Yahoo! Sports: Tedford never stops extending Cal offense

LOS ANGELES – Jeff Tedford's playbook keeps growing.  Some coaches live by the adage that if you add a play to the playbook, you throw one away. Not Tedford. He's a packrat – as if he needs more ways to beat opposing defenses.  "We never throw any plays out," Tedford said. "That's my fault."  Tedford is one of the brightest offensive minds in the game. He has sent a long list of quarterbacks to the NFL. More recently, he has helped produce some outstanding running backs as well.  Tedford has led Cal to final rankings in the AP poll for three consecutive seasons, the first such streak for the Bears since 1947-51. At Pac-10 Media Day, Cal was picked to finish second in the conference for the fourth consecutive year. Twice, Cal has lived up to that or better. Last year, The Bears finished with a share of the Pac-10 title with USC.  Tedford has turned around a program that was 1-10 before his arrival in 2002, but he's not entirely satisfied. His goal is to shed that "shared" label on the Pac-10 title and reach Cal's first Rose Bowl since the 1958 season.  "We've accomplished that we're going to be competitive on a yearly basis for a conference title," Tedford said. "Our goal when we got here was to compete for a conference title and at a national level. We've done that to a certain extent, but we need to break through and win it outright."  Cal enters 2007 in the same position it has occupied since Tedford arrived, chasing USC for the conference title. The Bears return 14 starters, including perhaps the best offensive playmaker in the Pac-10 - DeSean Jackson. Cal also as the luxury of a veteran quarterback and offensive line.

Read the entire article here.

LA Daily News: Ex-Canyon standout Longshore could help Cal's Jackson to Heisman

Here’s the link.

BY JUSTIN FRANK

Many college football experts see Cal junior wideout DeSean Jackson as a Heisman Trophy candidate, but his campaign could hinge on the play of former Canyon High of Canyon Country quarterback Nate Longshore.  "Nate is a great quarterback," said Jackson, who caught 59 passes for 1,060 yards last season. "We expect great things from him."  One thing Jackson really admires about Longshore, who threw for 3,021 yards and 24 touchdowns for the Golden Bears in 2006, is his leadership ability.  "He is very controlling in the huddle," Jackson said. "It's great to have a guy like him just take over. He does everything the right way."  Longshore also has the backing of head coach Jeff Tedford, who has tutored NFL quarterbacks such as Trent Dilfer, Akili Smith, Aaron Rodgers, Joey Harrington and former Hart High of Newhall standout Kyle Boller, all of whom went on to become first-round draft picks.  "I have a lot of confidence in Nate," Tedford said. "He's like having another coach on the field. He's a great leader. He's very smart and tough and he has great ability."

 

ESPN: Teams just outside top 25 include big names, underachieving programs

Here is the link.

“Some of the programs ranked on the fringe of the top 25 have just begun reaching their potential. California (35) was one of the sport's worst programs before coach Jeff Tedford arrived. The Bears won 12 games in the five seasons before Tedford was hired, including a woeful 1-10 mark in 2001. Tedford has won 43 games in five seasons at Cal, and he has positioned the Bears as the Pac-10's second most consistent program behind Southern Cal.”

SF Chronicle: PAC-10 Media Day

Here’s the link.

 

Cal versus SEC: Cal, which opens preseason camp Aug. 5, has a chance to gain some respect for the Pac-10 vis-a-vis the SEC when the Bears host Tennessee on Sept. 1 in their season-opener. But, said Cal coach Jeff Tedford, "We're not going to go into that game with a chip on our shoulder because of what coach Miles says. That's not going to be motivation for us."

News for Jackson: Because of a new NCAA rule, Cal wide receiver and All-American punt returner DeSean Jackson probably will return kickoffs as well as punts this season, although that's news to Jackson.  "We haven't told him yet," Tedford said Thursday.

Jackson had said he did not expect or want to return kickoffs, because, at 170 pounds, his body may be vulnerable to the high-speed collisions that occur on kickoffs. Moments later, though, Tedford said the rule change that requires teams to kick off from their 30-yard line instead of the 35 creates more chances for big plays on kickoff returns. That seems to have convinced Tedford to have Jackson return kickoffs, too.

 

Other highlights from the article:

 

·         Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh said this USC team "may be the best team in the history of college football."

·         LSU coach Les Miles said that the gap between USC and the rest of the Pac-10 is vast.  Earlier this summer, Miles belittled USC's schedule and the Pac-10 in general, saying in a speech reported by a radio station on its web site that he would love to play USC in the national title game and that the Southeastern Conference offered stiffer competition than the Pac-10. He said sarcastically USC will play some "knock-down, drag-outs with UCLA and Washington, Cal-Berkeley, Stanford - some real juggernauts."  Carroll said Thursday, "Our toughest games (in 2006) by far were in the conference." The Trojans beat Notre Dame, Arkansas, Michigan and Nebraska in their nonconference games.

·         Preseason Pac-10 poll

Votes total

1. USC 390

2. Cal 323

3. UCLA 305

4. Arizona State 242

5. Oregon State 237

6. Oregon 226

7. Arizona 162

8. Washington State 115

9. Washington 98

10. Stanford 47

 

 

AP: Bills' Rookie Lynch inks 19 Million Dollar Deal, Ready to Grab No. 1 RB

From signing ... to starting?

Running back Marshawn Lynch, the Buffalo Bills first-round draft pick, agreed to a five-year contract worth nearly $19 million late Thursday evening, the player's agent told The Associated Press.  "Marshawn's ecstatic and looking forward to helping the Bills," Doug Hendrickson said. "All along, Marshawn told us he wanted to be in camp on time and instructed us to get the deal done."  Drafted 12th overall out of California, Lynch will earn $10.285 million in guaranteed money including bonuses, with the entire contract worth $18.935 million. Lynch was traveling to join the Bills at their training camp site in suburban Rochester and was expected to be at practice Friday. He missed the Bills first two practices which were held Thursday.

The Bills were not immediately available for comment. Buffalo drafted Lynch to replace former starter Willis McGahee, who was traded to Baltimore in March.  Lynch was the second running back selected in the draft, behind Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson, who was taken No. 7 by Minnesota. Lynch finished with 3,230 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns, while adding 600 yards receiving and six TDs in 35 games spread over three years at California.  The Bills particularly like Lynch's versatility as a receiver, an added dimension that fits offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild's scheme and something McGahee struggled with.  Lynch, who played quarterback in high school, even showed off a strong arm in college, completing three passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 218 pounds, Lynch was the PAC-10 offensive player of the year last season and considered to have explosive speed and power to run inside. Earlier on Thursday, Bills coach Dick Jauron expressed hope that Lynch wouldn't miss too much more practice time.

"It's always an issue. You don't want him to miss any time or any practices or any meetings. But we also know it's kind of part of the game today," Jauron said. "I know we're making every effort and I know they are, too. Hopefully, he'll be in, but I wish he hadn't missed even one (day)."

Tucson Citizen: The Battle for No. 2 in the Pac-10

Here’s the link.

Thursday's annual Pac-10 media day in Los Angeles is our kickoff event for the college football season. We're not sure if we're fully stretched yet, but we're tackling 10 preseason questions for the Pac-10:

Q: We know USC is going to win this thing, so who finishes second?

A: What we would really like is a combination of Cal's offense and UCLA's defense - that would be a team to challenge the Trojans. Alas . . .

As it is, we'll stick with the Bears. Quarterback Nate Longshore, a year's experience in tow, won't be as jittery in big games. The receivers are among the best in the country. Justin Forsett and others will make up for the loss of first-round running back Marshawn Lynch.

The defense is more experienced than the five returning starters suggest.

The Bruins have more experience, but the tiebreaker here is Cal coach Jeff Tedford.

Q: Will USC coach Pete Carroll rip LSU's Les Miles, who recently disparaged the Pac-10 by derisively calling UCLA and Cal, among others, "some real juggernauts" and saying the Trojans had an easier path to the national title than did his team?

A: Not likely. Carroll already has taken the high road, telling the L.A. Daily News, "He's really taking a shot at all the other schools we play.

"Maybe the comments should come from the coaches at the other schools, including Charlie (Weis) at Notre Dame."

Q: So how about it, UA coach Mike Stoops? What do you think of Miles' comments?

A: "It is pretty ignorant for the way people perceive our conference," Stoops said.

"I would say outside the Southeastern Conference we probably have the second-hardest conference from top to bottom. Offensively, it is the No. 1 conference in the country. The offense skill, the quarterback skill and the play-calling is the best combination.

"Obviously, you look to the defensive talent in the Southeastern Conference; it is pretty unique. But this conference can hold its own against anybody."

Q: What is the biggest non-conference game?

A: USC at Nebraska on Sept. 15, with the Cornhuskers eager to announce they're back among the nation's elite, is a must-watch game.

