Daily Cal: Midweek Notebook: Week 10

Matt Kawahara

The Cal football defense hasn't had much success over the past two seasons against little guys who can run with the football.  Last season, the Bears didn't have a problem slowing down bruisers like Michigan State's Javon Ringer and Stanford's Toby Gerhart. But they were sliced and diced by Arizona's Keola Antolin (5-foot-8) and Oregon State's James and Jacquizz Rodgers (both 5-foot-7). Jacquizz rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown in the Beavers' 34-21 win over Cal; James returned a kickoff 86 yards to the end zone and scampered for another 18-yard score.

A little over a month ago, Oregon's 5-foot-9 LaMichael James continued the trend with 118 yards on the ground.  All that doesn't bode well for this weekend, when the brothers Rodgers -- who currently rank No. 1 and 2 in the Pac-10 in all-purpose yardage -- bring their act to Memorial Stadium.

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SF Chronicle: Bears need to play better than they did at ASU

Ron Kroichick

For all of Cal's grit and perseverance and clutch play in beating Arizona State, the Bears returned to practice Tuesday to confront this little slice of reality: They need to play better in the weeks ahead.

If they repeat many of the mistakes in that spirited but sloppy triumph, well, good luck Saturday against Oregon State. Cal committed a season-high 12 penalties (for 115 yards), fumbled the ball four times (losing two), missed two field-goal tries and again struggled in kickoff coverage.  The penalties were most striking, because the Bears entered the game with the fewest penalties in the Pac-10.

"They were little things, either a false start or using poor judgment blocking in the back on a return," coach Jeff Tedford said. "We need to tighten that up, no question about it."

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SF Examiner: #20 Cal Bears move up the BCS standings

Rob Calonge

Cal is ranked in the BCS standings for the second straight week--mostly due to the high ranking of both #8 Oregon and #12 USC. The computers don't take into account scoring margin, so it's just as if the Bears lost by a point to both teams.

While we all know better than the computers, it appears that Oregon's lopsided victory over USC has given the coaches a little more understanding to Cal's loss in Autzen. The USA Today Coaches' Poll ranks Cal at No. 23. The AP seems to also feel the same way, as Cal returned to that poll with the same ranking--No. 23.

The last time Cal was ranked in either poll, they were getting ready for their 30-3 loss to USC at home. After narrowly defeating Arizona State 23-21 on the road, it would seem that all is forgiven--for now. They still have the challenge of beating Oregon State, #21 Arizona, Stanford, and Washington.

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SF Chronicle: One kick to remember, and two to try to forget

Ron Kroichick

Giorgio Tavecchio will remember Saturday's game for a long time. He arrived at Sun Devil Stadium not knowing if he or Vince D'Amato would kick - Tavecchio found out about 20 minutes before game time, after the coaches observed warm-ups - and left as the goat-turned-hero in Cal's 23-21 victory over Arizona State.  "I don't know if I want to slap Giorgio or kiss him," one teammate said afterward, smiling widely.

Tavecchio, who looks like a 12-year-old ball boy (albeit with sideburns), had a day of wildly swaying emotions. He missed two field-goal tries, from 34 and 39 yards, boomed one home from 51 yards (a career long) and also nailed chip-shot attempts from 25 and 24 yards.  The miss from 39 yards came with 5:46 left and seemed to doom Cal to defeat. Tavecchio came back to convert the 24-yarder with 21 seconds left to give the Bears the win. It was the first game-winning field goal of his life, including his days at Campolindo High in Moraga. He had regularly dreamed about it.

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AP: California gets late field goal for ugly win over Sun Devils

Giorgio Tavecchio kicked a 24-yard field goal with 21 seconds left, and California rallied for a sloppy 23-21 victory over Arizona State on Saturday afternoon.  Tavecchio's kick capped an 11-play, 74-yard drive that began at the Cal 19 with 3 minutes 16 seconds to go. Golden Bears quarterback Kevin Riley was 5 of 6 on that march, and he finished with 351 passing yards and two touchdowns. The Golden Bears (6-2, 3-2 Pacific-10) have won three straight.

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Contra Costa Times: Bears stun Sun Devils on late kick

Jonathan Okanes

Cal kicker Giorgio Tavecchio says he never notices the distance of his field-goal attempts — except in his dreams.  He probably noticed the length of his final kick Saturday, because it was a dream come true.

Tavecchio nailed a 24-yard field goal with 21 seconds left to lift the Bears to a 23-21 victory over Arizona State in front of 43,659 fans at Sun Devil Stadium. "My mentality before I kick a field goal is, I really don't remember how far it is," Tavecchio said. "In my dreams, it's always 55 yards. I don't think of distances in reality, but in my dreams, why not?"

