San Diego Union-Tribune: Vereen could be better than next-Best for Cal on Wednesday

The Best player on either team will not play in Wednesday’s San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.  Cal football coach Jeff Tedford announced last week that Jahvid Best, Cal’s NFL-caliber running back, has been ruled out as he continues to rehabilitate from a terrifying concussion suffered Nov. 7.

As a result, Cal again will revert to its next-Best plan, otherwise known as better than Best, at least according to statistics in the past three games. His name is Shane Vereen. He’s a humble aspiring broadcaster from Valencia with at least two particular traits working in his favor lately: 1. He’s getting 70 percent of his team’s carries in the past three games (compared to 23 percent in the first nine). 2. He’s showing almost no signs of fatigue in consequence.

“There’s not a big drop-off,” said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, whose team faces Cal Wednesday at Qualcomm Stadium.   Some might say there’s no drop-off at all. Best and Vereen are the same height (5-feet-10), weight (about 195), age (20) and roughly the same speed. Vereen is considered a more physical, straight-ahead running back than Best. But Best is the one who has gotten most of the attention in Berkeley until Nov. 7, when the future of Cal’s offense may have permanently changed.

Best, a junior, is considering turning pro and is projected as a first-round NFL draft pick in April. If he leaves, Cal (8-4) already has seen a preview of what life could be like without him. Call it crazy, but some signs show it could be better. In the first game since Best’s injury, Vereen, a sophomore, carried 30 times for 159 yards against Arizona Nov. 14. In the next game, Vereen carried 42 times for 193 yards against Stanford.  When Vereen has at least 17 carries, Cal is 3-0, including Oct. 17 against UCLA, when he rushed 17 times for 154 yards. All three of those wins came against bowl-bound teams.

“In my mind, he’s always been considered a starter,” Cal running backs coach Ron Gould said. “I’m not surprised by the performances he’s produced the past few weeks.”   There were signs in high school but not as many since, mostly because Vereen was Best’s backup. Best, out of Salesian High in Richmond, was rated the ninth-best running back recruit in the nation by Rivals.com. Meanwhile, Vereen had been ranked as the nation’s fifth-best running back prospect at Valencia High.  When both senior prospects signed with Cal in 2007, questions were raised about how the ball would be shared between them and another top recruit. A year earlier, Cal had signed the nation’s 14th-best running back prospect: James Montgomery from Rancho Cordova.  The logjam was broken up somewhat when Vereen redshirted as a true freshman while Best started eight games and rushed for 867 yards.

Then Montgomery transferred to Washington State in 2008, right before Best burst out nationally with 132 rushing yards per game last season, good for third-best in the country. Vereen ranked second on the team with 55 yards per game as the backup.  The same pecking order continued this year with Best getting almost twice as many carries (141) in the first nine games as Vereen (75) until Best leapt into the end zone Nov. 7 against Oregon State, flipped over a defender and landed on the back of his head. He lost consciousness and was removed from the field on a stretcher before being taken to the emergency room with a concussion.

“It was tough, seeing what he went through,” Vereen said after a recent bowl practice at USD. “My heart goes out to him. I wish he could play with us and finish the season. But I’m glad he’s OK, and I think he’ll be OK.”  Best, who finished the season with 867 yards on 141 carries, made the trip to San Diego with his team but may have played his last game for the Bears.  By turning pro, he would be the latest running back off the assembly line from Cal since 2004, including J.J. Arrington (Arizona Cardinals), Marshawn Lynch (Buffalo Bills) and Justin Forsett (Seattle Seahawks).  Next up is Vereen, who has 444 yards on 88 carries in the past three games. He’s majoring in media studies in hopes it will help him toward a future in broadcasting. In the meantime, his media studies are expected to increase outside of class with an expected rush of interview requests from reporters. It’s what happens when you suddenly become a star at Cal. “It’s fun,” Vereen said. “It’s a different role for me, but all in all, it’s the same preparation every week. The coaches have faith in all the backs and not just me.”

SF Chronicle: Utah, Bears' assistant no strangers

Ron Kroichick

 

Many times over many college football seasons, Andy Ludwig has planted himself in front of a screen to analyze an upcoming opponent. It often becomes a blur of faceless jersey numbers and nameless defenders.  Not this time. Ludwig, as Cal's offensive coordinator, finds himself poring over video of Utah, the Bears' opponent in Wednesday night's Poinsettia Bowl. Ludwig worked as the offensive coordinator at Utah the past four seasons, helping the Utes win 13 games (including the Sugar Bowl) in the 2008 season.

"Usually, you're just looking at positions and numbers," he said. "Now when I look at tape, I look at positions and numbers, but I also know every guy's name and every guy's story. So it's a little bit different."   Ludwig fills a curious role as the Bears (8-4) try to end their topsy-turvy season on a positive note. He obviously knows Utah's personnel well, so he can offer insight on playing styles and tendencies. Then again, Utah's coaches know Ludwig well, probably giving them some insight into Cal's offense.  Even so, Ludwig really hasn't tinkered much with head coach Jeff Tedford's system - though Tedford gives him more freedom than previous Cal coordinators had. The Bears frequently run the two-back set Tedford favors, but Ludwig has added spread-formation elements and introduced more plays in the so-called Wildcat, with a snap to the tailback.  The Wildcat produced some nice gains earlier in the season, but it became less effective as Cal's opponents came to expect it.  "Some of those things can dry up, and I think you'll see defenses are catching up with it a little bit throughout football," Ludwig said. "You saw some of that with us. Early on, it was hot, then it got a little less so."

Link to rest of article.

Oakland Tribune: Best choice for Cal's Jahvid Best -- go pro

Gary Peterson

LINK.

And so we bid a fond farewell to Cal tailback Jahvid Best, who will skip next week's Poinsettia Bowl, then huddle with his inner circle to assess his career options.  That onerous deliberation figures to go something like this: 

Best: What do you guys think I should do — come back to Cal for my senior year, or declare for the NFL draft?

Inner circle: Go pro.

Best: Yeah, me too.

It's an easy call all the way. Short-term, he hasn't practiced since his heart-stopping injury on Nov. 7, the one that left him with a severe concussion and a sore back. Best-case scenario, pun marginally intended, he'd have five days of practice to knock off 40 days of rust. That's an overly ambitious timetable.   It's especially overambitious in that Best's most concerning injury is the one to his brain. He fell from a height of more than six feet, landing on his back and head with enough force to cause his helmet to come shooting off like a cork propelled from a champagne bottle.   There are times when you can rush a guy back from a sprain, or a strain or even an arthroscopic procedure. There are times when doctors tell a player, "You can't make it worse. So if you can handle the pain, you're good to go."  None of that applies to what happened to Best. Trying to rush him back — and this would have been rushing him back — would have been a mistake. But, you say, it's the Poinsettia Bowl! Doesn't matter. Whatever the bowl and no matter the stakes, the timing isn't right.  But, you say, he has to come back to prove to the NFL that he's fully recovered! Not really. Doctors forecast a complete recovery, so ultimately his concussion should be no more worrisome to NFL teams than the hip injury that forced him to miss spring practice in 2008 or the foot and elbow surgeries he had last offseason. Whatever concerns they have can be alleviated at the scouting combine, where prospective draftees are weighed, measured, drilled and subjected to psychological testing. Even a personal workout would do the trick.

Long-term, he was born to play on Sundays. Like former Cal teammate DeSean Jackson before him, Best was never a candidate to stick around for his senior year. Oh, maybe if he thought he had an unaccountably bad season and felt he needed to kick-start his career arc. But that didn't happen. In 21 starts as a sophomore and junior, Best had 13 games in which he topped 100 yards rushing. He scored 35 touchdowns. He averaged 7.3 yards per carry for his career.  He created a collection of mouthwatering highlights — a 73-yard touchdown run, a five-touchdown game, a 144-yard performance. And that was just September. Of this year.

