San Jose Mercury: Cal takes a BCS tumble in defeat

The Cal Golden Bears appeared loose at Sunday evening's brief conditioning practice at Memorial Stadium, even in the wake of a bitter 31-28 loss to Oregon State that dropped Cal from a potential leader of the first Bowl Championship Series rankings to a debut at No. 12.  Nor did the Bears seem overly concerned that Saturday's loss dropped them from No. 2 to No. 10 in the Associated Press top 25.  "If we would have come out here all dragging and sluggish, that would make (the coaches') job harder to motivate us," Cal middle linebacker Worrell Williams said. "It's a loss. It's a minor setback. It's not something we can't bounce back from."  A day after the top two teams in the nation lost, Ohio State jumped to No. 1 in the first BCS poll and the AP Top 25 and South Florida - which had never been ranked before this season - followed suit at No. 2 in both.

The Bulls received 11 first-place votes after a 64-12 victory over Central Florida. The last year three teams held the No. 1 spot in the AP poll during the regular season was 2000, when Nebraska started No. 1, Florida State was top-ranked for a week and Oklahoma took over late in the season. As for Cal, the Bears were poised to move up to No. 1 after top-ranked LSU's loss earlier in the day. But turnovers, defensive breakdowns and one memorable mistake on the game's final play doomed Cal (5-1, 2-1 Pac-10). Now hopes turn from an undefeated season and a national championship to ending a Rose Bowl drought that dates back to the 1959 season.

"It hurts," said backup quarterback Kevin Riley, whose failure to throw the ball away on the last play cost Cal a chance at overtime. "I'm hurting and the team is hurting right now, but we can still win the rest of our games. In this college football season, you don't know what the hell is going to happen." Cal became the 10th team ranked in the Top 10 this season to lose to an unranked team, joining the likes of USC to Stanford and Michigan to Appalachian State. Coupled with LSU's 43-37 loss, it marked the first time in 11 years that the top two teams lost on the same day. The biggest play was the last. After Riley drove Cal from its 5 to the Oregon State 12 in the final 1:27, the Bears looked poised to send the game into overtime or even possibly win it. With 14 seconds left and no timeouts, coach Jeff Tedford chose to take a shot at the end zone instead of kicking the potential game-tying field goal. "Maybe you win the game," Tedford said. "A lot of times you second guess yourself, but I don't second guess this one. We just didn't make the play."

Riley dropped back, and with no receivers open, he decided to run for it instead of throwing the ball away. He was tackled at the 10 and there was no time to spike the ball or get the field goal unit on the field, providing a crushing ending to his first start.  Riley got the start in place of Nate Longshore, who has a sprained right ankle. Admittedly nervous at the start, Riley played well down the stretch and finished 20-for-34 for 294 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears may have lost their goal of going undefeated this season, but the uncertain nature of the 2007 version of college football still has them believing. Cal is very much alive in the Pac-10 race, and with no team across the country looking invincible, climbing back up the national ladder is a possibility. "The best teams in the country have all lost a game so far," Cal cornerback Brandon Hampton said. "We're still in it. All we can do is just win and put ourselves in a good position. That's the best you can do." The Bears now face a challenging stretch of their schedule - road games at UCLA and Arizona State, which is ranked No. 8 by the BCS. Cal also knows the games are opportunities to get right back in the national race and strengthen their pursuit of the Pac-10 crown.

San Francisco Chronicle: Injured QB wanted in, but game was Riley's

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Cal quarterback Nate Longshore found himself in a frustratingly familiar place during the Bears' 31-28 loss to Oregon State on Saturday night. After missing 111/2 games during his redshirt freshman season with a broken bone in his lower left leg, Longshore was back on the sideline with a sprained right ankle.  "It was brutal watching Cal play football," Longshore said Sunday. "I've watched far too many games since I've been here."  Longshore, who was hurt Sept. 29 in a win over Oregon, said the injury is more complex than a sprained ankle but chose not to elaborate. He also said he felt pretty good during Saturday's warm-ups. "The boss decides, and that's what we go with," he said. "There were certain times when I tried to lobby to play, but that was not the time or the place to lobby for 'put me in coach.' This isn't Pee Wee football."

Redshirt freshman and first-time starter Kevin Riley played admirably, completing 20 of 34 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns (one rushing). He'll be remembered, however, for allowing the clock to run out after driving the team into position for a game-tying field goal.  "It's tough standing over there, because your first thought is: 'It's so easy,' " Longshore said. "That's simple to say on the sideline, but when you're on the field and you feel like you can make a play, you go for it. Every great athlete tries to make that play and help out their team. I didn't second-guess him at all." Coach Jeff Tedford said Longshore is still day-to-day as the team prepares for a road game against UCLA.

Hanging loose: The players, for the most part, arrived for Sunday's conditioning practice with smiles on their faces.  "I take losses pretty well, especially losses from which we can bounce back," said middle linebacker Worrell Williams, who called safety Thomas DeCoud and defensive tackle Matt Malele at 8 a.m. with a message. "I called to tell them to get the guys' morale up. We can't be drooping around, or we'll go into the next game and get whooped."  Tedford and the rest of the coaching staff appreciated it. They showed up with grimaces and appeared to have gotten little sleep. "The players have pretty short memories, thankfully," Tedford said. "They always pick the coaches up. I have a lot of confidence that these guys will prepare well and won't forget the feeling of losing, but they also won't let it linger and will have positive energy throughout the week."

Tempering temper: The Versus telecast caught Tedford, who is usually publicly unruffled, screaming and throwing his headset after the loss.  "I was more frustrated that we didn't have a shot at tying the game," he said. "It was very emotional at the end, and it was very fast paced. I probably got a little overzealous with my emotions."

