and led No. 6 Cal on a 74-yard drive that ended with his 2-yard touchdown run that helped secure a 45-27 victory in the Pac-10 opener in front of 56,021 at Memorial Stadium.  Forsett already was nursing an ankle injury when he suffered a quadriceps contusion late in the second quarter. With a 31-10 lead, Cal coach Jeff Tedford decided to sit Forsett down in favor of backup James Montgomery, whose 3-yard touchdown run made it 38-10 with 10:53 left in the third quarter.  But the Wildcats (1-3) scored a pair of touchdowns to make it 38-24, and after Montgomery's fumble at the Cal 21 led to a 32-yard field goal by Arizona's Jason Bondzio to make it 38-27 with still over 13 minutes left, Tedford had no choice but to put Forsett back in the game.  "At that point, we need to run the football and there is no way we can trust guys putting the ball on the ground," Tedford said. "They were making a serious comeback. Justin was ready. We were trying to keep him out because he wasn't healthy, but he was good enough to come back in and play."

Forsett, who scored on a 9-yard touchdown run during an explosive  first quarter in which the Bears built a 28-3 lead, carried five times for 39 yards during the game-clinching drive.  "He really gave us a spark when we needed it down the stretch there," Tedford said. "He is so reliable and solid as far as hanging on to the football. He has great vision and runs so hard. He's a warrior."  Forsett, who entered the day leading the Pac-10 in rushing at 122.3 yards per game, gained 117 yards on 23 carries despite sitting out four possessions in the second half. "Nothing was going to stop me from getting into the end zone," Forsett said. "It was getting too close. The win was in jeopardy. I had to go out and do my part."

It didn't appear there would be any nervous moments after the Bears (4-0) scored on three straight possessions in the first quarter and defensive end Tyson Alualu returned a fumble recovery 4 yards for another touchdown. The defensive score was set up by a sack and forced fumble by free safety Thomas DeCoud. But Cal's offense stalled a bit in the second half and the Wildcats' spread offense began to wear down the Bears' defense. Quarterback Willie Tuitama, who was 42-for-61 for 309 yards, led Arizona on a couple of sustained scoring drives to make the game competitive once again. The 61 pass attempts were an Arizona record. "There was urgency, but there wasn't any panic," Cal middle linebacker Worrell Williams said. "When you let them drive on you like that, it gives them a little confidence. We just had to regroup and pull it together." The Bears enjoyed this victory a little more because it avenged last season's 24-20 loss in Tucson, a defeat that knocked Cal out of the race for a Rose Bowl berth. Saturday morning, Tedford showed the team a video of the end of last year's game, complete with the dejected look of Cal's players and the Arizona crowd rushing the field.

"Even now, after we just beat them, if I watched that video, it would make me mad," Williams said. "We knew we couldn't let that happen again." As expected, the Bears played without starting defensive lineman Matt Malele (foot) and Rulon Davis (foot) as well as starting strong side linebacker Zack Follett (neck stinger). Defensive coordinator Bob Gregory mixed and matched his defensive front with players such as Cody Jones, Tad Smith, Derrick Hill, Cameron Jordan and John Allen. The Bears had success early on pressuring Tuitama, mostly when they blitzed with their linebackers. For the most part, Arizona's offensive line was able to protect Tuitama when it was just Cal's defensive line providing pressure.

"I think those numbers are kind of skewed when a kid throws 60 times," Gregory said. "Certainly, I don't want to have the quarterback throwing for 300 or 400 yards. But in the grand scheme of things, maybe it's not that bad."  Cal quarterback Nate Longshore got off to a hot start. Each of his first five completions went for at least 10 yards, including big plays to Hawkins for 27 yards and tight end Cameron Morrah for 49 yards. He also threw an 18-yard scoring pass to Hawkins. Longshore finished 16-for-30 for 235 yards while Hawkins continued his strong early-season play with six catches for 95 yards. DeSean Jackson continues to be the subject of a lot of attention from opposing defenses and had just three catches for 39 yards.

 

AP: #6 California Golden Bears Put 28 Points on Board in First Quarter to Cruise Past Arizona

Justin Forsett ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns and Nate Longshore threw for 235 yards and a touchdown as the #6 California Golden Bears jumped to a big lead early and cruised past the Arizona Wildcats 45-27 in a Pac 10 showdown Saturday.  The Bears scored four touchdowns in the first quarter to set the tone as Forsett got it started with a 9-yard touchdown run. After the Wildcats managed to put a field goal on the board California countered with a Longshore to Lavelle Hawkins for a 18-yard touchdown. Cal tacked on a Jahvid Best 1-yard touchdown run and then Tyson Alualu recovered a fumble and took it back 4-yards to give the bears a 28-3 first quarter lead.  California’s defense shut down the Wildcats running game, holding Arizona to just 21 yards on 20 carries and picked of quarterback Willie Tuitama twice in the rout.   Next week the California Golden Bears will put their 4-0 record on the line when they travel to take on the #13 Oregon Ducks.

 

 

Arizona Daily Star: Success at dank stadium staves off hibernation

By “Mr. Football” Greg Hansen

Link

Dear Mr. Football: How does Cal's Memorial Stadium rank in college football's places or lore?

A: In the 30 years I've traveled the Pac-10 football road, I would rank the league's bottom three this way: 10-Stanford, 9-Cal, 8-Wazzu. Memorial Stadium is chilly, dark and so antiquated you expect to see helmets sans facemasks.

Arizona's 13 appearances in Berkeley have drawn an average of 37,018, but that is probably a generous over-estimate by about 5,000 per game. Cal drew as few as 26,222 against Arizona in 2001 and 28,808 there a year later.

That has all changed. Big winners now, the Bears averaged 64,318 at home last year and now routinely draw capacity crowds (72,516). How else would they be able to pay Jeff Tedford's $1.8 million (including incentives) salary?

Dear Mr. Football: Who gets the credit for hiring Tedford? Was he available when Arizona hired John Mackovic?

A: When Jim Livengood hired Mackovic in December 2000, Tedford was Oregon's offensive coordinator, earning about $125,000 annually. Not that he was an unknown: The Ducks were coming off 10-2 and 9-3 seasons.

If only, right?   Tedford was discovered a year later by Cal's first-year AD, Steve Gladstone, who did not know much about football (he had been Cal's crew coach, of all things), but he did have a good instinct about coaches. Cal's hierarchy was so indebted to Gladstone it essentially demoted him three years later.

Cal Beats Arizona 45-27

 

Daily Cal: Bears Aerial Attack Must Shift Into Gear

BY Steven Dunst

Nobody who was in Tucson, Ariz., last season for the Cal football team’s crushing 24-20 loss will forget the feeling of knowing a Rose Bowl berth just slipped away.  Receivers Lavelle Hawkins and DeSean Jackson were closer to the action than most.  Hawkins had nobody between him and the end zone after hauling in a pass with the Bears down 24-17, but he stumbled and fell short of the goal line. Cal had to settle for a field goal after failing to punch it in on three consecutive plays.

Jackson thought he hauled in the game-winning touchdown when he eluded a defender and sprinted into the end zone for the apparent go-ahead score with under three minutes left, but instant replay showed that he just barely stepped out of bounds.  Even though the Bears have since earned a share of a Pac-10 title and started this season 3-0, the receivers—in addition to quarterback Nate Longshore—still have a lot to prove.  Throughout the offseason, the inexperience of the No. 6 Cal football team’s defensive line caused the most concern. On offense, questions swirled around whether tailback Justin Forsett would flourish as an every-down back.  But going into Pac-10 play against the Wildcats, the onus is on quarterback Nate Longshore and the Cal receivers to finally live up their potential.

