Cal's 3-4 defensive alignment isn't foreign to Stanford. Notre Dame played it earlier this season. Heck, Stanford played it for much of the past few seasons before making a full switch to the 4-3 this season.
But the Bears' defense ranks among the best in the Pac-10 - fourth in total defense (315.0 yards per game), third in scoring defense (21.9 points per game), fourth in rush defense (124.3 yards per game) and fifth in pass defense (190.7 yards per game). Cal is second in the nation in interceptions with 18. Stanford struggled against Notre Dame's defense for much of its game Oct. 4, scoring just seven points through three quarters and eventually falling 28-21. Quarterback Tavita Pritchard was sacked a season-high five times. "Cal's 3-4 is particularly strong," Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh said. "They are particularly good up the middle. They have tremendous personnel to play the 3-4. I think that was a very wise move for their team, and it's helped them very much." Center Alex Fletcher said it's an adjustment for the offensive line, but a manageable one. "We have a bunch of older guys who've played against our 3-4 at practice for years, so we have experience, that helps," Fletcher said. "But their defense is the strength of their team, no question. Their front-seven is very good."
Home for the holidays: Gary Cavalli, executive director of the Emerald Bowl, has looked at all the scenarios and concluded there is a good chance either Stanford or Cal will wind up in the Dec. 27 game at San Francisco's AT&T Park. "We would love to have either one," Cavalli said. "It would be a dream come true."
The Emerald Bowl matches the fourth- or fifth-place Pac-10 team against a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Discounting the unlikely possibility of USC losing either of its final two games or of Cal losing its Dec. 6 game against Washington, Cavalli said there are 24 different scenarios of how Pac-10 teams could finish. In 12 of those scenarios either Cal or Stanford would end up in the Emerald Bowl. "It fills the place and gives us a lot of local exposure," Cavalli said. Cavalli diplomatically sidestepped the question of whether he would take Cal or Stanford if both were available to him.
Feeding the Ravens: Harbaugh said that he is hoping that his brother, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, will take a look at some of his players in next spring's NFL draft. "My brother follows our team very closely; he watches, listens, watches tape when he can't see the game live," Jim Harbaugh said. "He's very tuned into our team, and he's asked me about guys. I am very hopeful that we can get a few guys on the Ravens." Harbaugh named Fletcher, running back Anthony Kimble, cornerback Wopamo Osaisai, kicker Aaron Zagory and left tackle Ben Muth as potential NFL talents. "We've got some guys," Harbaugh said. "Hopefully we get them playing in Baltimore."
Cal commitment: Alex Logan, a three-star defensive back from Denver's Mullen High, verbally committed to Cal late Monday night. Logan is among the top 25 safeties in the country, according to most recruiting Web sites. Cal sophomore offensive guard Chris Guarnero, who also attended Mullen, was the first Colorado native to sign under coach Jeff Tedford.
Giving thanks: Family and friends of former Cal and current Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch will be giving out free turkeys at 3 p.m. Sunday at Oakland Tech High. Birds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis in the front of Lynch's former high school. Although Lynch will not attend because the Bills are playing the Kansas City Chiefs, a personalized note will be given out with each turkey.
TV: Saturday's USC-Stanford game was the most-watched football game ever on the Versus cable network. The game earned national rating of a 1.0, which means it was watched by more than a million viewers nationally. The Bay Area rating on Versus was a 3.0. ... The Cal-Washington game on Dec. 6 will kick off at noon, and be shown on CSNBA.
Briefly: Cal sophomore tailback Jahvid Best was a full participant in Tuesday night's practice, a rare occurrence since he injured his foot Oct. 18. ... Cal safety Brett Johnson (shoulder) sat out practice. ... A man running bleachers in Memorial Stadium was forced to remove his red shirt because it is Big Game week.
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