Tavecchio's winning kick made up for his miss from 39 yards with 5:46 remaining that also would have given the Bears the lead. He said it was his first winning field goal at any level. "I was praying for (another chance)," Tavecchio said. "Something inside me just told me that I was going to get another chance. A kicker's greatest dream is a game-winning field goal. I feel very blessed to have been able to win the game at the end."

 

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ESPN: A Defining Moment for Cal's Riley

Ted Miller

A lot has been written about California quarterback Kevin Riley. Much of it is not very complimentary.

But Riley led the Bears on a clutch fourth-quarter drive that set up the go-ahead field goal in a 23-21 victory at Arizona State. He and Cal might have turned a corner on the season. Riley was 5 of 6 for 85 yards on the 11-play drive that was capped by a 24-yard field goal with 21 seconds left from Giorgio Tavecchio, who previously had missed field goals of 34 and 39 yards. On a day when the Bears running game was bottled up, Riley completed 27 of 44 for 351 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Moreover, the Bears improved to 6-2 on the year and 3-2 in the Pac-10. They've won three consecutive games since losing to Oregon and USC by a combined count of 72-6, which featured offensive meltdowns that were largely blamed on Riley. Cal plays host to Oregon State next weekend in what could be a key game for establishing the Pac-10 pecking order. The Beavers (5-3, 3-2) withstood a second-half comeback from UCLA to win 26-19.

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SF Chronicle: Riley leads last-minute drive to lift the Bears

Ron Kroichick

Quarterback Kevin Riley trotted onto the field with 3:16 left in Saturday's game. His team trailed by one point, had the ball on its 19-yard line and needed to march downfield - against a tenacious defense, in front of a hostile crowd, essentially without tailback Jahvid Best - to win. Be honest, Cal fans: Did you really like the Bears' chances?

As Riley later acknowledged, he had faced such a telling, clock-winding-down drive only once in his previous 22 games as a college quarterback. That didn't end so well, when he regrettably tried to scramble during the waning seconds of Cal's 31-28 loss to Oregon State in October 2007.

Saturday's game ended much differently. Riley guided the Bears downfield, Giorgio Tavecchio redeemed himself by kicking a 24-yard field goal with 21 seconds left and Cal danced out of the desert with a 23-21 victory over Arizona State at Sun Devil Stadium.

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Contra Costa Times: Jordan is Bears' energizer

Jonathan Okanes

When their son started first grade at Anderson Elementary in Eden Prairie, Minn., Steve and Anita Jordan had a message for his teacher. It seemed Cameron Jordan had an extra wealth of energy and may need some special attention. "We told the teacher that he's a smart kid, but he's not the traditional kid," Steve Jordan said. "Don't expect him to sit in the chair all day and do his work. He may need to get up and move around. He has all this energy he has to burn. "So the teacher would let him get up and go to the back while she read to the class. Everybody is sitting  down around the teacher and he's bouncing off the walls."

Word is Cameron Jordan can actually stay in his seat now for an entire lecture at Cal, but he's still a man on the move — mostly moving toward opposing quarterbacks. The junior defensive end is coming off a 21/2-sack performance last week against Washington State and hopes to continue that production when he returns home Saturday for a date at Arizona State.  "I don't think he's still bouncing off the walls, but it wouldn't surprise me," said Steve Jordan, a former Pro Bowl tight end with the Minnesota Vikings. "He's mellowed on that. But he gets bored. For him, boredom means he needs to be entertained or learning something new."

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Daily Cal: Sun Devils Should Illuminate Bears' True Identity

Matt Kawahara

Over halfway through the 2009 season, a number of questions about the Cal football team have been answered, while a would-be standard one has not.  For starters, this is not the year that the Bears contend with USC for the Pac-10 title -- that was answered four weeks ago, when Cal was dominated by the Trojans at home. The defense is not as strong as it was last year. Good opposing defenses can be successful by making the Bears pass.  Barring a series of miracles, Jahvid Best is not going to be a Heisman Trophy candidate at the end of the season.  All that said, Cal is 5-2, with the best scoring offense in the Pac-10 and its two toughest conference games already in the past.

It all rolls into the great unanswered question about this team, which will become a lot clearer after Saturday's 12:30 p.m., meeting with Arizona State at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.  Who exactly are these Bears?  "We've kind of seen opposite sides of Cal at times," linebacker Mike Mohamed said. "The biggest thing is, can we get the explosive Cal out there? The Cal that scores points early in the first quarter and then the defense shuts guys down."

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AP: Hot Golden Bears headed to Tempe to meet ASU

The California Golden Bears are coming to the desert, and it's hard to say which team will show up.

Will it be the one that lost to Oregon and USC by a combined 72-6, or the one that beat up UCLA and Washington State by a combined 94-43?  The Bears (5-2, 2-2 Pac-10) took the week off and regrouped after their back-to-back embarrassments against the Ducks and the Trojans. "Since the bye week, this will show us how much we've grown as a team," quarterback Kevin Riley said.

