Daily Cal: Position Breakdown - Offense

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By Matt Kawahara

QUARTERBACKS

After winning the position battle with a solid second half of fall camp, redshirt sophomore Kevin Riley will start at quarterback against Michigan State.  Riley saw most of his collegiate action in just two games last year, although they were arguably the most memorable games of the season-Cal's devastating loss to Oregon State and the Armed Forces Bowl against Air Force, in which Riley completed 16 of 19 passes for 269 yards, three touchdowns and Bowl MVP honors.  He won the starting job this season largely because of his formidable arm strength and playmaking ability.   "I think he brings a little bit more elusiveness to (the position), being able to make some plays with his legs, and was real solid through camp," coach Jeff Tedford said. "We felt like maybe we'd see what we could do with his playmaking ability."  Nate Longshore, meanwhile, will provide the best second option in the Pac-10.

The senior ranks second in Cal history with 18 wins as a starting quarterback, fourth in passing efficiency (133.1), sixth in passing touchdowns (62) and seventh in passing yardage (5,732). He's also one of only two Bears quarterbacks to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season, accomplishing the feat in 2006.  Although he is admittedly not a fan of the two-quarterback system, Tedford has promised that both Riley and Longshore will play against the Spartans.  "We want to see, with the roles reversed, how that works," Tedford said. "We're looking for the best chance to be successful."

RUNNING BACKS

Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen are the new one-two punch for the Bears and the latest talented twosome to roam the Cal backfield.  "These guys are very talented," running backs coach Ron Gould said. "They're a more mature group coming in, they're very focused.  There's a lot of similarity (to previous tailback duos) in terms of talent and the work ethic is good."  Best is the main weapon in the Bears' offensive scheme. His blazing speed and agility give him the big-play potential that makes fans hold their breath every time he touches the ball. After playing in just 10 games last season and averaging 7.6 yards per carry, Best has minds racing over what he can do with a full season.  Vereen, meanwhile, has shouldered the workload during fall camp as Best has been given regular days off to rest.  "He's got a lot of elusiveness," Gould said of Vereen. "He catches the ball extremely well. He's very passionate about the game."  As a result, Gould views Vereen less as a backup to Best and more as an interchangeable piece in what will be a shifting backfield.

"I don't view any of the tailbacks as backups," Gould said. "I view them all as starters. Whoever's in there, I expect those guys to play at a high level."  That said, there is only one year of varsity experience between Best, Vereen and third option Tracy Slocum. That's where the quiet but sturdy senior presence of fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou has come into play.  "(Ta'ufo'ou) tries to lead by example and he's got a great work ethic," Gould said. "Will is the big dog, and I think he's earned everybody's respect just by how he's carried himself over the last four, five years."

RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS

Possibly the position with the least experience, the 2008 receiving corps returns a total of five catches from last season.  Needless to say, the Bears didn't have a go-to guy at wideout at the beginning of camp. Three weeks later, they still don't. But what they did find over the course of fall practices was a pleasantly surprising amount of depth at the position.  "We feel like we have good depth at receiver," Tedford said at one point during camp. "There's probably going to be a broader rotation than we've ever had at receiver."

Right now, LaReyelle Cunningham, Sean Young and Michael Calvin appear to have secured the starting jobs. Cunningham accounts for four of the returning catches, while Young is responsible for the other. Calvin received Scout Team Player of the Year honors last season, but he has been battling a toe injury for over a week and was wearing a protective boot at Tuesday's practice.  Tedford has maintained, though, that up to seven receivers will compete for playing time during the season, and that how they are used will vary week-to-week depending on game planning. Jeremy Ross, Nyan Boateng and Marvin Jones are also in the mix.

This is clearly not last year's receiving corps in terms of proven game-changing ability, but one thing that the 2008 class does have is size. At 5-foot-11, Young and Ross are the shortest members of the group, while Boateng, Calvin and Jones all stand at 6-foot-2.  Still, the wideouts lack true game experience, and for that reason, tight end Cameron Morrah may be a favorite target for the quarterbacks. Morrah hauled in 13 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown in 2007, and he established himself early in camp as No. 1 on the depth chart at tight end.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The heart of the O-line, its anchor and senior leader, is the man in the middle-all-America center Alex Mack.

Mack is on the preseason watch list for the Rimington Award, given to the nation's top center, as he returns to further punish the Pac-10 defensive linemen that voted him the conference's top offensive lineman in 2007.  Around Mack is where things get interesting. Noris Malele is back at right guard, where he started all 13 games last year. But starting right tackle Mike Tepper, who was planning on transitioning to left tackle during camp, was sidelined by injuries and will not be ready to play against Michigan State.  That has opened a door for redshirt freshman Mitchell Schwartz at right tackle. Schwartz, who stands at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, will start against the Spartans, while Chet Teofilo-a 6-foot-3, 316 pound junior-takes over at left tackle.  Meanwhile, Chris Guarnero-once buried behind Mack on the depth chart at center-has made a comfortable transition to left guard, where he will start on August 30.

"All through camp we've been rotating guys through," Mack said. "I've worked with everyone. It means we have a lot of depth. We've got a lot of guys who can play, people who know all their stuff, guys who know their positions.  "I trust all those guys and they're all hard workers, which goes a really long way."