Best has taken the first step toward a pro career, contacting the NFL advisory committee to gauge his draft prospects. Draft expert Phil Steele already has Best pegged as the No. 4 running back in next spring's draft. The fourth running back chosen last spring was LeSean McCoy, by Philadelphia late in the second round. According to reports, McCoy signed a four-year, $3.48 million contract ($1.73 million guaranteed).  No doubt Best will want to consult his inner circle on that as well.

Best: Do you think I could live on $1.73 million guaranteed?

Inner circle: That's more than you're making now, last time we checked.

Best: Yeah, me too.

It's difficult to project Best as a pro. He was a slender, glorified track star as an underclassman, almost frail by football standards but breathtakingly fast. He beefed up as a junior, but continued to operate better in the open than between the tackles. He's explosive but not routinely so — he might run for 1, 2, 5, minus-2, 3 and no gain before breaking free for 52. And then he might go underground again.  Does that make him an every-down back? A change-of-pace guy? A slash guy?  One thing it no longer makes him, it says here, is a college guy. That was probably the first thing his inner circle made clear after he woke up from his injury.

Inner circle: The next time you make a crazy move like that, we think you'd best be getting paid to do it.

Best: Yeah, me too.

Us too.

 

ESPN: Best Done at Cal?

Ted Miller

LINK.

That spectacular and then terrifying dive, flip and fall that California running back Jahvid Best took against Oregon State on Nov. 7 might be the junior's final play in a Bears uniform.  Best has been ruled out of playing in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23 against Utah because he's not yet fully recovered from the concussion and back injuries he suffered against the Beavers. Best, a potential NFL first-round draft pick this spring, has submitted his paperwork to the NFL draft advisory committee. The deadline for early entry is Jan. 15.  "Right now, I sent that in just to get information," Best told the Contra Costa Times. "After the bowl game, I'll sit down with my family and coaches and make a decision. As of now, I'm completely on top of the fence."  Cal coach Jeff Tedford said Best hasn't had any setbacks and his rehab is going smoothly. He might have played had the Bears' bowl game been scheduled after Christmas.  Shane Vereen, a sophomore, has been a more than capable replacement for Best, rushing for 444 yards and four touchdowns in three games as the starter. He likely will step into the starting role next fall if Best opts to enter the draft.

Salt Lake Tirbune: Poinsettia Bowl's personal for Cal coach

Kurt Kragthorpe

The images of Robert Johnson, Koa Misi, Stevenson Sylvester and Utah's other defensive players float on the screen in Andy Ludwig's office, tucked inside the University of California's Memorial Stadium.

To most opposing offensive coordinators, they would be merely numbers, matched with scouting reports. Not to Ludwig. He knows these guys. And in advance of next week's Poinsettia Bowl, they are coming back into his life.  "It's kind of fun, but it can be distracting, because I'm not just watching x's and o's," Ludwig was saying this week. "Every player's got a story, and I know most of those stories."

That's why the story of this bowl game, as much  Kurt Kragthorpe as anything, is Andy Ludwig vs. the Utes. Mix in the longtime friendship between him and Ute coach Kyle Whittingham, the reunion with the offensive coaches he supervised for four seasons and the mixed views of his schemes in Salt Lake City, and we have the makings of an intriguing evening in San Diego.

"Fun for you, maybe," Ludwig clarified for a visitor, smiling.  As for himself, Ludwig again must find ways to attack Whittingham's aggressive defense -- having lost to the Utes in previous existences with Fresno State and Oregon -- and figure out his own offense, the group that averages 29 points but never scores 29 points, exactly. "We either scored 50 or three," Ludwig said, barely exaggerating. "If I could explain it, I'd fix it."

Read the rest of the article here.

Sporting News: Utah Cal Preview

Utah and California entered this season with their sights set on reaching a BCS bowl or possibly playing for a national title. Inconsistent play dashed those hopes.  The No. 23 Utes try to extend the nation's longest postseason winning streak to nine when they face the Golden Bears in the Poinsettia Bowl at San Diego on Dec. 23.  Utah (9-3) entered the national spotlight last season, going 13-0 and beating then-No. 4 Alabama 31-17 in the Sugar Bowl to finish second in the rankings. That success propelled the Utes to a spot in the AP preseason poll this year for the first time, cracking the list at No. 19.

They opened 2009 with consecutive victories, running the nation's longest active winning streak to 16, before falling 31-24 at Oregon on Sept. 19 to drop out of the rankings.  The Utes recovered by winning six in a row to climb to No. 16, but concluded the regular season by losing two of three, including defeats to ranked Mountain West foes TCU and BYU. Those losses dropped Utah out of BCS contention as it finished third in the conference to land in the Poinsettia Bowl for the second time in three years.

Utah won its previous trip in 2007, beating Navy 35-32. The Utes have won all eight bowl games they've played since losing to Wisconsin in the 1996 Copper Bowl.  "We look at it as another challenge," coach Kyle Whittingham said. "We've had a bunch of those BCS opponents over the last seven or eight years, and our guys are prepared and looking for a chance to play these higher-profile teams. And Cal-Berkeley is certainly one of those teams."  California (9-3) saw its chances of reaching its first BCS bowl dented by an early season loss to the Ducks. The Golden Bears won their first three games to move to No. 6 in the poll before a stunning 42-3 loss at Oregon on Sept. 26.  They followed that a week later with a 30-3 loss to then-No. 7 Southern California, damaging their hopes of winning their first Pac-10 title in 51 years.

Cal rebounded by winning five of six, including victories over ranked Pac-10 opponents Arizona and Stanford, to move back into the poll at No. 19. However, the Bears fell out again after concluding the regular season with a 42-10 loss at sub-.500 Washington on Dec. 5.

"That's big. You hate to end the season on a note like the game we played, so it gives us the opportunity to go out and compete and put our best foot forward," coach Jeff Tedford said. "Of course, you want to play in the biggest bowl you can, but the frustration comes in just not playing our best and not finishing the season like we would like to have finished it in conference play."  Under Tedford, Cal has reached a bowl game for a school-record seven consecutive seasons and has won the last four, including a 24-17 victory over Miami in last year's Emerald Bowl. Overall, Cal is 10-8-1 in the postseason, while Utah is 11-3. The Golden Bears have won four of six all-time meetings, but Utah won the last one 31-24 on Sept. 11, 2003.  Cal is hoping to welcome back Jahvid Best, who hasn't played since suffering a concussion in a 31-14 loss to Oregon State on Nov. 7.  In nine games prior to the injury, Best was considered a possible Heisman Trophy candidate, gaining 867 yards on 141 carries with 12 TDs, while adding four scores on receptions. Best would be facing a Utah defense that allows 141.3 rushing yards per game.

Quarterback Kevin Riley may have a tough time with the Utes defense, which led the Mountain West with 15 interceptions while holding opponents to an average of 172.8 passing yards.  Riley has been intercepted four times in the last four games, completing just 52.9 percent of his passes, though he did rank third in the Pac-10 with 2,636 passing yards.  The Utes are expected to have freshman Jordan Wynn under center as he gets a fifth consecutive start after winning the job from junior Terrance Cain.

Wynn has thrown for 991 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions in five games, while relying on running back Eddie Wide for support.  The junior leads the conference with 1,032 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He'll get to face a Cal defense that allows an average of 118.0 yards on the ground after giving up a total of 365 over the last two games.

Salt Lake Tribune: Bears would like to end season on good note

Lya Wodraska

The assumptions going into the final week of the college football season were that Cal would easily beat Washington and go to either the Sun Bowl or the Emerald Bowl.  But just when the Bears seemed headed in one direction, they went another way. They were thumped 42-10 by the Huskies and fell from second place in the Pac-10 to tie USC for fifth.  Such surprising turns of events were typical for the Bears in 2009, making them a rather unpredictable opponent for the Utes in the Dec. 23 Poinsettia Bowl.

