By Matt Kawahara
Cameron Jordan can go home now. And this time, the Chandler, Ariz.. native won't have to listen to his high school buddies chirp about how he lost to Arizona State. Instead, he'll be able to kick back and reflect on what it's like to lie on the turf of Memorial Stadium, separated from the fake grass and little rubber pellets by only a slightly flattened Rudy Carpenter.
But he admitted post-game that, for all the time he spent in the Arizona State backfield on Saturday, he couldn't help but ease up on one play halfway through. "I had a tackle, and I had him stood up ready to pull him," Jordan said. "I saw Zack (Follett) make contact and I literally might have stopped playing and just watched. "I told the offensive lineman, I was like, 'Your quarterback just died.'" That play was Follett's sack-a bone-shattering hit to Carpenter's blind side that sent the ball flying halfway across the field and left ASU's quarterback struggling to get to his knees, let alone his feet. It also came on a crucial third down in the fourth quarter, with Cal up by 10, the offense stagnating, and the Sun Devils creeping into Bear territory. But that was the story on Saturday. It was the defense that won the game, for the second weekend in a row, by giving what coach Jeff Tedford called a "textbook" performance. It was the defense making the big plays and giving Carpenter fits with its zone coverage and constant pressure, often out of three- and four-man rushes.
Jordan himself got to Carpenter twice in the first half, and had him wrapped up for a third time before Carpenter dumped off a pass. "We were all trying to get to the quarterback," Jordan said. "We were throwing bets at each other like, 'Bet you can't get to Rudy before I do.' 'I'll see you at Rudy.' 'I'll see you at the ground after I tackle Rudy and you're still getting there.'" Whoa, wait a second. Friendly on-field wagers between members of the defensive line? Zack Follett trying to keep from grinning too widely in the press conference?
Anthony Felder and Eddie Young puffing up after laying the lumber on some unlucky Arizona State ball carriers, and cornerback Darian Hagan, well, dancing? The Cal defense, much maligned in recent seasons, is fast becoming the strongest facet of a program that is typically known for having a one-track (offensive) mind. And it's enjoying every minute of it.
"People are telling us that this is the best they've seen this defense play so far," Follett said. "We play with attitude and we have fun with friends out there. Everyone's not trying to get theirs. Everyone's having a good time making plays, and we feed off of each other." And in a season that has featured two near-shutouts and no opposing 100-yard rushers, Saturday's was the most complete performance.
There was Syd'Quan Thompson breaking up four passes, including one in the end zone. There was Chris Conte and Sean Cattouse both recording their first interceptions of the season against the Pac-10's most efficient passer. And there was Worrell Williams, 30 yards down the field, breaking up a pass to a wide receiver. "Our defense is so wonderful," Jordan said. "I could go on and on about it. Our linebackers are strong and fast, you got outside linebackers coming on the blitz. "You got Zack sacking quarterbacks, killing people." After the game, Follett told the story of how, during Arizona State's win over the Bears last season in Tempe, Ariz., Carpenter "got in his ear a little bit." "That was a long hit coming," he said. "A year of frustration was coming out on that play." Asked if he spared a few words for Carpenter after the hit, Follett gave a slightly sheepish grin. "Uh, yeah," he said. Everyone laughed. Follett did, too. Kind of like he was enjoying himself.
No comments:
Post a Comment