Statistically, Longshore has been more than serviceable. He has completed 66.7 percent of his passes, thrown four touchdowns and generally avoided drive-squashing turnovers.  Overall statistics, though, tell only part of the story.  Over the past two weeks Longshore has padded his stats with most of his yards coming from screens and short outs. The big plays through the air—something that the Bears relied on last year to get them out of jams—have been largely nonexistent.

No pass play has gone for more than 25 yards.  Junior DeSean Jackson, considered by many to be the top receiver in the country, is only averaging 37.3 yards per game through the air and has fewer receiving touchdowns on the season than backup running back Jahvid Best.  There were numerous instances in the past two weeks against Louisiana Tech and Colorado State that Longshore missed Jackson and Hawkins on deep passing connections.  Cal is fortunate that a combination of Forsett, Best and James Montgomery has been nearly unstoppable on the ground behind the Bears’ mammoth offensive line and that both Hawkins and Jackson have been able to reach pay dirt through the return game.  But it is time for Longshore to have the type of monster game that characterized his play last season, when many talked of him as a potential high NFL draft pick because of his touch on the deep ball and accuracy on short to intermediate routes.  It is vital that Longshore and Cal’s receivers finally connect for big passing plays today at Memorial Stadium. Before the Bears travel to face off with No. 13 Oregon in their toughest test yet. Without a confident Longshore, winning at Autzen Stadium will be even more daunting for Cal.  The passing attack has a chance at redemption Saturday and a chance to finally erase the painful memories of last year’s loss in the desert. Hawkins and Jackson have been waiting almost a year for the opportunity.

Contra Costa Times: One more game for 'redemption'

ONLY A MATTER OF HOURS now until Cal vs. Arizona and the best kind of football weekend there is -- one enhanced by boiling blood and a trail of tears. We can sense your skepticism from here. But we assure you, Arizona is indeed on the schedule this week. Its players and coaches are likely settling into the Claremont as we speak. Or maybe it's the bodily fluids that are giving you pause. If so, allow us to explain:

See, football is a game of intense emotion. Either that, or players and coaches perceive it to be a game of intense emotion. Either way, it delivers them to the same place -- believing it is critically important to take the field with tears in their eyes. And if that requires a little psychological sleight of hand -- say, contriving a faux controversy, or forcibly removing a nose hair during the national anthem, so be it.  Often, that emotion presents itself in a more natural manner. This is especially true for teams of dubious ability, who find themselves properly motivated on an ongoing basis by the knowledge that a) the team they are about to play is better than they are, b) they aren't very good to begin with, and/or c) before the game is over, it's possible they could be pawing through the grass looking for their teeth. The better a team is, the more trouble it can have reaching an emotional crescendo by the opening kickoff. When a team is ranked No. 6 in the country, as Cal is now, the quest for emotion can take a desperate turn.  The Bears have been fortunate so far this season. Their first game was against Tennessee. They lost to Tennessee last season. Ergo, this was a revenge game. (Coach Jeff Tedford called it a "redemption" game. The House of Mullets should split hairs with such precision.) The titanic nature of the first game led perfectly into the second game, against unheralded Colorado State. That became a trap game, a potential letdown after the huge get-up.  Last week's game wasn't so simple. There was no potential letdown, no recent history with Louisiana Tech upon which to seize. Sometimes the student section can help out by concocting demeaning chants about the opposing school or its more famous alumni. Not so in this case, without suitable rhymes for "Ruston" or "Bradshaw."  It was an uninspiring scenario, with predictable results. Cal won 42-12 in a game more competitive and less interesting than might be considered optimal. Afterward, the Bears engaged in the reflexive and cleansing act of self-loathing. You may recall the 49ers doing the same thing back when they were an NFL powerhouse and marked time between Dallas games by berating themselves after unremarkable efforts against various Atlantas, Arizonas and Tampa Bays.  At any rate, Cal should have no such problem achieving a blood-boiling, teary-eyed state Saturday. Not given last year's loss to Arizona -- that was a lookahead game, by the way, coming the week before a highly anticipated matchup with USC -- in which the Bears played themselves out of a Rose Bowl berth.

That makes Saturday's game a revenge game. Or a redemption game. Whichever, it was such obvious motivational plutonium that Tedford was already backing away from it early this week.  "It's not something that we're going to talk about every day," he said at his Tuesday press conference. "It's not so much about Arizona. It's still about us." There's something to that. Cal had three sure touchdowns go awry against Arizona last season -- via penalty, an unforced facemask-plant and a misstep along the sideline. The Bears also had two interceptions negated by penalty on what proved to be Arizona's game-tying touchdown drive. Tedford said he addressed the subject with his players the day after their win over Louisiana Tech. There is evidence to suggest there is a slight difference between what Tedford said and what his players heard. "It is one of those games that we have in the back of our mind," guard Brian De La Puente said, harking back to last season.  "That game was something that really hurt what we wanted to accomplish at the end of the season," safety Thomas DeCoud said. "As a player, it's something that makes me want to win this game. Letting that game slip away from us was tough. Just knowing that something wasn't working quite right, and that we weren't quite the same team that we knew we were was tough for me personally." Kind of like Ethel Merman used to sing: There's no business like unfinished business. "We're just going to try to remember what it felt like last year," Tedford said. The nose hair thing would be less painful.

 

Tucson Citizen: Cal's ailing Jackson still dangerous

KEN BRAZZLE

California wide receiver-punt returner DeSean Jackson is not 100 percent healthy yet, but he continues to be better at what he does than most. Jackson leads the Pac-10 in punt returns, averaging 15.8 yards per returns, and ranks seventh in receiving with 14 catches for 112 yards.  He has done a lot to aid California while rehabbing a dislocated thumb injury.  "I'm not 100 percent yet but am close to it," said Jackson. "It has been three or four weeks since I dislocated my thumb. It's a lot better now. I am doing a lot of things I wasn't able to do the past couple of weeks, and I am getting better. I am feeling good about myself."  If Jackson has been slowed by his injury, it's been difficult for opponents to tell. Against Tennessee in the season opener, his first punt return of the season went for a 77-yard touchdown.  Jackson says his most memorable punt return was against Arizona last season. He returned the punt 95 yards for a touchdown. He owns three of the 11 longest punt returns for touchdowns in school history.

"Once the ball is inside the 10-yard line, I can't touch it," Jackson said. "It was one of those things where I felt like if I got it, it was going to be a special return."  Jackson started returning punts while playing Pop Warner Football and continued at Long Beach Poly High School. He has ran back six for touchdowns for school and conference records.  "You have to have the instinct and great vision. You have to be able to see different ceases and blocks," Jackson said. "You definitely have to have the speed in order for people to miss."  Last week Jackson totaled 141 yards in all-purpose yards against Colorado State, including 73 yards on an end-around. He's hoping for more receiving yardage this week as California tries to expose the Arizona secondary once again. Arizona's secondary yielded more than 100 yards apiece to New Mexico receivers Travis Brown and Marcus Smith last week.  "I have a lot of confidence in our coaches to make it happen," Jackson said. "They have two good corners but anything is possible. We're going to do whatever we can to beat them.  "This is huge for us. We definitely owe Arizona from last year. We could have been at the Rose Bowl if we hadn't lost to them."

Daily Wildcat: Moving from upsetting to upset?

