Cal D Great, and other thoughts

I have to give it to the Cal defense - what a fantastic job against a very explosive Oregon offense.

I know that the Oregon folks are saying "we win 8 out of 10 of these games".  I do not believe it.  Cal's defense played exactly as designed, and as I said it would.  To wit:

1) Turnovers - Cal picked up 4.

2) Contain the QB - Dixon only gained 23 yards rushing and did not reach the end zone. 

3) Contain the big play - Oregon was racking up two or three big plays per game for TD.  They had none yesterday.  They had one long play for 42 yards.

4) Limit the running game - Stewart was held to 5.7 yards per carry - still very good, but well below his 8.5 yards per carry against Stanford, Michigan and Fresno State.

While the Ducks racked up a lot of yards (but much less than they have all season), they only scored 24 points.    That was an average of .0483 points per yard (Cal was .0775 points per yard).    That can be compared to the duck season average of .0792.  In other words, Cal held their offense to a scoring efficiency of 60% seasonal level.

The difference is that we have speed on defense that allows us to string the play out, come up with the big hits, and makes their playmakers average.  I am not saying that our defensive guys are better than their offensive guys - Dixon and Stewart are great players.  But certainly we are as fast as they are and can therefore keep them off balance enough to make the plays we need to.  And if you are them, and you are used to being much faster than the opposition, that has got to be difficult.

Our special team coverage did great as well.  A total of 45 yards on 6 kickoff and punt returns is fantastic.

While the refereeing left a lot to be desired (the field goal was good, by the way), the total yardage on penalties was 45 yards.  That included the lousy call on Ezeff.  There were a number of blatant non-calls on the Ducks, but so what, we won.

POLLS

As far as it goes, we are number three in all three major polls - The AP, the Coaches, and the Harris Poll.  The AP is interesting - it has no bearing on the BCS - but it awards it's own national championship.  So, this week, LSU and USC are virtually tied in that poll - USC is two points behind in second place - they split the first place totals 33 (LSU) to 32 (USC).  One voter switch and they are tied for first.  That would be very interesting. 

As far as the BCS goes, Cal is currently in third place.  We are third in both polls (the Coaches and the Harris Poll, which is what the BCS uses).  We are 5th in the computers, behind South Florida (#3) and Ohio State (#4).  Our votes in the human polls are enough to keep us comfortably ahead of Ohio State, as they play Purdue and Kent State in the next two weeks.  Last week, our computer position was #10.  Our total in the Coaches Poll was 1363, of a total of 1380 points.  That means that 17 voters had Ohio State (most likely) or Wisconsin in the 3 spot.  But we got 43 number 3 votes.  Because we were 50 votes ahead of Ohio State, they received a few votes lower than 4th.  So we are pretty good and solid in 3rd.

Frankly, I could see Ohio State losing to Purdue.  I am not sure that Purdue and Illinois are not the class of the Big 10.  I can also see LSU losing to Florida.  It will be an interesting weekend next week, while we sit back, relax and watch Nate's ankle heal.  Scuttlebutt is that it is a minor sprain and it should be OK.

I am also a little surprised that Oregon dropped so much.  And Rutgers was lucky to stay in the top 25.  Man, what a hammering they took.

South Florida is on the map, boys, and I think they look pretty good.

I just goes to show, one week does not make a season.  Cal has a huge road ahead.  But it is nice to think about how far we have come.  It will be nice to get healthy, and to get a reasonable opponent at home for the game back, before we go on the road again against a very tough second half stretch.

GO BEARS!!!

WOW

What a game.   I felt like I was having a heart attack the entire time.  The pressure was tremendous for both teams, and it looked like Cal gutted it through.  Difference - 4 turn overs vs none for the Golden Bears.

And, now, bonus points.   Oklahoma, Texas, Rutgers, Florida and West Virginia have all lost this weekend.  Can you say number three?  And next week, while Cal nurses itself back to health (maybe Riley gets all the snaps this week) - Florida and LSU play.  Lets hear it for Florida.  That would be an unprecedented number 1 and 2 in the Pac 10...but I am obviosly getting way ahead of myself.

What a day for the defense.  They played fantastic.  And DeSean, finally coming unglued, and taking the game over, with Justin Forsett. 

I thought we would need to play perfectly.  We did not.  We missed a bunch of passes, dropped some, and Ezeff's penalty was a killer.  But then, to make the game saving fumble hit was, I guess, plenty to make up for it.  

GO BEARS!!!!!

Perception of Oregon vs. Cal

As I look through the reports, blogs, and predictions from the national and local media, and the point of view of the Cal fans on the boards, it seems like no one is giving the Bears a shot.  I would say that the picks are 80% in favor of Oregon.  Stewart Mandel is quoting the yardage that Oregon has gained.  I think a lot of people are looking at the statistics and coming up with the idea that the Bears are done.

Lets look at it:

Cal has averaged 6.2 yards per carry this year.  So has Oregon.  Both of our running games appear to be solid.  The only difference is, we have played better defensive teams.

Passing:  Oregon is averaging 13.9 yards receiving, for a total of 1199 yards.  Of those receptions, they have 7 receptions over 30 yards for scores.  Cal has not given up any long scores like that this year, except the one garbage time reception to Colorado State.  Take out the big plays, and Oregon has a rather pedestrian 9 yards per play.

Cal on the other hand does not have many big plays this year.  We have not gone down the field too much as we have been playing ball control all day long, and running out the clock since we have been ahead in all of our contests big in the first or second quarter.  In fact, our longest two plays are for 49 yards, most of which came in yards after the catch from Justin Forsett and Cameron Morrah.   That being said, we are still averaging 11.2 yards per catch.  

Cal's defense is a bend but do not break defense.  We play the spread very well.  Oregon has 11 of the 24 touchdowns that they have scored on run or pass plays over 30 yards.  Like I said, Cal has only given up one that distance, and that was in garbage time at Colorado State. 

