Bears dominate Ducks 45-24 in blowout victory

Cal returned to national television last night in a statement game, showing audiences around the country the real Bears. Memorial Stadium was sold-out packed, emotions were high, and the crowd roared with deafening noise. Oregon’s powerful offense was crushed by the Bears’ defense, as they were shut down on the run and struggled in the air to avoid interceptions (quarterback Dennis Dixon was picked off three times).

Meanwhile, Cal dominated Oregon offensively and on special teams. Despite losing Marshawn Lynch to injury early in the game, the Bears had no trouble dismantling Oregon passing or on the ground with Justin Forsett. WR/PR DeSean Jackson returned another punt for a breathtaking touchdown. The 45-24 result is hardly representative of the whooping Oregon received, primarly due to Coach Jeff Tedford‘s class (he did not run up the score) but also some terrible officiating by the now-infamous Pac-10 referees.

A few recap articles:

• AP/ESPN: “Longshore continues to shine as Cal thumps No. 11 Ducks”
• Contra Costa Times: “Cal’s ‘O’ rolls: Injury to Lynch doesn’t stop Bears”
• Daily Cal: “What a Win! Bears Pound Oregon in Front of Packed House, Extend Winning Steak to Five”
• Los Angeles Times: “Cal Sets the Gold Standard”
• Sacramento Bee: “Bears quack some heads: Cal overpowers Ducks, rolls to fifth consecutive victory”
• San Francisco Chronicle: “Cal in a runaway: Only one offense shines despite predictions of a shootout”
• San Jose Mercury News: “Golden touch: Cal, dressed for success, routs Oregon 45-24”
• Scout.com: “Cal’s Convincing Win Over Oregon 45-24”

Cal’s impressive victory also has turned heads back to Berkeley, and the Bears are receiving some attention that was there during the preseason but lost after Tennessee.

Sporting News’ Tom Dienhart: “Cal could be nation’s No. 2 team”

And so it went on this night during a — What else? — thunderous 45-24 Cal victory over Oregon. It was a showdown that would determine who is the second-best team in the Pac-10. But, who am I kidding? Given another unimpressive USC win (this time over Washington), this was a showdown to determine who was the best team in the Pac-10.

And it wasn’t even close. It’s Cal…

How good is 5-1 Cal? More on that later. This much I know for sure: The team I saw whip Oregon has to be as good as any squad in the nation not named “Ohio State.” It has to be.

Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel: “Five Things We Learned This Weekend”

That the national title race is down to nine contenders. They are: Ohio State, USC, Michigan, Florida, West Virginia, Texas, Louisville, Tennessee and Cal. Why these nine? They are the only remaining teams (besides Boise State) that elicit enough confidence to suggest they could win the rest of their games. Obviously, most of them won’t (especially considering USC-Cal, Ohio State-Michigan and West Virginia-Louisville play each other), but if you had to bet your life savings on the matter, you’d be smart to stay within this pool.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach: “Rejuvenated Bears dismantle Oregon”

The Bears were the team that everyone away from the Left Coast seemingly forgot. But they had won four consecutive games since losing to Tennessee, scoring 40 points or more…

Still, that winning streak wasn’t enough to erase the deflating loss at Tennessee… But by the time the sun had set Saturday night behind the picturesque hills that hover over this classic college football setting, it was clear Cal has something the Ducks — and possibly every other Pac-10 team besides USC — still lacks. Defense.

And the Bears sure have enough offense to go with it.

Predictions for today’s game

Most analysts are predicting a relatively high-scoring but close outcome for today’s matchup. Statistically, Cal and Oregon are nearly neck-to-neck in every category. Both have excellent coaches and great personnel. And, in the past few years every game has been down to the wire. However, with Oregon on the road at Cal, the Bears should emerge victorious.

Here are a few predictions:

Sites:

• ESPN’s Bruce Feldman: Cal 41, Oregon 35
• Scout.com’s Mr Pac-10: Cal 38, Oregon 31
• Scouts, Inc: Cal 38, Oregon 31
• The Sports Network: Cal 34, Oregon 31
  

Blogs:

• TedfordisGod: Cal 43, Oregon 24
• Bear Territory: Cal 38, Oregon 31

Finally, our thoughts:

Eric’s prediction: 38-27, Cal.