Wildcats face gut check on road in Homecoming rematch

Ari Wasserman

Though it happened nearly a year ago, it is still fresh in the thoughts of the Arizona football team. After struggling through most of the Pacific 10 Conference schedule last year - starting 2-4 in the conference - the Wildcats seemingly got the spark they needed to catapult them to their first bowl berth since 1998 when they knocked off then-No. 8 California on Homecoming last November..  This year's rematch may have similar implications as Arizona (1-2) travels to Berkeley, Calif., to take on the No. 6 Golden Bears (3-0) Saturday at 3 p.m. in the UA's Pac-10 opener. This time, Arizona won't be on its home turf. It will have to rely solely on dim postseason hopes and the motivation to salvage a season currently headed down the wrong path.  "For whatever reason we just haven't played quite as well as we did a year ago," said UA head coach Mike Stoops. "Obviously this week will really test our skill across the board and test our toughness and who we are."  "At least we know we beat (Cal) before and we matched up well defensively," Stoops said. "They will probably play more aggressive this year, and that is something we need to be prepared for." Arizona has shown in the past that both the offense and the defense have the ability of being a force, but so far this season they have had trouble showing up on the same day.

In week one against Brigham Young, the defense held the high-powered Cougars to only 20 points, but the offense mustered only 41 yards in the first half and seven total points. Arizona fell victim to a different problem the following two weeks, as the UA offense put up productive totals and the defense struggled. The Wildcats beat NAU handily in the second week, as the Arizona offense put on a show - gaining a total 490 yards and scoring 45 points - while the defense revealed its vulnerability, yielding 24 points to a Division I-AA opponent. The defense was exploited once again last weekend in a 29-27 loss to New Mexico, as it allowed 421 yards. The Arizona offense couldn't catch up, though it tallied 63 more yards than New Mexico. "We are a unit with a lot of returning people, and a lot of people just aren't making plays that need to be made," said defensive end Jason Parker of the defense. "It is just like basic things like tackling and penalties, but I think we will get it together and we will be all right." Arizona will need to be at its best, as Cal sits atop the Pac-10.  Although Arizona has beaten the last two ranked opponents it has faced dating back to last year (then-No. 25 Washington State and Cal), the squad will need to show significant improvement from the breakdown of discipline it showed a week ago.  "There is only one way to move forward and that is out here on the practice field," said linebacker Spencer Larsen. "We are all very humbled and so humility brings heart and a lot more effort."  Cornerback Antoine Cason, who intercepted a pass for a touchdown late in last year's 24-20 victory over the Bears, said the memory of the victory is sweet, but that the Wildcats need to maintain focus on this year's matchup. "It was very important, and we played hard that game," Cason said. "We can't think about it too much because it is a new year and new game at their house."

Tucson Citizen: Don't label game at Cal a 'must-win'

By John Moredich

Too many times over the past several days, fans have said Saturday's game at California is a "must-win" for Arizona's football team.  I have to respectfully disagree.  A Wildcats' win would be a huge boost. It would get some pressure off coach Mike Stoops and athletic director Jim Livengood.  But it's not a must-win. Arizona must play better defense and with more intensity. It must keep its passing attack going by keeping quarterback Willie Tuitama safe and sound in the pocket.  UA must come back and gain confidence after a dismal 1-2 nonconference start, which included losses to BYU and New Mexico.  But the bigger games for the Wildcats are down the road against Washington State and Oregon State. Those will determine whether UA has a chance to go bowling.  Those are games the Wildcats must win before playing No. 1-ranked USC.  Those are games for which Arizona should have the personnel and the scheme to record a victory.

A victory over Cal would be just a bonus. Losing to Cal wouldn't mean the end of the season. There would still be hope afterward. Losing to the Beavs and the Cougs would really leave little hope. The term "must" can't be overused.

SF Chronicle: There's quite a wide gap among spread offenses

Jake Curtis

Saying a team runs a spread offense doesn't tell you much anymore. The two teams coming to the Bay Area this weekend - Oregon and Arizona - are both classic spread-offense teams, yet their philosophies are almost polar opposites.

The Ducks have run the ball 75 percent of the time and are third nationally in rushing offense. The Wildcats have passed on about two-thirds of their plays and lead the Pac-10 in passing. The "spread" has become a rather generic label, and coaches sometimes have trouble identifying its defining characteristics. Most say a spread offense merely means having four or five wide receivers as part of the base offense, although these days it usually includes a shotgun formation and a no-huddle attack.  Arizona, which plays at Cal on Saturday, and Oregon, which travels to Stanford, have all those elements but are products of different versions. Oregon runs what might be called the Urban Meyer spread, which is a balanced offense that uses a lot of option and requires its quarterback to be a good runner and passer. Meyer used it successfully at Utah with Alex Smith and now has it going at Florida with Tim Tebow. At Oregon, the quarterback is Dennis Dixon, an ideal person for this offense, which is one reason he is the Ducks quarterback instead of Brady Leaf. Dixon leads the Pac-10 in passing efficiency and is sixth in rushing.

Arizona operates out of the spread authored by Mike Leach, who made a name for himself by implementing it at Oklahoma in 1999 and now coaches at pass-crazy Texas Tech. This is a pass offense. Period. The quarterback almost never runs, except to scramble, and running plays are called only if the defense is completely ignoring the ground game. It is also characterized by unusually large gaps between offensive linemen, a way to spread the defensive linemen and slow the pass rush.  Cal is well acquainted with the Leach version it will face Saturday, because Texas Tech blitzed the favored Bears 45-31 in the 2004 Holiday Bowl. Cal has played two teams that used that offense since - New Mexico State and Brigham Young, both in 2005 - and acquitted itself well, although handling a New Mexico State team that finished 0-12 is not much of an accomplishment.  Some teams still have trouble with the spread. Michigan's early-season disaster resulted when two spread teams - Appalachian State and Oregon - ran through the Wolverines' defense. Michigan did much better against Notre Dame, which does not rely on the spread. For a while, the spread was seen as an equalizer, a way for less talented teams to compete. That seemed to be true a decade ago with the rise of Northwestern, Kentucky and Purdue, and the resurgence of Oklahoma when the spread passing game was added. Now, so many teams use it, it has lost much of its advantage.

These days the spread is fraught with variations. Minnesota calls its offense the spread-coast offense, a hybrid of the spread and West Coast offense that Gophers offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar apparently developed in concert with Cal coach Jeff Tedford last year when Dunbar was the Bears' offensive coordinator. Tedford has since dropped most of the spread elements added last season, although he has kept the shotgun.  With the notable exception of Drew Brees, few quarterbacks from spread offenses make it in the NFL. Andre Ware, David Klingler and Tim Couch are examples of early first-round draft picks who put up big numbers as spread quarterbacks in college but were disappointing as pros. Smith? We'll see. No NFL team runs a spread as its base offense, probably because it puts the quarterback too much at risk. However, the Patriots went right down the field several times with a no-huddle spread offense against the Chargers on Sunday. Having Tom Brady and Randy Moss helped a little too.

Best Pac-10 game: The top Pac-10 game of the week - Washington at UCLA - will be televised in the Bay Area. Sort of. It's on Fox Sports Net Bay Area, but will be joined in progress after the Giants-Reds game. We should get most of the second half - as long as the Giants don't make too many pitching changes.

 

Arizona Daily Star: Ground game concerns Air Zona

By Ryan Finley

Through three games, the Air Zona offense has lived up to its reputation as a high-octane passing attack.  Arizona's rushing game, however, needs work. The UA football team averages a conference-worst 88.3 yards per game on the ground.