Cal has not been pressed, and has not needed to play a full game.  I think Oregon feels like they went to the Big House and stomped on Michigan - they can play with anybody.  Well, Michigan can't play against spread teams.  That is clear.  Cal has all season, and has been comfortably ahead.  If Oregon is any good - and I do not think that is clear at this point - they will be in a battle.  Otherwise I see it as the same game as last year.  I do not think the Duck's offense is better than Tennessee's.  Tennessee clearly has better players - at least from a recruiting standpoint, they have much better classes the last 5 years.  I would be surprised if Oregon put up more points against Cal than Tennessee did, and very surprised if they put up more than 35.  Cal, meanwhile, will put up at least 45 on these guys, and should do better. 

The one concern that I have is the penalty and stupid mistakes area.  If we win that, we win the game big. 

My prediction:  Oregon 31, Cal 48.

Cal at Oregon

I was thinking about the game, and thinking about how bad I would feel if Cal lost.  Then, I started to think about the Tennessee game last year, which I went to.  That was just about the worst that I have ever felt after a Cal game.  I mean, we were number 9 in the country (albeit, pre-season) and had high expectation.  And frankly, Cal was blown off the line.  I remember going into the stadium and seeing Nate and Joe Ayoob warming up.  Joe was firing the balls down the field.  Nate was lobbing the balls, and missing a bunch of receivers in warm ups.  The crowd was huge and already there, and they were as loud during the warm-ups and run-out and the national anthem (and prayer) than Memorial is most any time.

Tennessee came out and punched the Bears hard.  And the game was over.

The Bears were scared.  And it showed.  And they lost.  Big.

I started to think about Oregon.  And they don't scare anyone on the team.  We play these guys every year.  There may be a homefield advantage - might be hard to communicate, etc.  But we are used to that.  Tedford is not freaking out about Oregon, and their offense.  Gregory and the defense has seen these guys before, and no one is afraid of them.  And if you are not afraid, and there is no psychological advantage, then it is just talent on talent.  I think the Bears win.

That is not to say that Longshore does not get distracted.  But the fact is, he is a good QB, when he is on.  And now, as a second year starter, he does understand how not to throw INTs.  And that will be critical.

I like Dennis Dixon and I think Stewart is a great back.  Their receivers are banged up - Brian Paysinger is out for the season (their receiving leader before the injury).   They have good options in Cameron Colvin and Jaison Williams.  But they have had to take a redshirt off one of their freshmen for depth at receiver.  In any event, they are a good team with a good offense.  But they have not faced a defense this year that is good, and is built to face a spread offense.  By this time in the season, every team we have faced has run the no-huddle offense.  Three teams have run out of a basic spread offense.  There is nothing here that we have not seen before.  But there is something here that the Ducks have not seen before.

They have been a big play team all year.  Cal has allowed only ONE play over 20 yards that has gone for a score.  In four games. 

We are a big play defense - we focus on taking the ball away.  When you are searching for those extra yards - the big play - I believe that makes you susceptible to giving up the football, especially to a team focused on taking it away.  And if you focus on ball control, you give up a lot of your big play competitiveness.

Dixon is a senior, so he probably will not just try to play catch with the Bears this year (see his first pass of last years game).  However, I do not think he has suddenly morphed into Gods gift of concentration and accuracy.  We will pick two or three, and a fumble or two at least.

I think this game will come down to what games normally come down to - turnovers and special teams, and talent.  I think we have the advantage in all of those areas.  They certainly do not have the advantage in offensive play-makers.  And their defense is lacking.  That being said, penalties, mistakes, all of those things, will be the difference in the game this weekend.  And, frankly, I think JT will get the team ready.

It is a total lack of respect - a total lack of respect - that they are favored by 5.5 while we are the number 6 team in the nation.  Let's earn it.

Final Thoughts on Arizona at Cal

I just finished re-watching the game on Tivo.  While I did not think the Bears played badly during the game (in fact, just like every Cal game so far this year I never was feeling like it was in doubt), after watching the game again, I really think Cal played pretty good.

Here are some of what I think are the most critical numbers:

Offense                                   Arizona                 Cal

3rd down efficiency                29% (5 0f 17)        55% (6 of 11)

4th down efficiency             33% (1 of 3)         no chances

Yard per play                     4.0                        6.2

Turn overs                         4                       2

Offensive points per play     .32                      .55

Average gain per rush         1.1 yard                4.9 yards

Sacks                                 3                          0

Clearly Cal dominated this game.  In fact, there were perhaps 5 plays that kept the game mildly interesting - two drops by Craig Stevens, resulting in the two three and outs in the third quarter, the fumble by Montgomery, resulting in a field goal, Nate's interception, resulting in a field goal, and the facemask penalty, resulting in a first down for Arizona, and eventually a score.

All of these penalties / mistakes were well after the game was in hand.  It is probably the natural result of success breeding a lack of concentration.  But clearly, when the rubber meets the road, we had a strong drive in the 4th quarter to put the game away, leaning on our senior leaders, Forsett and Longshore.

I am pretty convinced that this team is just hitting it's stride.  At the beginning of the year, there was a lot of consternation over a number if issues.  

First, would Forsett fill in for Marshawn.  Frankly, I think our running game is better this year than last, with Forsett picking up reliable yardage, Montgomery as relief, and Best as a huge change of pace threat.  

Secondly, how would our offensive line do?  Well, we have only three sacks on the year, for 18 yards lost. We are rushing for 6 yards per carry.  We have had all day to pass.  I think the line is clearly doing well.  

We also were concerned with our defensive line and secondary.  Our line is making a TFL on one of every 11 plays.  We are sacking the QB once every 13 attempts at passing.  Our run stopping is fine - we are holding opponents to 3.2 yards per carry.  We have had only one long pass for a touchdown (pass over 25 yards) - against our second string in garbage time at Colorado State.  While our secondary and our linebackers are once again making most of the tackles, that is DC Gregory's scheme.  I think that we are shaping up to be a quality Gregory defense this year. 