Briefly: Both receiver Robert Jordan and tight end Cameron Morrah have second-degree sprains of the AC joint in their shoulders and are day-to-day, Tedford said. ... Offensive linemen Alex Mack and Mike Tepper playfully ran post-practice passing routes for freshman quarterback Brock Mansion.

 

SF Chronicle: Bad news, Bears: Shot at No. 1 gone

Cal's chance of being on top of the college football world died 10 yards short as the final seconds ticked off the clock.  Backup quarterback Kevin Riley scrambled into daylight that quickly disappeared on a play from the 12-yard line with 14 seconds remaining Saturday at Memorial Stadium. He was tackled at the 10-yard line and, with no timeouts left, he frantically darted to the sidelines. The field-goal unit couldn't get on the field in five seconds and Oregon State escaped with a 31-28 win over the second-ranked Bears.

"I knew there were 14 seconds left on the clock, and the initial read wasn't there," said Riley, who found out 10 minutes before the game that starter Nate Longshore's sprained right ankle was too sore to play. "I saw some green field, and I thought I could get around that guy. I was just using playing-ball instincts. "I was in the middle of the play. I just couldn't make one." That was about the only play Riley, a redshirt freshman, didn't make down the stretch. Trailing 31-21 with 3:26 remaining, he led one scoring drive, capped by a 64-yard touchdown pass to Lavelle Hawkins, and was on the verge of another. After getting the ball back at the Bears' 6-yard line and with 1:27 remaining, he appeared poised to lead the game-tying or go-ahead drive. He connected with Hawkins for 19 yards on 4th-and-17, then hit Robert Jordan for 37 yards to Oregon State's 27. Riley's throw to DeSean Jackson drew a pass-interference call that set up the 1st-down play from the 12.

"Kevin played a gutsy game," coach Jeff Tedford said. "He did a very nice job of keeping his composure against a very good defense. ... It's not his fault whatsoever. He played his heart out, and we didn't lose because of that play." Tedford also stood by his decision to take one more shot at the end zone, instead of kicking the game-tying field goal with 14 seconds left. "Maybe you win the game," he said. "A lot of times you second-guess yourself, but I don't second-guess this one. We just didn't make the play." The Bears (5-1, 2-1 Pac-10) haven't beaten Oregon State (4-3, 2-2) in Berkeley since 1997, and the Beavers won in their normal fashion. They were committed to the run, won the turnover battle and made the courageous plays that escaped the Bears.  Tailback Yvenson Bernard ran for 110 yards, including 82 after halftime. Quarterback Sean Canfield, who had thrown 13 interceptions in his first six games, didn't throw a pick, and Cal doubled its season total of fumbles with two more. The Beavers scored on two 4th-and-goal chances, and the Bears failed on four attempts from inside the 2-yard line. "It's disappointing when you're on the 1-yard line, and you can't punch it in," Tedford said. "You have to give Oregon State credit, but you've got to be able to knock the ball in the end zone there."

Trailing 20-14 and facing a 3rd-and-4 with Dorian Smith draped around his legs, Riley rifled one to tight end Craig Stevens for a 23-yard gain. Hawkins, who had nine catches for 192 yards, drew a pass interference in the end zone two plays later, but tailback Justin Forsett couldn't score on four consecutive carries. "That goes on my shoulders," said Forsett, who had 150 rushing yards and a touchdown. "Even when there are tight spaces there, I've got to find a way to squeeze in there." Oregon State didn't have the same problems. Down 21-20, coach Mike Riley opted to go for it on 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Bernard, who had been stopped on three previous attempts from inside the 7, finally punched it in, and Canfield connected with Anthony Brown for the 2-point conversion for a 28-21 lead.

Cal freshman tailback Jahvid Best fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and a personal foul on defensive end Tyson Alualu pushed Oregon State into field-goal range. Kicker Alexis Serna, who earlier had drilled one from 52 yards, made the 33-yarder look easy as the Beavers went ahead 31-21. That set up Kevin Riley's chance at heroics. He was slapping hands and smiling as he led the final two drives.  "You could see him pick up some swagger," Forsett said. "I was having fun, you know?," said Riley, who went 20-for-34 with 294 yards and three scores (one rushing). "I thought we would go down there, get that drive and win the game. "The team just knew we were going to go down there and score, but it didn't work out for us."

Oregonian: Swallow up the run

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PAUL BUKER

The worst-case scenario for Oregon State on Saturday at No. 2 California?  The Golden Bears have no trouble running the ball with tailback Justin Forsett and OSU's relentless pass rush backs off, giving Cal quarterback Nate Longshore license to steal from the Beavers' secondary.  The best-case scenario?  A run defense that ranks No. 1 nationally stuffs Forsett and Co., the OSU pass rush chases Longshore all over Memorial Stadium, and Cal's high-octane offense sputters like somebody dumped sugar into the gas tank.

Cal is third in the Pacific-10 Conference in rushing at 198.60 yards per game, and the 5-foot-8, 196-pound Forsett ranks No. 2 in the conference in rushing (117.0) and leads the Pac-10 with nine touchdowns.  But the Bears weren't overpowering in their last game, gaining just 115 net yards on the ground in a 31-24 win at Oregon. While the Ducks' run defense is suspect, the Beavers' run defense is the stingiest in the country, allowing 43.3 yards per game.

