SF Chronicle: More changes on O-line

By Rusty Simmons

The injury reports on right tackles Chet Teofilo and Matt Laird had not been finalized Sunday, but coach Jeff Tedford intimated that neither will be positive.   Teofilo sprained his ankle on the first offensive series of the Bears' 41-20 win over UCLA on Saturday, and Laird had a flare-up of a right shoulder injury that has plagued his career. Teofilo was in a walking boot, and Laird was adorned with a sling at Sunday's practice. "Chet's ankle is pretty stiff, so I'd have to say he's questionable to doubtful," Tedford said. Cal already has lost starting left guard Chris Guarnero for the season with a toe injury, and projected starting left tackle Mike Tepper has yet to play as he rehabilitates from offseason pectoral surgery. Asked if there is now more urgency for Tepper's return, Tedford said, "There's nothing we can do about it." Instead, the Bears will turn to 6-foot-5, 285-pound Donovan Edwards, a transfer from Diablo Valley College who had taken limited snaps on the right side before Saturday.  "He played pretty well," Tedford said. "I was impressed that he knew what he was doing, and he'll be even better this week after a lot of reps."

Riley review: After reviewing video of Saturday's game, Tedford softened his postgame comments about quarterback Kevin Riley. "He actually threw some really good balls," Tedford said. "He made good decisions. He was smart and careful with the football." Immediately after the game, in which Riley went 11-for-22 for 153 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, Tedford said, "We need to be better, and I think Kevin would tell you that."   Tedford again lauded Riley's play on a 53-yard flea-flicker touchdown to Nyan Boateng, when the quarterback avoided a rusher while receiving the pitch from Jahvid Best and turned and fired an accurate pass about 60 yards in the air. Tedford also said a couple of Riley's passes on post patterns could have drawn pass-interference calls.

It was Riley's first start since a Sept. 27 win over Colorado State. Senior Nate Longshore went 1-1 in the starting role, beating Arizona State and losing at Arizona. According to Tedford, both quarterbacks are dealing nicely with the revolving door at the position.  "It takes guys who are team guys," Tedford said. "They are both high-character guys, who are supportive of each other in the meeting rooms and on the field." 

Defensive domination: Cal's defense limited UCLA to 253 yards of total offense, including 16 rushing yards and four turnovers. The effort was due in large part to the individual efforts of linebacker Michael Mohamed and defensive lineman Tyson Alualu, Tedford said. Alualu had six tackles, including two sacks, and he batted down two passes. Mohamed, who is second on the team with 45 tackles despite not starting, had nine tackles, a sack and an interception that he returned 19 yards for a touchdown.

 

"Mike takes a lot of pride in being able to do the things we ask him to do," Tedford said. "He puts himself in position to make a lot of plays, and he's athletic enough to get it done when he's there."