While some of that is a byproduct of the team's new spread offense, the team's 3.6 yards per carry is also a Pac-10 low. Sophomore Xavier Smith leads the team with 107 rushing yards on 26 carries. Senior Chris Jennings has 89 yards on as many carries. The Wildcats have not scored a rushing touchdown this season.   "We've got to continue to run the football," UA coach Mike Stoops said. "We're close to getting some seams in the run game. We've got to keep working it."

Arizona will not run for the sake of balance alone.  First-year offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes said he will stick with his philosophy in Saturday's Pac-10 opener at California. Dykes will continue to spread the field with short passes but will ask for better runs from his tailbacks.  "We're not worried so much about quality than we are about quantity," Dykes said. "When we can run for 100 yards per game or 120 yards per game, that's when things are going well."

Arizona (1-2) will continue to platoon three players at tailback. Jennings is expected to start, with Smith backing him up. Stoops said true freshman Nicolas Grigsby will "play a good deal" after being benched last weekend because of his inability to pass-block.  Arizona's inability to run the ball also could help explain some of the defense's struggles through the first three weeks.  The UA's offense is averaging 28 minutes 53 seconds a game in time of possession so far this season, meaning its defense must spend roughly 52percent of each game on the field.  Arizona's time of possession is worse now than in 2006, when the team's inability to move the ball led to an off-season overhaul. The Wildcats averaged 30:57 a game last season.  Dykes said there are better ways to measure a good offense than time of possession.  Arizona is fourth in the conference with 22 first downs per game. The Wildcats average eight more first downs a game this season than last year.  "First downs are the things that matter," Dykes said. "When we want to slow the game down, we can slow the game down. When we want to speed the game up, we can speed the game up."

So far, the Air Zona seems to be working. The Wildcats' passing offense is rated first in the Pac-10 with 321 yards a game.  "I think our kids have really taken a grasp of what we're teaching," Stoops said.

Extra points:

● Tyler Lyon's suspension following last week's arrest means Arizona will bring three quarterbacks to Cal this weekend. Willie Tuitama, Kris Heavner and true freshman Bryson Beirne will make the trip as part of the Wildcats' 65-man travel squad.

● Stoops said the personal foul penalty called on Lionel Dotson last week was "not something we teach or we play."  "We haven't been an undisciplined team since we've been here," Stoops said.  Dotson was called for a late hit on UNM quarterback Donovan Porterie following a second-quarter pass attempt. The Lobos were awarded a first down on Arizona's 48-yard line. Stoops said Dotson barely touched the quarterback.

● Despite the Wildcats' record, the Air Zona offense is bound to scare some California fans. The last time the Golden Bears took on a team running a Dykes-led offense, Texas Tech scored 45 points in a 2004 Holiday Bowl victory.

"This is the second time I've played Cal," Dykes said. "Hopefully the second one works out like the first one."

AP: Cal looking for revenge against Arizona

Here is the link.

 

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- If DeSean Jackson had just kept his toes inbounds on that final catch against Arizona last season, the California star knows he could have run all the way to the Rose Bowl.   Cal's current season has been all about settling year-old scores so far. The No. 6 Golden Bears (3-0) can get a measure of payback for last season's 24-20 loss in Tucson -- a defeat that cost Cal the outright Pac-10 title -- when the Wildcats (1-2) visit Memorial Stadium on Saturday for both clubs' conference opener.   Despite several mistakes in last season's meeting -- and at least three head-scratching officiating decisions that all went against the Bears -- Cal could have won on a 63-yard TD catch by Jackson with 2:18 left. But video review revealed that the Cal speedster had stepped inches out of bounds.  "They played us to the wire. It was a great game," said Jackson, who had 285 all-purpose yards against the Wildcats. "I honestly feel the outcome should have been different. ... We definitely think we owe Arizona (for) last year. We could have been at the Rose Bowl if we hadn't lost to them, but we were at their house, and they got a lot of good calls."  While the Bears' season-opening victory over Tennessee was about redemption, this meeting with the inconsistent Wildcats is more about proving Cal's Pac-10 predominance.

Except for a Nov. 10 visit from USC, Cal's most dangerous conference games are on the road this season -- at Oregon, Washington, UCLA and Arizona State. Staying unbeaten at home, where Cal has won nine straight, is crucial to the Bears' hopes of finally cracking the Bowl Championship Series.  Cal went 10-3 last year, earning a share of the conference title and winning the Holiday Bowl, but losses to Tennessee and Arizona haunted the Bears into this season.  "It's not something we're going to talk about every day," Tedford said -- though he acknowledged mentioning the loss to Arizona in a team meeting just hours after last week's 42-12 win over Louisiana Tech.  "I addressed it ... just to remember that feeling of last year," Tedford said. "We did some things in that game to beat ourselves, and we can't allow ourselves to do that. ... You have to take advantage of big plays against these guys, because you're not going to march the ball on them. It's not going to happen. They're just too solid."  Arizona coach Mike Stoops doesn't share Tedford's optimistic assessment of the Wildcats' defense. His job security is a hot topic of discussion in Tucson after opening the season with losses to BYU and New Mexico, including last weekend's 29-27 defeat in which the Lobos chewed up Arizona's vaunted secondary.  "I just don't think we've played very good up to this point," Stoops said. "I thought we played better last year than we have up to this point, for whatever reason. You really can't put your finger on anything. We're just not playing a team defensive game. The pass coverage has been suspect, and obviously that will have to improve going into this game."

The top matchup will feature Jackson going against Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason. The two were friends growing up in Long Beach, Calif., and they threw playful trash talk at each other before last season's game -- and again at Pac-10 media day this summer.  "We know each other real well," Jackson said. "He's a great corner, and I respect him a lot. He's a great friend of mine, but when game time comes, there's no friends."  The Wildcats installed a spread offense this season, but it won't bother the Golden Bears, who already have seen two spreads this season -- and go against three of the nation's top receivers in practice every day. Cal's biggest defensive concerns are injuries, since starting linemen Matt Malele and Rulon Davis and linebacker Zack Follett all seem unlikely to play.  Tedford is hoping for four consistent quarters from his offense after tailback Justin Forsett carried an inconsistent passing game last week -- and with a visit to No. 13 Oregon looming next week, the Bears have only one more game to get it right.  "A lot of guys are going to go out there and play hard, because last year was embarrassing," said receiver Lavelle Hawkins, who block-in-the-back penalty in last year's game nullified Marshawn Lynch's 79-yard TD run. "That messed up our Rose Bowl out there."

San Jose Mercury: This time, Hawkins hopes he won't trip on trip to end zone

Cal wide receiver will try to atone in Arizona rematch

By Jonathan Okanes

Don't bother asking Cal wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins how long it took him to forget about his stumble at the 1-yard line last season at Arizona.  "That bothers me to this day," he said. "I will never forget about that. That's going to follow me the rest of my life." The Bears were upset by the Wildcats 24-20 in Tucson, a loss that proved devastating after USC lost to UCLA at the end of the regular season. Cal ended up sharing the Pacific-10 championship with the Trojans, but the loss to Arizona ruined the Bears' chances of playing in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1959. With the Bears trailing 24-17 late in the game, Hawkins caught a long pass from quarterback Nate Longshore and had an open path to the end zone. But Hawkins tripped as he approached the goal line, and Cal then failed to score a touchdown from the 1. Running back Marshawn Lynch was stuffed on consecutive running plays, and Longshore's third-down pass fell incomplete. The Bears settled for a field goal. "I kind of took the blame on that game because if I would have scored that touchdown it probably would have been a whole different game," Hawkins said. "That was the worst loss I've ever had in my life." Cal hosts the Wildcats on Saturday, and the Bears are looking forward to the rematch. "We didn't play to the best of our abilities last year," Hawkins said. "I think a lot of guys are going to go out there and play hard because of what happened last year. That was embarrassing. It messed up our Rose Bowl."