Meanwhile, the Beavers' pass rush has accounted for 25 sacks, No. 1 in the Pac-10 and tied for second among all Football Bowl Subdivision teams.  Those numbers tell Cal coach Jeff Tedford that Oregon State might be trouble in Saturday's game, even though the unbeaten Bears are a two-touchdown favorite.  "You watch these guys on tape, not only the rush defense but the pass rush, and they're really, really good up front," Tedford said.  "Good front four, great linebackers . . . they play with a lot of effort, a lot of energy. There's no question, this is the best group we've played. You watch the tape, and you can tell these guys are for real."  OSU's ability to run 10 players in and out of games up front is unique in the conference.  Dorian Smith, Victor Butler and occasionally Jeff Kruskamp play at left end. Gerard Lee starts at left tackle, but William 'Akau 'ola Vea backs him up and has three sacks. Curtis Coker and Pernnell Booth play at right tackle, and OSU's right end-by-committee includes Jeff Van Orsow, Naymon Frank and Slade Norris, the team's co-leader with 51/2 sacks.

"They're good schematically at what they do and they come at you very, very hard," Tedford said.  Butler, who also had 51/2 sacks, said the OSU defense prides itself on "flying around" and using its athleticism and quickness to make plays. Last week, the Beavers suffocated the Arizona offense, sacking quarterback Willie Tuitama eight times. The Wildcats had a net of nine rushing yards in the game.  "Nine yards was too much for us," said Butler, only half in jest. "Our goal every game is to stop the run."  Stopping the run would be a good start if OSU wants to upset Cal.

 

Gazette Times: Michalczik helping Bears to top of the football world

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By Kevin Hampton

Jim Michalczik thought he was set at Oregon State.  Michalczik, an assistant football coach for the Beavers, had just moved his family into a new house that September in 2001. The Beavers won the Fiesta Bowl the season before and coach Dennis Erickson had turned down some lucrative job offers from Arizona State and USC.  Michalczik figured he would be staying around for years to come. After the season, he got on a plane in Eugene, heading to the Bay Area on a recruiting trip.  On the plane was Jeff Tedford, on his way to accept the head coach position at California. The two coaches knew each other when Michalczik was at Montana State and Tedford was at Fresno State. They recruited the same areas and ran similar offenses, so they got together to talk football every now and then.  They talked on the flight and Tedford wound up asking Michalczik if he would be interested in taking over as the Golden Bears’ offensive line coach. It was a big opportunity for Michalczik, who was helping Gregg Smith with the OSU offensive line as well as working with tight ends and serving as the special teams coordinator.

“He thought I was pretty happy at Oregon State and I was,” Michalczik said. “It was one those things where I just ran into somebody and it was a pretty good deal.” Michalczik decided to make the move. He played under Erickson at Washington State and was a member of his staff at Miami and OSU.  “Coming to Cal gave me a chance in some ways to leave the nest,” Michalczik said. “I knew Jeff Tedford and I knew we’d be successful here, but it was tough to leave.”  When Michalczik arrived in Corvallis in 1999, the Beavers were on the brink of turning around a 28-year losing streak. He helped Erickson do the job, as the Beavers went 7-5 including a loss to Hawaii in the Oahu Bowl. “You have certain things in coaching that you never forget,” Michalczik said. “I know it sounds silly, but winning that sixth game was the biggest thing we accomplished. Just seeing the joy on people’s faces and the jubilation.”

The next year, the team finished 11-1, routed Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl and finished No. 4 in the country. Cal, meanwhile, had hit rock bottom. The Golden Bears were 0-11 in ’99 (NOTE FROM BLOG EDITOR: THE 0-11 RECORD WAS DUE TO FORFEITURE FOR VIOLATIONS UNDER HOLMOE – THE ACTUAL RECORD WAS 4-7), 3-8 in 2000 and 1-10 in 2001. Then Tedford took over.  Michalczik knew the Bay Area and California as a whole was a fertile recruiting area, and Cal just needed the right combination of talent and coaching to start winning. He saw the same potential for success he experienced at Oregon State. “I think a lot of it was that we were fortunate to have good players, but a lot of it was just the attitude the players have going into the games,” he said. “It’s a process to get them to believe that they can succeed. That was the biggest thing when I came to Cal, was that we were starting over almost in a worse spot.”

It didn’t take long. The Golden Bears went 7-5 in 2002 and 8-6 in ’03, before hitting their stride with a 10-2 season in ’04, 8-4 in ’05 and 10-3 last season, capped with a win over Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl. Michalczik took over as offensive coordinator in the offseason and is still working with the linemen. Offensive tackle Mike Tepper said Michalczik brings a strong work ethic to his job and it rubs off on the players. “He works us hard and the things he works us on, they work, so we believe in him,” Tepper said. “He pushes us to be great individuals on and off the field.” The Golden Bears are 5-0 this season and have hit No. 2 in the polls going into Saturday’s game against Oregon State. A BCS bowl berth looks promising. Michalczik said there are similarities to the Beavers’ Fiesta Bowl season. The Beavers barely got past Eastern Washington and New Mexico and lost to Washington, but were constantly in building mode. “We got better each week,” he said. “By the time we got to the Fiesta Bowl, I don’t care who we would have played. If there were playoffs, we would have won it all.

Marin Independent Journal: Still hoping to play pro, Ayoob a fit as coach at Terra Linda

JOE AYOOB has already been The Scapegoat. Before that he was The Future, and before that he was The Star. But the former Cal quarterback began his football life as simply a passer for Terra Linda High, no label attached. It was a simpler time.  These days, back at Terra Linda, Ayoob has a new handle: The Coach. But he's still hoping he can become The Pro. Three months after graduating from Cal, Ayoob joined the Trojans' coaching staff just before the season began and has been helping with more than just the quarterbacks. His experience as a NCAA Division I quarterback is invaluable with the Terra Linda players, but Ayoob is hoping that experience can land him a job as a professional football player somewhere. "I'm still trying to play pro football, so (coaching with TL) was a logical move for me," Ayoob said. "I can stay in the game and work with the kids. It facilitates my workouts." On Saturday, Ayoob and former TL teammate Anthony Ferguson were both at an open tryout for the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena League. They both made it through the initial cuts and are hopeful they will be among the half-dozen or so who will get called back for a final look from the team.

