BERKELEY — While Notre Dame was losing in overtime Saturday, a little one-time Irish recruit named Justin Forsett was ripping up Memorial Stadium in a very big way.
Somebody needs to get word back to the Golden Dome recruiting combine because it really blew it on this kid. Forsett was deemed too small for South Bend, but he was plenty big enough for the University of California when the Golden Bears desperately needed for a few folks to step up against a game, stubborn Illinois club.
In the final accounting, the 5-foot-8, 184-pound sophomore replacement for injured Marshawn Lynch wound up leading a long parade of super subs. In his first official Cal start, Forsett scored two touchdowns and accounted for 230 yards — 187 of them on the ground — as the Bears rallied from a 17-7 deficit to beat the Illini 35-20. Memo to Touchdown Jesus: It turns out Forsett's not so little after all. "Hey, I feel like I'm a big guy," said Forsett. "And the doctors say I'm going to keep growing. That's what I keep telling people, I'm going to be like 6-2 my senior year." As long as it doesn't slow down that uncanny quick burst he has once he hits the hole, Jeff Tedford will be good with it. Forsett piled up those 187 yards on just 16 carries, including a 45-yard romp nearthe end of the game that was one block from being a 92-yard score. We're talking major-league jets here. So who does Cal owe thanks for this most fortunate Forsett find? Tyrone Willingham, for starters, who decided at the last minute a year and a half ago that Notre Dame needed to go bigger with its backs and cooled its interest, even though Forsett rushed for 2,560 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior — in football-mad Texas, no less. The second key person was none other than former Cal star Chuck Muncie, who had an NFL connection with Forsett's high school coach, Mike Barber, at Grace Prep in Arlington. As soon as Muncie got word through Barber that Forsett was available, he alerted the Cal coaching staff and had game film expedited to Berkeley.
"As soon as we watched the tape of him, we knew he was good enough," recalled Tedford. "But we had to do some background checks. We thought it was a little too good to be true that a guy like that was still out there. Any time a player like that is still floating around, it's like, 'What are we not seeing here?' But after the check, we found out he's the best young man you'll ever meet."
Forsett said he's met Muncie on a couple of occasions and added, "He's a real cool guy." In fact, even though he'd never been in the state before his first visit to Berkeley, Forsett has loved everything about Cal since it picked up his trail.
"Cal was the first one to get back to me," Forsett said. "So I flew out, loved it, loved the guys and signed right on the spot." Forsett admitted that it was discouraging at first that Notre Dame has spurned him, but support from his coach and family kept him optimistic about his new opportunity in Berkeley. It remains to be seen how long Forsett and fellow backup tailback Marcus O'Keith will be the main men in Cal's backfield. O'Keith also had a very nice day, carrying 12 times for 66 yards and a TD and also catching a swing pass and turning it into a 26-yard score. For good measure, O'Keith had the key block on Tim Mixon's 79-yard punt return. Sweet. Tedford said Lynch had a little more flexibility Saturday but that the situation with the fractured pinky on his left hand will remain day-to-day. Understanding what they have in reserve, though, it looks as if Tedford can afford to be extra careful with Lynch's return.
"We really had no concerns coming into the second half of the game about the tailback position," said Tedford. "While Marshawn is a great back, we have a few others behind him that can also play. I was very happy to see Justin get his opportunity today and come through with it." It was like the good old days back in Arlington, where Forsett recalled he once gained 384 yards in a state playoff game. Hard to believe Notre Dame could turn a lukewarm eye to such a performance, but it might be one reason Willingham is no longer there. Cal certainly isn't apologizing. It's also nice to know Chuck Muncie is still out there running on behalf of the Bears. One thing's certain, you know Chuck would know a hot tailback when he saw one.
No comments:
Post a Comment