Longshore Pac-10 Player of the Week – again

QB Nate Longshore has been named Pac-10 offensive player of the week for the second time this season.

Longshore, a sophomore from Canyon Country, Calif., directed California’s offense in the Golden Bears’ 49-21 win against No. 18-ranked Arizona State. Longshore completed 18 of 26 passes (.692) for 270 yards and four touchdowns covering 9, 31, 23 and 8 yards with just one interception. All four touchdown passes came in the first half as California built a 42-14 halftime lead. It marks the second time this season Longshore has been named Pac-10 offensive player of the week having also been so honored after his performance in Cal’s win against Minnesota.

DB Daymeion Hughes and WR/PR DeSean Jackson were also nominated for defensive PotW and special teams PotW, respectively.

Cal leading the Pac-10 in stats

Cal is emerging as the statistical leader of the Pac-10. As a team, Cal is the Pac-10’s leader in scoring (37.8 ppg) and passing yards (287.8).

In addition, Nate Longshore is #1 in QB rating at 166.92. Marshawn Lynch and DeSean Jackson both are leading in rushing yards (449) and receiving yards (371), respectively. Lavelle Hawkins and Robert Jordan are also in the top 5 in receiving yards. Jackson leads the conference in scoring with 42 points as well. Finally, Daymeion Hughes is far and away the leader in interceptions with 5.

Longshore for USA Today Player of the Week

QB Nate Longshore has been nominated by USA Today for their College Football Player of the Week award. He is one of five players in the running, alongside Notre Dame DB Terrail Lambert, South Carolina WR Sidney Rice, Utah DB Eric Weddle, and Northern Illinois RB Garrett Wolfe.

You can help Longshore out by visiting the site and casting a vote for him. He’s currently in second place at 23% behind Lambert with 33%.

Also, Todd McShay with Scouts Inc./ESPN recognized Nate Longshore‘s great performance on Saturday and included him on his weekly college football stock report in “Stock Up”. He writes:

Nate Longshore, QB, Cal
It would have been easy to write Longshore off following the season-opening debacle at Tennessee. So give head coach Jeff Tedford credit for sticking with the confidence-shaken sophomore. Longshore made progress in wins over Minnesota and Portland State, but his breakout game came Saturday in Cal’s lopsided victory over Pac-10 foe Arizona State. His poise and accuracy were most impressive, as Longshore completed 18 passes to eight different receivers. He finished the afternoon throwing for 270 yards and four touchdowns. As a side note, CB Daymeion Hughes headlined Cal’s dominant defensive performance with two interceptions and WR/RS DeSean Jackson showed his rare explosiveness on an 80-yard punt return for a score.

Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter is listed in the “Stock Down” section following his dismal performance against Cal’s defense.

Bears rout Arizona State, inch up in polls

Yesterday, Cal obliterated then-ranked Arizona State, sending them home with a painful loss and blasting them out of the top 25.

ESPN: No. 22 Arizona State had some questions entering its Pac-10 opener. The answers weren’t good. No. 21 Cal blasted the Sun Devils 49-21 in Berkeley

Associated Press: California walked all over the Sun Devils in a 49-21 victory Saturday, and [Daymeion] Hughes’ pivotal pick capped a 42-point first half that showed the No. 21 Golden Bears have made significant strides in the last three weeks.

Bear Insider: Speed kills. Absolute speed kills absolutely. With apologies to Nicolo Machiavelli, nothing could sum up Saturday’s 49-21 Cal victory better or more concisely. The #21-ranked Golden Bears allowed ASU to rip off a 12-play, 74 yard touchdown drive to open the football game.

Scout.com: Arizona State had one of the top-ranked defenses heading into last Saturday’s showdown with Cal. The Sun Devils got sun burned by four Nate Longshore touchdown passes in an impressive 49-21 statement win for the Bears. Had smoking-hot Cal scheduled Tennessee in late September, rather than on the opening weekend, we all might be labeling the Bears a dangerous darkhorse contender for a national championship.