Read the entire article here.

San Jose Mercury News: Cal gets LB Follett back for Oregon State

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By Jonathan Okanes

After missing the past two games and most of a third because of a neck stinger, Cal strong side linebacker Zack Follett will be back for Saturday's Pacific-10 Conference game against Oregon State at Memorial Stadium.  Follett said he doesn't expect to start but will be on the field for special packages. His teammates acknowledge that his presence will provide a boost. "He brings that extra fire," free safety Thomas DeCoud said. "He brings that little extra ball of energy on the field that we all kind of draw from. He's a playmaker. We've been missing him that past couple of games. It will be great to have him back." Follett was injured in the Bears' game against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 15, then missed conference games against Arizona and Oregon. Follett said he probably could have played in the showdown against the Ducks but wanted to take advantage of the following off week to take more time to heal. It worked out perfectly. The Bears pulled off their 31-24 victory without him, and now Follett is ready to go.

"I was watching the game back at my house back at home (in Clovis), and I was screaming so loud after every play," Follett said of the Oregon game. "I wanted to be out there. There were some plays where I was like, 'I would have made that play or I would have done this.' They've been holding it down without me. I've been real fortunate."  Without Follett, the Bears showed that they have depth at linebacker. Redshirt freshman  Mike Mohamed and senior Justin Moye played well in his place. Still, there's a different dynamic on the field with Follett, a preseason candidate for the Butkus Award. "The guys who have filled in have done a nice job, but Zack brings a little something special, flying around the field, coming off the edge on pass rush, things like that," Cal Coach Jeff Tedford said. "It's nice to see him back out there running around."

• Quarterback Nate Longshore, who suffered a sprained ankle at Oregon, is expected to start Saturday, even though backup Kevin Riley has been practicing with the first team.

• Cal has lost three consecutive home games to Oregon State, a streak that dates to 1997. In the Beavers' last trip to Berkeley in 2005, running back Yvenson Bernard rushed for 194 yards as Oregon State upset the then-No. 18 Bears 23-20.  "I lost to them once. That was enough," Cal linebacker Worrell Williams said. "They came in here and actually embarrassed us, really. (Bernard) had almost 200 yards against us or something like that. It was ridiculous. I had a big hand in that. I want to turn that around." Bernard, a senior, is one of the Pac-10's top running backs. He is third in the conference in rushing at 107 yards per game.

Sacramento Bee: Cal's Thompson, Williams grow into mommy's fiercest

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By Joe Davidson

They look tough, talk tough, play tough.  Syd Thompson and Worrell Williams even grew up tough -- proud of it -- in the hard-boiled neighborhood of Del Paso Heights, never too far from an auto repair shop or liquor store. But deep down, a soft spot has been exposed for the friends who are more like brothers spanning their Grant High School days to their Cal tour now. Forget the scowls and growls. That's window dressing to their soft souls. So say the two women who would know -- their mothers -- with an added disclaimer: Their lads are every bit mama's boys.  "Oh, man, it's so true," said Williams, the Bears' bruising linebacker, laughing with Thompson, the sleek cornerback, after Sunday's practice in Berkeley. "Both of us, we love our moms to death." Said Thompson: "We're pretty much their pride and joy."

It's a mutual affection, to be sure. With the nurturing over the years have been some doses of tough love. It wasn't unusual to find Patty Thompson or Williams' mother, Sherri Kirk, on the Grant campus to monitor attendance and academic progress. And nothing quite humbles and brings a heat wave down the back of the Big Man on Campus when he strolls into class five minutes late to see dear ol' mom planted in his seat, arms crossed, eyes on fire.  These days, the moms and a flock of friends and family trek to Cal games to root on their own. Cal has become a national story, with the Bears ranked No. 2 in the land. And lofty expectations and high rankings are nothing new for Thompson and Williams and their followers. Where they hail from, the Heights, there are two passions to live by: football and faith, touchdowns and church.

"Friday night football when they were in high school, Saturdays now with our boys in college, and then Sunday, the whole new order: Church," said Patty Thompson, Syd's mother. "It's always been like that in the community. It makes it unique and special." That their sons are so close to home comforts the mothers to no end. Once their baby, always their baby. When son Syd calls with a cough, mother Thompson asks if she needs to zip to Berkeley for some care. He'll say no, but his tone says yes. Kirk is sure that son Worrell is well fed, always. She grimaces when recalling her oldest wasn't just born. He was founded, nearly 12 pounds at birth. Thompson, delivered a year later, was a relative breeze, barely seven pounds. No cursing with that labor.

Williams and Thompson grew into prep All-Americans at Grant, do-everything talents who generated substantial recruiting interest. They still embrace their home community, returning home when they can to see relatives and stop by church and Grant High. Both are social welfare majors. Both want to give back to their communities. "I want to help kids," Syd Thompson said. "Kids from the neighborhood, our neighborhood, from low-income homes. I want to show that there's hope." "It's great to see them doing so well at Cal, and the kids here look up to them," Grant coach Mike Alberghini said. "When they graduate with those degrees, they'll be in good shape for the rest of their lives." Football runs in the family for Williams. His father, Derwin, played at Grant before his knees gave out, though he did play baseball for a spell at UC Davis. Williams' uncle, Channing Williams, is a Grant legend. Older brother D.J. was a national high school Player of the Year for De La Salle of Concord when the Spartans were setting prep records for winning streaks. D.J. nearly accepted a scholarship to Cal. The linebacker would have been the Bears' greatest recruiting coup in years, but he opted for Miami. He now plays for the Denver Broncos.

Worrell Williams nearly went to Miami but opted for Cal, a coup who didn't get away. Mother Kirk, for one, was relieved. She's the rowdy one with jersey No. 1 in the stands.