Ranked 12th in the preseason, Cal (8-4) not only failed to win the Pac-10 as some thought it would, but was embarrassed in all of its losses, losing the four games by a combined score of 145-30.  The loss to Washington was perhaps the most surprising because the Bears were coming off a 34-28 upset of Stanford.  Cal coach Jeff Tedford said in media reports he didn't believe his team would let the loss to the Huskies affect their play in the Poinsettia Bowl, predicting his team will be hungrier for a win because of it.

"I told the players that it's fortunate that we're getting to play again because you don't want to end the season on that note," said Teford, the former Oregon offensive coordinator who has coached the Bears since 2002. "We're looking forward to it. We're anxious for it."  The trip to the Poinsettia Bowl is the seventh straight bowl appearance for the program, which is a school record for most consecutive bowl appearances. The Bears have won their last four bowl games, including the 2008 Emerald Bowl when they defeated Miami 24-17.  This year the Bears were projected to make their first run at the BCS since 2004, when they finished the regular season ranked No. 4, but were passed over by the Rose Bowl for Texas, which beat Michigan. Cal went on to lose to Texas Tech 45-21 in the Holiday Bowl.

The BCS talk ended rather early this season after the Bears lost to Oregon and USC.  Judging by the scores alone, it seems once opponents figure out the Bears' offense, Cal hasn't been able to adjust to move the ball effectively.  In their wins, the Bears are averaging more than 40 points a game. They averaged less than eight points in their losses.  Cal quarterback Kevin Riley has thrown for 2,636 yards and 17 touchdowns and only six interceptions to lead the Bears.  Helping him carry the offense through most of the season was running back Jahvid Best. He started the year as a Heisman candidate, but missed the final three games with a concussion and back injury.  His status for the bowl game is uncertain. The Bears do have a strong backup in Shane Vereen who averaged 148 yards in the last three games.  Defensively, the Bears are giving up 24 points a game and rank just 108th nationally in pass defense, allowing 260.9 yards a game.

The Utes started installing their game plan Friday for the Bears. Despite what many perceive as a subpar season for a team that began with such high expectations, the Bears are still a strong opponent in Utah coach Kyle Whittingham's estimation. He called the Bears a "typical Pac-10 team."   "They are very fast and they are very aggressive," he said.

Link.

DeSean Jackson Ties NFL Record

Cal alum DeSean Jackson tied an NFL record for touchdowns of 50 yards or more in a season tonight when he scored two touchdowns against the New York Giants.  He scored on a 72-yard punt return in the second quarter and caught a 60-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to tie the record shared by Elroy Hirsch and Devin Hester.

 

Deseret News: Utah Utes football: Team proud of bowl winning streak and aims to extend it

There's not much of a secret to Utah's bowl success. The Utes simply take great pride in performing well. They've won eight straight postseason games, the longest active run of success in the nation.

"I think it's our players' work ethic and the way they approach the bowl," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. "It's a reward, but at the same time they view it as an opportunity to win another game."

Finishing on a high note is a big deal. Coming out flat — even after heartbreaking setbacks to rival BYU in regular-season finales — just doesn't happen.  "Our guys have done a nice job of showing some resiliency in those cases where we haven't come out on top," Whittingham said.

Senior captain Zane Beadles expects more of the same. The 23rd-ranked Utes (9-3) enter this year's Poinsettia Bowl against California (8-4) on the heels of a 26-23 overtime loss at BYU. Beadles doesn't expect any sort of letdown.  "I don't think so with the way we approach bowl games," he said. "Bowl games are a reward, an honor, but we're there to win the ballgame. That's the approach we take. You can see it in the intensity in practice."  Safety Joe Dale, one of 24 seniors on the squad, said there's a responsibility and a process to keep the streak going.

"It's motivation, definitely. To have the longest streak in the nation, that's a big deal," he noted. "It says a lot about our coaches, our program and the way we prepare. We just want to keep that going."   Even those new to the program respect the streak. True freshman Jordan Wynn said it's huge.  "I don't want to go down as the quarterback that loses it," he explained. "So I'm doing all I can to win our bowl game."

Utah's preparations kick into high gear Monday. The Utes will practice six times next week — five in Salt Lake City and once in San Diego.

SF Chronicle: Little freshman, big-time speed on special teams

Ron Kroichick

 

Isi Sofele grew up in Salt Lake City, not far from the University of Utah campus. He often attended Utah games and camps as a kid - hey, wearing his Pop Warner jersey meant free admission to the games - and became a full-fledged Utes fan.   Now, to punctuate his first season playing college football, Sofele would like nothing more than to torment his onetime favorite team. Maybe weave his way downfield for a long kickoff return, or take off at typical breakneck speed and deliver a crunching hit on Cal's punt-coverage unit.

Make no mistake, you noticed Sofele (so-FELL-ay) if you watched the Bears at all this season. He wears No. 20 and races around the field like a runaway gnat, 5 feet and 7 inches of pent-up energy, quickness and tenacity, zooming this way and zipping that way.  Sofele doesn't need much reason to get excited about playing football, but next week's Poinsettia Bowl against Utah offers special incentive. Many people back home will watch the game on television, loyal to their Utes but fully aware of Sofele.

Plus, two of his Cottonwood High teammates, linebacker Matt Martinez and offensive lineman Percy Taumoelau, are freshmen at Utah. So the texts and friendly Facebook trash talk already are flying between Berkeley and Salt Lake City.  "I told them to watch out for special teams, because I'll be out there," Sofele said.

Link to rest of article.

Contra Costa Times: Call on Best could come today

Jonathan Okanes

Cal running back Jahvid Best has resumed conditioning with Cal's athletic training staff and an announcement about his status for the Poinsettia Bowl could come as early as today.  Best missed the Bears' final three games of the regular season after suffering a severe concussion and back injury after taking a hard fall at the end of a touchdown run against Oregon State on Nov. 7. He got a positive diagnosis last week from Dr. Michael Collins, a concussion specialist at the University of Pittsburgh.

Best, a junior, is considering leaving Cal after the season to enter the NFL Draft. An appearance in the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23 could serve as one final audition for NFL personnel evaluators. Recent projections have Best going late in the first round of the 2010 draft.  Halfway through training camp, it was evident that Brock Mansion's experience made him the only viable candidate to compete with Kevin Riley for the starting quarterback job. But a few weeks into the season, even that experience wasn't good enough to keep him in the No. 2 role.  Mansion fell behind Beau Sweeney on the depth chart early in the season and has been the No. 3 quarterback ever since. A former Elite 11 prospect, Mansion said the demotion was a "big shock" at first, but he has remained a team player. "I just wanted to help Beau and Kev with the playbook or give them encouragement," Mansion said. "I just wanted to do whatever I can to help. I didn't want to be a waste of space."

Mansion said he felt like he competed well during training camp and had a good chance to be named the starter. When he didn't, he suffered a little emotional letdown and his performance suffered.  "I felt like I had a great fall camp, and I felt like I had a great chance to get the No. 1 job," Mansion said. "After that, it was kind of a letdown. The first week I was fine, but the next two weeks I just completely dropped in my level of performance."

The Bears are using the weekend to let some of their younger players and reserves get most of the reps at practice. Cal will then take two days off and begin game planning for Utah on Wednesday.

"Anytime I can get reps, it's a chance to get better," Mansion said. "I don't think I've been forgotten about. But this is a good chance to remind them, if they had forgotten, that I'm still here. Hopefully, I can work my way back up."

Link to rest of article.

ESPN: California Season Recap

Ted Miller

It was a strange football season in Berkeley.  California began 2009 touted as the team most likely to knock off USC, and the Bears were dominant in their first three nonconference games.  Then the Bears went to Oregon. Splat.  Then USC visited Berkeley. Mush.  Yet, just when it seemed reasonable to write them off, the Bears won five of six, including a surprisingly convincing effort in the Big Game against rival Stanford. At that point, a nine-win regular season and perhaps a Holiday Bowl berth were possible.