Some comments - our defensive performance, which sometimes looks like people are marching up and down the field on us, is working as it is supposed to work.  We are keeping folks out of the end zone, and gaining turnovers.  We are plus 7 on the year, in our forth game.  Generally, a team that is plus 15 to 20 leads the nation.  I think that we can be that team this year.  Nate, while he has thrown a couple of bad passes into coverage, has generally been quite good about avoiding throwing to the other team.  He may have missed some receivers on routes, or been high or low, but he is not throwing into coverage (which must really piss DeSean off, but that is a different story).  I really think that this team is going to be the quintessential Tedford / Gregory team by the end of the season.  A stingy defense on points, which gets a ton of turnovers, and an efficient offense.  

The question is, can that type of team win.  I know it can beat USC, because we almost did in 2004.  One pass and we were there.  The question is, can that type of team beat LSU.

It is almost as if this whole four game series that we have played has been to set us up to play Oregon.  We now have strong experience playing the spread / no huddle program that we are going to get from the Ducks.  Our bend but don't break, and get the turnover defense is exactly what you need against them.  We do need to get constant pressure on Dixon, and that will be interesting to see how we do that.  If we blitz too much, we can be burned.  But I think that a four man rush will be more than able to accomplish containing the run game, with run support from the linebackers.  But if we do blitz, the corners will be more man to man, and I do not know how they will be.  The good news is that Oregon's best receiver is out for this game, so hopefully that will be a little relief.  The other good news is that, this is pretty much the same team and the same offense that we saw last year.  That turned out pretty good.

Cal at Oregon

Just a little perspective on the upcoming game.  Cal and Oregon have been battling it out on the gridiron since 1899.  Cal leads the series by a score of 37 - 30 and two ties.  But Oregon has won 8 of the last 10.

Back in the day when I was at Cal, and when Nike was still making shoes on the waffle iron, you could count on a victory from the men in green.   While Cal was no great shakes, we pretty regularly dominated these guys.   But then came Nike and the whole new ball game.  It just goes to show how a program can be turned around by the right coaches, staff and athletic department.  I think we have that now, and we will be moving forward much more than Oregon every could hope to.  At least I hope so.

The other interesting tidbit from this year so far...each game we have played, we have either evened the lifetime record, or have moved out of a tie in the lifetime record.  For Tennessee, we were 1 and 2 against.  We are now 2 and 2.  Cal and Arizona were tied at 12 wins each, with 2 ties.   We had lost our only other meetings with Colorado State and LA Tech.

For future games, we are also tied with Arizona State.  We have a deficit with USC, UCLA, Stanford and Washington.  We are ahead of Oregon State and Washington State.

For the USC game, it is critical that we emerge victorious.  We are at a critical juncture.  Our lifetime record is 30 - 59 with 5 ties.  If USC wins, they will have twice as many wins as us.  WE NEED TO STOP THIS MADNESS!!!  The 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and the first half of the 90's were not kind to our plight against the toejams (12 wins in 55 years - boy those victories were sweet).  However, I do believe that we can start to become as strong as we were in the first half of last century (14 wins vs 9 loses).  Lets get it going.

We also need another solid 10 years of victory against the Furds to bring our series to even.  I think I could handle that.  Actually, I think they would give up altogether before they let us win 16 in a row against them.

Zack Follett

I heard a great story about Zack Follett.  He apparently had Eric Ainge's picture as his desktop on his computer ever since the Tennessee game last year.  Now, he has replaced it with this one.

Anyway, I think he should put JD Booty's face up there.

Here's hoping to a speedy recovery.

Lyle Setencich Quits

Lyle Setencich "resigned for personal reasons" after his defense gave up 49 points to Oklahoma State.  His 5 year career there was similar to his time at Cal - poor first year, pretty good second and third years, and then, the slow buildup to disaster.  Inexplicable issue, division between offense and defense.  The good news for Texas Tech - they have a coach who called him out and showed him the door.  I actually really like Mike Leach as a coach.

Here is an interesting scenario: Stoopid gets fired from the mildcats, and Dykes takes the job, since actually I think he is doing a decent job for them as offensive coordinator.  Then, he brings in Lyle.

Naw - Dykes probably left TT because of Lyle.

Anyway, one more Holmoecaust victim finally dies a nasty death.  The thing is, he is probably a pretty good linebacker coach.  But probably a cancer on the team.

Arizona at Cal Post-Game Thoughts

Well, I have not been able to watch the game over again, but I have to say that I think Cal did a pretty good job on an Arizona team that looked pretty good. Not to say that they should have been in the game, but I think that team should be putting some points on the board, and they should be able to have a decent defense. I do not know why they are sucking so badly. I guess it is just Stoopid. after the game, I felt pretty good, I think.

In any event, Cal did hold them to 320 yards, which is pretty decent. We also only gained 420 yards. I think that this team should average 500 per game with all of the talent that we have.

We also had some scares on the return teams - kickoff, not punt. That is something that we need to focus on because Oregon will have something up their sleeves.

It is interesting so far this year. The fans are all over the team. My guess is that this is due to the outcome never being in doubt. All season so far. We have never been behind as far as I can recall - as I type I am thinking if we were behind at CO State when DeSean ripped up field on his 73 yard run, or if we were already ahead. But I think that there is a lot of times at games where we have too much time to pick apart the team. If we were in a real fist fight in any of our games, I would think that maybe we would have the real exuberant experience that we have when, for example, we beat USC. I think that while each game has been comfortable, we are sitting back and watching for flaws. But we need to enjoy this. I don't think people understand how good this is - we are acting like a top 10 program, and it is getting noticed. We had 56,000 fans there, on a rainy day (although it did not rain during the game). We had a very comfortable game lead the entire time. The fans actually stood and yelled even in the third and forth quarters. This is 180 degrees from even the good Snyder years. We have been ranked in the top ten in each of the last 4 years, Ray Ratto notwithstanding. People understand that this is a great football program now.

Yes, there are the tree issues and the worries about Tedford going pro and all the crap that people worry about. Stupid issues. There is nothing that the university will not do to keep this going. There is way too much money involved and happiness involved to screw with this. If you don't think some bid bucks booster will match the 5 million that JT can get from elsewhere, you are crazy. Watch for the salary re-negotiation after this year, no matter what.