"I am so thrilled he's at Cal, so proud," she said. "I know he sees and feels me in the stands. I call him by his nickname -- 'Booley' -- and he'll look up at me as if to say, 'I feel your love, mom!' " Thompson took a recruiting trip to Oklahoma and gave the Sooners a hard look, partly because he has family there. But with Williams in his ear, pitching the merits of Cal, he became a Bear. He is Cal's top cornerback, a sophomore second-year starter and a burner at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds. Williams is a ferocious hitter with excellent mobility at 6-2, 245 pounds, a junior second-year starter. Together, they are ready to seize a piece of Cal history, prominent in the Cal master plan of chasing Rose Bowls or more. Bears coach Jeff Tedford lights up when he talks about his Sacramento products, raving about their leadership, skills and potential, concluding that they "are excellent players."

On Saturday, the Bears host Oregon State. The moms will be there. Until then, there will be daily talks between sons and mothers. And Patty Thompson, Syd's mother, said she can't help but giggle when she warns her son with a forced authoritative tone: "Don't make me come down there early!"

SF Chronicle: Beavers Dominate with Defense

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Jake Curtis

Oregon State's 5-6 record in 1998 was so admired, coach Mike Riley was made head coach of the San Diego Chargers. Oregon State's 5-6 record in 2005 was so disappointing, Riley's job as Beavers head coach was said to be in jeopardy. Expectations have changed a great deal for the Beavers, who bounced back with a 10-4 record last season but are far from satisfied with the 3-3 record they carry into Saturday's game against No. 2 Cal. The Beavers know they have the tools. With their penchant for upsets and their dominating defense, Oregon State is just a quarterback shy of contending for a Pac-10 championship. A conference title was not within dreaming distance when Riley arrived in 1997, and he called the challenge he faced that year "scary." The Beavers had been so bad for so long that Oregon State coach Dave Kragthorpe was named Pac-10 coach of the year in 1989, when the Beavers went 4-7-1. "We are always reminded about those times," senior defensive end Jeff Van Orsow said.

Lack of depth and the absence of team speed, particularly on defense, were cited as shortcomings the Beavers might never overcome. However, speed was the calling card of the 2000 Beavers, who were coached by Dennis Erickson, shared a Pac-10 title and finished ranked No. 4. And Oregon State's strength this season is speed and depth on defense. The Beavers lead the nation in rushing defense and are second in sacks, with 26. More significant perhaps is that 15 of their sacks have been by non-starters, and Oregon State's leaders in sacks - defensive ends Victor Butler and Slade Norris, with 51/2 apiece - have not started a single game. "We've got a good rotation," Van Orsow said. "I come out on third-and-long because I'm not the best pass rushers and those other guys are fresh." Van Orsow is a good enough pass-rusher to have eight career sacks, and he is representative of Oregon State's linemen these days. He and starting defensive tackle Curtis Coker and backup defensive end Jeff Krukamp were recruited by Erickson, who emphasized speed above all else when evaluating players.

Another Erickson recruit is all-conference running back Yvenson Bernard, the latest in a succession of standout Beavers backs following Ken Simonton, who is second to USC's Charles White in Pac-10 career rushing yardage, and Steven Jackson, now with the St. Louis Rams. Bernard is averaging more than 100 yards a game again this season and had the best day of his career two years ago against Cal, when he rushed for 194 yards in a 23-20 upset of the then No. 18 Bears in Berkeley. Two years before that, in 2003, the Beavers upset Cal in Berkeley one week after the Bears had handed eventual co-national champ USC its only loss of the season. In 2004, Oregon State had defending national champion and No. 3-ranked LSU all but beaten in Baton Rouge, but three missed extra points, including one in overtime, sent the Beavers to a 22-21 defeat. Last year, Oregon State, then 4-3, finished off a major upset, ending USC's 38-game regular-season winning streak when Van Orsow knocked down John David Booty's two-point conversion pass for a 33-31 victory over the No. 3 Trojans.

Riley and Van Orsow use words like "confidence" and "opportunity" to explain Oregon State's upset binge, and to get another one Saturday, the Beavers will need a solid game from sophomore quarterback Sean Canfield. Though he does most everything right-handed, including writing and throwing a baseball, Canfield throws a football left-handed. He has thrown 13 interceptions, the most by any quarterback in the country, and the Beavers' 23 turnovers are also the most in Division I-A (now called the Bowl Subdivision) and the chief reason the Beavers have lost three games. "He's better, improving, but still inconsistent," Riley said. Canfield's two interceptions last week against Arizona did not come until after the Beavers had built a 31-3 lead in a game that ended 31-16. And there is little doubt he will be the key variable Saturday.

Statesman Journal: Beavers have history of Berkeley wins; Canfield holds the key

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JAMES DAY

In 2003, the University of California scored perhaps its biggest victory under coach Jeff Tedford, a 34-31 triple-overtime win against USC. The next week, Oregon State's Steven Jackson ran wild against the Bears in Berkeley, rushing for 227 yards in a 35-21 deflater. Two years later, the Beavers returned to Berkeley, with No. 10 Cal boasting a 5-1 record. This time it was Yvenson Bernard carrying the mail, chewing up 194 yards and leading OSU to a 23-20 victory. What about 2004 and 2006, I hear you cry? Well, Cal flattened the Beavers but good, by a combined score of 90-20.

The two teams meet Saturday at Cal, with the No. 2 Bears enjoying their highest ranking since two years before I was born (did they even have polls that long ago?). And the Beavers are 3-3 and just lost their best playmaker, Sammie Stroughter, for the season.