Contra Costa Times: The highly regarded Cal team that everyone expected to debut on Sept. 2 at Tennessee showed up Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

The Golden Bears, who were ranked No. 9 in the preseason polls, opened their Pac 10 season with a 49-21 win over No. 22 Arizona State, which simply had no answer for the Bears’ bevy of playmakers. No. 21 Cal (3-1, 1-0) scored in explosive fashion, racing to a 42-14 lead by intermission. Six players scored Cal’s seven touchdowns.

Sports Network: Nate Longshore tossed four first-half touchdown passes to lead 21st-ranked California to a 49-21 thumping of No.22 Arizona State in the Pac 10 opener for both teams at Memorial Stadium. Longshore completed 18-of-26 passes for 270 yards with an interception, and Marshawn Lynch rushed 17 times for 124 yards. Lynch also caught a touchdown and DeSean Jackson hauled in four passes for 67 yards and a score, while also returning a punt 80 yards for a touchdown for the Golden Bears (3-1, 1-0 Pac 10), who have now won their last three games following a season-opening loss to Tennessee.

Coach Jeff Tedford: We had a lot of speed on the field and our playmakers really stepped up well on offense and defense. I thought special teams did a nice job. I thought Andrew Larson did an excellent job of punting with really great hang-time to allow us to cover his punts. I think in all three phases of the game we played fairly solid but we’re still not where we need to be. We need to be able to put four quarters together and we haven’t done that yet this year. I thought our offensive line did a nice job. Coach Gregory did a nice job. He did a nice job of mixing his calls up and making adjustments.

ASU Coach Dirk Koetter: We talked to the team about when you’re on the road against a good team with a loud crowd, whenever that onslaught comes, you’ve got to be able to answer it, and we just couldn’t answer it. What Cal did to us today is exactly what happened to them at Tennessee, it’s exactly the same thing. That’s the difficulty of playing on the road – not just playing on the road, but playing against a good football team.

After the pressure starts to build from their blitzes, even the most routine plays become difficult.

Cal’s very talented. All of those wide receivers, three tailbacks, the corner [Hughes] is outstanding. They’re by far the most athletic team we’ve played – by far.

Despite this huge in-conference throttling of a top 25 team, the polls again showed Cal little respect. In the AP poll, Cal moved up one spot to #20. The Coaches’ poll left Cal at #20, like last week. In both votes, Clemson leapfrogged Cal due to their win over ACC bottom dweller North Carolina. Regardless, pundits are turning their eyes back to Cal with this win and recognizing the big-time potential for the season.

As an aside, in addition to the plethora of highlights from the Bears, there was one brutal lowlight from ASU. Cornerback Justin Tryon laid DeSean Jackson out with a dangerous and vicious cheapshot during a punt return, receiving only a personal foul flag. In my opinion, he should have been ejected or at least benched by his coaches. Fellow bloggers at Sturdy Golden Blog and Bear Territory agree as well, and you can take a look to see what they think.

Today, Arizona State

The last time Cal faced ASU (2004), they blanked the #20 Sun Devils 27-0 (Blaire Baily, Daily Cal)

If you made it through all the articles I gave you to read in the last few days… there’s more. Let’s hope this game lives up to the expectations and Cal comes out on top.

Cal’s defense will be focusing on ASU’s quarterback, Rudy Carpenter. With high-energy Mickey Pimentel now in the starting lineup for linebacker, the pass rush should get a boost.

Andrew Cameron, the starting left tackle on the offensive line who injured his ankle during the Minnesota game, still may not be available for today’s matchup. Coach Jeff Tedford says that it “will be a game-time decision.” Scott Smith is still out with his MCL injury.
The SF Chronicle has an article evaluating the high octane offenses of both teams, and predicting a game dominated by the offense on both sides.

Athlon Sports has a game preview supporting ASU’s chances to win, and favors them by 10 points. To me, they make some pretty weak points.

SI has an amusing “smackdown” article pitting student writers from ASU and Cal and dregging up the usual stereotypes. They also have a Road Trip: Cal feature describing the best spots in Berkeley.

Finally, the Daily Cal describes how the season begins today for both ASU and Cal.

“I don’t know how to explain it. There’s something about Pac-10 play,” Tedford said. “I don’t want to say, ‘Now it’s for real,’ because it was always for real, but there’s just something a little bit different about conference play.”