But given all the to-do over this SEC vs. Pac-10 stuff, conference fans must be united in cheering for Cal to beat visiting Tennessee on Sept. 1.

If the Vols win - they handled the Bears 35-18 last season in Knoxville - perhaps Les Miles was all-too right, dadgum it.

Q: Who has the toughest schedule?

A: Wouldn't want to be Washington. The Huskies open at Syracuse (that's nowhere near as scary as it once was, but still . . . it's a long way) and then return home to face America's darlings, Boise State, and then big, bad Ohio State.

A road trip to UCLA immediately follows. Then Washington plays USC, at Arizona State, and back home for rival Oregon.

The Huskies could be thoroughly exhausted - and winless - by the time they play host to Arizona on Oct. 27.

Q: Which team had the biggest offseason makeover, other than Arizona with its new spread offense?

A: Oregon . . . and by makeover, we don't mean more new uniforms for the Ducks. Coach Mike Bellotti brought in offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, a spread offense guru from New Hampshire, to re-tool the attack around senior quarterback Dennis Dixon.

The rest of the conversion, Bellotti hopes, is mental. Toughness, toughness, toughness. Did the Ducks find it after losing their final four games last season?

Q: Who is the league's top newcomer?

A: Well, the league's most anticipated newcomer is probably Joe McKnight, a supposed Reggie Bush clone who was swept out of Louisiana in another superb USC recruiting class.

Oh yeah, that USC class includes defensive end and physical freak Everson Griffen. He definitely could be the league's top newcomer.

But if you define newcomer to include redshirt freshmen, then nobody carries a bigger burden than Washington quarterback Jake Locker. Coach Tyrone Willingham didn't even bother to pretend about any competition in the spring, simply giving Locker the reins.

It'll be up to Locker to lead Washington out of the darkness of only four Pac-10 victories in the past three seasons.

Q: What are the odds of senior quarterback John David Booty winning the fourth Heisman Trophy for the Trojans in the past six years?

A: They're at 5-1 according to one on-line gambling site, about what is expected when you're a returning starting quarterback for the No. 1 team in the country. Simply put, he's in a great place to win a popularity contest.

Seriously, though. It's debatable whether Booty is even among the top five draft-eligible players on his own team.

And the best player in the league is Cal receiver/returner DeSean Jackson, who, if only he wore USC's cardinal and gold, would be everybody's top Heisman candidate from the West.

Q: Could this be Pete Carroll's best USC team?

A: Have to see how the crowded running back position shakes out and who steps up at receiver.

The Trojans won't be as explosive as the Leinart-Bush-White offense of 2005, averaging 49 points per game, but the defense should be in line with the stingy 2004 outfit, which allowed an average of 13 points.

That, ultimately, will be more important.

Not counting one defensive end spot (which could be held by Griffen) and one cornerback spot, the Trojans appear to have nine starting defenders who are potential first-round picks in 2008 or 2009.

So, yes, it could be. The proof will be in road games at Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon, Cal and Arizona State.

Q: Which coach is on the hot seat?

A: UCLA's Karl Dorrell. The goodwill from last season's upset of USC faded less than a month later when the worst Florida State team in about 25 years sucker-punched the Bruins in a 44-27 win the Emerald Bowl. UCLA's best Pac-10 finish in Dorrell's four seasons is third in 2005. Not nearly good enough. Crosstown rival USC has gone first, first, first and first during that time.

The Bruins should be starting as many as 18 seniors this season. If not now for UCLA, when?

And if not now, why not, Karl?

Pac-10: Coach and Player Quotes

CALIFORNIA Head Coach Jeff Tedford

General Remarks: "We are very excited about the upcoming season and to report to camp on the fifth of August. The players' commitment has been great through the summer. We have a lot of experience and I feel that the investment has been made to compete for a championship. We have great leadership, DeSean [Jackson] being one of them and a big part of what we do. Having to replace Daymeion Hughes and Marshawn Lynch, both Players of the Year, will be a challenge. We feel Justin Forsett can move right in and take over and we'll have some young guys competing at corner. We had a rough game at Tennessee last year, and we need redemption. It's not about revenge, we just need to focus on ourselves. This Conference is very balanced so we have to bring our "A" game. I have great confidence in our players and our staff to be prepared each and every week."

 

On Nate Longshore: "Nate is a student of the game. Starting out last year at Tennessee was about as tough of a look as he's gonna get. But having Nate at quarterback is like having another coach on our field. I'm excited to see how he comes into the season."

 

On the Conference having two BCS teams: "Well we'll find out. Any given year we are worthy of it, but it depends on how we play. We have to stay healthy and be productive each and every week. You have got to bring your "A" game. We also knock each other off a lot in this Conference. There are so many quality teams, quality coaches and talent. But we have the potential to have two BCS teams every year."

 

CALIFORNIA WR-PR DeSean Jackson

General Remarks:"All summer we've been at Cal working out, one-on-ones, seven-on-sevens, team drills, etc. We have a solid group of receivers and we are all trying to get each other ready for the season. Nate [Longshore] and I have been working all summer on our timing. We are just working to get on the same page."

 

On coach Tedford as a play caller: "I honestly don't think too much has changed, he has always been calling some plays. I'm just going to stay used to what he does. He will do it the right way and I'll just be in the right position for us to win games."

 

Here is the link.

Tennessee's Achilles' Heel: Their Kicking Game

Special attention needed

Vols facing slew of tough questions on both sides of the boot

By Drew Edwards

If there’s one rule change that’s intriguing for the Tennessee football team, it’s moving kickoffs back 5 yards. Sure the NCAA’s latest attempt at speeding up the game might help the Vols boost a kick return game that was third-worst in the nation and dead-last in the SEC at 16.1 yards a game. But there’s also a sticky matter of covering opponents’ returns. And then there’s the extra wear on junior Britton Colquitt’s right leg. With the departure of kicker James Wilhoit and the slow development of redshirt freshman Daniel Lincoln, Colquitt enters fall camp as Tennessee’s place kicker, punter and kickoff specialist. If it seems like a long time since the Vols have asked a player to do both, it has been.

According to UT’s media guide, the Vols haven’t used one player to placekick and punt for the majority of a season since the two-platoon days of the early 1960s.

Read the rest of the story here.

WVLT: Video of Vols Players Talking about Summer "Voluntary" Workouts

Team strength has been the theme this off season for the Football Vols.   The guys have worked diligently under the tutelage of Strength & Conditioning Coach Johnny Long all summer long, on their own accord, as we got to witness earlier Thursday inside the Neyland-Thompson Sports Complex on campus.  Here is the link to the video.

 

Daily Cal: Jackson Might Be First Heisman Wide Receiver In 16 Years

The One to Watch

BY Gerald Nicdao

Daily Cal Staff Writer

Walking through the bowels of Memorial Stadium, on his way towards an interview with CSTV.com, Cal wide receiver DeSean Jackson was holding a cup with the unmistakable face of Colonel Sanders imprinted on it.  Yes, the same Colonel Sanders who is the iconic face of Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Even a Heisman Trophy candidate needs to eat his KFC.  “I try to eat as good as possible,” Jackson says with a smile. “I’m a skinny dude so I need to eat some better diets. But I need my potatoes and chicken just so I can gain some weight.”   But what the versatile junior starling of the Bears football team eats doesn’t matter too much. It’s what he’s done on the field that has led to the preseason hype.  Last year, Jackson broke Pac-10 and school records with his four punt returns for touchdowns. He also led Cal in receiving and catches the last two years.   Those are all the reasons why Jackson has been rated as the No. 1 wide receiver in the country by The Sporting News and Rivals.com heading into the 2007 campaign and why he’s gaining attention for the Heisman Trophy.

“He had a great year statistically last season in terms of punt returns and the amount of yardage that he had,” says Dan Ferrigno, the Bears’ wide recievers coach. “Those were some pretty impressive stats when you compare them nationally. That’s why he’s being considered.”  But what does Jackson think about all the hype?  “It’s good. It keeps me working hard,” he says.  And of course the hype is just one aspect of being in contention for the Heisman. Nowadays, a college football player needs some preseason publicity to start his campaign off in the right direction, and in Jackson’s case, that includes a Web site: www.the1towatch.com.  “You have to get the guy’s name out there, so that people can start talking about him,” Ferrigno says. “It seems now that it has started earlier than it ever has. It’s really hard to win any type of award if you haven’t been mentioned at this point.”  Even with all the Heisman hype, Jackson says that his focus, as well as his team’s focus, is on the Bears’ season-opening rematch with Tennessee, which will be on Sept. 1 at Memorial Stadium.  In last year’s game, the Volunteers handed Cal a 35-18 defeat in Knoxville, Tenn.  “Coming into camp, everyone has to work hard so we can get Tennessee,” says Jackson. “That’s our big focus right now.