Even if we go 9 and 3 this year, and trounce our bowl victim, that would be a great season. Look at Stanford, or UCLA even. They are hurting. They are dying out there. That used to be us.

Anyway, back to the game. While my pre-game predictions did not come true, and Gregory stuck to his guns, I think the defense held pretty good. They won the game for the Bears. They passed 61 times, and averaged 5 yards per attempt. We averaged our 4.9 on the ground per rushing attempt. Every time that happens, we are going to win the game.

I am also interested in the injury report.  I think I saw Hampton leave the game, and Conte played almost exclusively after that.  Actually, Arizona came right at Conte when Hampton left the game.  He did a great job defending.

Also, I sounds like Davis and Follett are still pretty banged up.  That is too bad.  We need both of those guys to contain Dennis Dixon.

Finally, I think we put Dixon on the ground a few times and get him to cough it up, and we get the victory.  This is one game where I do not think that Cal will take it's foot off the gas.  I think everyone knows this is the season championship game for the first half of the season.

Arizona at Cal

Unfortunately, I have not had a lot of time to post this week. I will say this, however. There is no doubt that Cal will win tomorrow.

Amongst the worrying of the Old Blues, there is the sense that Arizona has the greatest defense that College Football can buy, that they have a ton of defensemen returning, and that the spread offense that they are running is starting to provide a real offense - something that they have not had in the past.

In other words, we lost last year and now they are good. Look out, Bears!

I call bullshit on that.

First of all, the Arizona game last year was Dunbar's last game as offensive coordinator. We gave up on our finesse offense. Yes, we stilled played it, and weakly went through our last games, losing two and winning another. But think about the chill running down Dunbar's spine when he went into the office that Sunday morning know that his big experiment with Tedford was over. No more TedSpread. No more West Coast life, baby - back to the Big Ten where even Appalachian State can hang 34 on Michigan.

Meanwhile, back on the team, the players are chomping at the bit to get back at these guys. And deep down, the Arizona guys know they got lucky. So they are waiting for an excuse to lose.

Here is what is going to happen tomorrow:

1) It will be raining a bit. A slippery field. The defensive linemen will be sliding backwards 5 to 8 yards per play, as we run right down their throat. Justing Forsett rushes for over 150 yards by the end of the 3rd quarter. None longer than 10 yards. I predict 250 yards in total rushing offense.

2) We actually know how to play against a spread offense - even the Texas Tech spread. Frankly, this game is a good warmup for Oregon the next week. The difference is, Oregon runs, and Arizona passes from the spread. Luckily for us, we have now played three teams that have run the no-huddle offense. We face the forth of the first 5 in a row that we will play with a no-huddle, spread-like offense. It is not a big deal for us. We know how to defend it. Once again, we are not a big lumbering Big Ten team. We have the defensive capability to keep these guys in check. So we will hit the quarterback early and often, before, during and after the ball leaves his hand. He will be hurting.


People are worried about Nate being off. Nate will be fine. He will not even pass until the second quarter, in some big play action sequences. First, run up the middle. Second down, draw. Third down, off left. First down, off right. Third down, draw. First down, reverse, 20 yards. Second down, fake reverse to Best, pass for TD to DeSean.

Frankly, I think Cal crushes these guys. The players know. These guys ruined us last year - just like Tennessee. And just like Tennessee, it will be tough on them.

This season is like the scene in The Godfather part 2, where Michael says "today, I am going to collect some old debts", and Mo Green gets it in the eye. Tennessee, Arizona, UCLA, Oregon, USC - we have something to prove against all of those guys. Event Louisiana Tech is a past loss (although not on JTs watch). The games I am worried about are at Washington and Arizona State. But we'll take those when we get to them.

And Dunbar was Carmine, sent off the exile.

And now for something completely different...

Number 2 Cal water polo finished the weekend losing to number 1 USC 9-8, after beating number 3 UCLA earlier in the NorCal Tournament at Speiker Aquatics Complex. The Bears probably will retain the number 2 ranking since they were so close and also since Stanford lost, who was number 4.

Did I mention that I hate USC?

The good news is that Cal played well and the match was decided at the end by USC scoring off a penalty, so the Bears were certainly in it until the end. Cal and USC were the top two teams last year, and Cal defeated USC in the finals last year to become National Champions. Hopefully, the Bears can move continue to improve though the course of the season and redeem themselves against these guys in the National Championship Tournament. Last year, Cal played USC in 5 tournament championships, and lost the first three. They won the last two - the final one being the national title. At the end of the summer, USC was viewed as untouchable in water polo. So the Bears are starting to make headway against them. Cal coach Kirk Everist is doing a fantastic job in creating a new title contender atmosphere, which we had lost in the 15 years before he came on board. Back in the day, Cal expected to be the water polo champions. It is nice to see that we are getting that swagger back.

I hope our football team can do the same. Only thing is, it was 85 years ago when we were winning national titles in football every year. Ah, the postwar success - you know what i mean - the Big War.

Good News Nate Longshore Fans!!!

We will be having our fearless leader back for another season. After totally zoning out for 6 quarters of football, Nate finally realized that he needs to actually throw to his recievers. I think those lapses in concentration will be a big part of why Nate is not moving on to the next level that soon. Not that he is not a good quarterback. But he is still just a Junior in College - a kid really. And it shows a bit.

I also think that DeSean's thumb is really irritating him. Last winter, I dislocated my pinkie. I immediately popped it back in place, but it hurt like the dickens for a while - a few months at least until it got better. And the most athletic thing I did with it was to try to hit the shift key. So crunching back your thumb and trying to catch a fastball from Nate is probably not the easiest thing to do. And, when you drop one or two, you probably start to get a little irritated, frustrated and, if you are a spoiled young man, defensive about things. Maybe even start to lash out at others on the team (not that there is evidence of this). This could be a test of Tedford's and Nate's leadership.