Steve’s prediction: 41-38, Cal

More buzz for Saturday’s showdown

Things are still buzzing about Cal in anticipation of Saturday’s conference matchup against Oregon. First of all, there’s a few general-interest articles to read. The AP has a feature article about well-deserving Daymeion Hughes, talking about his successes on the field and his art major. The Daily Cal has an article describing the relationship between Coach Jeff Tedford and Oregon head coach Mike Belotti. ESPN also talks about both teams’ “hangovers” (Tennessee, Oklahoma) that they are overcoming in this game in a great article.

Next, here is the ABC coverage map for Saturday night. The game is receiving national attention from most of the country, most importantly both the West and East coast. Having exposure on the East Coast will be good, considering it seems that most people out there haven’t seen a Cal game since the Tennessee letdown.

Finally, here is a run-down of some more thoughts about the game (I’ll be adding more as it comes out):

ESPN’s Bruce Feldman: “Picks”

No. 16 Cal 41, No. 11 Oregon 35: I love the Ducks’ skill talent and the fact that Oregon has given up just one sack this season, but I’m playing a hunch here. Nate Longshore is rolling now and he has plenty of speed on the outside. And I have a feeling that this is the week we realize how much the Ducks miss Haloti Ngata as Marshawn Lynch reintroduces himself to the nation and ends up being the RB everyone is talking about Sunday morning (after Garrett Wolfe, of course). Oregon is only ninth in the Pac-10 in rushing D. It has surrendered three straight 100-yard rushing performances.

Thing that has me sold: Marshawn Lynch.

Scouts, Inc.’s Todd McShay:

Q: Todd, which team, Oregan or Cal, has the best chance to knock off USC?

A: They both travel to LA for the game, which does not bode well. But if I had to pick one of the two I would go with Cal. Tedford has beaten USC in the past and he has the defensive speed to match up better than Oregon. As good as Oregon has been, Cal seems to be improving by leaps and bounds each week. Oregon has good offensive weapons with QB Dixon, RB Stewart and WR Williams, but Cal has a more explosive bunch with RB’s Lynch and Forsett and WR’s Jackson and Jordan. If Longshore continues to improve between now and Nov. 18th, I think Cal would have the better shot.

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit:

Q: Oregon-Cal seems like such a toss-up to me. Can you help me pick a winner in this one and why?

A: Well, Oregon’s defensive line concerns me with the injuries they’ve sustained. The injury to Cole Linehan puts even more pressure on the inexperienced interior. I think they’ll have a hard time shutting down Cal’s running game with Marshawn Lynch. I think Oregon’s best chance will be the combination of Dennis Dixon to Jaison Williams and the running of Jonathan Stewart to not only outscore Cal but to eat up as much clock as possible to keep the ball away from Nate Longshore and the Cal offense. I don’t think Oregon’s defense can stop Cal. I think they’ll have to win in a shootout or keep the ball away by winning time of possession. I like Oregon in that game. Ball control and a balanced attack.

Buzz for Saturday’s showdown

vs.

Saturday’s matchup, between the only two real contenders to take down USC for the Pac-10 title, is getting some big recognition around the nation. Cal and Oregon are both 2-0 in the Pac-10 and nationally ranked (#16 and #11, respectively). Memorial Stadium is almost sold out with the tarps coming off both the Gold and Blue Zones. This is going to be a BIG game and you won’t want to miss it. The game is also televised on ABC’s primetime Saturday Night College Football program, giving the showdown a huge audience.

Here is a glimpse of what people are saying. Unfortunately, most of the thoughts are from ESPN analysts, some of whom may seem a bit out of touch (see Beano).

ESPN: “Conference matchups dominate Week 6”

Cal has made a tremendous resurrection since its first game, in which the Bears were pummeled by Tennessee. The offense is living up to its potential; quarterback Nathan Longshore is making good decisions and running back Marshawn Lynch is living up to his preseason Heisman hype.

Oregon also boasts a balanced offense, with quarterback Dennis Dixon and running back Jonathan Stewart leading the way. The Ducks’ secondary, however, raises many questions. Cal also has problems defensively; the Bears have to make tackles in the open field — that’s what killed them against Tennessee. These teams are capable of challenging USC for Pac-10 supremacy, but it starts with Saturday’s game. I’m high on both of these teams, but I give the edge to Cal because the Bears’ defense is better.

Scouts, Inc:

Expect a high-scoring and close game. Longshore will expose a vulnerable Oregon secondary and continue to find the open man. Once the passing game sets up the running game, Lynch will break some long runs working against a Ducks’ run defense that is giving up an average of 4.7 yards per carry. Oregon will counter with the two-headed monster of Stewart and Johnson. They will help the Ducks sustain long scoring drives and take pressure off Dixon on the road.