“It’s given us a lot to think about since last season. It was a frustrating loss. I’ve just been trying to work hard while getting ready for camp just to get that nasty taste out of my mouth from Tennessee.”   Jackson also knows of the importance of playing well against Volunteers in his hopes for gaining attention for the Heisman.  Last year’s Heisman contender for the Cal, running back Marshawn Lynch, had a relatively quiet game, rushing for 76 yards and catching five passes for 22 yards. More importantly, though, Lynch was held out of the endzone.  “That is a big game for me,” says Jackson. “Everyone is going to be watching. All the voters will be watching. But I’m going to try to be a team player and hopefully we can come out on top.”  History seems to be against Jackson, as only two wide receivers have ever won the Heisman. Former Oakland Raiders wideout Tim Brown snagged the trophy for Notre Dame in 1987 and Desmond Howard—who was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXXI—won the award for Michigan in 1991.   Also, as a receiver, Jackson is at the mercy of his quarterback’s passes. That’s why Jackson says he thinks that it’s critical that he’s able to do something when returning punts.

“You have to bring something different,” says Jackson. “I’m a receiver, but I also do punt returns. I have to try to take as many punt returns as I can to the endzone and score as many touchdowns as I can.”  It’s not that hard to see that Jackson has found inspiration in Howard winning the Heisman.  Standing at six feet tall and weighing just 172 pounds, Jackson is just as small as Howard was when he won the Heisman. Howard himself was a mere 5-foot-10 and weighed 170 back in 1991.  “Desmond Howard was definitely my idol growing up, watching him play at Michigan and doing the Heisman pose,” says Jackson. “He was a little guy just like me when he won the Heisman. It gives me hope that I can go out there and win it too.”  And like Howard, Jackson has the ability to find the end zone. In his first two years at Cal, Jackson has scored 21 touchdowns.

“The thing about DeSean is that he can create and make plays anytime he touches the ball, which is why he’s so exciting,” says Ferrigno.  Along with his lack of size and his position, another obstacle standing in Jackson’s way is Cal’s history as a program. No player in the Bears’ history has taken home the Heisman.  “To do something different that no other Cal player has ever done before, to get that award would be really special to me,” says Jackson.  But even more special, for Jackson, would be to help his team win a championship, whether it be a conference crown or the national title.  And if that happens, then maybe Jackson will get consideration for quite possibly the most coveted award in college football.  “What I’m focused on right now is winning a championship for my team,” says Jackson. “Then maybe I would have the opportunity to win the Heisman. It would be great if I could do both.”

Seattle Post Intelligencer: Pac-10 polling

Huskies Football

Byron Davenport

One of the things we sports writers covering the Pac-10 do in anticipation of the Pac-10 Media Day, which is July 26 in Los Angeles, is fill out a pre-season poll. The polls are compiled by conference officials and the "official pre-season media poll" is released at media day.   I filed my poll on July 3, but here it is for your consumption.

1. USC

2. California

3. Oregon State

4. Oregon

5. UCLA

6. Arizona State

7. Arizona

8. Washington

9. Washington State

10. Stanford

I'll go down the list of my picks:

1.) USC -- Not only will USC garner probably all of the No. 1 votes in the Pac-10, the Trojans will also get a lot of No. 1 votes in the national polls, as well. They return 10 starters to a defense that has the makings of a legendary unit. Coach Pete Carroll returns a solid quarterback in John David Booty, a deep stable of running backs and a ferocious left tackle. The talent level is high and expectations are higher.

2.) California -- I don't see Cal dropping off much, especially with quarterback Nate Longshore back and the conference's best crop of wide receivers. The defense could have some question marks, but Jeff Tedford has recruited well the last couple of seasons and the Bears don't appear to be going anywhere. Their return game could be downright frightening.

3.) Oregon State -- Coach Mike Riley's "aw-shucks" attitude is endearing, but let's face it -- this guy is tough as nails. His '06 team started slowly, but ended up pulling off the upset of the season (a 33-31 win over USC) and his go-for-two call led to a 39-38 Sun Bowl win over Missouri. The Beavers are on a roll, winning eight of their last nine games in '06 and returning the Pac-10's most powerful and experienced offensive line. Tailback Yvenson Bernard is the real deal, as is wide receiver Sammie Stroughter. The first three games should give Sean Canfield or Lyle Moevao -- or both -- a chance to settle before the heart of the schedule.

4.) Oregon -- I know I'm writing to an anti-Duck audience here and you're probably thinking, "Oregon over UCLA?" But, yes, that's what I think. UCLA will have an experienced quarterback and returns nearly all its starters -- 10 on O, 10 on D -- but, save for an upset over USC last year, the Bruins haven't played particularly inspired football for Karl Dorrell or his revolving door of assistants. Oregon, while inconsistent last year, has an improved defensive line, an experienced quarterback and a brutish (though fragile) running back in Jonathan Stewart. Home games against Cal, USC and Oregon State bode well for the Ducks.

5.) UCLA -- If this team stays healthy and cohesive, it should do better than I have it ranked, but I've never seen a team completely avoid injuries and I don't think 21 assistant coaches in five seasons is good. The defense could be spectacular. The starters are special, but there isn't much depth. The Bruins have to get strong play from quarterback Ben Olson and need some more explosiveness from the backfield to prove me wrong.

6.) Arizona State -- The Sun Devils have underachieved of late but new coach Dennis Erickson should take care of that. Quarterback Rudy Carpenter didn't have a strong sophomore campaign, but he has an experienced offensive line that will help him, especially since his receiving corps is untested. The defense will be the concern - the linebackers and secondary didn't appear to be complete at the end of spring.

7.) Arizona -- The offensive line still isn't very good and the receivers are unproven. Quarterback Willie Tuitama should see improvement with the hiring of former Texas Tech assistant Sonny Dykes. Dykes's spread offense could pay dividends and Arizona's defense is quite good. If the offense finds an even keel, Arizona could do better, but a tough road schedule doesn't seem to go in their favor (games at Cal, Oregon State, USC, Washington and ASU.)

8.) Washington -- I know you want your Huskies ranked higher, but with the strength of schedule, a freshman quarterback who will have ups and downs and the fact the Huskies haven't experienced that program-boosting win yet, I have to put them at No. 8. While UW continues to improve under Tyrone Willingham, the depth and overall speed just isn't there yet. It's getting better, but, this season, the Huskies' worst enemy is a very strong conference and a brutal schedule.

9.) Washington State -- What to make of the Cougs? Quarterback Alex Brink is superb and, if he is on, coach Bill Doba's team will be right in the thick of things. The running back spot isn't shored up. The center of the line is ample, but Doba has to replace both tackles. The kicking game is sub-par and the secondary poor. The schedule isn't in WSU's favor, either with games at Wisconsin, USC, Arizona, Oregon, Cal and UW.

10.) Stanford -- I recently read the Mercury News' Jon Wilner pontificating whether this will be the first year one team received the last-place vote in every poll. New coach Jim Harbaugh just doesn't have much to work with in Palo Alto. The offensive line is a huge concern and the secondary isn't much better.

SF Chronicle: Jackson gets boost for Heisman

Web site is part of PR blitz on behalf of junior wide receiver

Rusty Simmons, Chronicle Staff Writer

For the second consecutive season, the Cal athletic department has started a Heisman Trophy campaign for a standout junior, launching a Web site devoted to receiver/returner DeSean Jackson this week.   The beautifully designed site (the1towatch.com) features flash animation for the introduction and promises to be updated with video highlights, player profiles and photo galleries. As running back Marshawn Lynch learned last season, however, compiling individual statistics and team wins tends to speak louder to Heisman voters than even the best of Web sites.   In 2004, Cal officials were hesitant to wage Heisman promotions for quarterback Aaron Rodgers and tailback J.J. Arrington. The matter was complicated by having multiple logical candidates, but this season, Jackson is clearly the No. 1 guy.  He is rated the No. 1 receiver in the nation by the Sporting News and rivals.com, and is on several preseason All-America first-team lists. Jackson has 21 touchdowns in 24 games in his college career, and has been Cal's leading receiver among a talented trio for the past two seasons. He also led the nation in punt-return average and punt-return touchdowns as a sophomore.

Also, Jackson and linebacker Zack Follett were listed among the nation's elite players for two of college football's most prestigious awards last week.  Jackson is one of 65 on the "watch list" for the Maxwell Award, which is given to the nation's most outstanding player, and Follett is among those listed as a candidate for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which goes to the nation's top defensive player.  In two seasons, Follett has been regarded for his big-play ability and garnered Pac-10 honors despite not being a starter. He recorded 62 tackles with a team-high 12.5 tackles for loss last season. He also tied for the team-lead with 5.5 sacks and led the conference with four forced fumbles.  