I think it must be interesting for Tedford now that we have great success and great expectations. I think coaching a team with different expectations is different than coaching a overachieving team, like the Bears have been in the past. I know on the message boards that a lot of people are getting on the team for a not looking dominating all the time. I think there are two groups of people who are worrying about it: the young blues - who think you have to always dominate and generally are pretty silly about making big pronouncements like "anything less than a Rose Bowl and the season is a waste," and "lets bench Nate". Then there are the old guys, who are happy to have a winning team, but are certain that there is no doubt the bears are going to lose a few, and frankly they can live with it. In other words, the old Cal fans who are certain that doom is impending.

I hope that there is the third way. This is what I will call the Joe Montana way. When I was young and watching Joe, the 49ers never looked totally dominating all the time. They always had a number of crappy series where something stupid happened, where the players looked a bit out of synch. But I always knew that the Joe would always pull it out in the end, and he did. There was a general confidence that the team itself was just head and shoulders about the other teams, and that they would be able to fix it.

USC has mastered that level of play. They haven't been the champions each year, but they certainly think they could have been and should have been. I think this season, Cal actually has the ability and probably the capability to have that type of play. It is just a level of confidence and the capability to back that confidence up. It is also the ability to play loose because you know you are going to win. Sometimes what happens is that you play loose too long and you are shocked that you lost a game, and you get pissed off at yourself - mostly against inferior opponents. But in generally those types of teams win. And they get up for big games, because that is where the real challenge is.

This is real different for Cal. I think that if I were a Cal player, I would believe that we should be favored in every game. The players are, frankly, fantastic. And they know it. My guess is that they probably believe that they match up fine with USC, and they crushed Oregon last year. Do you really think they are nervous about going up to Eugene? Of course not. Everyone else is worried, but they players know the are going to win that game.

The games that we have to worry about are Washington, after we beat USC at home. And then Stanford. Or maybe Arizona State. Those are the type of games that confident winners can lose. And ruin Old Blue lives.
.............

As far as the LA Tech games goes, we won by 30 and only gave up 12 points to a team that was putting up 35 per game. So we did fine. The biggest problem from the game was we lost two defensive linemen, one for a good part of the season (Rulon Davins) and the other (Matt Malele) for probably the year.

Injuries can sharpen the focus. Hopefully a bunch of young players get some good playing time here this week. This is the 4th of 5 weeks in a row where revenge is on the plate. The against Tenn, Col State, and La Tech, we had lost the last meeting. Arizona is the same thing. And then, Oregon at Eugene, where we have not won under Tedford. So two more games with some motivation behind them.

I think Cal crushes Arizona this week. I predict a 40 point differential. My guess is the guys are pissed from last year, and as soon as the first few TDs go up, AZ decides to call it a day.

Nate Longshore's Blog

Nate Longshore has started a blog! There was an article in the SF Chronicle today about what a funny guy Nate is, and how he keeps the team loose. Hopefully he is as funny as Rod Benson, who has a great blog about his time in the NBA development league. Both links are posted in our links section.

Cal takes on Louisiana Tech and other matters

Cal is looking for it's third win on the season taking on LA Tech at home. Normally, this is a gimme, but based on Cal's play last week, and the solid play by LA Tech vs. Hawaii last week, the boards are going bonkers with worry. I love Cal fans - gloom and doom every week. Kind of like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh.

Here's my thing: Tedford worries enough for all of us. His little ball of pain in his stomach each week starting Tuesday is going to be enough to get us through. Not that he's wrong. Having your 2 million dollar salary resting on the backs of 18 to 23 year old college students is pretty worrisome. It is interesting that, unlike most University professors, the coaches actually have to get their students to perform. A history professor only has to give an F and they are off the hook. I guess that is why they pay the coaches so much compared to the professors. Many of the Cal faithful are worrying about Tedford moving to Michigan, or the NFL. He is not. What worries me is his health. The guy is not overweight, but I have to say he looks pretty stressed a lot of the time. Is this guy intense or what? I hope he exercises or does something to reduce his level of stress because it can be a killer.

But I do have to think that at this point, most of the guys are getting the idea that you are not given these wins - they have to earn them. I know Tedford called DeSean out, and he called the back-ups out. He went back to two days in pads this week. Derrick Hill seems to have gotten the picture that he needs to hustle to play. I think that this week has been good for the team.

In any event, there is a pretty good article in Sports Illustrated this week about college football parity. It highlighted TCU and Texas, but of course the article was about all D1 teams. The point is this - the big name schools are going to have some very good players and they may have depth. Other schools will also have good players - they may not have the depth that the top teams have but because the first line players are quality - they may be able to beat a top team at any given time.

In thinking about Cal, I sort of agree with that argument. Cal always had good players. We are in too good of a recruiting area and have too good of a University not to attract some great players. Holmoe was actually a pretty good recruiter, if you realize that Tedfords first few years were based on his players. Andre Carter, Jameel Powell, etc were not recruited when Cal was at the top of the game. And, while we have had few 5 star recruits through the years, we have had plenty of three star guys get into the NFL:. What we never had was consistency or depth. Now, I think we have depth. Certainly in the skill positions on offense we have quality back-ups for the next few years. So much so that we now have players leaving. We also have pretty good quality and depth on the defensive side. Much more than 4 years ago. And I think that we probably have some of the best coaching in the business on both the lines and the skill positions.

But when you think about Louisiana Tech, you generally think of a poorly run program. My take is they are probably like Cal was a few years ago - maybe not to the same level, but perhaps like Tedfords first year. Because it looks like they have pretty good coaching - a whole new staff with good recruiting ties to Louisiana. They have always had playmakers that have made it into the NFL - people who could not get into LSU!! -like Terry Bradshaw. Louisiana is a hotbed of high school football talent. They probably have good players in all positions. They may not have the depth of a Cal, but they could give us fits. They certainly have played well in both of their games so far this season. They will be tough against the run and they can score. I think our defense will be much better than Hawaii's on the road (5000 miles away from home!), but Tech has some good players. Probably in a few years, they will be a top 35 team, competing for the WAC title annually. Actually, from a pure recruiting perspective, it is kind of funny that Boise is so good. Hawaii, LA Tech, San Diego State and San Jose State probably have the best recruiting areas for the WAC folks.