However, expect Dixon to make a few critical mistakes that are ultimately the difference in this game. Williams has emerged as Dixon’s go-to-guy, but it is concerning that he has twice as many receptions as any other player on the roster. Though Williams will make some big plays in this game, Hughes has the size and cover skills to prevent him from having a career day. Hughes is also a playmaker, so Dixon will have to find his complementary receivers more this week. The Bears’ conservative defensive approach will force Dixon to throw into tighter spaces and make it more difficult for him to run when nothing is available downfield.

ESPN’s Bruce Feldman: “Week’s most intriguing story lines”

2. Battle for No. 2 in the Pac-10
Forget about the Trojans for a week, the Oregon-Cal game is where all the action is out West this weekend. These are, by far, the two most productive offenses in the league: Oregon averages more than 40 points per game and Cal more than 38. Cal and Oregon are first and second, respectively, in the Pac-10 in passing, while Oregon leads the conference in rushing.

Worth watching: If the Bears touted D-line, which got off to such a bad start, can get after Dennis Dixon. (Oregon has only allowed one sack all season.)

SF Chronicle: “Bears’ big date with Ducks”

Cal folks will tell you the Bears’ Nov. 18 game against USC is the one to circle on the calendar, but Saturday’s matchup of No. 11 Oregon and No. 16 Cal in Berkeley has the look of something special.

It is only the second time since 1972 that two teams ranked in the top 16 play a game in the Bay Area. The other was in 1991, when No. 7 Cal lost 24-17 to No. 3 Washington… With USC suddenly looking vulnerable, the Oregon-Cal winner becomes a prime contender for a Rose Bowl berth.

Only four players in the country are averaging more than 100 rushing yards per game and better than 7 yards per carry, and two of them will play at Memorial Stadium on Saturday: the Bears’ Marshawn Lynch and Oregon’s Jonathan Stewart… Only eight teams are averaging more than 38 points, and Cal and Oregon are two of them… Cal quarterback Nate Longshore is tied for the national lead in touchdown passes with 14, and Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon, who grew up in the East Bay, leads the Pac-10 in total offense…

The past three Oregon-Cal games have been tight: a 27-20 overtime win for the Ducks last year, the Bears’ 28-27 victory in 2004 and Oregon’s 21-17 decision in ’03.

ESPN’s Rod Gilmore: “Conference games have compelling subplots”

Also, this game puts on display the significant recruiting turf battle going on in the East Bay of Northern California between Oregon and Cal. Over the last few years, Oregon has made a nasty little habit of sneaking into Berkeley’s backyard and stealing top players. For example, [Oregon QB] Dixon hails from San Leandro, which is just 20 minutes from Berkeley…

Make no mistake, there will be plenty of Cal and Oregon recruits in Berkeley on Saturday night. If Oregon struts into town wearing one of its 99,000 trendy uniforms and rolls out with a win, you can bet that several recruits will be quacking about the Ducks and likely heading to Eugene next season instead of Cal. That’s how important this game is to the future of both programs.

ESPN’s Ivan Maisel:

Q: Who do you like in the Cal-Oregon matchup this Saturday, and what do you think of the winner’s chances of unseating USC in the Pac-10?

A: I’m leaning Cal, but I haven’t studied it closely yet. Cal is making up the ground it lost when it bombed out at Tennessee. The game being in Berkeley may make the difference.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper:

Q: Cal or Oregon? Do you think Nate Longshore is for real, because he sure is playing like he is…

A: I’m going with Oregon. I understand it is a road game and it’s tough to go on the road, but I like what they are doing. The good matchup is Oregon WR Jayson Williams against corner Daymon Hughes. This is an even game on paper. I just give Oregon the slight edge.

ESPN’s Beano Cook:

Q: Who do you like between Oregon and Cal and will the winner take the pac-10 now that USC has shown signs of vulnerability?

A: The winner of that game does have a shot. I go with the home team in tough games like this one. It is nice to see California doing well at something besides sit-ins. Imagine how tough it was to recruit in the 60s during the sit-ins.

Schneider wins Pac-10 Player of the Week (ST)

Kicker Tom Schneider has been honored with the Pac-10 Player of the Week award for his special teams play.

Smith, White, Schneider Named U.S. Bank Pac-10 Football Players of the Week: award is career first for all three players.

Schneider, a junior from Walnut Creek, Calif., was perfect on two field goal attempts and five PATs to account for 11 points in California’s 41-13 win at Oregon State.