Another Cal rout? Another stunning Beaver upset? Here are some numbers that lead me to think the Beavers have a shot. OSU is giving up 43 yards per game on the ground, first in the nation. The Beavers also are second in the nation in sacks. Perfect! Shut down the run and then sack the snot out of quarterback Nate Longshore when he tries to pass. The only problem with that scenario is that the Bears' speedy receivers will severely test a banged-up OSU secondary, and Beavers QB Sean Canfield still is putting the vise grips on coach Mike Riley's mental health. If Canfield is interception-free, OSU has a shot. If he throws three, it could get ugly. I think it will be somewhere in between. Cal wins 31-17.

Sporting News: Tedford Possible Candidate for Texas A&M Coach?

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“What would be next for A&M? The speculation has begun at many places. The Aggies will have to go for a big name and pay big bucks -- $4 million a year -- for an energetic coach who can battle recruiting machines at Texas, Oklahoma and LSU. Who will that be?  Names I have heard -- again -- are Cal's Jeff Tedford, Rutgers' Greg Schiano and Auburn's Tommy Tuberville.”

San Jose Mercury: Could the BCS leave Cal out again?

By Jon Wilner

The first Bowl Championship Series standings will be released Sunday afternoon, and Cal fans might detect the stench of 2004. Remember the Texas two-step? The Longhorns jumped over Cal and into the BCS on the final week of the regular season even though the Bears won and UT didn't play. Sunday, the Bears might not be No. 2 in the BCS standings - even though, with a victory over Oregon State, they'll probably be No. 2 in the polls. This time, the antagonist would be Ohio State, with the Buckeye Bushwhack coming down like this:  Cal is No. 2 in both the coaches' poll and the Harris poll, which make up two-thirds of the BCS standings. The average of six computer polls accounts for the other third. And in most of the computers - not all of the data is available yet - Ohio State is ahead of Cal. (In the software operated by Ken Massey, the Bears are No. 8.) Meanwhile, in the human polls, Cal has a slim lead on Ohio State: 17 points in the coaches' and 11 in the Harris. Would that narrow lead offset OSU's projected edge in the computer polls? A few votes either way could be the difference, which means we've reached the style portion of the season. Starting Saturday against Oregon State, the Bears must do more than win. They must look good doing it - something they didn't do in the 2004 finale at Southern Mississippi, precipitating their demise.

The Buckeye Bushwhack outlined above is not intended to alarm Old and Young  Blues. With seven weeks left in the season, the competition for No. 2 doesn't much matter (unless OSU runs the table, in which case it might matter quite a bit). But it should serve as a reminder that when it comes to the BCS, make no assumptions. What else should we look for Sunday?

• The fall of Troy.

The most significant development of the entire season could turn out to be the voters' treatment of USC following its shocking loss to Stanford. The Trojans only dropped six spots in the coaches' and Harris polls, from No. 1 to 7, providing them with a perch from which to climb back into the hunt. And don't think they can't. The Trojans are 36-3 under Pete Carroll from Oct. 13 through the end of the regular season. If they're in the BCS top 10, watch out.

• Hawaii vs. the computers.

The Warriors, who visit San Jose State on Friday, are the only outsider with a chance to pull a Boise State. To crash the BCS party, they must finish in the top 12 or be in the top 16 and ahead of a champion from a Big Six conference. Currently, the Warriors are No. 16 in both polls - excellent position for this point in the season. But their BCS ranking could be much lower because of the computers, who aren't impressed with Hawaii's schedule. It's No. 170 in the Sagarin ratings, and there are only 119 teams in Division I-A.

• A Bulls run to the top.

Thanks to victories over Auburn and West Virginia, South Florida is No. 5 in the coaches' poll, No. 6 in the Harris poll and well liked by the computers. Could the Bulls, if they keep winning, finish No. 1 or 2 in the BCS standings? Could they - and not Cal or Ohio State or Oklahoma - end up playing LSU for the national title?

• Is it 2003 all over again?

That year, top-ranked Oklahoma got thrashed in the Big 12 title game but dropped only to No. 3 in the human polls. Because they were No. 1 in the computers, the Sooners were able to sneak into the BCS title game against LSU and bump USC into the Rose Bowl. Controversy and outrage followed. And what do we have this year? Only the potential for LSU, USC and Oklahoma to create more chaos

Alameda Times Star: Integrity, not steroids, turned Cal Bears into football power

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Dave Newhouse

There's something going on at Berkeley's Memorial Stadium that might win the approval of even the tree sitters. The University of California's football team is ranked No. 2 in the nation's latest collegiate polls. Now it's not so much that the Golden Bears haven't been ranked this high in 56 years, but the manner in which it was accomplished: ethically.  With the seemingly rampant cheating that has infiltrated the world of sports, and the world, it's comforting to know that Cal has risen from the dump heap of college football to the high-rise level: cleanly.  Coach Jeff Tedford took over at Cal in 2003 following its dismal 1-10 record the season before. Some coaches have resorted to prostituting themselves in order to get ahead, but not Tedford.  His players go to class, they don't use steroids, they exude sportsmanship. And they win.  In Tedford's first year at Cal, he played golf with R.C. Slocum and asked the man who had rebuilt Texas A&M into a football power for some sound advice.  "Don't ever compromise your integrity," Slocum told him.  There's little chance of that ever happening, for Tedford embodies integrity. His mentor at the University of Oregon, Mike Bellotti, describes Tedford as a "Boy Scout."

It's a shame others in the international sphere of competition aren't so honorable.  Women's sprinting champion Marion Joneshas confessed, after previous denials, to steroids use. She has returned her five 2000 Olympic Games  medals to the United States Olympic Committee and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.   The list is growing of athletes who cheated in their illicit zest for success. Tour of France cycling champion Floyd Landis forfeited his title after laboratory tests showed he had taken illegal supplements.