I certainly hope we beat the spread. I do not think we will - winning by 5 TDs is a lot in todays game. I do think that we win pretty convincingly. I almost hope that we do not walk all over these guys because I think that will certainly solidify the feeling on the team that we need to be stronger each week. If you remember last year, we got hammered, and the we cruised over the rest of the early season, setting us up for the game at Arizona.

I think our Arizona this year is going to be in Tempe against the Sun Devils. I think we win this week, and then we crush Arizona at home in retribution. Then, the team gets really psyched to beat a top 15 Oregon team at thier house. That could be tough, but I think Tedford is ready up there. Then, a bye, and Oregon State at home, with UCLA on the road. Once again, Cal finishes off whatever Dorrell Streak there is by beating those losers in So Cal (although I think the Holiday Bowl was our first victory in So Cal since Tedford took over, so the streak may already technically be over). But after that huge win, with Washington State at home, and USC coming up after, the Bears are going to have a tough one at ASU. Or, even worse, beating USC at home, and then losing to UW in Seattle. Ugg. That would be horrible.

Anyway, point is, the Bears have all of the talent and the coaching to go all the way. They needs to be ready each week because, besides Washington, I think we have the toughest schedule in the conference, with UCLA, ASU, Oregon and Washington on the road (leaving out Stanford because, that really is no longer a big game).

That being said, I hope the Bears crush this week, and we get 750 yards of offense. But let's not kid ourselves - these guys are not the crap they used to be (and even then they beat us - thanks, Tom).

Gift for Cal

Today it was announced that a huge gift of $113 million dollars was donated to Cal from the Hewlett foundation. This is from the Berkeley Online newsletter:

"UC Berkeley today announced the largest private gift in its history, $113 million from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Heralding a turning point in the financing of public higher education, the gift provides endowment support to help close the funding gap between the nation's preeminent public university and its elite private peers, according to Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau.

The Hewlett gift provides UC Berkeley with a major new source of endowed funds to attract and support world-class faculty and graduate students. Through a challenge grant, it will create 100 endowed chairs, permanent funds designed to keep UC Berkeley professors' salaries competitive with those at the best private schools and to recruit top graduate students. The Hewlett Challenge will match other private donations dollar-for-dollar, resulting in $220 million in new endowments once the challenge is met. An additional $3 million will be used to support an enhanced infrastructure for managing those endowed funds."

This is a fantastic boost in the arm for the University and a huge step[ forward in Bergenau's quest to make Cal as competitive academically as the best private universities.

Frankly, I think increasing exposure on the football front, with increasing corporate and large foundation funding will spur donations from individuals. Bergenau had an editorial in the SF Chronical trying to get opinion swayed to allow a matching program from the government for private donations. He is looking for California to allow up to $250 million to be allocated to spur private donations to the University. I think that would encourage folks to contribute much more.

GO BEARS!

Marshawn Lynch

If you want to get pumped up, watch his TD run today. He dragged four guys into the endzone on his back.

He may be very, very good once he learns the NFL game. It should be an interesting year to see how Lynch, Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson all do. Obviously, I am hoping that Lynch seperates himself from them.

90 yards on 19 carries...longest run of 23 yards.

Anthony Felder

I didn't see the press conference / post game interviews. But Anthony Felder had an interesting comment - "'It's difficult because you want your offense to move the football. We (the defense) don't like to be out there for the whole half."

Besides the fact that it is true, I would guess that the offense is pretty pissed about that little commentary. First, sorry that DeSean ran it for 74 yards so the defense had to be out there so long. Second, a three and out would work wonders for your ability to get some rest. I think this is a symptom or sign that the altitude really did impact the Bears. I think they were worn out before the game, during the game, and after the game. Here's hoping that a nice 50 point win over Louisiana Tech works wonders for team chemistry. I would hate to see the Offense / Defense divisions on the team that happened in the Holmoecaust.

Ratings, Polls and More

Cal moved up to #8 in the coaches Poll and the AP. More importantly, they gained over 50 points, which means that are putting some separation between us and Louisville. Louisville gained only 25 points in the coaches pool. So we jumped over them to number 8, while Viginia Tech dropped 8 spots to number 17 after their trashing at the hands of LSU.

Oklahoma jumped up 100 points, to a virtual tie with West Virginia for 4th place. Texas, while moving up one poll spot, only gained 10 votes, That is because Wisconsin is feeling the effects of poor Big Ten play, and lost votes even though they won. Thier game at the Citadel next week can only hurt them.

Cal dropped a point in the BCS preliminary rankings to number 8 because our computer rankings fell from 2 to 6. The real BCS rankings will not come out until October, when all the computers feel like they have enough data and the Harris poll is released. But some interesting things are happening.

First - the Big Ten is getting hammered in the computers (as well as on the field). At the end of next week, when ninety percent of the non-conference play is completed, teams really only move up in down in the computers in relation to how they do in conference. What that means is that after the non-conference schedule is over and done with, the conference with the highest rankings will have a conference champion. Those conference champions will have a pretty good shot of getting into the BCS championship game, since the computers count for a third of the ranking. So, it looks like the Pac-10 and the SEC will have the highest ranking right now. Sagarin, for example, has 6 pac-10 teams in his top 20.

Also interesting - UCLA's move up to number 11, right behind Ohio State. Ohio State plays Washington this week. Depending on the outcome of that game, the Pac 10 could have 5 or 6 teams in the top 25. USC plays Nebraska - most of the other Pac-10 teams play cream puffs this week. Even Stanford should be able to squeeze out a win against San Jose State. If both Washington and USC wins, the Pac 10 will have three teams in the top 10, which would be pretty incredible. Of course, it is pretty incredible to believe that Washington could beat Ohio State.

In any event, the process of scheduling a tough out of conference schedule for the Pac 10 has started to lead to positives for the Conference.

The other interesting fact - Appalachian State is number 38 in the AP. Go Mountaineers! I would love to see them at #25 at the end of the year when they repeat as AA champs.

Colorado State

Cal played an average game against a pretty tough team, and came out with a win. That is fine with me.