QB Nate Longshore was again nominated for the award on offense, but probably did not win due to the fact that he already received it twice this season.

Bears get redemption, crush OSU on the road

Cal crushed Oregon State at home yesterday, finding revenge for their upset in Berkeley last season. The Bears had another impressive performance on both sides of the ball, and were clearly the better team in a convincing 41-13 victory. The video above has glowing words from ESPN College Gameday’s Lee Corso, as well as a few highlights from the game.

Also, I noticed the new white/blue road uniforms, instead of all white. I like it.

Associated Press: “Longshore lights up OSU defense in Bears’ blowout”

Nate Longshore and California have their passing game down pat. The running game? It’s pretty good, too. And Longshore predicts the best is yet to come from that part of the Bears’ offense. Longshore threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns, including two to Marshawn Lynch, and No. 20 California defeated Oregon State 41-13 on Saturday. Lynch finished with three touchdowns for the Bears (4-1, 2-0 Pac-10), running 15 yards for another score.

“Offensively we did what we wanted to do in the passing game. I think as the season goes the run will open up a little more,” Longshore said.

Scout.com: “Bears make a point in Corvallis”

Revenge and redemption were two popular words in the California locker room this week as the challenge was to remove all memory of a pair of blots on the Bears recent history: last year’s upset loss at home to Oregon State as well as the Bears last road game – the season opening thrashing at the hands of Tennessee.

Mission accomplished.

In a game much more reminiscent of Cal’s last trip to Corvallis in 2004 where the Bears hammered Oregon State by a score of 49-7, the Bears completely overwhelmed the outmatched Beavers, jumping out to a 31-0 1st half lead while coasting to a convincing 41-13 win.

Daily Cal: “More of the Same as Cal Piles It on Oregon State”

The game may have been at a different venue, but the result—and the way it was achieved—stuck to the recent script for the No. 20 Cal football team. That is, strike early and strike fast.

The Bears reached the end zone four times and kicked a field goal in their five first-half possessions en route to a 41-13 victory over Oregon State. Quarterback Nate Longshore threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns.

Cal had scored 112 combined first-half points in the three games prior to Saturday’s bout with the Beavers (2-2, 0-1 in the Pac-10). The Bears (4-1, 2-0) sucked the energy out of a small, but vocal crowd of 39,309 at Reser Stadium, taking a 31-3 lead into the locker room.

Contra Costa Times: “Longshore hits on all cylinders”

In the first week of the season, Cal quarterback Nate Longshore was like a kid who was presented the keys to his dad’s Corvette. He couldn’t quite get it in gear. During the Bears’ 41-13 victory on Saturday at Reser Stadium, Longshore showed he might be ready for the Indy 500.

Longshore executed both his offense and the Oregon State Beavers with a 341-yard, four-touchdown passing performance that gives him a total of 14 touchdowns and 1,116 passing yards over the last four games.”I have such great athletes around me,” said Longshore, who has completed 77 of 110 passes during Cal’s four-game winning streak. “If I just get them the ball, crazy things will happen. I have the easiest job of anyone out there.”

With plenty of time to choose his targets, Longshore picked apart the Beavers with ridiculous ease. Cal (4-1 overall, 2-0 Pac-10) scored touchdowns on its first four drives and added a Tom Schneider field goal on the fifth, which was Cal’s final possession of the first half.

ESPN: “Top 25 Overview”

It was over when… Cal lost to Tennessee in the season opener. Since then, QB Nate Longshore has been money. He took the Beavers to the bank twice in the first quarter to give the Bears a 14-0 lead.

Gameball goes to… Longshore, who is putting up Heisman-worthy numbers as a sophomore. His four-TD performance gave Cal the win; his 336 passing yards were a career best.

Stat of the game… 481: Ladies and gentlemen, Cal’s offense has arrived, finishing with 481 total yards. Marshawn Lynch also had a banner day, with 3 TDs and 163 yards.

How to catch the Oregon State game

Since Saturday’s game isn’t televised, you have a few options (besides making the trip up to Corvallis, of course).

Radio:

• KALX Radio (90.7 FM, Berkeley)
• KGO Radio (810 AM, San Francisco)
• KKGO Radio (1260 AM, Los Angeles)
• KKGO Radio (540 AM, San Diego)
• KESP Radio (970 AM, Modesto)
• KNRO Radio (1670AM, Redding)

Online:

• Online KGO stream
• Online KALX stream
• ESPN GameCast

Eric’s prediction: 52-21, Cal.