Baseball player Jason Giambi has admitted taking steroids, joining former player Jose Canseco, whose admission was motivated financially by a tell-all book. Steroids accusations have been directed at other sluggers such as Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and Barry Bonds.  Bonds told a grand jury he took growth hormones unknowingly. Meanwhile, his personal trainer, Greg Anderson, has been imprisoned twice for refusing to detail their relationship. Welcome to the BALCO generation.  Cheating, though, isn't anything new in sports, i.e., the 1919 Chicago White Sox and the 1950s college basketball scandals. East Germany and the Soviet Union then became most creative in "juicing" their Olympic athletes.  Not just athletes have taken wayward paths. There's Richard Nixon, Charles Keating, Michael Milken and Kenneth Lay of Enron. Even the 1960 and 2000 presidential elections seemed corrupt. Dead bodies voting? Hanging chads?  It's enough to wonder where the country's morals have disappeared. That's why it's refreshing to observe what Tedford has done at Cal.  Although he came from a broken home, and barely knows his father, Tedford credits his mother, siblings and his coaches with teaching him correct values. He carried on their teachings into his own coaching.  He can't do it alone, though. He praised the efforts of Cal strength and conditioning coach John Krasinski, who educates the players to "do it the right way" through weightlifting and proper nutrition.  So as Cal (5-0) prepares to face visiting Oregon State (3-3) on Saturday, a No. 2 ranking can be achieved honestly, without bending the rules.

"No way would we ever find that acceptable," said Tedford.  Yet he looks around and sees what has happened to those who've bent the rules all out of shape, such as Marion Jones.  "I'm not here to judge anyone," said Tedford. "I have to give her credit for coming out and admitting it. That says a lot. She's probably lived with a lot of skeletons about that. It's probably a lot of weight off her shoulders, even though it's tough to come out and do that."  Jones likely was pressured into making a confession because the feds were closing in. Other high-profile athletes may soon feel similar pressure.  But that's the Boy Scout in Tedford, doing honor onto himself, building personal integrity, and trying to see a good side in everybody.

Go Bears!

 

Seattle Post Intelligencer: Pac-10 Notebook

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Excerpt:

BEAVER REPLAY? Oregon State started 2-3 last season, including an embarrassing blowout loss on the road against a Cinderella team -- Boise State -- before rolling up victories in eight of its final nine games. So perhaps the Beavers are in for the same reversal of fortune this year. And haven't they won three consecutive games at California? Maybe they will turn things around after a critical 31-16 win over Arizona, but they will have to start taking care of the football, starting with sophomore quarterback Sean Canfield. Oregon State "leads" the nation with 23 turnovers, in large part because Canfield "leads" the nation with 13 interceptions.

It was considered a minor victory when he had only two against the Wildcats, but that number may have been low because the offense played conservatively in the second half and gained only 44 yards. "I think we've got a good quarterback in the making," said relentlessly optimistic coach Mike Riley. While Canfield can't make mistakes against Cal if the Beavers hope to pull off the upset, the more intriguing matchup may be the Bears' offensive line against the Beavers' aggressive front. Cal has given up only four sacks in five games. The Beavers average 4.33 sacks per game, second in the nation.

New Hampshire Union Leader: Heisman Watch

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5. DeSean Jackson, WR, California, Junior (idle): Perhaps the most exciting player in college football. His make-or-break game with be Nov. 10 against Southern California.

Orange County Register: UCLA's defensive line takes another hit

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“UCLA is allowing an average of 7.1 yards on 16 punt returns, eighth in the Pac-10. Cal receiver DeSean Jackson is averaging 11.9 yards on his returns and is one of the best in the nation. That will put a lot of pressure on Aaron Perez next week, when the No. 2 Bears are at the Rose Bowl. "I watched some film on him. You watch that one return against Tennessee (a 77-yard touchdown) and you know," Perez said. "The coaches I'm sure will come up with something."”

Bear Insider: NOTEBOOK: Oregon State at California

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Arkansas Democrat Gazette: New place for Cal

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“Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle isn’t sure what to think about California Coach Jeff Tedford now that Tedford’s team is ranked No. 2 in college football.  “For someone who disavows interest in the polls, California Coach Jeff Tedford still votes in the coaches’ poll each week,” Ratto wrote. “Well, his name is on his ballot each week. Whether he actually votes is an open question.  “ We’d rather believe what many folks believe, that Tedford’s vote is actually handled by an underling. It is standard coaching behavior in the coaches’ poll, it sounds exactly like one of the details Tedford would delegate, and besides, not caring about the polls isn’t a sometimes thing. You have to not care about it every day, day in and day out, and you have to make sure your not caring rubs off on your players.  “ ‘We’ve been ranked before, so this isn’t anything new for us,’ he said in his best don’t-care front. ‘It doesn’t matter to us. The bull’s-eye is on us, no matter what.’”

Oregonian: Clark tells Cal to cross at his corner

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The OSU sophomore, replacing injured Keenan Lewis, hopes fast DeSean Jackson comes his way -

PAUL BUKER

CORVALLIS -- There isn't a hint of fear in sophomore cornerback Tim Clark's voice when he talks about making his first start against No. 2 California's DeSean Jackson, considered by many the most dangerous player in college football.  Clark said he isn't concerned about Cal quarterback Nate Longshore picking on him during Saturday's game in Berkeley.  "Do I think they might come after me?" said Clark, repeating a question. "I hope so."  In other words, Clark said, bring it on. Ah, youth.  "I want to be a playmaker," Clark said. "I know I'm a playmaker. . . . So I hope they do come after me."  He probably can count on it.  Clark, a 6-foot, 175-pound sophomore from Compton, Calif., has spent most of his OSU career playing on special teams, waiting for the call in the event that something might happen to one of the team's veteran cornerbacks, Keenan Lewis and Brandon Hughes.