Then Cal went to Washington and got stomped 42-10.  Like we said, a strange football season.

Offensive MVP -- Running back Jahvid Best

Perhaps Best should share this award with backup Shane Vereen, who filled in admirably when Best went down against Oregon State on Nov. 7, but Best was the Bears leading rusher with 867 yards and 12 touchdowns. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry.

Defensive MVP -- Linebacker Mike Mohamed

Mohamed led the Pac-10 with 105 tackles. He also had seven tackles for a loss with three picks and a forced fumble.

Turning point -- The Bears ranked sixth in the country and looked like national title contenders when they visited Oregon on Sept. 26. They lost 42-3. Things didn't feel the same thereafter.

What's next -- California won't have to worry about being a Pac-10 frontrunner in 2010, but there are a good deal of starters returning, particularly on offense, even if Best, as expected, enters the NFL draft a year early. Quarterback Kevin Riley and the offensive line will need to take another step forward, while the defense will need to replace a couple of key starters.

Link to article.

 

Daily Cal: Cal Football Tackles Exams On the Way to Bowl Game

Jeff Goodman

As the 2009 regular season wound down, it became clear that the bowl-game destinations for many Pac-10 teams would not be decided until the last games of the year. All the Cal football team could do was concentrate on its own performance. So that's what it has done.   Coach Jeff Tedford said the eyes-inward strategy has worked for the most part, helping his team climb above .500 in the conference race.

"I'm really proud of the effort up until now," Tedford said. "But again, we still need to finish strong, and that's going to be the whole focus."   Finishing strong will be an emphasis for the Bears off the field as well.  Indeed, as the players prepare for the postseason of college football, they will also be in the midst of a different postseason-an academic one that takes place at library desks and in classrooms across UC Berkeley. It's more commonly known as finals week. Many players will likely use the downtime they are provided to catch up on their studies before the exams, which begin Saturday and continue through Dec. 19. Until this past weekend, they were also trying to ready themselves for the multiple scenarios that could have played out in the conference race.

Tedford, for example, had laid out multiple calendars, knowing that Cal could end up playing as early as Dec. 22 in the Las Vegas Bowl or as late as Dec. 31 in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.  He was well aware that the team's bowl bid would likely dictate its practice schedule during an already hectic week on campus.  Senior fullback Brian Holley, who is set to graduate with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, is focusing on cognitive science and, until recently, was trying to wrap his head around an unusually complicated year in the conference standings.

"We've been at the top of the Pac-10, we've been at the bottom of the Pac-10," Holley said. "Rankings and standings are really out of our control. The only thing we can do is go out there and win ball games."

Still, it probably won't be easy for the Bears to give all of their attention to the last game of their season until finals week is completely over.  Even with classes drawing to a close, they were forced to prepare for a number of different bowl-game situations.   Entering its regular-season finale against Washington, Cal knew it would be eligible for the postseason regardless of this past Saturday's outcome at Husky Stadium in Seattle. After all, the Bears had responded from a miserable start to Pac-10 play-a two-game skid during which they were blown out by Oregon and USC-and had given themselves a chance to finish tied for second place in the conference. Even without running back Jahvid Best, the team was able to salvage a campaign that seemed like it was going to spiral downward after those two humbling defeats.

The cramped cluster of Pac-10 foes meant that Tedford's squad had no idea where it would be playing at the end of December. That unknown was mostly due to the increased parity that has characterized the conference this year, as several teams, including Cal, jostled for position in the top half of the standings.

Now that the bowl schedule is set in stone, life is a little simpler for the Bears. But there's still a lot of work ahead, as the players must tend to their end-of-semester tasks away from the gridiron while the coaching staff tries to capitalize on as many recruiting opportunities as it can.  "There's a lot to balance right now," Tedford said. "The kids start finals here in a week, so there's a lot going on."

Link to article.

 

San Jose Mercury: Grading the Week in Bay Area Football

Here’s the link.

CAL

Result: Lost to Washington 42-10

Grade: F

Comment: More troubling for Cal than four Pac-10 losses is four Pac-10 losses by an average of 28.8 points. That shouldn’t be happening to a team as talented as the Bears … This was the worst of the bunch, a wipeout at the hands of a sub-.500 team whose only win since early October was against Washington State … The passing game was off-key (sound familiar?) and the defense submitted a terrible performance (463 yards allowed) to aptly end an underachieving regular season … Cal was simply not prepared to play in any manner, and that’s on the coaching staff and the seniors … Last two trips to Seattle: Washington 79, Cal 33.

Up next for the Bears: vs. Utah in Poinsettia Bowl (Dec. 23)

The matchup: The Utes run a spread-option attack that’s similar to Oregon’s. In fact, Utah nearly beat the Ducks in Eugene the week before Cal got humiliated there … But it’s more about attitude than style for the Bears. If they’re ready to play (think: Big Game), they should win. If they aren’t ready to play (think: Washington), they won’t.

Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel Ranks the Bowls

Here’s the link.  He ranked the Poinsettia Bowl 16^th out of 34 bowls.

16) Poinsettia (Dec. 23): Utah (9-3) vs. Cal (8-4). This one becomes a lot more compelling if Jahvid Best manages to return from his scary concussion. If not, we're looking at a pair of teams coming off crushing losses.

Contra Costa Times: Poinsettia Bowl gives Cal football team shot at redemption

Jonathan Okanes

Cal may not be playing a team from a major conference in its bowl game this season, but based on how it performed in its 42-10 loss at Washington on Saturday, just having another game on the schedule will suffice.  The Bears on Sunday accepted an invitation to play Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23 at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium. The Utes finished third in the Mountain West Conference and are ranked No. 23 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.  Saturday's unsightly loss dropped the Bears into a tie with USC for fifth place in the final Pac-10 standings and out of the Top 25. Had Cal won, it would have finished in a second-place tie and either faced Oklahoma in the Sun Bowl or Boston College in the Emerald Bowl.

A chance to face a program like Oklahoma would have been special for the Bears, but now players simply want another chance to take the field again so that Saturday won't be the lingering memory of the offseason.  "We're fortunate to be going to a bowl game and have another chance to end our season on a good note, not with a sour taste in our mouth," Cal running back Shane Vereen said. "It would have been a frustrating way to end the season."  Frankly, Cal is in no position to pick and choose a bowl opponent. The Bears finished with a respectable 8-4 record for the second straight season, but their four losses were by a combined score of 145-30.

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Salt Lake City Tribune: Utes draw Cal in Poinsettia Bowl

In the 21/2 weeks leading up to Utah's battle with California in the 2009 Poinsettia Bowl, the most talked-about participant probably won't be one of the players.  Hello, Andy Ludwig.  As soon as the Utes and Golden Bears accepted invitations Sunday night to play in the Poinsettia Bowl, Ludwig, Cal's offensive coordinator, became one of the major pre-kickoff storylines.  A year ago, Ludwig was Utah's offensive coordinator.  He left after the Utes capped an unbeaten season in the Sugar Bowl, took a job at Kansas State but almost immediately moved on to California.  A year after deciding to leave Utah, Ludwig's job will be solving the Utes' defense in the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23.

"We have a good opponent in Cal," Beadles said, "and it will be nice for the media to be able to play up the Ludwig ties."  Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said, "He knows our defensive scheme and we are well-versed in his offense. So it will be kind of a sidebar to the game."  Not that the Utes hold any grudges.  "He's very well-respected throughout the team," Beadles said. "... It will be fun. He's a good guy and he's a good coach. He was here most of my career and it will be good to see him again."  Utah linebacker Stevenson Sylvester's job will be slowing Ludwig's offense, which scored at least 34 points in six of Cal's 12 games. "It will be a lot of fun," Sylvester said. "Andy Ludwig is a great friend of ours. ... He has a lot of packages and a great imagination for the offensive side of the ball. So we have to be prepared for all that." Utah last played in the Poinsettia Bowl in 2007, when it defeated Navy, 35-32.