 

Get the ticket: Tickets will become available to the public Sunday by going to calbears.com or calling (800) 462-3277. Cal's allotment of tickets for the Big Game at Stanford have been sold out, but season-ticket plans and other home- and road-game tickets are still available.

 

Briefly: Trevor Guyton, the fourth-rated prospect in Washington and the No. 1 defensive tackle in the state, announced this week that he has committed to Cal. He benches 360 pounds and squats 510, and as a junior at Redmond High, he had 80 tackles, four sacks, two fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles. Guyton joins Spencer Ladner, a tight end from the Pembroke High (Kansas City, Mo.), and Tyler Rigsbee, a tackle from Pleasant Valley High-Chico, as the third four-star player among the eight Cal has gotten to commit early. ... Lynch is the front man of a high school football camp, starting at 9 a.m. today at Oakland Tech. ... Follett is also on the watch list for the Lott Trophy, which was won by former Cal cornerback Daymeion Hughes last season and recognizes athletic performance as well as personal character. ... Offensive lineman Alex Mack is on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy (top center), the Lombardi Award (top lineman) and the Outland Trophy (top interior lineman).

 

Cal's preseason rankings

No. 9 -- ESPN.com

 

No. 11 -- Athlon Sports

 

No. 11 -- Street & Smith's

 

No. 12 -- The Sporting News

 

No. 12 -- Lindy's

 

No. 15 -- Rivals.com

 

No. 16 -- CBS Sportsline

 

No. 18 -- College Football News

 

No. 19 -- Nationalchamps.net

 

No. 20 -- Sports Illustrated

ESPN: 2007 California Golden Bear Preview

Here is the link. 

 

Excerpts:

 

Tedford talking about Longshore:  "He needs to shed weight and improve his mobility. He was pushing 240 at the end of last season. He is a big person. He has to watch it. Trent Dilfer was the same way. If Trent did squats, he would blow up to 250 pounds. Nate is the same way. I want to keep him in the 225 to 230 range."

 

Running Backs: The top spot on list belongs to Cal senior Justin Forsett (5-8, 186), who in 36 career games has rushed for 1,674 yards on 262 carries, or 6.39 per carry. Slaton is at 6.34 with Johnson and McFadden each at 6.0. Last season, Forestt was arguably the nation's top reserve running back; running for 626 yards and four touchdowns on 119 carries (5.3 ypc). He also caught 12 balls for 116 yards and a score.

 

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:  Last season, Arizona State didn't have a single wide receiver catch more than 20 passes.  And then there is Cal, with its returning trio of wideouts having combined for 151 receptions for 2,336 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2006.  Although he's the lone underclassman of the three, junior DeSean Jackson (6-0, 166) is the No. 1 threat to opposing defenses. In fact, Jackson -- a first-team All-Pac-10 selection as a sophomore behind 59 catches for 1,060 yards (18.0 ypc) and nine touchdowns -- could emerge as not only an All-American this season but a Heisman Trophy candidate. And that's just based on his receiving skills, never mind that he was a consensus All-American punt returner in 2006 after taking back four for touchdowns.

 

Offensive Line:  This is the only concern in what should be among the most potent offenses in the country. And it's a minor concern at that.  The projected starting five are actually stronger than last year's group despite losing two starters, including tackle Andrew Cameron. The issue is depth; two of the probably start-ing five missed the spring with injuries and there appears a noticeable drop-off between the No. 1s and No. 2s on the depth chart.

 

Kickers:  After a shaky sophomore campaign, senior Tom Schneider (6-1, 191) was nothing short of stellar in 2006. He should rank among the top-10 kickers in the land this fall.

 

Defensive Line:  No unit on either side of the football was as decimated by personnel loss as Cal's defensive line.   The Bears, who registered 26 sacks and forced 30 turnovers last season, return just one of four starters up front, that being senior tackle Matt Malele (6-3, 297). Mostly a run stuffer, Malele had 11 tackles last season, but that's misleading; he often took the brunt of the blocking up front and did a superb job clogging the running lanes. This allowed for the likes of departed linemen Brandon Mebane, Nu'u Tafisi and the linebackers to run free and make plays.

 

Linebackers:  Cal graduated one of the elite linebackers in program history in Desmond Bishop, and while this unit could be solid, there's little depth. "We need to keep healthy at linebacker, the depth dwindles pretty quickly," Gregory said.  The lone returning starter is junior Worrell Williams (6-2, 256) at the Will or weak side. He finished 2006 with 51 tackles and an interception and is considered one of the top athletes pound for pound on the team.

 

Defensive Backs:  While the secondary returns three-of-four starters, it's by no means a strength entering the season, especially considering that the lone departure was Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year Daymeion Hughes.  "Obviously you feel a bit more comfortable with a veteran at corner than young guys," Gregory said.  The Bears need sophomore Syd'Quan Thompson (5-11, 178) to play at another level this season, although after a rough debut at Tennessee, considering teams were throwing to his side early and often to avoid Hughes, he wasn't bad. His vitals included 60 tackles and an interception, but he showed improvement and confidence on almost a weekly basis.

 

Punters:  JUCO transfer Andrew Larson (6-2, 190) had a solid first season at Berkeley, averaging 42.6 yards per punt and earning second-team All-Pac-10 honors. But his greatest asset isn't the strength of his leg, it's hang time. Opponents returned just 19-of-49 punts for a paltry 132 yards.

 

Special Teams: Before flooding this section with numbers upon numbers about DeSean Jackson's ability to return punts, let's start off with just one statistic.  Jackson has returned just shy of 20 percent of his career punt returns for touchdowns. Wow. The official numbers include five touchdowns in 26 returns (19.2 percent). A Pac-10 record four of those scores came last season, as Jackson averaged a school-record 18.2 yards per return.

 

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

When Tedford's run at Cal ends, whether it's in 2008 or 2028, there's a real chance that last season will be looked upon -- not only him but Cal fans -- as their Moby Dick, the one that got away.   Not that there's anything remotely wrong with double-digit wins highlighted by a dominating Holiday Bowl performance against Texas A&M, but with USC reloading every season, 2006 could've been Cal's best chance to win the Pac-10 outright and play in the Rose Bowl. That said, this offense is every bit the equal of USC's, and at least on paper, Cal should score more points than the Trojans. And the special teams units of the Bears might be ranked tops in the nation. So why aren't the Bears favored over USC, which is expected to be a near-unanimous preseason No. 1?

Bozeman Daily Chronicle: Coach rode MSU connections to a career at Cal

By JIM CNOCKAERT

 

No matter where Jim Michalczik has wound up as a college football coach, a Montana State connection helped him to get there. Michalczik (pronounced Ma-hall-check) started out as a graduate assistant at the University of Miami (Fla.) in 1990, working with the defensive line. Dennis Erickson, a former MSU All-American, was the head coach. Miami's defensive coordinator was Sonny Lubick, a former MSU assistant and head coach.  Cliff Hysell, who'd been Lubick's defensive coordinator at MSU, hired Michalczik in 1992 as MSU's offensive line coach. Michalczik left Bozeman in 1999 to join Erickson's staff at Oregon State.   Jeff Tedford hired him to coach the University of California's offensive line in 2002. Next season, he also will serve as the Golden Bears' offensive coordinator. The Montana State tie in Berkeley isn't quite as obvious, but it's still there: Tedford played and later coached at Fresno State under Jim Sweeney, a former MSU assistant and head coach.  "It's amazing how that's happened," Michalczik said. "I owe a lot to Montana State, in more ways than one."

Michalczik is grateful because he says he's living his dream. He says some of his best influences growing up in Port Angeles, Wash., were the men who coached him, so he decided early on that he wanted to coach. He expected he'd have to teach to do that, but it hasn't worked out that way.  Michalczik played football and basketball in high school. He hoped to continue his football career at the University of Washington, which had offered his best friend, Scott Jones, a scholarship. But the Huskies didn't recruit him, so he accepted a scholarship from Washington State.  "I had a chip on my shoulder for quite a while," he said.

Michalczik started as a junior and a senior on WSU's offensive line, and he earned All-Pac-10 and honorable mention All-America honors after his senior season. He played on the 1988 WSU squad that defeated Houston, 24-22, in the Aloha Bowl. He signed as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals, but was cut during training camp.  Erickson was Michalczik's head coach at WSU in 1988, and the two had talked several times about the player's interest in coaching. A year after Erickson moved to Miami, he hired Michalczik, who was then just starting out as a teacher, as a graduate assistant. Michalczik worked under Lubick.  Because graduate coaching positions turn over every two years, Michalczik began to look for a full-time job as an assistant coach. He got it at MSU, where Hysell had just been hired as head coach.  "I needed a job, Cliff needed someone, and I had good references and connections," Michalczik recalled.  "Those seasons at Montana State were a very formative experience," he continued. "When you're a young coach, you think you've got all the answers. You learn real quick that you don't. Cliff was awesome for a young coach. He kept you on your toes, made sure you did things the right way. I still use stuff I learned at Montana State every day."