Cal's apparent turnaround may be attributed to the caliber of the opposition. Oregon and USC are a combined 12-1, UCLA and Washington State 4-10.  "We played two really good football teams, two top 10 football teams, and didn't play our best," coach Jeff Tedford said.  The Bears hope to extend their modest winning streak against Arizona State (4-3, 2-2). The Sun Devils are searching for answers after a 33-14 drubbing at Stanford.  "We can't play like we did last week or else the same thing will happen to us," ASU coach Dennis Erickson said.  Like Cal, ASU has made a habit of beating lesser opponents; the Sun Devils have yet to knock off a team with a winning record at kickoff. (They did it once last year, defeating 1-0 Stanford).  The Sun Devils' offense has been sputtering for weeks.

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ESPN: Cal, ASU Try to Get Their Groove Back

Ted Miller

It hasn't been an easy season for Arizona State quarterback Danny Sullivan, but often adversity brings enlightenment.  Sullivan, it seems, understands the Pac-10 -- and college football for that matter -- perfectly.  "You can be a good team the first week and completely change the next week just based on who you are playing and how they are trying to exploit you," he said.  California, which visits Sullivan and the Sun Devils on Saturday (3:30 EST, ABC), certainly understands that. The Bears were ranked sixth in the country and then -- whammo! -- consecutive losses to Oregon and USC by a combined count of 72-6 slapped them onto the slag heap of also-rans.

But, quietly, the Bears have won two in a row and may be poised to make a run.  Arizona State, meanwhile, went to Stanford last weekend to prove it was a conference contender and it ended up getting pushed around on both sides of the ball. A defense that had been ranked among the nation's elite surrendered 473 yards, including 237 yards rushing.  "Physically, Stanford kicked our rear ends," said coach Dennis Erickson, cutting directly to the chase.  Still, there are plenty of examples of Pac-10 teams righting themselves after bad moments. See Oregon after the Boise State debacle. See Oregon State just about every year.  If Arizona State upsets the Bears, its bowl hopes brighten considerably. If Cal wins, it may re-enter the national rankings -- the Bears are 24th in the BCS standings -- and still could become a player in the conference race.

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SF Chronicle: Lines dinged up headed to Arizona State

Steve Kroner

When Cal boards its plane to Phoenix this morning for Saturday's game at Arizona State, the Bears will do so without three men who have started this season.  Both guard Matt Summers-Gavin and nose guard Derrick Hill will not make the trip because of shoulder injuries, and head coach Jeff Tedford announced after practice Thursday that cornerback Darian Hagan has been suspended one game for missing class.

Mark Boskovich and Richard Fisher will alternate at Summers-Gavin's left-guard spot against the Sun Devils. Redshirt freshman Aaron Tipoti is the likely replacement for Hill.  Tedford believes - but isn't sure - Summers-Gavin and Hill will be available for the Bears' home game against Oregon State on Nov. 7.

Josh Hill, meanwhile, returns to the starting lineup at cornerback. Tedford said Hill would have started even if Hagan had not been suspended.  One other change in the secondary: Sophomore Sean Cattouse gets the start at safety ahead of senior Marcus Ezeff.

Best vs. Sun Devils: In his 21/2 seasons with the Bears, Jahvid Best has run for 2,576 yards. Only 13 have come against Arizona State.  He gained those 13 on three carries in a 31-20 loss in Tempe in 2007. Best missed Cal's 24-14 win over the Sun Devils last year because of a dislocated elbow.

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SF Examiner: Hagan suspended for Cal Bears' contest with Arizona State

Rob Calonge

Thursday after practice, head coach Jeff Tedford announced that starting cornerback Darian Hagan would miss Saturday's game against the Arizona State Sun Devils. He won't be missing the game due to injury.  Tedford said that Hagan was suspended for one game because he had missed a class. It's not clear if there is more to this, but judging by the punishment, I would've been suspended every season (all 13 games) for all the classes I missed in school.

With Hagan's suspension comes opportunity for someone else. Josh Hill, who had started in front of Hagan at one point this season, will get the nod on Saturday. Tedford also said that Chris Conte will see some time at the open position. Other players that could see time would be Charles Amadi and possibly redshirt freshman Marc Anthony

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Daily Cal: Midweek Notebook: Week 9

Matt Kawahara

In its last two games, the Cal football team has been perfect on three scoring chances from inside the 20-yard line. It has also made a habit of bypassing the red zone altogether.  Before Jahvid Best's two-yard touchdown run with 11:07 left in the third quarter against Washington State, the Bears' last 10 offensive touchdowns had come from outside the red zone -- and even Best's scamper was set up by a 61-yard pass from Kevin Riley to Jeremy Ross.