This year's trip was assured when Mountain West Conference champion TCU earned an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl, and the Las Vegas Bowl once again selected BYU.  "We're so pleased we will be welcoming these two terrific teams and their fans to San Diego," said Poinsettia Bowl president Barbara Warden. "I think it's safe to say that we're in for one heck of a game."  For Utah freshman quarterback Jordan Wynn, the game will be a homecoming.   Just a year ago, he was a highly decorated all-stater while playing for Oceanside (Calif.) High School.

"It will definitely be cool, going home," Wynn said. "I have a lot of people there tell me they're going to show up for the game."  According to Wynn, he is 2-0 as a starting quarterback in games at Qualcomm Stadium.  "I had one of my best games there," Wynn recalled. "My junior year, I started 6-for-6 or 7-for-7 and finished with something like 250 yards and a couple of touchdowns."  Cal takes an 8-4 record into the Poinsettia Bowl.  The Bears, making their school-record seventh straight bowl appearance, finished an up-and-down season with a 42-10 loss at Washington on Saturday.  "I told the players that it's fortunate that we're getting to play again because you don't want to end the season on that note," coach Jeff Tedford said. "We're looking forward to it. We're anxious for it." Utah ended its season with a 9-3 record after a 26-23 overtime loss to BYU on Nov. 28.   Said Wynn: "I'm keeping it in the back of my mind, so when I get on the field again I'll remember I don't want that taste in my mouth again."

Poinsettia Bowl Tickets Now Available

The following is a message from Cal football:

Congratulations to Coach Tedford and Cal Football on seven straight bowl game appearances!   Cal will play Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl on Wednesday, December 23 at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium.
Bowl game tickets are on sale now to all Cal Fans through our bowl website CalBears.com/bowl.
If you have any questions please call the Athletic Ticket Office at (800) GO BEARS, Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm, with extended hours until 6pm on Wednesdays

SF Chronicle: Which Cal will show in San Diego?

 

Kyle Whittingham is going to find out officially today that Utah, the team he coaches, has drawn Cal in the Poinsettia Bowl, and he will begin to watch tape of the Bears' season.   After about an hour, and somewhere between the eight impressive wins and the four gruesome losses, he will turn to his coordinators and say, "Well, fellas, I have no idea what we're dealing with here. Let me know when you've figured them out."  The Golden Bears completed their manic-depressive regular season Saturday evening with a ridiculously decisive 42-10 defeat at the hands of the Washington Huskies, almost certainly costing them about three rungs on the hamster habitat that is the college football bowl system.

But it wasn't just that the Bears plummeted from the Sun, Emerald and Las Vegas Bowls to the Poinsettia on Dec. 23 in San Diego against the Utes, the third-best team in the Mountain West Conference. It was the way they did it. They weren't beaten, they were beaten flat. They channeled all their struggles in their other three losses and distilled them into a lopsided, overwhelmed mess against a Huskies team playing for nothing except the chance to be 2011's version of Stanford.

As a result, they will have somehow managed to go 8-4 while losing their four games by 39, 27, 17 and 32 points, which is a measure of ... well, something. The losses stood out in such dramatic contrast to the eight wins that it is hard even now for Cal experts to make sense of this season.  They will end up going to a bowl despite being outscored in Pac-10 games by more points than only Arizona State and Washington State. And they will go to a bowl game because (a) they don't have the nerve to Notre Dame their way out, and (b) they need the mouthwash.

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iBuyDigital: Bait and Switch?

iBuydigital has a 3.7/10 rating over the last six months on reselleratings.  Read the reviews here BEFORE attempting to purchase from them.

ESPN: Washington Stomps California

Jake Locker accounted for five touchdowns in Washington's 42-10 bludgeoning of California, so now the question is was that a big goodbye or a big signpost for things to come in 2010?  Locker completed 19 of 23 passes for 248 yards with three touchdowns and he ran 14 times for 77 yards and two scores in an impressive dual-threat performance that stunned the 19th-ranked Bears.  If Locker comes back for the 2010 season, the Huskies should be highly competitive in the conference. If Locker opts to enter the NFL draft, things get a bit more murky.  Speaking of murky, Cal's bowl situation now becomes that. At 8-4 overall and 5-4 in the Pac-10, it is now tied with USC for fifth place.

That means the Emerald Bowl most likely will choose between the Bears and Trojans. Cal has the Bay Area tie-in, but it played in the bowl a year ago. USC continues to be USC, even if it is no longer playing like that.  And after Cal's terrible effort at Washington, the Emerald Bowl might go for USC, which likely would send Cal to the Poinsettia Bowl (Oregon State likely is the Las Vegas Bowl pick). And Cal might prefer going on the road to a warm-weather game anyway.  As for this game, great effort on both sides of the ball by Washington, and a lot of credit for that goes to head coach Steve Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Nick Holt.  Both teams were coming off rivalry-game wins, but Cal had a bye last weekend and it seemed to play without focus or fire while the Huskies had both.

Sark got his team ready to play. Cal coach Jeff Tedford is likely scratching his head over his team's middling effort.  A year after going 0-12, the Huskies went 5-7 -- a game short of bowl eligibility -- in Sarkisian's first year.

Contra Costa Times Game Preview

CAL AT WASHINGTON

RECORDS: Cal 8-3, 5-3 Pac-10; Washington 4-7, 3-5

KICKOFF: 3:30 p.m. at Husky Stadium, Seattle

TV: CSNCA

RADIO: 810-AM

SERIES HISTORY: Washington leads the all-time series 46-38-4, but the Bears have lost just once in the Jeff Tedford era (6-1)

THE STORY LINES: The Bears are trying to finish in a four-way tie for second place, which likely would land them in the Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve. ... A loss would put Cal in the Emerald, Las Vegas or Poinsettia bowls. ... A win would keep alive Cal's hopes for a 10-win season.

INJURY REPORT: Cal — RB Jahvid Best (back, concussion), LG Matt Summers-Gavin (concussion), TE Tad Smith (knee) are out. Washington — LB E.J. Savannah (hand), C Ryan Tolar (head) are out. DT Cameron Elisara (shoulder) is questionable.

STATS THAT MATTER: Cal RB Shane Vereen, making his third straight start in place of Best, needs 262 yards to reach 1,000 for the season. The Bears have had a 1,000-yard rusher in each of Tedford's seven years as coach. ... The Bears are looking to become the first team in school history to have three separate three-game winning streaks during the same season. ... With a victory, Tedford will become the winningest Cal coach in the modern era. He is 67-33, tied with Pappy Waldorf for most wins.

MATCHUP TO WATCH: Cal's linebackers against Washington quarterback Jake Locker. Locker has proved to be a viable threat running the ball, and the Bears linebackers have to be aware of his presence while still covering the rest of their assignments.

QUOTE OF NOTE: "This team really wants to have 10 wins this season. Ten wins is something that not many Cal programs have done. That's what we're going to focus on." — Cal fullback Brian Holley

Seattle Times: Cal vs. Washington Preview

California (8-3); Washington (4-7)

Time: 3:30 p.m. at Husky Stadium

TV: FSN Radio: KJR 950

The line: Bears by 7

At stake: California is playing for a berth in the Sun Bowl — with a loss it likely falls to the Emerald Bowl. Huskies have no postseason hopes but could become just the 11th team since 1946 to win as many as five games in a season a year after going winless. Four Pac-10 wins would also be the most since 2003.

