College report: Cal QB Ayoob to see familiar face on field

By Ryan Lillis -- Special To The Bee

BERKELEY - As he missed receivers all over the field Saturday during Cal's 41-3 win over Sacramento State, quarterback Joe Ayoob missed one target in particular.  Hawkins, who attended LSU in 2003 after a stellar career at Edison High in Stockton, will play Saturday when Cal travels to Washington. Ayoob, who went 0 for 10 against the Hornets but will start against the Huskies, couldn't be happier. “That makes it a little more comfortable for me," Ayoob said of Hawkins' presence. "If I scramble, I know where he's going to break." Ayoob said he'll also depend on the offensive line, led by center Marvin Philip, an All-America candidate from Oak Ridge High School.

"Just having those guys in the huddle with you gives you confidence," Ayoob said.  At CCSF, Hawkins caught 23 passes for 525 yards (a 22.8-yard average) and four touchdowns in seven games, earning community college All-America honors. He was a Parade magazine All-American at Edison as one of the nation's most recruited wide receivers. Ayoob came to Cal this spring a highly touted quarterback (3,679 yards and 35 touchdowns at CCSF) but was woeful in his debut Saturday after replacing Nate Longshore, who was injured in the second quarter and lost for the season with a broken leg.  Cal coach Jeff Tedford said the key for Ayoob is patience. "In junior college, they could yell the plays in to him from the sideline," Tedford said. "You just can't do that here. It's so loud, there's so much going on, it's so intense, it's so fast. He's asked to do so much. Patience is the key, not because we don't have confidence in him, but because it's a reality." Tedford said he'd like to get his new quarterback a few completions right away, a plan Ayoob was quick to accept. "It's always good to get that first one out of the way," he said with a smile. "All you really need is one to get going." A strong running game helps, too. Expect tailback Marshawn Lynch (147 yards on 24 carries against the Hornets) to be the go-to guy while Ayoob finds himself, Tedford said.  "(Lynch is) very strong and very tough, and very rarely does he take a very good shot because he's so shifty," Tedford said.