Steve’s prediction: 41-17 Cal.

Saturday’s matchup: at Oregon State

Saturday’s matchup is away in Corvallis, OR and untelevised, but it is an important conference matchup against a decent team who upset the Bears last season. Here are some articles and thoughts:

Associated Press: “Beavers see a chance to define themselves”

Enter conference play and the Golden Bears… Cal brings the momentum of a 49-21 win over Arizona State. Oregon State’s defense returned to form in a 38-0 win over the Vandals Saturday, but coach Mike Riley cautioned against putting too much stock in that win…

California embarrassed the Beavers in its last appearance at Reser Stadium — a 49-7 win in 2004. Oregon State returned the favor last year, beating then-No. 18 Cal 23-20 in Berkeley.

ESPN‘s “Pac-10 Notebook”:

During the Bears’ three-game winning streak, [Longshore]’s completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 795 yards with 10 touchdowns and has become the Pac-10’s highest-rated quarterback. Each of those games were at home, however, and now he takes the Bears on the road for the first time since the ill-fated trip to Knoxville. Last year, Oregon State ended Cal’s 10-game home winning streak with a 23-20 upset. On the other hand, the last time Cal went to Corvallis, it prevailed 49-7.

Contra Costa Times: “Oregon State has a proven record of running past Cal”

Oregon State coach Mike Riley wouldn’t boast about tailback Yvenson Bernard rushing for 194 yards on 42 carries in his team’s 23-20 victory over Cal last season at Memorial Stadium…

The Bears’ confidence might be high, but they have given up 164.8 rushing yards per game. Cal senior linebacker Mickey Pimentel said the Beavers are sure to test the Bears’ front seven early on Saturday.

“They wanted to pound us last year,” Pimentel said. “And they did. We have pride on defense. We always want to shut down the run, but (Bernard) had ridiculous yards against us. Our focus is going to be stopping the run.” Pimentel said it’s rare that an opponent can dominate the Bears physically. “That’s just not us,” he said. “We don’t get beaten up physically. We are going to answer the challenge.”

Jay Heater‘s (Contra Costa Times) blog:

The theme of today’s media conference was very clear. Jeff Tedford told his players “you got your butt kicked last season, now what are you going to do about it?”

Tedford has been very good about issuing challenges to his players. When Oregon State has been able to run against the Bears, it has handled them. The Beavers also have mugged Cal’s receivers at the line of scrimmage and that has had a significant effect on the game.

Tedford wants his players to understand this is another of those smack down challenges, a physical war along the line of scrimmage. And that just doesn’t mean the front seven. Those defensive backs and wide receivers will be hammering each other the entire game.

ESPN’s Bruce Feldman picks:

No. 20 Cal 41, Oregon State 17: The Bears have way too many weapons for Oregon State to handle. On paper, this sounds like a nice challenge for Cal QB Nate Longshore since the Beavers lead the Pac-10 in passing defense by a fairly large margin. (Opposing QBs are only completing 45 percent of their passes and have thrown just one TD against 5 INTs.) But I think Longshore and his speedy collection of receivers are going to light them up.
Thing that has me sold: Cal’s skill level.

Longshore is USA Today Player of the Week

QB Nate Longshore has been awarded the USA Today Player of the Week honor, as two members of the media overrode the public vote.

A prolific passing day carried California quarterback Nate Longshore to this week’s USA TODAY’s Player of the Week honor. The sophomore threw for four touchdowns and 270 yards as the Golden Bears scored 42 first-half points in a 49-21 defeat of No. 18 Arizona State. Longshore won the award with the votes of Gannett News Service columnist Mike Lopresti and college football editor Erick Smith. Fan voting sided with Notre Dame defensive back Terrail Lambert.

It’s nice to see Longshore’s efforts recognized by national media.

OL/DL Justin Cheadle commits to Cal

Four-star lineman Justin Cheadle out of Bakersfield has committed to Cal. He’s a 6’4″, 260+ lb player who can play both offensive and defensive line, but will likely play the former at Cal. Check out his player profile at Scout and Rivals. From his mouth:

“I always [was] thinking about committing to Cal, but something told me when I was there, just go ahead and commit to Cal. I like the coaches. I like the players. I love the area. I’ll get a top education. It’s a top program. I really think they’ll compete for the Pac 10 championship. Every thing’s just really good about them. I’m just really impressed with the whole program,” concluded Cheadle.

Cheadle is a basketball star for Bakersfield as well and also sports a 3.8 GPA.