Cal's Ayoob has to deliver

By Jay Heater

CONTRA COSTA TIMES

BERKELEY - Those who have been around Cal coach Jeff Tedford know he's not one to waste a lot of words. So it was obvious following the Bears' 41-3 victory over Sacramento State on Saturday at Memorial Stadium that Tedford was sending a message.  "There is no such thing as just a game player," said Tedford, who obviously was shooting a verbal arrow into quarterback Joe Ayoob.

Ayoob, the much ballyhooed transfer from City College of San Francisco, had been saying that he is more of a game player than a practice player. He intimated that even if he struggled a bit in workouts, that everything would come together under the lights.

That kind of guy simply doesn't exist in Tedford's world. Cal fans might remember that wide receiver Geoff McArthur used to think of himself as a game player who could get through practice with a less-than-stellar effort.  McArthur and Tedford butted heads with Tedford eventually coming out on top. McArthur transformed from just another guy into the program's all-time leading receiver.  Now Ayoob is on the spot after stinking it up with an 0-for-10 passing performance against the Hornets. "I need to see something a little different in practice," Tedford said.

Whether Ayoob gets to show something different as Cal's No. 1 quarterback will be determined today. Tedford said he will study film before deciding whether to go with Ayoob or previously third string Steve Levy. Starter Nate Longshore broke his fibula near his left ankle and was scheduled to have surgery on Sunday. Tedford estimated that Longshore would be out three months.

Considering Cal's offense sputtered much of the game against a Division I-AA opponent, it's important for either Ayoob or Levy to be able to run the show in an efficient manner. Next up for Cal is Washington on Saturday in Seattle.

"Joe was not throwing the ball with any authority," Tedford said. "And we have to figure out why." Ayoob was stumped as well. "I couldn't tell you why (the ball soared)," he said. "I made the right reads, but the ball wasn't coming out the way I wanted. I threw the first six balls in a row and didn't complete one and it got me down a little."

After such an alarming performance, Ayoob knows he must prove to Tedford he can handle the job. "I just have to show him that's not who I am," Ayoob said. "I know I am better than that. And I'm still confident. I've never had a game where I've thrown balls like that. Even this past week in practice, I was throwing the ball well."  Although Ayoob laid an egg, Tedford said he expects the junior to bounce back. "Joe is very resilient and he is mentally tough," Tedford said. "I'm sure he was disappointed, but he has to hang in there. These are the times, when you don't play to your potential, that you have to bounce back."

And while Ayoob's performance stood out, quite a few other Cal players had less than stellar efforts. Tedford said he didn't even have to address that fact in the locker room following the game.  "I guarantee you they know," Tedford said. "We didn't play anywhere near our potential."