It seems like Tedford was a little irritated after the game about the Bears effort. Of course, he is not running around at 5,000 feet. I really believe that the elevation caused a bit of difficulty for the Bears. I saw the defensive line huffing and puffing in the first half more than they normally seem to do. Also, the pop off the line seemed to be missing. Having a really physical game against Tennessee and then going to the high elevation and playing another physical team was tough for the guys - especially the big guys on the line. Once Colorado State started to wear down in the second half themselves, the tiredness factor for both teams seemed to favor the Bears, who were bigger, stronger and more importantly, faster than the Rams. If I were the Rams coaches, I would have gone no-huddle the first half and I bet they would have put up a ton more points. Tedford and Gregory were subbing like crazy to get their guys rest.

Also, Forsett getting injured could be bad news. Hopefully he can come back quickly from his stinger. Louisiana Tech is apparently no slouch - they took Hawaii to OT. They also held Hawaii to thirty-eight points during regulation, which means that they can score and play a bit of defense (38 is low for the WAC).

As we start to get into the season, I really am concerned about the schedule. The Bears have it tough. Going to Oregon, ASU, UCLA and Washington seem like pretty tough road trips after the first two weeks of play. I almost feel more comfortable that the Bears can beat USC at home than go through that schedule and winning each game on the road. Especially after watching Longshore once again start to flit and fluff on the road. He seemes to be very uncomfortable out there when he is pressured, and even when he is not. At home, he appears to be totally different. I would think that he would have improved that a bit more this year. In fact, the whole teams seems to really not be very comfortable on the road. I wonder if Tedford needs to change his tactics on the road.

I also think that the issue of playing the scrubs up 20 points is fine. However, when they get to 13 points, then you should have put in the first string. But the fact is we won, and the scrubs got some playing time on the road, which is good. I am sure that they won't make the same mistakes again, so it is a good learning experience for them.

As a fan, Cal has to be happy about DeSean's run, and the production of Jahvid Best. In the postgame comments, it was interesting that Tedford called DeSean out publically for not "playing with passion". I think that he is putting down the gauntlet. DeSean had a few dropped balls, and seemed to be a little lackluster in some of the runs after catch that he made. He also avoided a couple of blocks. That being said, he was injured from the Tennessee game still, and he probably was also a little winded. But, when you want to win it all, you have to deal with that stuff better.

All in all, this was a good test for the Bears. They passed, although not with flying colors.

Also, I must say that the play calling was pretty good. I am glad that Tedford seems to be going to the air a bit faster and more agressively than in previous years.

I also do love the play they called when DeSean made his run. They totally spread the field, so all he has to do is find one hole, and then he is gone. It is a great way to get him the ball in space and get up field. I am sure we are going to see a lot of that play. Teams are going to have to drag a DB across to cover him, and then look out for him passing down field. I see that as a huge option for the Bears at, say, USC. I bet we run that play four of five times between now and then for big yards, just to set that pass up.

Colorado State observations

I'm sure Pat Oski88 will give a more thorough analysis (assuming he found somewhere to watch the game).

I'm in a rush...but I saw some things I liked and somethings I didn't like.

Things I liked:

- Tedford's offensive play calling was fantastic. He always had them off balance. He called all the plays from the sidelines. The defense was confused on almost every play.

- We have two exceptional weapons: DeSean Jackson and Jahvid Best. Even though almost everyone got a carry or a reception, it was good to see us trying to find ways to get the ball in the hands of our two blockbuster players.

- Good defensive adjustment in the second half...particularly by the DLine. Same thing happened against Tennessee. Alualua (sp?) in particular seemed to set up camp in the backfield in the second half. He is no Brandon Mebane or Andre Carter yet...but there were glimmers.

- Punt and kickoff coverage were great. We have become spoiled on punt coverage since our last two punters (Lonie/Larson) have been great at hang time which makes it hard to get a real runback. However, using Jahvid Best as the gunner is fantastic. He is so fast that on every punt he gets there at the same time as the ball. On Kickoffs we are doing okay...though Kay once again kicked one out of bounds. However in the new world of kicking 5 yds back, starting on the 35 isn't so unusual.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE

- Longshore is a very different qb when he is pressured or stressed. He consistently overthrows the ball in those situations. I think Okanes in the CCTimes said it might have had to do with the altitude, but I don't buy it. Arizona is going to be a VERY tough game, because they will put pressure on him. He also seems stressed when Cal is losing...he puts too much pressure on himself and then he makes shitty throws. Once we hit teams with real secondaries, he is going to start throwing picks. My advice is that when he gets stressed, we should put in Riley for a series just to calm him down.

- We couldn't run between the tackles very well. We basically stopped running in the second half. That was okay in this game, because their DBs couldn't cover our guys so the pass was always there...but we will face better DLs this year and that worries me.


Go Bears

Cal Alumni in NFL

9/7

Matt Giordano (colts) runs back an interception for a punt last night. I had already turned off the game.

Hughes (colts) makes one tackle. Welcome to the NFL. I didn't see him play. Special teams?

Fujita (saints) doesn't have a huge impact.

Announcers saying a lot of great stuff about now-retired left tackle, Tarik Glenn. Gave him a lot of credit for Manning's greatness over the years.

Cal's BCS prospects

Finally - the first game is over. NOW IS THE TIME THAT WE START TO TALK ABOUT BOWLS!!!

Right now Cal is 7th in the BCS. That is based mainly on Sagarin's rating of Cal at #2 in his rating for the ELO-Chess method. That means that overall, Cal is #3 in the computers, and 10 in both voting polls.

Also, the Pac 10 is currently rated the toughest conference by most of the computer ranking systems. This can only help the Bears as they go through the season. This weekend will be crucial for the Bears, as other Pac 10 teams move through the preseason schedule. Oregon at Michigan used to be one that we did not have to worry about - Michigan was highly ranked and had they beaten Appalachian State they would have only helped Cal - Oregon win or lose. However, now with Michigan dropping to the 40's in the computers (and Oregon around 24) the only thing that can happen is Oregon can tread water or slip if they lose.

