As John Madden is fond of saying: “If you play two quarterbacks, you haven’t really got one.” That’s a lesson California coach Jeff Tedford learned the hard way last season. Tedford was unable to choose between Kevin Riley and Nate Longshore as his No. 1 signal-caller. And due to his QB shuffling, the highly regarded Golden Bears finished a disappointing 9-4. With Longshore gone, Riley is now the uncontested starter. And with good reason. The junior is a proven winner, going 7-2 as a starter in ’08. His career stats - a 53.4 completion rate with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions - are most respectable.
And Riley is blessed with a solid running game that will keep defenses honest. Jahvid Best rushed for 1,580 yards last season while averaging a school-record 8.1 yards per carry to go with 16 touchdowns.
Cal is a 21-point favorite tomorrow against a visiting Maryland team hit hard by graduation. The Bears, who usually come out of the chute flying, get our call
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