See you at the game.

Cal Football Fan prediction: 41-27, Cal.

Personnel, prediction, and more on the ASU matchup

Defensive coordinator Bob Gregory said that Mickey Pimentel will be starting Saturday over Justin Moye at linebacker (who will also get snaps). Pimentel looked good against Portland State and recorded a sack with Brandon Mebane.

The Contra Costa Times also has a nice article about linebacker Worrell Williams. The combination of Pimentel, Williams, and Desmond Bishop is a mean one, and they should live up to the preseason hype against ASU.

Also, Marcus O’Keith got a well-deserved feature article in the Daily Cal today. O’Keith has definitely taken advantage of the limited opportunities he’s had on the field. He’s been named the starter at kickoff returns (instead of Marshawn Lynch) for ASU, as well.

Finally, here are some more quotes (in addition to the last post) on the Cal/ASU matchup on Saturday.

Contra Costa Times’ Jay Heater:

Pressure would seem to be a crucial aspect of this game. ASU 18 sacks, Cal 5 sacks. However, Cal faced a running team in Minnesota and the Portland State game was a blowout and can be discounted. Even so, it will be interesting to see if the Bears can put the screws to ASU sophomore QB Rudy Carpenter.

ESPN’s Bruce Feldman:

This one figures to be one of those traditional Pac-10 offensive shows. There is a very intriguing matchup here between the improved Sun Devils’ run defense (third in the Pac-10, allowing 2.6 yards per carry) and the great Marshawn Lynch. I’m not very sold on the ASU D and I still expect Lynch to run wild. Plus I like the home field edge.

Thing that has me sold: Marshawn Lynch.

Scouts Inc.’s ASU-Cal Edge:

Expect a close game but Arizona State will come up just short on the road. The Sun Devils will keep the game close thanks to their offensive balance. However, Cal’s run defense is strong enough to put Carpenter in more third-and-long situations than Koetter would like to see. That pressure will cause Carpenter to make some uncharacteristically poor decisions and/or errant throws that end drives.

The Sun Devils will have some success getting to Longshore as well, but their corners will have a hard time matching up with Cal’s deep corps of receivers. Cal will have consistent success moving the ball on the ground and don’t be surprised to see their backs break some long runs. In addition, the Bears have the home run threats in the return game to win the battle of field position.

ESPN’s Craig James:

Q: Does Tedford and the boys have any shot against a high powered Arizona State offense this weekend?
A: I think they do…and that they will beat ASU. The Cal debacle at Tenn earlier was just a snowball they couldn’t stop. This weekend we should see the real Cal team

Also interesting to note:

In the last 28 Pac-10 games, only USC (27-1) has a better record than Cal (21-7) and ASU (20-8). … ASU leads the series against Cal 13-12, but the Bears have won four of the past five.

Cal hosts tough Arizona State in conference opener

Cal’s conference schedule begins on Saturday with #22-ranked Arizona State (3-0) at home, a real test to determine whether the Bears have learned lessons and made adjustments since Tennessee. With this game, we will see if Cal is a contender for the Pac-10 title and a Rose Bowl berth.

The game is getting a good look from many analysts and pundits who see this as a statement game for both teams. Arizona State is a tough team with a powerful west-coast offense and a greatly improved defense. Here are some interesting articles and points of view.

ESPN, “California tries to extend winning streak vs. Arizona State”:

The 21st-ranked Golden Bears look to extend their winning streak over the 22nd-ranked Sun Devils to four games when they meet in the Pac-10 Conference opener for both teams.

California, which has won four of the series’ last five games, last met Arizona State two years ago, when it posted a 27-0 victory here. The Sun Devils have not defeated the Bears since a 30-10 triumph in Tempe in 2000.

ESPN, Top 25 Overview:

Since taking over the Arizona State program in 2001, Dirk Koetter is 0-10 in Pac-10 games played in the state of California (USC, UCLA, Cal and Stanford). Too late for the Sun Devils to make this a neutral-site game?