Erickson, meanwhile, left Miami to coach the NFL's Seattle Seahawks for four seasons. He was fired in 1999 and immediately returned to college coaching, this time at Oregon State. One of the first coaches he hired was Michalczik. In 1999, the Beavers had their first winning season in 29 years. A year later, they won a share of the Pac-10 title and clobbered Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.  "I was very happy at Oregon State," he said. "I figured with Coach Erickson there, I was set."  But Michalczik had gotten to know Tedford, then the offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon, because they'd see each other while recruiting. Their paths crossed again, fortuitously this time, the day Cal hired Tedford as head coach: Michalczik was headed out of town on a recruiting trip; Tedford was headed to Berkeley with his family for his introductory press conference.  "We just started talking," Michalczik said. "He didn't think I'd be interested in leaving Oregon State, and I hadn't thought about it. Coach Erickson had always been so good to me, but I'd always wanted to work with Jeff. I knew we could do something special."  Michalczik's offensive lines have contributed mightily to the Golden Bears' success under Tedford. Cal's offense is one of five teams to rank in the top 25 in scoring offense the past five seasons, during which it has averaged more than 350 yards a game. Five of Michalczik's linemen have earned first-team all-conference honors.

After the 2006 season, Tedford asked Michalczik to take on the additional duties of offensive coordinator, and he readily agreed.   "As a position coach, you have to take care of your responsibilities," he said. "But I felt more comfortable with my stuff, so it was a smooth transition. Our offense is not a lot different than what we did at Montana State, but Jeff does a great job of putting it all together. We always had a physical running game under Cliff (Hysell), and we complemented it with the pass. We always wanted to be a physical Montana team. It's the same thing at Cal."  Michalczik's MSU connections don't end with football. He met his wife, Jennifer Streatfield, when she was an assistant volleyball coach with the Bobcats. They celebrate their 10th anniversary this month, and they have two sons: Max, 8, and Chase, 5.  Here's another coincidence: Jennifer was eight months pregnant with Max when Michalczik moved from MSU to Oregon State; she was eight months pregnant with Chase when he joined Tedford's staff.   Though he says he's thought occasionally about seeking a head coaching position, Michalczik said he is content to remain at Cal. The opportunity to be an offensive coordinator offers plenty of new challenges, he says.  "A lot of coaches move around a lot, but I have never been one of those guys," he said. "If you're working with good people and doing the right things, you don't have to go anywhere else. I want to help us be as good a team as we can be."

San Jose Mercury: The Best Pac-10 Football Coaches of the Past 20 Years

(Sorry for the delay in posting this…my computer suffered a catastrophic failure (read: corrupted RAID) while syncing, for the first time, with my iPhone last week.)

 

Here is the link.

 

10. Larry Smith, USC

 

9.  Dick Tomey, Arizona

 

8. Dennis Erickson, Washington State, Oregon State and Arizona State

 

7. Bruce Snyder, Cal and Arizona State: One of the true “program builders” the league has seen in the past quarter century. Snyder took a last-place Cal team and turned it into a 10-game winner, and then he revived ASU, taking the Sun Devils to the brink of the national title. Sure, he got some help from the Berkeley admissions department (Russell White), but give him credit for signing a quarterback from Idaho who was passed over by the big schools (Jake Plummer).

 

6. Tyrone Willingham, Stanford and Washington

 

5. Mike Price, Washington State

 

4. Jeff Tedford, Cal: Tedford’s performance in Berkeley has been terrific; his timing has been awful — coinciding with USC’s return to dominance. No question, Tedford has made ample use of JC transfers at the flagship school of the UC system. But evidence suggests he has kept the JuCos in the classroom and out of trouble (for the most part). And his performance on the field and on the recruiting trail has been tremendous. Three years after Cal was 1-10 under Tom Holmoe, Tedford went 10-2.

 

3. Don James, Washington

 

2. Mike Bellotti, Oregon

 

1. Pete Carroll, U$C

Sporting News: Top 40 Pac-10 players

A quick look reaffirms what we all already know: USC is loaded. Especially on defense. Six Trojan defenders made my Top 20 on this list, which is based on potential and past production. But Cal may be explosive enough to beat USC, thanks to what could be the nation's best pass-catch duo: Nate Longshore to DeSean Jackson.

 

1. John David Booty, QB, USC

2. Rey Maualuga, LB, USC

3. DeSean Jackson, WR, Cal

4. Keith Rivers, LB, USC

5. Nate Longshore, QB, Cal

6. Bruce Davis, DE, UCLA

7. Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC

8. Sam Baker, OT, USC

9. Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona

10. Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC

11. Shannon Tevaga, G, UCLA

12. Louis Holmes, DE, Arizona

13. Derrick Doggett, LB, Oregon State

14. Taylor Mays, S, USC

15. Alex Mack, C, Cal

16. Sammie Stroughter, WR, Oregon State

17. Chris Horton, S, UCLA

18. Brian Cushing, LB, USC

19. Craig Stevens, TE, Cal

20. Terrell Thomas, CB, USC

21. Yvenson Bernard, RB, Oregon State

22. Spencer Larsen, LB, Arizona

23. Michael Marquardt, DT, Arizona State

24. Chris Markey, RB, UCLA

25. Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon

26. Zack Follett, LB, Cal

27. Alexis Serna, K, Oregon State

28. Rudy Carpenter, QB, Arizona State

29. Michael Bumpus, WR, Washington State

30. Trey Brown, CB, UCLA

31. Ryan Torian, RB, Arizona State

32. Mike Gibson, OT, Cal

33. Jarius Byrd, CB, Oregon

34. Ekom Udofia, DT, Stanford

35. Brandon Rodd, OT, Arizona State

36. Patrick Turner, WR, USC

37. Mike Thomas, WR, Arizona

38. Josh Barrett, S, Arizona State

39. Jaison Williams, WR, Oregon

40. Alex Brink, QB, Washington State

 

SF Chronicle: University offers to scale back renovation plan

But shrinking parking garage, seismic test fail to sway city

Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer

UC Berkeley officials offered Friday to scale back controversial plans to renovate the area around Memorial Stadium in hopes of avoiding a looming court date with the City of Berkeley, neighbors and oak tree activists.  Mayor Tom Bates immediately balked at the concessions, saying they didn't go far enough.   The university also offered to halve the size of the proposed 911-space parking garage next to the stadium. The garage would still be built under Maxwell Family Field but would contain about 500 spaces, the same number that would be lost when smaller parking lots in the area are razed as part of development plans.

The city, California Oak Foundation and Panoramic Hill neighbors filed separate lawsuits in December to block UC's plans to retrofit the 84-year-old stadium and build a $125 million sports training center and parking garage. The plaintiffs argue that more development on the site would endanger public safety because the stadium straddles the Hayward Fault.   The tree advocates, who include about a half-dozen protesters roosting in the trees next to the stadium, are suing to save the few dozen trees that would be removed to make way for the training center. As part of the new offering, the university said it would plant one mature tree for every one that is chopped down, along with two new young trees.  Attorneys for the California Oak Foundation and the Panoramic Hill Association were not available for comment Friday on the university's latest proposals. The case is scheduled to be tried in Alameda County Superior Court on Sept. 19.  "There are far greater uses for the city's, university's and taxpayers' time and money than on this litigation," Athletic Director Sandy Barbour said Friday. "We're very confident, based on seismic testing and all the other information, that we will prevail at trial. But we prefer not to do that."

Delays due to the lawsuits will cost the university at least $4 million, said Assistant Athletic Director Bob Milano.  To address seismic issues related to the project, UC recently paid for another round of trenching and boring around the stadium and concluded that the training center would not be on any traces of the fault, officials said.

But the city isn't biting. Bates said 500 parking spaces next to the stadium is about 450 too many. The university is already building a 1,000-space garage a few blocks away, at College Avenue and Channing Way, he noted.  "I'd be OK with 50 spots next to the stadium for coaches and a few others," he said. "The rest of them can get physical exercise like the rest of us."  The city is particularly interested in parking and traffic as it strives to comply with Measure G, a voter mandate to reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Bates said he'd also like to see the athletic training center moved elsewhere and the stadium retrofitted before any other projects are undertaken.  The city wasn't swayed by the university's latest seismic tests, either. After the results were released in late May, City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque called them "defective analysis."  "We do not find the second report any more persuasive (than the first) but will not comment further," she said.   As a concession to the neighbors who live on Panoramic Hill behind the stadium, the university is spending $75,000 on landscaping for Piedmont Avenue and $25,000 on a feasibility study to build a second road to Panoramic Hill, which is nearly impossible to access during home football games due to closed roads. The city is matching the funds.