The call came last week.  Lewis, perhaps the Beavers' best cornerback, was injured in the Arizona game and will be lost two to three weeks with a knee strain.  That puts Clark in front of the Versus Network cameras at Memorial Stadium, as the depleted OSU secondary deals with a potent Cal receiving corps that includes Robert Jordan and Lavelle Hawkins on one side and Jackson -- who can score any time he touches the ball -- on the other side.  It is not a good week for OSU to be without Lewis, but coach Mike Riley said he has confidence that Clark can fill in adequately.  Riley said he has not lost sleep this week wondering if Jackson -- a leading Heisman Trophy candidate -- will beat Clark deep or turn him into a pretzel with a juke move.  "The fact of the matter is, every corner who plays the game is going to be isolated at times," Riley said. "Tim Clark is a good player. We see him as a younger version of the two guys that start, so we're very confident in his play."  Riley said the Beavers won't try to flip-flop Clark to keep him away from being matched up one-on-one with Jackson. And OSU won't alter its scheme, which calls for hands-on press coverage by its cornerbacks.

Clark, asked about perhaps giving Jackson some room out of respect for his speed, said: "I'm still pressing. I'm not changing anything I do."  Lewis was in a walking cast Tuesday, hobbling around the Valley Center while his teammates talked excitedly about their shot at upsetting the Bears.  "Keenan's been doing everything he can to help me get ready," Clark said.  Lewis and Clark have watched tape, studying the Cal receivers. Hughes has helped, too.  "When he came in the Arizona game, I was in his ear," Hughes said. "I was probably in his ear a little too much. I just wanted him to be aware of the situation, to know that they would probably go his way."  Clark's performance, good or bad, probably will be a major factor at Cal.  "This is a great 'coming out' game for him," said Hughes, who has two interceptions and a team-leading six pass break-ups this season.

Lewis said, "He knows they're definitely going to challenge him, and it's vital that he responds."  Clark said he isn't nervous about playing in a nationally televised game against the No. 2 team.  "I wouldn't call it being nervous, I would call it being anxious," he said. "I'm anxious to let people see that we're deeper than they think at the (defensive back) position.  "And really, how often do you get a chance like this? Playing a nationally ranked team, in front of a national audience? . . . Doesn't matter to me what their ranking is, I'm just going to be out there competing. I'm just going to be out there playing ball."  He's playing ball against a wide receiver/punt returner who has been compared to former USC star Reggie Bush for his explosiveness.  He's playing ball against DeSean Jackson.  "I respect him as a ballplayer," Clark said. "He's good. He's fast. He uses his speed as a weapon. But give him room? Personally, I don't want to (back off) because I think I'll do better when I'm up on him, within arm's reach. . . . Plus, I feel like I can run with anybody, you know?"  So is it watch out, Tim Clark? Or watch out, DeSean Jackson?  We will find out Saturday.

 

Statesman Journal: Clark, Beavers' secondary faces tough job

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Jackson, other receivers to test depleted backfield

GARY HOROWITZ

CORVALLIS -- Oregon State sophomore cornerback Tim Clark faces a daunting challenge.  Clark, who is expected to make his first career start Saturday at No. 2 California in place of Keenan Lewis (knee strain), will find himself matched up against DeSean Jackson at some point.  Jackson leads the Golden Bears with 28 receptions for 312 yards and two touchdowns. He is coming off a career-high 11 catch, 161-yard performance against Oregon. A Heisman Trophy candidate, Jackson has returned six punts for touchdowns in his career. "I'm definitely looking forward to the opportunity to be matched up with DeSean Jackson," Clark said. "They say he's one of the best receivers I'm going to go against, and I'm just excited to go out and compete with him and have some fun." Lewis, who is considered the Beavers' best cover corner, was injured in the second quarter of Saturday's 31-16 victory against Arizona. He is expected to be out two or three weeks. The Beavers also could be without strong safety Daniel Drayton (groin pull), who missed the Arizona game.

"I feel like I have a lot of experience now with a couple games under my belt," said Clark, who had four tackles and a pass breakup against the Wildcats. "Keenan's doing everything to help me off the field, watching film with me, telling me what I need to watch for." In addition to Jackson, the Bears feature wideouts Robert Jordan and Lavelle Hawkins. Quarterback Nate Longshore has completed 63.8 percent of his passes. OSU plays primarily man-to-man defense, and Clark will be tested Saturday. "Every corner that plays the game is going to be isolated at times and he's got to make plays," coach Mike Riley said. "Timmy Clark's a good player. We see him as a younger version of the two guys that start (Lewis and Brandon Hughes) and so we're very confident in his play." Stroughter update: Split end Sammie Stroughter, who will pursue a medical redshirt because of a bruised kidney, is expected to be on the Beavers' sideline during games for the remainder of the season.

Although Stroughter could make himself eligible for the 2008 NFL draft, that scenario is unlikely. He is expected to graduate winter quarter. "I think he's going to go to school and play football for the Beavers for another year," Riley said. Although Stroughter played in just three games this season, he leads the team with two touchdown receptions. Dominant defense: The Beavers lead the nation in rushing defense, allowing 43.3 yards per game. They are tied for second in quarterback sacks with 26, paced by defensive ends Victor Butler and Slade Norris with 5 1/2 apiece. OSU gave up just nine yards rushing in the Arizona game. "We're going into the game saying, 'You're not going to run against us,'" Norris said.

Turnover story: Oregon continues to have the dubious distinction as the national leader with 23 turnovers. Quarterback Sean Canfield has thrown the most interceptions (13).

Bernard piling up yardage: Tailback Yvenson Bernard is third in the Pac-10 and 22nd in the nation in rushing, with an average of 107 yards per game. Bernard has rushed for 642 yards and seven touchdowns this season.