But as coach Jeff Tedford cautioned during Tuesday's press conference, Saturday's game against Arizona State will probably require a little more patience by Best and the Cal offense. The Sun Devils have the stingiest defense in the Pac-10, allowing just 280 yards a game, and featured the conference's best rushing defense until Stanford overpowered them on the ground for 236 yards last weekend.

Still, currently allowing just 83.4 rushing yards per game, ASU is only one of two Pac-10 teams -- USC being the other -- that is giving up under 100 rushing yards per game.  "Ripping off big chunks, well, you don't do that against these guys," Tedford said. "You're going to have to stay patient. There's going to be some two-yard gains and some eight-yard gains and some zero-yard gains, and you have to stay patient and hopefully leave yourself in situations where you can convert third downs. It's going to be that type of game."

That type of game hasn't been the Bears' strong point this season. In its five wins, Cal is averaging 6.56 yards per carry, compared to 2.9 yards per rush in losses to Oregon and USC. The Bears also appeared to go away from the running game early against the Ducks and Trojans, when those defenses showed they could consistently keep Best and Shane Vereen from breaking loose into the open field.

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SF Chronicle: Showdown looms for Bears' run game

Ron Kroichick

Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen, meet Arizona State's Sun Devils. They're waiting for you. Cal brings the most productive rushing offense in the Pac-10 into Saturday's road game against ASU, at 216 yards per outing. The Sun Devils counter with a stout run defense, allowing 83.4 yards per contest (sixth-best in the nation).  "I look at it as a great opportunity to show that our run offense is still able to kick some butt," Cal offensive tackle Mike Tepper said Tuesday. "... I want to put up some points against these guys, and do it in the run game."

The Bears accumulated nearly 600 yards rushing in their past two games, zooming past UCLA and Washington State behind Best and Vereen. The yards often came in large chunks - Vereen (42 yards) and Best (93 yards) both scored on long runs against the Bruins, and Best galloped 61 yards for a touchdown against the Cougars.  Coach Jeff Tedford is not expecting a similarly splashy display against Arizona State, which features plenty of speed on defense.

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SF Examiner: #24 Cal Bears will need to be patient against Arizona State Sun Devils

Rob Calonge

Tuesday's media luncheon is drawing fewer scribes despite their #24 BCS standing. Even so, a Jeff Tedford press conference still brings in the local media and their questions.  One of the most intriguing questions is whether or not this Golden Bears team is one of the Pac-10 elite, or just one of the also-rans. Up until now, Cal hasn't shown to be any better than the latter of those two.

"It's the biggest game so far this year," said starting quarterback Kevin Riley. "Like I said, since the bye week, this will show us how much we've grown as a team."  Mike Mohamed agreed. "Every game here on out is important," he said. "We're trying to finish 10-2 now, win out the rest of the Pac-10. Yeah, it'll be good to get a more quality opponent and see what we're all about."

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SF Examiner: Cal Bears ranked #24 in BCS? They can thank USC and Oregon for that

Rob Calonge

So Cal (5-2, 2-2 Pac-10) is ranked #24 in the BCS standings after their thrilling defeat of the Washington State Cougars (1-6, 0-5 Pac-10) on Saturday 49-17. The week before, they went down to Pasadena and defeated the UCLA Bruins (3-4, 0-4 Pac-10) 45-26.  Those aren't quality wins. A look back to the rest of their wins on the season doesn't fair much better.

Wins against 2-6 Maryland, Div IAA Eastern Washington, and 4-4 Minnesota don't necessarily give the Golden Bears any extra added prestige either. So why would they be ranked in the top 25?  Computers.

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SF Examiner: Oregon State at Cal Bears to be televised

Rob Calonge

For those of you who were unhappy about Cal's blowout win not being televised, you'll be happy (or relieved) to know that their next home game will be on the airwaves.  Cal's game against the Beavers of Oregon State on November 7, will be televised by FSN and CSN Bay Area.  With the announcement, Cal has now been chosen for nine television broadcasts this season. Most likely, the contest against #20 Arizona will become the tenth, leaving only the Big Game yet to be determined.

Oregon State, (currently 4-3, 2-2 Pac-10), has beaten both Arizona State and Stanford in Pac-10 play, while losing to Arizona and USC thus far.

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Contra Costa Times: Scolding Ignites Cal Defenders

Gary Peterson

It's one of the oldest passages in the football coaching bible, and one of the most revered: Never express unconditional satisfaction after a game. Even a blowout. Especially a blowout.  Thus, the aftermath of the 49-17 power wedgie which Cal administered to Washington State on Saturday was as predictable as the game's outcome. The first chance coach Jeff Tedford got, he played the "If That's The Best We Can Do, God Help Us All" card.  And the first chance he got was when he was asked about his team's defensive play.  "I felt like we got sloppy with our fundamentals," he said, recalling the final 11:14 of the second quarter when the Bears saw their 35-3 lead whittled to

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