What to expect: Probably lots of running from the Bears, who average 184.4 rushing yards per game while UW is ninth in the conference against the run. UW QB Jake Locker ran as much last week as he has all season and may do that again today as the Huskies will likely have to score quite a few points to keep up with the Bears, who average 31.0 per game. UW will also try to test a Cal pass defense that has proved vulnerable at times.

Notes: UW leads the all-time series 47-38-4, but Cal has won six of the last seven, all since Jeff Tedford became the coach of the Bears in 2002. Cal beat UW last year in Berkeley, 48-7, but the Huskies won the last game in Seattle in 2007, 37-23.

Injuries: UW — LB E.J.Savannah (hand) and C Ryan Tolar (head) are out; DT Cameron Elisara (shoulder) is questionable, S Victor Aiyewa (concussion) and RB Chris Polk (shoulder) expected to play.

Cal: TB Jahvid Best (concussion) and LG Matt Summers-Gavin (concussion) are out; CB Syd'Quan Thompson (sprained ankle) is probable.

Prediction: Cal's edges on the lines should make the difference. Cal 35-27.

SF Chronicle: Bowled over by scenarios

Confused by the myriad bowl possibilities in the crazy, congested Pac-10? Dizzied by the fact Cal, even on Dec. 5, still doesn't know if it will play in the Sun Bowl, Emerald Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl or Poinsettia Bowl?  Stand in line, then, right alongside Sun Bowl executive director Bernie Olivas.  "Our president did a whole spreadsheet with all the scenarios," Olivas said Thursday, before Oregon simplified things a bit by clinching the Pac-10 title. "I thought he was trying to build the next rocket to the moon."  Cal still must tackle one more challenging assignment before heading to its postseason destination. The Bears complete their regular season today against Washington and quarterback Jake Locker, who offers a stout test for Cal's rejuvenated defense.  The chore could be complicated by chilly weather in Seattle and the typically boisterous atmosphere at Husky Stadium. Washington defeated USC and Arizona earlier this season and played LSU tough, so the Huskies - despite standing 4-7 overall and 3-5 in conference play - are no pushovers at home.  If the Bears (8-3, 5-3) prevail, they will finish in a four-way tie for second place with Stanford, Oregon State and the winner of today's Arizona-USC game. That would set off a flurry of decisions for bowl officials, who can choose the teams they want in the event of ties.   The Holiday Bowl is expected to take the winner of Arizona-USC, leaving the Sun Bowl to choose among Cal, Stanford and Oregon State. OSU is a longshot, given its appearance last year in El Paso, so the decision would come down to Cal (which beat Stanford and is the only Pac-10 school never to play in the game) or Stanford (which boasts Heisman Trophy contender Toby Gerhart).  In this scenario, the Emerald Bowl, with the third choice, happily will take whichever Bay Area school the Sun Bowl bypasses.

But if the Bears lose today, they will tie for fifth place and potentially slide further down the chain. They still could play in the Emerald Bowl if USC beats Arizona, but they also could slip to the Las Vegas Bowl or Poinsettia Bowl if the Trojans are the other team tied for fifth.

As these endless permutations rattle in the background, Cal must first contend with Locker, a 6-foot-3, 226-pound junior with surprising quickness. He averages 232 yards passing per game, second in the Pac-10 behind Oregon State's Sean Canfield, and has good mobility.

Defensive coordinator Bob Gregory compared Locker to Stanford's Andrew Luck, given their size and speed. The Bears mostly contained Luck in the Big Game (he was 10-for-30), but he hurt them with his scrambling ability.  They also must cope with uncommonly cold weather for college kids from California - the forecast calls for a temperature of 41 degrees at kickoff, falling to 37 later in the game (with only a 10 percent chance of rain). That seems reasonable to safety Sean Cattouse, who grew up in Chicago. "I've played in colder," he said, smiling. "I'm not wearing sleeves, a hand warmer, nothing. I want to get back to my roots." The forecast does not sound so reasonable to defensive lineman Tyson Alualu, who grew up in Honolulu. "Woo, it's going to be rough," he said. "I'm not a fan of cold weather, especially playing football. You've got to hit people and your body takes time to warm up, trying to get used to the weather."

Cal today

Who: Cal (8-3, 5-3 Pac-10) vs. Washington (4-7, 3-5)

Where: Seattle. When: 3:30 p.m.

TV/Radio: CSNCA/810

Story line: The Bears will finish in a tie for second place in the Pac-10 if they win, and a tie for fifth if they lose. They take momentum into Husky Stadium, with five wins in their past six games, including victories over Arizona and Stanford. Washington faltered after a strong start this season, but the Huskies and first-year coach Steve Sarkisian are dangerous at home, where they are 4-2 (including wins over USC and Arizona).

Injuries: Cal: TB Jahvid Best (concussion) and G Matt Summers-Gavin (concussion) are out. CB Syd'Quan Thompson (ankle) is expected to play. Washington: LB E.J. Savannah (hand) and C Ryan Tolar (head) are out. DT Cameron Elisara (shoulder) is questionable and S Victor Aiyewa (concussion) and TB Chris Polk (shoulder) will play.

What to watch for

-- Do not underestimate the impact of Summers-Gavin's absence. The Bears struggled to jump-start their running game in the three games he missed because of a shoulder injury (USC, Arizona State and Oregon State). They played significantly better when he returned.

-- Today's game could be the last in a Washington uniform for quarterback Jake Locker. He's contemplating whether to enter the NFL draft in April; most analysts expect Locker to be selected in the upper half of the first round.

-- Cal's defense, after struggling most of the season, hopped to life the past two games. The Bears held Arizona, then the No. 1 offense in the Pac-10, to 16 points and 274 yards; and Stanford, which replaced Arizona as the conference's top-ranked offense, to 28 points, 345 yards.

Contra Costa Times: Cal Bears football team's offensive line is growing up

Jonathan Okanes

The 2009 Big Game will long be remembered for Shane Vereen's running and Mike Mohamed's game-clinching interception, but history may show it was significant for another reason — it was the day that Cal's offensive line of the future came of age.  The Bears' offensive front dominated Stanford, helping Cal amass 477 yards of offense and 31 first downs in a 34-28 win on Nov. 21. The Bears had put up some big offensive numbers earlier in the season, but the opponents in those games didn't match Stanford, which entered the Big Game as arguably the hottest team in the country. "As far as feeling we could physically impose our will on them, that was probably the best we've done this year," Cal right tackle Mitchell Schwartz said. "We hit a rough patch in the middle of the year, and we put an emphasis on getting better. We had to look at ourselves in the mirror, and I think we've done a good job of that. We've just kept progressing throughout the year."  Cal's offensive line had its way with Stanford's defensive front, opening up running lanes for Vereen and protecting quarterback Kevin Riley, who was 17-for-31 for 235 yards and a touchdown. Vereen finished with a career-high 193 yards and three touchdowns on 42 carries.

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Seattle Times: Huskies look to finish with win over California

There's no bowl on the line, no cup to be had. Just a football game to be won.  And Washington coach Steve Sarkisian says that's all the motivation that should be needed for his team when it hosts California today at 3:30 p.m. at Husky Stadium in the season finale for UW.

"I think it's just big for us this year," Sarkisian said. "This is about us finishing the way we want to finish and playing the way we are capable of playing and to measure to see where we are at with one of the better teams in our conference."  That the opponent is Cal, however, also allows for a one-year progress report for the Huskies. UW finished last season against the Bears, a 48-7 loss in Berkeley that wasn't really that close. It was a game that came two days after it was learned that Sarkisian would be hired as coach, but with Tyrone Willingham still on the sideline for one last day. "That game was weird," said receiver Jordan Polk. "Some people wanted to play, some people didn't want to play. We were just in a hard position. But it's different now."  Indeed, UW is 4-7 in Sarkisian's first year, having shown demonstrable progress, including a 30-0 win in the Apple Cup last week.