• When the Wildcats beat Cal, it was part of a late-season three-game win streak that included two victories over ranked teams. But just when Arizona thought it was on to something, it lost to Arizona State in its season finale and was shut out of a bowl berth.  The Wildcats have lost two of their first three this season, including a 29-27 home setback to New Mexico last week.  "We've been kind of a Jekyll and Hyde team," Arizona Coach Mike Stoops said. "That just comes with maturity and consistency, and that's the last thing that usually comes in your program. Obviously, that is something that we have fought."

• Arizona, which was believed to have one of the top defenses in the Pac-10, ranks eighth in scoring defense at 24.3 points allowed per game. On the flip side, the Wildcats' new spread offense is producing a conference-best 321.3 passing yards per game.

• Cal running back Justin Forsett leads the Pac-10 in rushing at 122.3 yards per game.

• Cal Athletic Director Sandy Barbour planned to be in court for the duration of the trial over the university's proposed construction of a student-athlete high-performance center. Three plaintiffs, including the City of Berkeley, are attempting to stop plans for the facility because of safety and traffic concerns. On the eve of the trial Tuesday, Barbour said she is confident but also disappointed the issue wound up in the courts. "I'm not happy about going to trial," she said. "I think we've been more than generous in what we've agreed that we would do. I'm confident that all the facts line up behind us. I think the good money would be on us, because of the facts."

 

SF Chronicle: Cal's Hawkins improved more than his play

Lavelle Hawkins had just played what he called "the worst game in a lifetime," and, like most any 20-year-old, he wasn't in the mood to talk about it. The Cal receiver stormed past reporters after last season's 24-20 loss to Arizona, but recruiting assistant Kevin Parker didn't stand for it.  "We all have tough days," said Parker, who jumped on the team bus and pulled Hawkins back to address the media. "I just wanted him to realize that he couldn't run away from it. He had to face it like a man and find a way to bounce back."  Hawkins has done more than bounce back. He caught a touchdown pass in the Bears' next three games and leads this year's team in receptions (19) and receiving yards (220). Maybe even more important as Cal prepares for a rematch with Arizona, coaches and teammates have seen Hawkins change his demeanor.  "He has matured in every realm of the game," Parker said. "You can see it in his attitude, how he approaches practices and meetings and how he's becoming a better overall person and player." The transition started on that November day in Tucson, when Parker insisted that Hawkins face the uncomfortable music. At the time, Hawkins simply said, "It was my fault." In actuality, there were a number of things that didn't go Cal's way, but Hawkins was in the middle of a couple of the plays. The then-junior was called for a block-in-the-back penalty that nullified a 79-yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch. Hawkins also appeared to have an easy romp into the end zone that would have tied the game 24-24, but he stumbled and fell at the 1-yard line.

"It was tough, because I was mad and I was really embarrassed," Hawkins said Tuesday. "It bothers me to this day. I will never forget that. That's going to follow me for the rest of my life." Back then, Hawkins knew the Bears had missed a chance to move into the national championship picture, but he had no idea how haunting the loss would be eventually. When USC lost to UCLA three weeks later, it was that loss that resulted in Cal yet again being denied a Rose Bowl berth.

"All I could think was, 'We done let this team mess up the whole thing we had going,' " Hawkins said. "It was crazy, man." Maybe as a reminder of that feeling, Hawkins wore a red shirt - a sartorial no-no at Cal - after Saturday's 42-12 win over Louisiana Tech, during which he returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and caught seven passes for 87 yards. "I can wear whatever color I want," Hawkins said Saturday. "When you play like this, coaches can't say anything."

He went on. "Of course, I'm the fastest guy on the team," he said. "I'm faster than Jahvid (Best). I'm faster than DeSean (Jackson). They don't want to race me. "Make sure you put some ha ha has on the end of that."

That's how times have changed. Four years ago, Hawkins was a Parade All-American at Edison High-Stockton accepting an offer to play for national champion LSU. He always felt like he was the best. He transferred to CCSF and finally to Cal, always maintaining his probably impractical goal of zero drops for a season. Sometime between the Arizona loss and this summer, when Hawkins implored fellow receivers DeSean Jackson and Robert Jordan to work extra hard, Hawkins grew up. He now softens his comments with humor and recognizes the importance of his teammates. "Lavelle had never known anything but being 'The Man,' " Parker said. "He has matured to the point in which he can share the attention. As a receiver, you have to want the ball, but he's not complaining anymore when he doesn't get it." In fact, he has taken it a step further. When a fan approached him Tuesday, Hawkins introduced himself as Jackson and told the man to wear Jackson's No. 1 jersey to the game. That move fit his season-long effort to keep the spotlight on his Heisman-hyped teammate. "I'm just the other guy," Hawkins said. "I hope (opponents) don't figure it out. Keep putting the camera on DeSean, and let me just sneak by you." Even the new team-first Hawkins can't miss an opportunity to get attention from one group, though. "Please put this in the paper," he said. "Tell the fans to please do the Hawk dance with me. I'm feeling lonely out there. "I'm hearing the DeSean Jackson chant. Even Robert Jordan gets a chant. I don't need a chant. I just want them to do the Hawk with me."

Tucson Citizen: UA challenge: Match Cal offense

The University of Arizona football team's improving offense might have to score a lot of points to hang with an explosive California squad on Saturday in Berkeley, Calif.  But can the Wildcats beat the No. 6 Golden Bears in the game, which begins at 3 p.m., if it's a shootout? "I don't know if we can score big numbers. I would like to think that 27 (points) would have been good enough last week to win," Arizona coach Mike Stoops said, referring to Saturday night's 29-27 loss to New Mexico.  "I don't know if it would be realistic to go up there and score 40-some points.  "Hopefully we can control the football and control the time and limit their touches. (Cal is) a hard team to slow down, but we are going to have to."

Unless the struggling UA defense can play more aggressively, quarterback Willie Tuitama and the offense will have to keep up with the California offense.  The Golden Bears average 40 points and 436 total yards per game, and Arizona ranks eighth in the Pac-10 in scoring defense (24 points per game) and passing defense (267 yards per game). "I definitely think we have the offense, and we have the players to go out there and make plays," Tuitama said. "We have guys all over the place. As long as we do a good job of giving them the ball, then we should be OK." After a sluggish opener against Brigham Young, UA has piled up more than 400 total yards in consecutive games, a feat not accomplished since the 2003 season. A third 400-yard game in a row would be the first time that has happened since 2001.

The California coaching staff is aware of UA's success under new offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes. "They are spreading it out and throwing the ball," Golden Bears coach Jeff Tedford said. "Willie does a nice job of throwing the ball. He is a threat. There is no question they can score and do some things. We are going to have to be very disciplined on defense." The Wildcats rank 101st nationally in rushing at 88 yards per game but are 14th in passing at 321.3 yards per game.

"(Tuitama) is tough and has a great arm," Tedford said. "He has as good of an arm as there is in the conference. He is a very tough guy in the pocket."