Washington should lose but if they do beat Boise State, they will get a big bump up in the polls and the computers. They would be a huge shot in the arm for the Pac 10 computer rankings if they did win.

Once again, the weak OOC schedules of the other major conferences will make the difference going though the process at the end of the year. If the Pac 10 gets through the major part of the next three weeks, and goes into conference play as the #1 conference in the computers, there will be little that anyone can do to stop the winner of the conference from going to the National Championship game, assuming they are undefeated.

Assuming this, Cal and USC winning out through the season will put the bears in the top three or four in the BCS prior to that game. Note that LSU and Florida play before Cal and SC, So does Oklahoma and Texas. Wisconsin if they win out will probably have a very strong shot, probably better than a one loss SEC team.

If Cal loses, that would drop the Bears to probably 8 or 9 in the polls, and probably 3 or 4 in the computers (we would surely be one or two before that). So there is little possibility of Cal losing out of a BCS game if they have a one-loss season at USC.

If Cal loses to a one loss USC team, the situation could be a little dicey. Depending on whether or not there are undefeated teams, Cal could probably still make a BCS bowl. If there are no other undefeated teams, probably the SEC and the Pac 10 would meet in the Championship game. Cal could meet the Big 10 Champ in the Rose Bowl.

Probably the teams that have the easiest run would be Oklahoma. They have to beat Texas, but that is about it. This asumes that Oklahoma is better than Texas. I think that is probably true. Either of those two teams could sneak in the weak Big 12. In any event, though, Cal will make the Rose Bowl with one loss. They will make the National Championship game with no loses. So it is really up to the Bears to make the season special.

Tennessee Game Rewind

Lurking through the off-season message boards and scrubbing the internet for information about Cal Football finally came to a head on Saturday at 5:00 PM PDT - with a vengeance. The Bears emphatically eliminated whatever lingering doubts that folks about their ability to put up points to an SEC defence. The Bears also clearly put on display what is almost certainly the best set of offensive skill players in the country.

What was really exciting is the depth of the program. Jahvid Best, James Montgomery, freshmen and sophomores making play after play on the field. This is a team that is going to be good for the next 5 years. Cal is truly building a consistent top 10 program in Berkeley.

The anquish on the message boards over the High Performance Center, and the worrying over whether or not Cal could hang with the top programs should be put to rest. First of all, there is no way that building will not move forward. The alternative would be to move it further up the hill. There is not any reason on earth why the university can not build it's gym and office space where it wants too, within reason. And there are not a lot of reasons not to build where it is planned.

But the most emphatic point that came out of Saturday was how strong the Bears are. They became a little conservative in the second half, lost a bit of concentration, and then turned the heat up again the fourth quarter. They were in control the entire game, with a top 15 team playing catch-up. And lets be clear - no way Tennessee losses more than three games this year. They will be a top 15 team at the end of the year.

The questions answered in the game are:

1) Our Receiving corp is unbelievable. Jordan, Hawkins and DeSean leave no room for error. And if they cover all of them, we have...
2) The best set of tight ends I have seen at Cal is 25 years. Stevens and Morrah crushed. Morrah was a huge surprise option during the game. Both of these guys are big play guys. So you have a two set run situation with two WR, and Forsett in the backfield. How is that play action going to be?
3) Is Forsett better than Lynch? I think that is the question now. He may be a better college back. The guy is a bowling ball. 5'8, 195 pounds, and all muscle. He blew through tackles all day long, and hit the holes so fast that he was breaking arms all day long for the Tennessee defenders. 156 yards on the day against a Tenneesee defense. We have a great change of pace back in Best, and a great Forsett every down back replacement in Montgomery. With Slocum and Vareen, we have a steady supply of top notch talent to rely on. I see Montgomery stepping in next year as the number one guy, with Best playing the Reggie Bush role.
4) The offensive line was great. No sacks, over 200 yards rushing. The only issue was the snap between Mack and Longshore, with Longshore most likely taking most of the blame. The last two drives were physical punishment of the Vols d-line.
5) The secondary (with the odd exception of DeCoud) played great. DeCoud was too hyped up or something. He kept trying to get sports highlight hits and missing. I think Tedford will have a talk with him. But the young secondary did great in keeping the long plays to a mimimum.
6) The LBs were pretty damn good too. It seemed as though Gregory blitzed a bit more than he normally has. It seemed like both Tedford and Gregory played a bit more loose than they normally do. I loved it. I think Cal has the team speed to be a bit more agressive. We are solid at LB, like we thought we should be.
7) The D-line was OK, with some instances of greatness. They held the Vols to a low yardage total on rushing plays, which is their duty with Gregory's play calling. Rulon Davis was great on passing downs, saving the touchdown on the goal-line stand, and started to get some pressure on the Ainge. Overall, I thought the Defense did a good job. It held a pretty good QB who was very accurate to 31 points. I think Cal will face three or four offenses this whole year as good as Tennessee, and not a whole lot better, except for SC.

From a special teams perspective, Cal's returns dominated - and of course DeSeans jaw-dropping runback was the highlight. But Hawkins had some great kick-off runs. Best will get better at that and he could be a real threat for KO returns as well. Our punt coverage was good, and our punting was good as usual. What we need work on - like Tennessee - is the kick-off coverage. I think that the new kick-off line has a lot more impact than the rule makers believe. Cal regularly started on the 40, and almost all went past the 30.

So, all in all a great win for Cal. Next up, the dreaded Colorado State Rams. Now, the Bears actually lost to these guys when Brad Van Pelt was thier QB. He was a tough run / pass option dude. That was the best Rams team in a while. These guys went to three OT the other day with Colorado, so they are not chopped liver. But the Bears should not have a letdown against these guys, after the good example that Michigan gave everyone last week. That was a coaches dream (unless you are Lloyd Carr).

Our Blog

Hello

I am excited to launch my first blog. We are here to discuss the important issues in the world - Cal Football, Cal Sports, and anything else I want to talk about.

I am not a stickler for organization, so please comment about whatever you want.

I am just getting this set up, and I will begin to post regularly. I will also try to post some key links to critical web sites for you. So keep looking. Thanks, and happy blogging!