But a surging Cal team, that comes in 8-3 and defeated Arizona and Stanford in its two most recent games, will provide a much more realistic sense than did the win over WSU of how much progress UW has made.  The Bears are 5-3 in Pac-10 play and a win today will likely sew up a spot in the Sun Bowl. They will be without running back Jahvid Best, a preseason favorite for the Heisman Trophy who suffered a back injury and concussion when he landed hard in the end zone against Oregon State on Nov. 7.  But sophomore Shane Vereen has stepped in for Best and rushed for 352 yards the past two games and Cal is playing as well as it has all year, having won five of its last six since back-to-back blowout losses to Oregon and USC. Sarkisian said this week of the Bears that he was "shocked they're only 8-3. You look at the film, they look like a top-10, if not a top-five football team. These guys are talented. They're athletic."  The more veteran Bears want to wash away the memory of their last trip to Seattle in 2007, a 37-23 Huskies victory that marked a low point after being ranked as high as No. 2 in the country that season.  "This is a huge game for us," said Cal quarterback Kevin Riley. "We definitely remember the last game up at Husky Stadium a couple of years ago. That was one of the worst feelings I've ever had. It just felt like the effort was down and some people didn't care. So we've got to be ready to play this game."

It could be the last game for UW quarterback Jake Locker, a junior who will consider leaving for the NFL draft, considered a first-round pick were he to declare.  Locker, though, said he was focusing on the certain reality that it is the final college game for the team's 15 seniors.

"It'll be hard, emotional, definitely," he said of watching the seniors depart. "But it just makes this game and wanting to send them out the right way just that much more important."

SF Chronicle: Vereen's Steps Into Lead Role Without Hiccup

 

As the Big Game twisted toward its suspenseful ending, Cal running backs coach Ron Gould stood on the sideline and occasionally peered into the eyes of tailback Shane Vereen. Gould didn't see any hint of fatigue, so he kept sending Vereen onto the field.  "I would turn and look at Shane and he would give me the nod," Gould said this week. "He ran with a tremendous amount of passion and purpose."  He also ran a mind-numbing 42 times. In two games as Cal's starter, since teammate and good friend Jahvid Best went down with a concussion, Vereen has 72 carries for 352 yards and four touchdowns. Not coincidentally, the Bears beat Arizona and Stanford. Now, as they head to Seattle for Saturday's regular-season finale against Washington, it requires no exhaustive video study to identify the key figure in Cal's offense. He wears No. 34, bursts through holes with striking efficiency and, much like Best, is difficult to catch in the open field.

Here's telling statistical evidence: Vereen, not Best, might extend Cal's streak of having a running back gain 1,000 or more yards (seven years and counting). Vereen stands at 738 yards this season, so he needs to average 131 against Washington and Cal's not-yet-determined bowl opponent.  That's realistic, especially if Best misses the bowl game. Best, with 867 yards, could reach the century mark if he returns for the bowl game and reclaims his starting job.

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Tiger Woods Booed At Big Game

Perhaps Cal fans knew something...

Daily Cal: Midweek Notebook

Matt Kawahara

When Jahvid Best talked to the media on Nov. 18, for the first time since sustaining a concussion on Nov. 7, the tailback made it clear that he wanted to be back in uniform for the Cal football team's regular-season finale against Washington. On Tuesday, coach Jeff Tedford made it clear that that will not happen.

Best was in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Tuesday, having his head evaluated to make sure that there are no lingering effects from the concussion. Michael Collins, a nationally renowned sports concussion clinician and researcher at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, was the specialist who saw Best, although Tedford said that the junior hasn't experienced symptoms such as headaches for a couple of weeks.

"It's still just making sure that the head is 100 percent completely clear," Tedford said. "It's something that we said after that happened, that we'd by no means take any risk or anything like that with him."

Best's back is still bothering him, Tedford said.

After their trip to Washington, the shortest amount of time that the Bears would have before playing in a bowl game would be roughly two weeks -- the Las Vegas Bowl, which Cal could theoretically fall to, is on Dec. 21. That, of course, would be Best's last chance to play this season. If Best does not return for Cal's bowl, he will face the decision over the offseason of whether or not to declare for the NFL Draft.

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Seattle Post Intelligencer: Golden Bears head to Pacific Northwest to take on Huskies

The 19th-ranked California Golden Bears will try to put themselves in position for a better bowl game this weekend, as they wrap up their regular season slate against the Washington Huskies in Pac-10 play at Husky Stadium.  The Bears were idle this past week, as they had time to enjoy their 34-28 upset at nationally-ranked Stanford on November 21st.  "That's a big one right there," said head coach Jeff Tedford. "Stanford's got a great football team. I'm really proud of our kids, our staff, the preparation that we put in the week."  Coupled with an upset of nationally-ranked Arizona (24-16) the prior week and Cal defeated a pair of Top 25 teams in consecutive weeks for the first time since 1950. It has been a quite a turnaround for the Bears, who have won five of their last six games after being outscored 72-6 in a pair of losses to Oregon and USC to being Pac-10 play. Now at 8-3 overall, Cal is assured of its school-record seventh straight bowl game, but where and when, will be determined by this weekend's outcome.

As for the Huskies, they finally found their way back into the win column last weekend, blanking Washington State, 30-0, to take the Apple Cup.  "I'm really, really proud of our football team," said head coach Steve Sarkisian. "We made a huge emphasis on making this a physical game, playing for 60 minutes, relentlessly and not worrying about what the score is, but playing the fashion of football that I know we're capable of playing."  It marked the program's first shutout since 1997 and snapped a four-game slide by Washington, which last won against Arizona back on October 10th. The Huskies are now 4-7 overall and 3-5 in the Pac-10 in their first season under Sarkisian and it's hard to ask for anymore considering the squad went winless a year ago.

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Sporting News: Cal-Washington Preview

California's pursuit of a Pac-10 championship ended weeks ago, but it still wants to finish the regular season strong and avoid being Washington's latest upset victim.  The 19th-ranked Golden Bears look for a third straight victory when they visit the pesky Huskies on Saturday in the regular-season finale for both schools.  California (8-3, 5-3) began the season ranked 12th and believing it could challenge for the Pac-10 title. Consecutive blowout losses to Oregon and Southern California to open league play all but ended those chances, but the Bears have bounced back by winning five of six, falling only to Oregon State - then unranked but now No. 13 - on Nov. 7.

"We stuck together well and even when things weren't going well we were able to pick it up," junior quarterback Kevin Riley said.  With a school-record seventh straight bowl appearance still to come, California looks to end the regular season with a three-game winning streak after beating then-No. 18 Arizona 24-16 on Nov. 14, and then-No. 14 Stanford 34-28 in its most recent game Nov. 21.  The victories over a pair of ranked teams have rejuvenated the Bears, who will try for their second straight victory and seventh in eight meetings with Washington (4-7, 3-5). "It's just about finishing strong, winning our ninth game, obviously going to Washington and playing a good Washington team," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. Washington is 3-1 in conference home games, which included a 16-13 win over then-No. 3 USC on Sept. 19, and a 36-33 victory over bowl-bound Arizona on Oct. 10.  "It's tough to play there," said Tedford, whose team is 4-1 on the road. "It's a hostile environment."

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Contra Costa Times: Cal Bears football team has backed up bold talk

Jonathan Okanes

After losing their first two Pac-10 games of the season, Cal's players set a goal of going 7-0 the rest of the way. Considering they lost those games by a combined score of 72-6, simply going 1-0 seemed a more manageable target. Apparently, the Bears could see something everyone outside their locker room could not. No, they can't go 7-0. But with a win at Washington on Saturday, they'd come pretty close.