Daily Cal: Through a Chain of Events Bent on Derailing his Career, Jordan Kay has Persevered by Sheer Will

BY Ryan Gorcey

What do you do when your three-year starting place kicker, a man who is a mere 32 points behind the Cal football team’s all-time leading scorer, goes down with a freak injury 20 minutes before arguably the Bears’ biggest home game of the Jeff Tedford era?   You put the hopes of a season on a pair of knees held together with spit, surgical tape and sheer force of will.  You put your hopes on the legs of junior place kicker, Jordan Kay.   “This kid is a walking oxymoron,” says Neil Kay, Jordan’s father. “He shouldn’t even be walking.”  The eyes of 70,000 people are now on that walking impossibility every Saturday, at least until senior starter Tom Schneider recovers from an upper quad injury that he suffered during warm-ups before the Sept. 1 game against Tennessee.  “I want (Schneider) to succeed and I want him to break that record,” says Kay. “I feel being second-string all these years, I’ve improved competing with him.”

After Schneider tried to test his leg, to no avail, special teams coach Pete Alamar approached Kay after warmups and told him that he would be starting the first game of his college career. A career that was nearly derailed long before it even began.  Twice since Kay came to Cal, he packed his bags to go home, because the road hasn’t just been bumpy—it’s had a boulder sitting in the middle of it. Several times he called his father in tears, ready to give up. But he never has.

After recovering from a severe case of osteomyelitis (staph infection of the bone) at the growth plate of his right ankle—which nearly cost him his right foot at age 11—Kay developed into a three-sport athlete, making the baseball, football and soccer varsity teams by his sophomore year at Peninsula High. But after that year, Jordan complained of soreness in his right knee. An X-ray revealed a condition called osteo-contrydis-desecans.  “Basically you lose blood supply in a portion of your knee,” says Kay. “They were going to do surgery then, but I was going into my junior year and I was already starting to get a few letters (from colleges) asking ‘Can he kick?’ The doctor said that it was OK, but taking the risk in just kicking, he said ‘If your bone is to snap because it’s losing blood supply, your career would be hard to get back.’”  He kicked, and was named to the first-team All-Bay League. Following his junior season, Kay had the surgery to repair his knee, but it failed to respond to treatment.  It took an MRI and another surgery to discover and fix the heads of the screws that held his knee together, which had not dissolved and were rubbing on the inside of his knee. Because of further rehab, Jordan made it to Peninsula’s fall football camp just one week before the start of his senior season.  Playing kicker, running back and cornerback, Jordan had verbal commitments from Oregon, Northern Arizona, Michigan State and Minnesota, with walk-on offers from the rest of the Pac-10 schools. But he wanted to wait until after the season to officially commit.

Then lightning struck again.   In the second-to-last game of Kay’s senior season, as he was playing corner, one of his own linemen fell back and pinned his left leg as he was extended to make a tackle. His anterior cruciate ligament exploded. As Neil carried his son off the field, both were crying. No more scholarships.  On one leg, a despondent Kay made the recruiting trip to Cal, where he was told he could be a walk-on.   After surgery, Kay came back to Cal ready to start kicking again. Once more, something wasn’t right, but he was determined to kick during spring practice. Unable to fully lock his plant leg, he developed hip flexor and lower back problems.  “Coming in, all that hard work, those dreams of being at D-I and knowing that you’re not kicking to your full potential, it was very tough for me,” says Kay. “I was depressed, I was homesick.”  That’s when the calls home started. And the bag-packing. But Schneider and Neil offered encouragement and advice.  “I kept wanting to leave and I wanted to come home and not play football anymore because I wasn’t kicking to my potential,” says Kay, “but my dad was always there to say ‘Stick it out, get healthy, see what it is. You’ve got to be stupid to leave the No. 1 school in the country.’”  Dr. Robert Eppley examined Kay’s knee and—to Jordan’s relief—found that the kicking problems were the result of scar tissue caused by an oversized ACL graft.  In June of 2005, Eppley performed surgery to allow the graft more room to move within the knee. By August, a cyst had formed behind the knee because of the inflammation caused by trying to rehab the defective graft. Kay lost another year.  By the time Kay was finally healthy in 2006, Schneider had the best season of his career, making every point-after attempt and 14-of-18 field goals.  But, even though Kay freely acknowledges that he is just keeping the seat warm until his good friend Schneider gets back, he has put on quite the show himself, making all 16 of his point-after attempts and three-of-four field goals, including clutch 41- and 47-yarders against Colorado State.  Some force in the universe may not have wanted Kay to play football, and did everything possible to knock him down. But he has a focus and determination seen only in baseball closers, and yes, kickers.  When thousands of voices scream, demanding nothing short of failure, you just keep your head down and split the uprights. Just like Kay did on his first collegiate kick.

 

CSTV: Foot Injuries Fading

Starting defensive linemen Matt Malele and Rulon Davis suffered foot injuries last week in the process of mauling Louisiana Tech 42-12, but the Bears won't be scrambling to fill their spots for long - MRIs on both players revealed that neither injury is as severe as originally thought: Malele has a strained muscle on the bottom of his foot and Davis has a sprained foot. Both players are listed as day-to-day but head coach Jeff Tedford is not sure if either will be ready to play in Saturday's game at Arizona.

Both players spent Sunday's conditioning workout on crutches as Malele was thought to have torn a tendon in his foot and Davis was thought to have a stress fracture. Defensive coordinator Bob Gregory was already searching for long-term replacements for the players, especially Malele, who is the Bears' most experienced lineman with 21 starts to his name. The MRI results mean that both will be back on the gridiron much sooner than expected, which is good news for the Bears.

Although, truth be told, the team was not all that worried to begin with. Even without Malele and Davis, several players have emerged at defensive line that have the Bears feeling pretty comfortable. Junior Mika Kane missed his last two starts because of a concussion, but is now healthy again and should be back in this week's lineup. Senior John Allen, sophomore Tad Smith and true freshman Cameron Jordan are all available, and capable, to take Davis' defensive end spot, and should share time there.  Smith fought for a starting role during training camp but lost the competition to Davis. Still, he has seen consistent playing time this season after redshirting in 2005 and missing all of last season with a knee injury. He hopes to replace Malele in the field general role on the defensive line come Saturday, although his experience cannot stack up to that of the fifth-year senior. At the other defensive end position, sophomore Tyson Alualu continues to produce for the Bears. This D line depth is no accident - Cal lost three starters from last year's line and spent a good chunk of training camp evaluating players at those positions. They've now created a team of players with the versatility to play inside and outside, which comes in handy in times of injury.  Elsewwhere on the defense, strong-side linebacker Zach Follett remains day-to-day with a neck stinger.

No Touches For Jackson

Wide receiver and return specialist DeSean Jackson is not getting many, if any, touches during practice this week, as he is still bothered by a thumb injury he sustained in the season opener against Tennessee. He is wearing a cast for the week.

