By Gary Peterson
If you're one of those stadium-fund-half-empty types, you couldn't help but notice, in the wake of Saturday night's Emerald Bowl, that Cal's Bears exited the 2008 season the same way they entered it — with uncertainty under center. Outgoing senior Nate Longshore quarterbacked Cal to a 24-17 victory over Miami. Longshore's night was a success in the minimalist sense — he completed 10-of-21 attempts for 121 yards, and threw the game-winning touchdown on his final pass as a collegian. Sophomore Kevin Riley has two seasons left, but didn't get into Saturday's game. Thus, the denouement plays out the same as after last December's bowl win — a casting call for the next great Jeff Tedford quarterback, this one figuring to feature Riley and redshirt freshman Brock Mansion. A bad thing? Not if you're the rain-gauge-half-full sort. In that event, you're convinced the Bears are miles ahead of where they finished last season. Or at least 1,580 yards, that being the final rushing total for sophomore tailback Jahvid Best.
It is being neither inaccurate nor unkind to suggest that Best was the only consistently productive component to Cal's offense Saturday night. He gained an Emerald Bowl record 186 yards on 20 carries, and it's safe to say the threat he represented was a factor in the 152 yards Cal gained on its 31 Jahvid-free plays.
Tedford explained it this way: Longshore managed a fine game, considering how Miami kept Cal's receivers bottled up. And Best, well, he's a fine talent who benefitted from some stellar play by his offensive line and fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou. "We had to mix it up a little," Tedford said. "We weren't just going to line (Best) up and run downhill on them every down." It seemed like it at times, especially in the first half. Longshore's biggest pass of the night, a 74-yarder to Verran Tucker, put the Bears on the Miami 2-yard line. It took Best two tries, but he scurried in from a yard out for the game's first score.
His next carry produced the game's second score. On the first and last play of Cal's next drive, Best took off on a breathtaking 42-yard dash around the left side. He almost comically sped away from Miami linebacker Glenn Cook, who would have had an advantageous angle on anyone else in a blue and gold uniform. "We made a few mistakes, and he took advantage," Cook said. "He's a great back. We didn't do enough." Certainly not in the first half — Best had 106 yards on 10 carries when the teams broke for intermission with Cal up 14-7. The Bears bogged down in the third quarter, during which Miami tied the game. The teams traded field goals, then Best authored his final impact play.
His 19-yard run got Cal off and running on its penultimate drive. Though he left the game at that point with an injured right hand, the Bears drove to the Miami 17. That drive ended with a missed field goal try, but it left the Hurricanes backed up in their own territory. That's where Zack Follett sacked Jacory Harris, forcing a fumble that led to Longshore's game-winning throw. Best was voted the offensive player of the game and wound up on a riser on the field, addressing the residue of a predominantly Cal crowd. When it was suggested that his breakout sophomore season might lead to Heisman candidacy as a junior, he replied:
"I'd rather talk about a national championship."
That'll set off Tedford's acid reflux when he finds out about it. But Saturday night, it was all milk and honey.
"Not only is he really talented," Tedford said, "but he's a great young man. He plays with a lot of heart. He gets a lot of respect from his teammates. His ability speaks for itself." So does his stature, as Cal prepares to segue from this 9-4 season into its next great adventure. When last seen Saturday night, Best was walking through the undercarriage of AT&T Park, autographing a football for a young fan. A cursive "J" and "B" adorned his triceps. The silver inscription on the football spoke loudest of all:
"Jahvid Best
#4
MVP".
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