SF Chronicle: UC Berkeley to scale back Memorial Stadium plans

Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer

UC Berkeley officials said today they would scale back development plans for Memorial Stadium to avoid a looming court date with the city of Berkeley, stadium neighbors and oak-tree advocates.   Cal Athletic Director Sandy Barbour said the university would reduce the size of the proposed parking garage so that there would be no more spaces than are currently in the area. UC also would plant one fully grown tree and two younger trees for each one that would be chopped down to make way for a new, $125 million athletic training facility.

The city, however, isn't biting. Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates called the proposed settlement "off the wall," saying that 500 parking spaces is still too many, and the training center should be moved elsewhere. "I'd be OK with 50 spots next to the stadium for coaches and a few others," he said. "The rest of them can get physical excerise like the rest of us." He added that while the city is open to negotiations, the staff intends to take the matter to court. The case is scheduled to be tried in Alameda County Superior Court on Sept. 19.

In December, the city, California Oak Foundation and Panoramic Hill neighborhood association filed separate lawsuits against UC over development plans around Memorial Stadium. The plaintiffs argue that further development in the area would endanger public safety because the 84-year-old stadium straddles the Hayward Fault.

Daily Evergreen: Save the defense, the Golden Bears appear solid

By Jack Follman

A promising set of receivers should align the UC Golden Bears to be a worthy contender next season. That is if the defensive line can block anyone.  The Golden Bears boast what looks to be the best set of receivers in the Pac-10. Junior DeSean Jackson could be the most explosive receiver and punt returner in the country. Jackson put up huge numbers on the scoreboard as a receiver and returned an impressive four punts for game touchdowns. Joining Jackson will be experienced seniors, Robert Jordan and LaVelle Hawkins. All of these receivers are fast and have the abilities needed to get into the end zone. Expect big things from this group in 2007.  Junior quarterback Nate Longshore had a huge first year as a starter in 2006. He threw more than 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns. Longshore is a big, physical quarterback with a rocket arm and good accuracy. Expect him to frustrate opposing defenses in 2007.

The Golden Bears lost star running back Marshawn Lynch to the NFL draft, but underrated senior Justin Forsett will be his replacement. Forsett has been effective as Lynch’s backup for the last three seasons. This could be the year Forsett finally breaks out of Lynch’s shadow and shows his full potential.  Senior Craig Stevens returns as the starter at tight end and will give Longshore yet another good target. Stevens is a versatile player who is a good receiver and blocker.  The offensive line should be strong as three starters return from last season. Junior center Alex Mack leads the group and is an All-American candidate. Health will be a huge key for success here as the depth and experience of the reserves is questionable. If the offensive line can stay healthy, the Golden Bears should have the one of the better offensive lines in the Pac-10 next fall.

The key question will be whether or not the defensive line can replace last year’s starters effectively with a new inexperienced group. Only one starter will return, senior tackle Matt Malele. Look for attacks from the opposing offenses on this weak area of the Golden Bears’ defense in 2007.  However, the linebackers should be the strength of the Golden Bears defense. Juniors Zack Follett and Worrell Williams have the potential to be stars with their size and athleticism. The linebackers did a great job stopping opponents’ running games, covering passes and rushing the quarterback in 2006, and there is no reason to believe they won’t do the same in 2007.

Much like the rest of the defense, the Golden Bears’ secondary team is young. Junior starters, safety Bernard Hicks and sophomore cornerback Syd’Quan Thompson, will return. Both players were solid in 2006, and together totaled more than 100 tackles and three interceptions. With a weak defensive line, the secondary team will have added pressure to help stop opponents’ running games and cover receivers, without the aid of pressure on the opposing teams quarterback.

Coach Jeff Tedford has done an excellent job keeping the Golden Bears firmly planted near the top of the Pac-10 standings in recent years. Since 2002, they seem to be the only program that can somewhat contend with USC year after year. The offense is more than ready for another good season, but the entire defense is a huge question. Regardless, the Golden Bears should be able to put points on the board in 2007. Although, the big question will be will they be able to stop anyone? If the defense becomes solid, expect the Golden Bears to compete for the Pac-10 championship.

Women's Football Huddle

California head coach Jeff Tedford and the Golden Bear coaching staff will host the fourth annual Women's Football Huddle the evening of Friday, Aug. 3, from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. The event, designed especially for women, will interactively teach participants about the ins and outs of football, from officials' signals to individual position responsibilities.

 

Registration takes place from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Memorial Stadium concession area between gates G and GG. The Women's Football Huddle commences at 6:30 p.m. on the turf at Memorial Stadium. Participants should wear workout apparel and tennis shoes.

 

Registration begins on July 1 by visiting www.CalBears.com. Appetizers, drinks and a Cal football t-shirt are complimentary with the $35 registration fee. All participants must be over 21. Sign up a friend and pay only $60 for two. For more information, call 510-642-3857.

 

The 2007 Cal football season kicks off on Saturday, Sept. 1 with the Golden Bears hosting Tennessee at Memorial Stadium. After the road trip to Colorado State, the Bears return home to face Louisiana Tech in another inter-sectional game on Sept. 15. Season tickets are still available at www.CalBears.com or by calling 1-800-GO-BEARS.

Sports Illustrated: Top 25 Toughest Schedules

Here is the link.

 

Cal is not on the list, but the following opponents are:

 

#1: Washington

#6: Tennessee “Tennessee's difficult season opener at California and its relatively tough matchup with Southern Mississippi compensate for the cakewalks against Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette that make up the rest of the Vols' nonconference schedule.”

#8: USC

#9: Stanford

#20: Washington

#22: Arizona

Sports Illustrated: Top Ten Games for 2007

Here is the link.

“Cal will be out for revenge, as John David Booty and USC clinched their fifth straight Pac-10 title by beating the Bears in 2006.”

 

2. USC at Cal, Nov. 10

If you agree with the prevailing consensus that QB John David Booty and the Trojans are the team to beat in 2007, then it stands to reason their national-title hopes will hinge on this game. USC can afford to lose a game early, but not this one -- a late-season road trip against an explosive, veteran team.

ESPN: Ivan Maisel's Mailbag

Here is the link.

 

From Steven in Berkeley: Which do you think is a more pivotal win for California: Tennessee or USC? Nate Longshore, Justin Forsett, and DeSean Jackson obviously make the offense as explosive as ever. It is the defense which is keeping me up at night. I think if we meet the Trojans with an unblemished record in Berkeley, Chris, Kirk, and Lee will have to make their first trip *ever* to Strawberry Canyon.

 

Maisel: I think Tennessee is the more important game for Cal, and no I haven't fallen asleep next to an open Sharpie. After the way the Vols embarrassed the Bears in Knoxville last year, I think Cal needs a win to prove to the voters that it is ready to become a national power. In the end, of course, USC will be a more important victory. But if Cal doesn't win that first one, a victory over the Trojans would be seen as a major upset, not a victory of one top team over another.

Scout.com: Miller Opts to Stay by the Bay

By Jim McGill

Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Ca) tight end Anthony Miller spent a day in Berkeley at Cal’s summer camp last week and came away with a verbal commitment to the Bears.

“Cal’s been my favorite for awhile,” said Miller. “I’ve watched them when I’ve had a chance. The combination of some of the best academics and athletics in a team that’s close is what stood out for me. They’re a good program.”  The versatile Miller already possesses D1 size, strength and speed at 6-3 ½/247, with 4.76 forty speed and 18 reps of 185 on the bench with a max of 300. Though starring on offense, Miller also had 70 tackles, 4 ½ sacks and 10 tackles for loss at outside linebacker for Mitty. 

Read the entire article here.

 

Slow Week For Cal Football

Since there’s not much going on right now, I’ve compiled a list of Cal-related articles for your enjoyment.

 

Stanford lifts band suspension

Mercury News

Strike up the band! The lunatics of the Stanford Marching Band have been released from the asylum and will be loosed (sic) upon football fields again this fall.

And while history may suggest otherwise, they promise to be good this time.  Stanford University announced Monday it had lifted the band's indefinite provisional status, imposed in September after the band was suspended July 18 for vandalism and other bad behavior.  Read the entire article here.

 

Ex-Cal rugby player accused of fracturing S.F. student's skull

SF Chronicle

A former Cal rugby player has been charged with felony battery in an attack that fractured the skull of a San Francisco State student outside a UC Berkeley co-op on the same day the team won the national championship, authorities said Monday.  James Sehr, 22, of Elk Grove was charged in Alameda County Superior Court with felony battery causing great bodily injury in connection with last month's incident that severely injured Charles "Chaz" Rochon.  At about 9:30 p.m. May 5, Rochon was eating dinner with his housemates at the Andres Castro Arms cooperative at 2310 Prospect St. near the Memorial Stadium when someone broke a window at the building, said Berkeley police Lt. Wes Hester.  Read the entire article here.