 

San Jose Mercury: Cal football: Putting out an APB for the passing game

Through three games, it’s tough to find fault with Cal’s offense. Tough, but not impossible.  The Bears are averaging 40 points per game (3rd in the Pac-10), 6.6 yards per play (2nd) and 230 rushing yards per game (3rd).  Those numbers are fine — more than enough, actually, to handle Tennessee, Colorado State and Louisiana Tech.  But what about the next nine games, the games that really count?  Against Oregon and ASU and USC, and to make a run at the conference title, the Bears will need to add a dimension to their attack: the downfield passing game.  It’s not that they can’t complete the long ball, only that they haven’t. Nor is it a problem now, but it could be later on.  The Bears are 7th in the conference in passing yards per game (205.7) and 7th in yards per pass (6.6), which is one indication that the aerial attack hasn’t hit its stride. Here’s another, and this is what really caught my attention:  Cal’s longest completion to a receiver is 25 yards. TWENTY-FIVE YARDS! For Cal. (Nate Longshore to both DeSean Jackson and Lavelle Hawkins)

The Bears can handle Arizona without hitting its deep passes, but they had better get the long ball game in order before heading to Eugene next weekend. The problem certainly isn’t speed. Cal has plenty of that. And although Jackson has been limited by a sprained thumb, he was able to catch five passes against CSU — it’s just that all of them were short passes. So I asked Jeff Tedford on the Pac-10 coaches conference call if the lack of long balls was the result of:

1. How defenses were playing Cal (ie: give up the short stuff, prevent the deep stuff), or

2. The plays being called (ie: don’t open your playbook until conference).

“Neither, really,'’ he said. “We’ve had some guys open on deep balls and just haven’t hit the hit deep ball. We’ve thrown plenty of long passes and had guys open and not connected with them yet.  “Not think it’s a function of not throwing deep. It’s just a matter of not hitting them.'’ That’s not a problem for the Bears — yet — but it should be a concern. Longshore has been sharp with the short passes and made sound decisions (only one INT), but his timing/accuracy/touch with the long passes just isn’t there. If the problem persists, it could ripple through the offense. Cal doesn’t have big, strong possession wideouts who excel at catching 6-yard passes in traffic. Jackson, Hawkins and Robert Jordan can do that, but they’re at their best in space, on the move, blazing through seams in the defense.  (Jackson, the best big-play threat in the conference, is averaging just eight yards per catch.) If Cal can’t connect on the deep balls, then the perimeter speed loses some of its effectiveness. And if Cal can’t connect on long balls, then it could also shorten the field and allow defenses to concentrate on stopping the Bears’ prolific running game. Lanes for Justin Forsett could narrow, or close altogether.

And without the need to provide safety help deep in (some) passing situations, defenses could send an extra man at Longshore, who’s not a scrambler.. Like I said, it’s not a problem this week for the Bears, but it could be a problem next week, and for many weeks to come.

SF Chronicle: Banged-up defense seems in decent shape

Rusty Simmons

It appeared as though Cal got some good news on the injury front Tuesday, although the good part was brief.  Only three days after speaking as though three starters could miss significant time, coach Jeff Tedford deemed defensive tackle Matt Malele (strained foot muscle), defensive end Rulon Davis (sprained foot) and linebacker Zack Follett (neck) as day-to-day.  "What that means as far as their status for this week, I'm not sure," Tedford said. "I'm sure they will be very diligent with their rehab and will be back as soon as possible."  If Malele, the lone mainstay from last year's starting defensive line unit, does miss Saturday's home game against Arizona, the Bears will be losing more than a solid physical force.

"He's our field general," said defensive tackle Mika Kane, who missed the Colorado State game (Sept. 8) and was limited against Louisiana Tech on Saturday with a concussion. "He really settles us down. He knows the plays for every guy on the field. If for some reason you're lost, he knows the play for you. "Hopefully, this week, if anyone needs that, I'll be able to step up and be that field general." The silver lining is that some guys have thrived along a defensive front that had a number of questions to answer during training camp.

"We had something to prove because we lost some big guys," defensive end Tad Smith said. "We definitely took it as a challenge to prove that we are a solid unit."  Without Malele and Davis for much of Saturday's 42-12 win over Louisiana Tech, Smith, defensive ends Tyson Alualu and John Allen and defensive tackles Cody Jones and Derrick Hill each made an impact. They combined for 12 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two tackles for losses, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.  "We're definitely ready," Smith said. "The competition made people work harder in training camp, and the result is that guys are ready to step up and fill in."

Black and blue thumb: Tedford said receiver/returner DeSean Jackson will practice with a cast on his sprained thumb this week and probably won't catch any balls.  "For sure, today," he said. "We've got to let the thumb settle down a little bit and stop irritating it in practice. As long as he runs his routes and gets timing, catching is not a big deal in practice." Jackson injured his left thumb in the season-opening win over Tennessee and has 10 catches for 67 yards and no touchdowns since then. "I think it's been real frustrating for him, because he counts on his thumb," Tedford said. "DeSean is not a body catcher. DeSean relies on his hands. It's just a nagging thing for him, and it's painful for him."

Automatic focus: Tedford eschewed a question regarding this week's hearings about the future of the proposed stadium renovations and a sports-training center. "I'm worried about third down right now," he said. "I'm getting ready to go watch film on third down. Red zone tomorrow. Whatever happens, happens.  "That's not going to make a difference one way or another in how we prepare or play or anything. Hopefully, it goes great, but I have no control over that."  An Alameda Superior Court judge will hear arguments today and Thursday on Cal's plan.

Blocking talking: Tailback Justin Forsett never misses a chance to praise his offensive line in the media, and his appreciation apparently extends to the practice field. At Thursday practices, which are deemed "a mental day" by most of the players, Forsett meets with the offensive linemen while their teammates are working on special teams.  "He's really motivated to learn the offense and not have any mistakes," left guard Brian De La Puente said. "All we do is block. To have somebody, who gets the ball and gets the touchdowns, still be motivated to know the blocking schemes is really nice."

SF Chronicle: UC Berkeley panel OKs new funding plan for athletic training center

Charles Burress

A committee of University of California regents endorsed a new funding plan Tuesday to hasten construction of UC Berkeley's proposed athletic training center next to Memorial Stadium and at the same time usher the Cal campus across a historic threshold of creative financing. The committee's accelerated funding strategy could not only speed up construction, but also would mark the first time the campus will use a lucrative endowment leveraging technique that private universities have been tapping for years. The Grounds and Building Committee's action assumes the controversial project is not blocked by lawsuits that go to court today.  As explained by UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor Nathan Brostrom, a former investment banker with JP Morgan, the leverage strategy involves borrowing money at 5 percent, earning 9 percent on endowment investments and using the 4 percent gain for the athletic department. The committee unanimously endorsed the new funding approach and tossed out its old budget plan for the $117 million athletic center. The committee's vote is expected to win full board sanction on Thursday at the three-day regents meeting this week on the UC Davis campus.  Among those opposing the sports-training complex are the city of Berkeley and a group of tree-dwelling protesters at the site. Three lawsuits against the project have been consolidated and will begin two days of hearings in Alameda County Superior Court today. The new funding formula permits the university to borrow $100 million in outside financing for the $117 million building, designed to relocate training facilities for the Cal football team and other athletes from their dangerous, cramped quarters in the stadium, which straddles the Hayward Fault.

The original idea for funding the complex was largely through private gifts and contributions.  Under the new approach, money would be borrowed through bonds at about 5 percent in the tax-exempt capital market, while gifts that would have gone directly to the project will instead go into an athletic department endowment expected to earn around 9 percent, Brostrom said. Such an arrangement would not only provide access to funds more quickly, but also furnish a 4 percent margin that could be spent on athletic programs. "Donors get a great deal," Brostrom told The Chronicle after the vote. "They realize we're leveraging their money not only for bricks and mortar, but also for the programs of the athletic department."  He said that he helped arrange such financing for cultural institutions like the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco Ballet and Getty Trust when he was in banking, and that such an approach is used also by private universities.

But UC Berkeley, a publicly funded university, has not taken such a route, he said. However, weakening state financial support has left Berkeley and other UC campuses desperately seeking funding from other sources.  "I think what happened is that UC had always seen itself as a state institution," he said. "We have to think much more as a hybrid. We're building up an endowment, and we have to leverage that endowment in the same way as Harvard, Yale, Stanford or Princeton."