Cal can go 6-1 to close out the regular season with a win over the Huskies. That could leave the Bears (8-3, 5-3) as high as tied for second place in the Pac-10 standings and put them in position for a 10-win season.  "After those first two losses, this team really did some soul-searching," Cal fullback Brian Holley said. "Previous teams may have folded and took a different direction. We came together and tried to make the best season possible. No one in this locker room stopped believing in us. We knew what kind of team we were. We knew what potential we had. It was just a matter of putting it together."

Cal had a bye week immediately after the losses to Oregon and USC, then won three in a row, albeit against some inferior competition.

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ESPN: Has Best played his last game for Cal?

Ted Miller

Cal-related excerpt:

It's unclear at this point if California running back Jahvid Best will play in a bowl game, and the junior is expected to enter the NFL draft. The Bears deserve some credit for their second-half surge.

Link to rest of article.

SF Chronicle: Best May Be Out for Bowl Game

Ron Kroichick

As Cal contemplates its many possible bowl destinations - anywhere from El Paso or San Francisco to San Diego or Las Vegas - it does so without tailback Jahvid Best anywhere close to returning to action.

More than three weeks removed from his scary fall Nov. 7, which left him with a severe concussion and lingering back pain, Best still hasn't rejoined practice. He missed Tuesday's session at Memorial Stadium, as his teammates began to prepare in earnest for Saturday's regular-season finale at Washington, because he was in Pittsburgh to visit a concussion specialist.

Best will not play against the Huskies, coach Jeff Tedford said in his weekly news conference. That will mark the third consecutive game Best has missed since he hurdled high into the air against Oregon State, got pushed higher and landed awkwardly on his upper back.  It also raises the distinct possibility that Best's season, and maybe his Cal career, is over. Best, a junior, has said he will decide after the season whether to enter the NFL draft in April.  He had hoped to return for Saturday's game: When he spoke to reporters for the first time after his injury, on Nov. 18, he indicated he "expected" to play against Washington. But the back pain has persisted, and Cal understandably is proceeding cautiously in the aftermath of Best's second concussion this season.

Read the rest here.

Seattle Times: Tedford rules Best out for Saturday

Cal coach Jeff Tedford said during his weekly meeting with the media today that running back Jahvid Best won't play against Washington at Husky Stadium Saturday.

Best, a junior, is the fourth-leading rusher in the Pac-10 at 96.3 yards per game (867 overall) but hasn't played since a harrowing fall against Oregon State on Nov. 7. While a concussion was the initial worry, his back is now the main concern. (You can find a complete transcript of Tedford's press conference here).

Asked about Best today, Tedford said: "No, no update at all. Jahvid did go back today to get evaluated in Pittsburgh [Pa.] and he'll be back tomorrow. He seems to be doing very well but we have not discussed at all a return."

Asked if Best would play against UW, Tedford said: "He won't play this week."

Asked to elaborate on Best's health, he said: "I don't know what they're doing. I do know that the expert in that field that a lot of people rely on is back there, so that's why he went there. But his head's been doing fine. His thing now is he's got a sore back, that's the main thing. He hasn't had any symptoms with headaches or anything like that for a couple weeks now. The back has been what's bothering him."

Cal hasn't missed a beat in the two games Best has missed, however, beating Arizona and Stanford with Shane Vereen rushing for 159 against the Wildcats and 193 againsnt the Cardinal.

Said Tedford of Vereen: "Shane's made a huge impact for us for the last couple years as he's kind of been the one-two punch with Jahvid. So we've had great confidence in him and he's such a down-to-earth, hardworking guy, focused guy, he really hasn't changed a bit. He works very hard throughout the week. Now, when he's carried the load a little bit, he has to rest a little bit more during the week because he's pretty banged up after the game. He was very banged up after last week, carrying the ball 42 times, so he didn't practice last week. We just tried to get him fresh and healthy. But he's the same guy. He always has great focus. He's so versatile with what he does. He can run it, he pass protects very well, he can catch it, you can put him out at receiver, he runs routes at all different levels, he has the speed to break it, so he's an excellent running back, but hasn't changed at all just with his role being increased."

Teford also touched on these UW-related topics:

 

On the Washington Huskies and how they've endured with their good start followed by four straight losses and a recent 30-0 win over Washington State: "They're back on track, I don't think that there's any doubt about that. They're playing really, really well. They lost some close games, some tough games there. But they beat SC there, they beat Arizona there. It's tough to play there. They have all their fans back, I think they had 68,000 last week for Washington State, so it's a hostile environment. Offensively they're playing really well. [Quarterback] Jake Locker is a guy who makes a big difference as far as throwing the football, pulling it down, running with it. [Chris] Polk, their tailback, is doing a great job. And then their defense is playing really well, played great last week against Washington State. Linebackers are athletic, can run. Their defensive line, very quick and agile. Secondary, very solid and they have a nice package, so they're doing a great job."

On the unique skill set of Husky junior QB Jake Locker: "It's rare to find someone that big with that type of speed, because when he gets in the open field, he can go the distance and he has quite a few times this year. And then he's throwing the ball very well. He's very accurate, he's throwing the ball, he knows what he's looking for. There's no question that he's a great player and you have to defend the whole field with him or he's going to burn you with his legs."

On the challenge of playing at Husky Stadium: "It's one of the tougher places to play in the conference when they have it going. Years ago it was very hostile to go in there, very loud. The last couple times we've been there it hadn't been as bad as it can be, but as I look at people on the sideline I see how [players] are trying to communicate up front, they're having some illegal procedure penalties, things like that. I'm sure that with 68,00 fans or over 60,000 for sure, it will be very, very loud there."

On reasons for Cal's road success this year, with a 4-1 road record going into the game at Washington: "We haven't done anything differently this year than we always have on the road. Nothing in preparation, nothing when we get there - there's no difference."

On whether freshman Husky RB Chris Polk plays with experience beyond his class year: "He looks like he's been around for a while. We're going into our 12th game, so he's had enough carries now. He's a 1,000-yard rusher, so he's had plenty of experience. You're going to continue to learn every time you touch the ball, but he runs physical, he has great speed, he's elusive, so he's a very good player. He doesn't look like a freshman."

On whether there are similarities between Washington and USC in film study: "Yeah, there is, both sides of the ball. Defensively, no question, with [former USC defensive coordinator] Nick Holt there, very similar to what SC does. And then obviously [former USC assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, now UW head coach Steve] Sarkisian playing a big role on offense, they do quite a bit of very similar stuff."

On whether the absence of Holt and Sarkesian at USC has been a factor in Trojans' three losses: "I don't know. I haven't watched them close enough. We played them a long time ago and after that I haven't watched them. I don't know what their issues are, I don't know how the transition's been ... We have our own issues so I really haven't paid attention to their issues."

 

Contra Costa Times: Cal Bears football team recharges batteries after bye

Cal left tackle Mike Tepper didn't want a bye week — until the bye week actually happened.  The Bears played their most complete game of the season in a 34-28 win over Stanford in the Big Game on Nov. 21. Considering that came after a 24-16 victory over then-No. 18 Arizona, Cal was feeling pretty good about itself.  The last thing the Bears wanted was to put an artificial obstacle in front of that momentum — until the scars from playing six weeks in a row began to surface.  "Usually by Wednesday, stuff stops hurting, and Thursday I'm feeling pretty good," Tepper said. "But (last) Wednesday, I thought maybe the bye week wasn't such a bad thing after all. I was pretty beat up. But I really did want to keep playing. We were on a roll."

After using the bye week to heal and rest, the No. 19 Bears now have to regain their momentum as they prepare for Saturday's regular-season finale at Washington. Cal (8-3, 5-3 Pac-10) has won five of its past six and will achieve a 10-win season if it defeats the Huskies (4-7, 3-5) and wins a bowl game.

"We were feeling pretty high," Cal linebacker Mike Mohamed said. "It's something you want to keep rolling. But at the same time, we had a lot of guys dinged up. We want to get that energy back. Hopefully, we're coming back fresh now and ready to close out the season."

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