 

Court Dates Set For Oak Grove Lawsuits

Berkeley Daily Planet

The lawsuits aimed at saving the grove at California Memorial Stadium are consuming a few trees of their own as the blizzard of paperwork continues in the leadup to an eventual courtroom showdown.  The pulp friction that’s headed for the courtroom showdown centers on the university’s grandiose building plans embodied in the Southeast Campus Integrated Projects, an architectural extravaganza that will result in three new buildings and expansion of the stadium, with a total new build-out equivalent to a third of the size of the Empire State Building.  The immediate issue is the Student Athlete High Performance Center, a four-story high-tech gymnasium and office planned along the western wall of the venerable stadium.  During a court conference, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Barbara J. Miller confirmed the Sept. 19-20 courtroom date for hearing the case, and set dates for depositions and submissions of paperwork in the case.

The California Oaks Foundation, Panoramic Hill Association and the City of Berkeley are all challenging the university’s plans for a series of massive development projects at and around California Memorial Stadium, a city landmark and an entry on the rolls of the National Register of Historic Places.  Approval by the UC Regents of the environmental impact report on the Southeast Campus Integrated Projects (SCIP) last December was followed a month later by the lawsuits, each challenging the regents’ action on similar grounds—though reflecting the somewhat differing interests of tree advocates, neighbors living near the project and a cash-strapped city.  The gym is the first of the projects slated for construction, and the lawsuits forced at least a year’s delay, which UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor Ed Denton has said will cost the school at least $8 million to $10 million.  Construction had been planned to commence with the demolition of the grove of Coastal Live Oaks along the stadium’s western wall, which triggered both the lawsuits and an ongoing tree-sit that continues into its seventh month.  The logging operation would have been followed by excavations for the four-story gym and office complex. Both were halted by the lawsuits and a subsequent injunction granted by the judge.   A since-completed university-funded seismic study contends there are no active earthquake faults under the gym site, so the university argues that construction should commence. Attorneys for the plaintiffs say they are challenging the study’s adequacy and also say the presence or lack of a fault immediately under the gym site is only one of several key legal issues.

 

Devon Hardin Withdraws From Draft, Stays for Senior Year

Contra Costa Times

DeVON HARDIN has always been a pretty smart and stable guy. He was a 4.0 student at Newark Memorial High School and a young man who clearly understood the value and importance of getting a college education at a place like Cal. What's more, Hardin always has had a strong family behind him, supporting the tough decision-making processes a 6-foot-11 basketball prodigy has to make.  That's why it seemed so strange when another Bay Area newspaper reported Sunday that Hardin had hired an agent and was ready to take the NBA draft plunge despite uncertain prospects that he would be a first-round pick.  Thankfully, those reports were erroneous. Hardin will be returning to Cal for his senior season, which is great news for coach Ben Braun and the Bears but an even better development for Hardin. Quite likely, he will make himself a significantly richer man a year from now than he would have had he decided to take the gamble of turning professional now.

Read the entire article here.

 

On a purely personal note…

If anyone can provide me information regarding handicap access at Cal home games, please email me at demichael@gmail.com.  My father has attended Cal games since the 40’s, but is now battling Parkinson’s Disease.  He’d like to attend the Tennessee opener, but I don’t know how it would work with a wheelchair.  Unfortunately, the Cal athletic department has been no help whatsoever.  I’ve called several times and have not been given an answer, and I even emailed Sandy Barbour, as well as several other athletic department directors, but have not even had the courtesy of a reply.  If you know what the procedure is for watching the game in a wheelchair (are there special tickets?  Is it possible for me to sit with him?) please let me know.  Thanks in advance, and beat those Vols!

Knoxville News: Cal's Longshore recalls long day - in shell shock

By JOHN ADAMS, adamsj@knews.com

Cal quarterback Nate Longshore's take on last year's season opener at Neyland Stadium isn't much different from everyone else's. "Shell-shocked" he said.   That applied not just to a quarterback starting his first college road game but an entire team of Golden Bears, who were blitzed by big plays and bedeviled by their mistakes while falling behind 35-0. In scoring the last 18 points, Cal succeeded only in producing a misleading score.   Otherwise, its much-anticipated opener was an abject failure. And it couldn't have come at a worse time.  The nationally ranked Golden Bears were a program on the rise, perhaps ready to challenge Southern Cal for the Pac-10 championship. UT was coming off a 5-6 season.   Cal spent the next eight weeks playing up to its preseason hype, scoring more than 40 points in five consecutive games and winning eight straight games. The more it won, the more inexplicable its season opener seemed.   "I think we were prepared (for UT)," Longshore said in a telephone interview. "We had practiced well. But sometimes, you have games that don't reflect what happened in practice.

"We didn't play well. They were on their game."  The Golden Bears actually wound up with a better record and higher ranking than the Vols. They finished 14th in both polls with a 10-3 record, which included a 45-10 rout of Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl.  Both teams will enter the 2007 season as consensus top-20 teams. UT has been ranked as high as seventh; Cal is ranked ninth nationally by espn.com.  The preseason rankings add luster to their season-opening rematch in Berkeley. But what happened last year at Neyland Stadium adds even more.  The defeat wasn't just an embarrassment for Cal. It was an embarrassment for the entire Pac-10.  The Golden Bears will have an opportunity to redeem themselves on national television Sept. 1.  Based on Longshore's comments, redemption isn't a rallying cry. But he's a veteran quarterback, which means he's frightfully susceptible to lapsing into coach-speak at anytime.

"We try to look at it as one game at a time," Longshore said. "Definitely when you have a history with a team (that can add to your motivation). We focus more on when the season is starting. We know we've got so much time."  Maybe I should have asked a Cal linebacker.   But quarterbacks come first at Cal since Jeff Tedford became the head coach. Longshore, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound junior, is a prototypical drop-back passer, rated as the No. 5 quarterback in the country by The Sporting News. His season opener against UT, which was only his second college game, was an aberration. He spent most of the rest of the season playing like an NFL prospect.

He's only one of the concerns for a UT defense, which will have three new starters in the secondary. Cal's top three wide receivers, including preseason All-American DeSean Jackson, also return.  Although the Golden Bears lost star tailback Marshawn Lynch, they return backup Justin Forsett, who has rushed for more than 1,600 yards the last two seasons. Also, three starters return in the offensive line, including All-Pac-10 center Alex Mack.  "Our backups (in the offensive line) played a lot last year," Longshore said. "Everyone is experienced. I'm impressed with the work ethic they've had. I think the offensive line will be improved."  So should the entire offense, which returns eight starters, including five players who have made either first- or second-team All-Pac-10 this preseason. That offense will have to make up for a defense that lost five starters.  A different venue also should help Cal, which seemed unprepared for the volume of Neyland Stadium last year.  "That type of noise ... I don't know if you can prepare for it," Longshore said. "It was a new type of loud. I was impressed."  And shell-shocked.

 

Daily Cal: Former Bears Do Battle on Japanese Gridiron

BY Ryan Gorcey

It turns out that bowl season isn’t quite over for the Cal football program. The Bears still have one more to go: the New Era Bowl.  While the name bears the familiar corporate stamp of many college bowl games, the game shares little else in common with the NCAA’s postseason match-ups. Rather, the July 8 game will be played in Kensai, Japan and feature former Cal players along with current Bears coaches instructing a Japanese football team and then playing against another team coached by a contingent from the University of Hawaii.

Former Cal players Chase Lyman, Tosh Lupoi, Joe Maningo, Mike McGrath, Tom Sverchek and Reggie Robertson will fly to the Land of the Rising Sun on June 30 along with quarterback coach Kevin Daft and defensive line coach Ken Delgado for a week of preparation followed by the game itself.   “Basically it’s almost like a corporate league over there, like the top football players in Japan,” Cal spokesperson John Sudsbury said. “They do it every year. They pick two colleges each year, and our coaches and those players will coach the team for a week and then they’ll go up against another team.”  The former Bears players will coach and play for the Blue Star team, while

the Rainbows will coach and play for the White Star team.  “The players serve as player-coaches,” Sudsbury said. “They’ll coach during the week and then actually play in the game.”  Lyman is the most notable of the Cal alumni, last playing for the Bears in 2004 before being drafted by the New Orleans Saints. Prior to his senior season being cut short by a knee injury suffered in the team’s fourth game of 2004 against USC, Lyman had 14 catches for 414 yards and five touchdowns.

