By Greg Beacham
Jeff Tedford knows he lost his football team last year. California's coach spent the offseason coming up with ways to make sure the Golden Bears won't get away from him again this fall. For starters, Cal's offensive mastermind has given away his team's play-calling duties to new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti. Instead of working mostly with the offense at every practice, Tedford roams the field in Strawberry Canyon, chatting with special-teams players and keenly observing the defense. And Tedford's real work starts when the players get off the field. From strategy questions to personal issues, Tedford has dedicated himself to really listening to his players, all in hopes of keeping their heads together when Cal hits the tough times that wrecked what was shaping up as a remarkable season in 2007.
"I'm just going to keep my fingers on the pulse of the group better," Tedford said. "When I'm not calling the plays, I'll be able to see a lot more of that, at least I think so. ... If you're willing to learn lessons from it, which I've tried to do, then I think we'll be better for it. You live and learn." Cal is still feeling the effects of the freefall that began with a home loss to Oregon State last October when the Bears were unbeaten and ranked No. 2 in the nation. Cal finished the regular season with six losses in seven games, including its first loss to Stanford in Tedford's tenure. A victory in the Armed Forces Bowl contained the ingredients of Cal's recovery this fall, though some are more symbolic than others. The Bears will play this year with no names on the backs of their jerseys, just as they did in the bowl game, to reinforce "the importance of being out there just for the team," according to linebacker Worrell Williams.
That bowl victory also was the breakthrough game for quarterback Kevin Riley, whose last-second mistake cost Cal a chance to tie Oregon State last year. Riley was named Cal's starter last week for Saturday's home opener against Michigan State, though senior Nate Longshore also will play. "I think we have the potential to be a great team, and I think it's going to come out on Saturday," Riley said. This isn't the first time Tedford has ceded play-calling duties. He called about half the plays midway through his tenure, and former offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar called about 90 percent of the plays during his single season at Cal before Tedford took over again. Tedford hasn't been afraid to allow Cignetti to put his own tweaks on Cal's offensive scheme.
"I think it would be foolish not to let somebody make what you've done better," Tedford said. "It's no different from when I was at Oregon. (Former Ducks offensive coordinators) Bob Toledo, Ron Borges, Dirk Koetter, myself — everybody put in their little piece of the offense at Oregon." Tedford will need every spare minute of his newfound free time to shape his new starters at every offensive skill position. The Bears' recruiting prowess has kept them stocked even after the departures of Justin Forsett, Lavelle Hawkins, DeSean Jackson, Robert Jordan and Craig Stevens.
Running back Jahvid Best, whose speed made him a tantalizing alternative to Forsett last year, says he's ready for the demands of more consistent playing time. Cignetti will use Best as a runner and a pass-catcher to go with his kickoff return duties, all in the hopes of getting the ball in Best's hands at least 20 times a game. "I have to learn the complete offense, because I never know where I'm going to be on any given play," said Best, who has been rested against his will during practice to keep him fresh for the season. "I love that kind of a challenge, and it puts me in a lot of different areas to make plays." Cal's receiving corps is much less tested than last season's vaunted trio of Hawkins, Jackson and Jordan. Senior holdovers Sean Young and LaReylle Cunningham will play alongside newcomers Michael Calvin and Marvin Jones as the Bears try to figure out who's ready for the demands of a Pac-10 season.
At least Riley is familiar with the former backups like Young and Cunningham from his time running the second team in practice as Longshore's backup. He's also getting to know Calvin and Jones, two prized prospects with no playing experience. "They're all young, but if they just settle down and play their game, they can all make big plays," Riley said. Coordinator Bob Gregory's defense has changed to a 3-4 scheme to take advantage of a group of linebackers widely considered to be among the nation's best. Seniors Williams and Zack Follett will play prominent roles, while junior Eddie Young and oft-injured senior Anthony Felder will be the other starters.
Much of Cal's leadership also will come from the veteran linebackers. Williams claims he relishes the chance to begin Cal's season unranked and picked to finish no better than fourth in the Pac-10 by most prognosticators, while Follett sees the relatively low expectations as a motivation to keep alive Cal's streak of six consecutive winning seasons and five straight bowl appearances. "We feel responsible to get Cal back as a premier team," linebacker Zack Follett said. "It seems like we had one bad year, and people are writing us off as a program. That's crazy."
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