He said Cal's endowment now stands at about $2.5 billion. Harvard's endowment, the largest of any university in the country, is about $35 billion.  UC officials said they expect a court decision on the athletic training center within two weeks. The UC president's office told the regents in a report that approval of the funding revision was urgent and needed "to allow the project to proceed without further delay if the court rules in the University's favor." "The potential cost of waiting until after the court rules to seek regents' approval would place an otherwise avoidable high financial burden on the project and jeopardize the estimated completion date scheduled to coincide with the start of the fall 2010 football season," the UC president's staff said. The city of Berkeley is challenging the seismic safety of the new center and asserting in its lawsuit that the facility shouldn't be built until a solution to retrofitting the historic but crumbling and dangerous stadium is found. Some critics argue that the stadium should be relocated. Other plaintiffs include the California Oak Foundation, which supports the tree-sitters, and the Panoramic Hill Association representing neighbors near the stadium.

Oakland Tribune: Suits over UC Berkeley training facility to be heard

By Kristin Bender

BERKELEY — Legal wrangling over University of California, Berkeley's plans to build a high-end sports training complex near Memorial Stadium will come to a head today when arguments begin in three cases seeking to stop construction.

Berkeley city officials sued in December to stop plans for the Student Athletic High Performance Center to the west of the stadium because it is near the Hayward fault and could crumble during a major earthquake.  Geologists say the fault has a 25 percent chance of being triggered by 2030.  The California Oak Foundation, on behalf of a group of tree sitters who have been living in a grove of trees since December, also sued the university to stop construction, as did the neighborhood Panoramic Hill Association, citing concerns about increased traffic in the area.  The three lawsuits will be heard together beginning at 9:30 a.m. today in Dept. 512 at Alameda County Superior Court in Hayward. A ruling could come as early as Thursday.  UC Berkeley offered to settle the suit with the city earlier this month, but the City Council shot down the offer.  Mayor Tom Bates said the settlement offer was flimsy and did not "seriously address the city's concerns about public safety."  University spokesman Dan Mogulof said the fate of the proposed sports complex is now up to the judge.  "We're really looking forward to having all the facts in this very complicated case reviewed by an impartial judge," Mogulof said.  Bates agreed.

"I'm kind of relieved that a decision will be reached shortly," Bates said. "The issues we got into the lawsuit will be addressed, which is dealing with public safety and taking a good look at what should be built near the Hayward fault."  A win for the university would mean UC Berkeley will proceed with construction of the center as soon as possible, Mogulof said.  "We've been continuing to work over the summer on all the things (the university) needs to do so that construction can begin as soon as possible after the court decides the case," Mogulof said.  A legal win for the city and the other groups will depend on the judge's exact ruling on various points. But the university could be required to recirculate its environmental impact report on the project and go back before the UC's governing Board of Regents for approval on a revised project. Other outcomes are also possible.  Bates said he hopes the university will be required to address the public safety issues and retrofit the stadium — at a cost of at least $140 million — before or concurrent with construction of a sports training facility.  A fourth group, called Save Tightwad Hill, vying to preserve a grassy area behind Memorial Stadium where football games can be watched for free, has also sued, but that suit will be heard separately later this year.  The lawsuits aren't the only high-profile opposition surrounding the university's construction plans. Since December, a group of tree sitters have been living in the oaks that are slated to be razed to make way for the sports training center, and the start of the trial comes as sitters try to bring increased attention to their cause.

On Friday, 30 people scaled an 8-foot chain link fence surrounding the grove, and 21 of them were arrested for trespassing. The tree activists compared themselves to students who helped launch the Free Speech Movement 40 years ago. Members of a group called the Free Speech/Free Tree Student Coalition demanded that UC Berkeley remove the fence, which university officials erected Sept. 1 to separate protesters from thousands of Cal fans expected for the Bears' football season opener against the University of Tennessee.   The tree sitters today will hold a memorial ceremony for those who died in World War I. The event, which will include a reading of the 1,800 Californians who died in the war, begins at noon in an accessible portion of the grove north of the International House on Piedmont Avenue, just west of the stadium.

California Memorial Stadium was dedicated in 1923 "to the Californians who died in the Great War," and tree activists say the oak grove is therefore sacred ground. Singer and songwriter Country Joe McDonald will sing at today's event, former Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean will speak and a Unitarian minister will give a eulogy. Organizers will raise the American flag and sing the National Anthem.  Meanwhile, last week UC Berkeley filed a lawsuit of its own. The university sued the tree sitters, saying they are causing a safety hazard by using camping grills and dropping items from the treetops.   The university sought an immediate court order to remove the protesters from the grove, but a judge refused to grant it, saying he wanted to hear the case in its entirety Oct. 1.

 

Contra Costa Times: Cal's injuries not as bad as feared

BERKELEY — Cal was feeling pretty confident that the depth of its defensive line could withstand the loss of starting defensive linemen Matt Malele and Rulon Davis. Now it looks as though the Bears won't have to test out the theory for as long as they once anticipated.   Cal received a dose of good news when MRIs showed the foot injuries to both players aren't as severe as feared. Malele has a strained muscle on the bottom of his foot, and Davis has a sprained foot. Cal coach Jeff Tedford said both players are day-to-day, but wasn't sure if they would be ready to play in Saturday's game against Arizona.  Both were injured during last Saturday's 42-12 win over Louisiana Tech.

After the game, Tedford said Malele had possibly suffered a tear of his plantar fascia tendon. And it was feared that Davis had a stress fracture. Malele and Davis were on crutches during Sunday's conditioning workout, and defensive coordinator Bob Gregory sounded resigned to the fact that each would be out for a while.  "That is good news," Tedford said. "What that means as far as their status for this week, I'm not sure. But I'm sure they will be very diligent with their rehabilitation, and hopefully they get back as soon as possible."  The defensive line was considered an uncertainty going into the season, but the emergence of several young players has the Bears feeling pretty good about things even if Malele and Davis aren't able to go.  Sophomore Cody Jones started the past two games because of a concussion to defensive tackle Mika Kane, and Kane now is healthy again and should return to the starting lineup. Redshirt freshman Derrick Hill provides depth inside.   The Bears could use senior John Allen, sophomore Tad Smith or true freshman Cameron Jordan to replace Davis at defensive end. All three figure to see playing time. Sophomore Tyson Alualu has been playing well at the other defensive end spot.

"Hopefully they'll come back. They're a big part of our D-line," Kane said. "I feel like we're pretty deep on the D-line, deeper than previous years. Not only are we deep, but we have quality players. We have people that are ready to step up and shine when their number is called."  The Bears lost three starters from last year's defensive line and spent much of training camp auditioning players at both defensive tackle and defensive end. The result is several players now are versatile enough to play both inside and outside, something that might come in handy if the team is undermanned.  "Now when you're faced with a situation like that, you realize that it's going to pay off, and that experience is definitely going to come in handy," Smith said. "Any one of us could have to go in and fill in a spot anywhere on the D-line. It's definitely become a handy tool."  If Malele can't play Saturday, Bears his ability and experience. He is a fifth-year senior and the only returning starter on the defensive line.  "Matt is our field general when he's out there," Kane said. "He really settles us down and knows the plays for everyone out there on the field. If, for some reason, you're lost or don't know the play, he's right there for you.  "Hopefully this week, if anybody needs that, I'll be able to step up and be the field general, and keep the morale up."  Smith was in the mix for a starting role during training camp but ultimately was beaten out by Davi