Robertson last played for Cal in 2004 as a backup to now-Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Robertson is most noted for coming on in relief of Rodgers against the Trojans in 2003, when the Bears crushed USC’s national title hopes in a 34-31 triple-overtime upset.  Lupoi, a former Bears defensive lineman, should feel at home in the role of player-coach, as he is currently a graduate assistant for Cal after finishing his collegiate playing career in 2005.  Maningo was an All-Pac-10 honorable mention linebacker in his senior season of 2004, tallying 45 tackles and six sacks.  Another 2004 Pac-10 honorable mention, McGrath, made 19 total tackles—12 of them unassisted—in his final season for the Bears. He was a special teams standout in his four years for Cal, earning a scholarship after walking on in his freshman year. Sverchek, a defensive tackle, was signed by the New England Patriots in 2005 after being named to the Pac-10 All-Academic team in his 2004 senior season. Sverchek made 30 total tackles in his final campaign for the Bears, and had 5.5 sacks.  The coaches accompanying the players, Delgado and Daft, are entering their sixth and fourth years with Cal, respectively. Delgado’s 2004 defensive line, of which several of his traveling companions were a part, allowed just 82.5 rushing yards per game, good for second in the nation.  Daft came to Cal as a graduate assistant coach after a six-year professional football career, which included stints as a quarterback for the Tennessee Titans, the San Diego Chargers, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers.

SF Chronicle: Big Game on Versus beats no TV at all

Scott Ostler

The news that this year's Big Game will be televised on a channel named Versus has some Cal fans feeling uneasy and underappreciated, but it might not be as bad as it seems.   It's a real channel. You won't need any fancy additional equipment to pull in the Versus signal, although if you can convince your mother-in-law to stand on the roof holding a coat hanger for three hours, more power to you, Old Blue. Spin to your left a tad, Eunice!  Cal announced additions to its TV football schedule in a news release that brags, "The Stanford game will be Cal's debut on Versus."  To which many Cal fans are saying, "Pinch me."  And many Stanford fans are saying, "Geez, we scheduled Cal again?"

The good news for Bear backers is that the Big Game will be televised. As reported in Tuesday's Chronicle, about 30,000 Cal fans will be SOL (sorrily out of luck) when it comes to Big Game tickets this year because the game is at Stanford's greatly downsized House of Pain.  The only way for some Cal fans to buy a ticket to that game is to buy a Stanford season ticket. Awkward!  Of those 30,000 ticketless Cal fans, it is estimated that less than half can afford to charter a blimp. That leaves TV as the remaining option.  But is Versus really TV? Yes and no.  Cal fans who have grown quickly into their Tedford-era sense of entitlement might feel disrespected by their team's relegation to Versus, which ain't ABC or ESPN, although it is sound and light emerging from the same plastic box.  Cal backers might be comforted to know that World Extreme Cagefighting recently made its national television debut on Versus. (Personally, I prefer World Moderate Cagefighting, where you can bite off an opponent's ears or fingers but must give them back.)

Versus was known as the Outdoor Life Network. It televises the Tour de France, the world's most prestigious urine-testing competition. It televises the Louis Vuitton Cup, which is either a yacht race or a competition among airport baggage handlers. Versus has the American rights to America's Cup coverage.  Versus also televises NHL hockey, bullriding, lacrosse, fishing and hunting. The Versus series "Holy @#%*!" is not a religious program but rather a roundup of "snowmobile crashes, rodeo wrecks, bungee-jumping disasters and skydiving mishaps." Stanford football highlights could be added to that mix, depending.  Versus is also the TV home of the Premier Darts League.  It is, then, a manly man's channel, expanding and evolving, although still working out the kinks. Versus went all Heidi on us in Game 1 of this year's NHL Western Conference playoffs, when the network cut away just before the fourth overtime to go to an infomercial.  In short, Versus should be an exciting place for Cal fans to visit come Dec. 1. You won't have to venture into the triple-digit channels to find Versus. On my TV, it's channel 75. Reportedly, it is available to all subscribers who receive Fox Sports Net.  The semi-trusty Wikipedia notes that "Versus is available to significantly fewer households than ESPN." Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen says Versus is received in 72 million of America's 111 million television-equipped homes.  Don't blame or credit Cal for the Big Game TV decision. It will be on Versus because the Pac-10 allows Fox Sports Net to sub-license five or six games per season to another network. In recent seasons, those fringe games went to TBS, which has since pulled out of college football.

Fox Sports Net handed those games to Versus, which is owned by Comcast, whose president of programming is Jeff Shell, who is a Cal alum. So the Bears are likely to be handled with the reverence and respect they deserve on this year's Big Game telecast.  Cal has become a TV team under Jeff Tedford, averaging nine televised games per season, up from six per season in the five years Before Tedford. The Bears will go into the season ranked just out of the top 10 in most national polls.  Cal supporters should remember that the Big Game isn't exactly a dream matchup for much of America, although some viewers might be drawn in by the Stanford Band's halftime "Salute to Bungee Jumping Disasters."  If you still want to complain about your team being relegated to a lesser network, Cal fans, go beat Tennessee, then start making some noise.

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Finding Versus

Cal football announced three new TV games Wednesday. The most notable was the Big Game at 4 p.m. on Dec. 1. It will be on Versus.   In the Bay Area, Versus is usually on Comcast channel 75 or 81, on DirecTV 608 and on Dish Network 151. The channel will carry a number of Pac-10 games this season (including Stanford at USC on Oct. 6).

These other Pac-10 rivalry games are on more traditional football channels: UCLA-USC (ABC), Oregon State-Oregon (ESPN2), Arizona State-Arizona (ESPN/ESPN2). Washington-Washington State has no TV scheduled at this time.  The other TV games announced by Cal on Wednesday will be on FSNBA: at Arizona State, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.; vs. Washington State, Nov. 3, 7 p.m.

SF Chronicle: Big Game Blues

SHUT OUT: Downsized Stanford Stadium means Cal fans need to get creative if they want tickets to hallowed event this year

When 14-year-old Zack Hazarabedian heard his family would miss their first Big Game in decades, he was devastated.  The Hazarabedians and roughly 30,000 other Cal fans will be shut out of the fabled contest this year because of limited seating at the newly rebuilt -- and significantly smaller -- Stanford Stadium.  "He thought we should sell the house to buy tickets," said his mother, Bonnie Hazarabedian of Moraga. "I told him, 'Sweetie, we can't.' To him, missing the Big Game is unthinkable."  Perhaps never in the history of the game have Old Blues suffered so much anguish half a year before kickoff.

The 115-year-old Cal-Stanford football contest transcends mere athletics. It's a gathering of the tribes, a bacchanalian ritual akin to Mardi Gras and Christmas combined. For fans of both schools, the Big Game is seared into their internal clock like the turning of the seasons.   In the past, any Cal season ticket holder automatically got a ticket to the Big Game. But that has changed -- tickets for November's showdown are expected to be rarer than Stanford victories last year. The only way for Cal fans to get Big Game tickets at this point is to have donated at least $6,800 to the athletic booster fund or to buy Stanford season tickets.  Many have.

Read the entire article here.

Scout.com: Cal Lands a Big Target in Ladner

By Jim McGill

The Golden Bears hauled in a big target today, as 6-7/235 Pembroke Hill (Kansas City, MO) tight end Spencer Ladner committed to the Bears. Ladner’s commitment represents another foray for Cal onto the national recruiting scene, building on last year’s broadened recruiting base with the ’07 class’s record out-of-state haul.   The tall and athletic Ladner has favored Cal for quite some time and finally had the opportunity to fly out west and check out things firsthand with an unofficial visit to campus. His experience  reinforced all that he’d previously felt –the Cal was the place for him.

Read the entire article here.

 

ANG Newspapers: Jahvid Best might be Cal's best bet yet

By Bob Fitzgerald

PETE CARROLL'S PROGRAM remains two touchdowns better than any in the West, so he really doesn't have to care, but you can bet every other Pac-10 football coach took notice of the 100-meter sprint champion at the state high school finals Saturday.  Here's hoping Cal's Jeff Tedford headed that list.   Given the recent success of the program, it would be no surprise if the Bears featured the best running back in the conference next season, even after Marshawn Lynch bolted to the NFL. And I'm not talking about Justin Forsett.   If you've seen Salesian High's Jahvid Best run with a football, you've had to wonder how the small-school star would fare against the highest level of competition in the college game.

Bears fans who watched him dust the state's sprint heavyweights Saturday in record-breaking fashion and lay claim to California's fastest prep honors no longer have any doubts. This uniquely talented kid should be considered a Heisman Trophy candidate as a freshman.  Yeah, I know Tedford's history of being overly loyal to imcumbants and being harder on rookies than Don Nelson. But this blur has to be an exception.  If Best doesn't get at least 15 touches in the Sept. 1 opener against Tennessee, Tedford's making a huge mistake — one the Bears probably wouldn't be able to overcome against a quality opponent such as the Volunteers.   Congratulations, Jahvid. Here's hoping you take the opening kickoff of the 2007 season 100 yards in about

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