The Sports Network, “(22) Arizona State (3-0) at (21) California (2-1)”:

This game has the feel of a Pac-10 shootout. The top two passing teams in the conference will go toe-to-toe in what should be an entertaining offensive game throughout. The slight edge has to go to the Bears, who get this game at home and could grind things out a bit with Lynch on the ground.

Arizona Republic, “Tedford merits credit for rapid revival”:

Talk all you want about the Golden Bears’ skills players and explosive offense. Arizona State’s biggest hurdle when it visits Berkeley Saturday is coach Jeff Tedford, who spurred one of the most dramatic turnarounds in recent college football history.

This is a mano-a-mano worthy of attention, as offensive gurus Tedford and Dirk Koetter aim to make the top of the Pac-10 Conference a USC-free zone.

RealFootball365, “The REAL Top 25 Weekly Review”:

So how prepared is ASU for a conference-opening day road game in Berkeley vs. No. 21 Cal? The Sun Devils have a win over Double-A Northern Arizona, one over the WAC’s Nevada Wolfpack, and now this road win over a hapless Colorado team. Meanwhile, Cal has the experience of a road ambush at Tennessee, a solid win over a fairly good Minnesota team, and last weekend’s pasting of a solid Double-A Portland State. This week’s game with Cal will be one of the most intriguing Pac-10 matchups in the young season.

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit:

The game I am most eager to see is the Pac-10 game between Arizona State and Cal. The Sun Devils’ defense has been pretty dominant, but they have yet to get on track offensively after their quarterback controversy between Rudy Carpenter and Sam Keller. Plus, ASU has yet to play a team the caliber of Cal.

Nate Longshore has established himself at quarterback after a rough start at Tennessee, and running back Marshawn Lynch should be back at 100 percent. Neither team can afford a loss if it wants to try to measure up with USC in the Pac-10 race.

ESPN’s Beano Cook:

Q: What’s your take on Cal v. Arizona State?
A: Well, when the season began, I said this, the Bears haven’t been to the Rose Bowl since the 1958 season. They haven’t won a Rose Bowl since the 1938 Rose Bowl. Everyone tells me that California will be good this year, but the Bears have to show it before I believe it. Cal should win this game, they’re playing at home. If they can’t win at home, then it will be a long season.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach:

Q: Do you see a Sun Devil victory over Cal?
A: It’s going to be a very interesting game. Would give the edge to the Sun Devils because of Rudy Carpenter, but Cal has rebounded pretty well from the bad loss at UT. Sun Devils better tackle better, however.

And finally, from Coach Jeff Tedford himself:

“Our guys are excited about getting into Pac 10 play. We like to be at home and are fortunate to play our last two games at home and to open up home against Arizona State because it is a very hard place to play at. We also understand that Arizona State is a great football team, very highly ranked and very explosive on offense and very solid on defense and one of the better teams in our conference.”

AP poll recalculated, Cal #21 again

A balloting error has been fixed, modifying the rankings in the AP poll slightly. Among the changes are Cal at #21 instead of #22, leaving them at the same spot they were at last week and Arizona State one spot behind them.

Thus, in the end Cal did not drop in the rankings this week; it retained the #21 spot in the AP poll and moved up one spot to #20 in the Coaches poll.

O-line takes another hit: RT Smith out 3 weeks

The injury-plagued offensive line took another hit during Saturday’s game, as right tackle Scott Smith sprained a ligament (MCL) in his knee. Smith’s injury does not require surgery but he will not be available to play in the next three games.

Depending on the return of left tackle Andrew Cameron, either Mike Tepper (who filled in for Cameron but has practiced at both RT and LT) or Mike Gibson (who filled in for Smith following his injury on Saturday) will play in Smith’s absence.

Cal defeats Portland State, drops in AP poll

The Bears defeated Portland State 42-16 Saturday. The game was over by the first half, and Coach Jeff Tedford subsequently removed most starters. This allowed almost every backup player to get off the bench in the last two quarters and gain valuable gametime experience.

Despite the solid win, the AP dropped Cal to #22. However, the Coaches poll has Cal up one spot at #20. ESPN’s Lee Corso also mentioned he maintains that Cal could be the team that beats USC on College Gameday.

Next week, we face Arizona State at home (#20 in AP, #18 in Coaches) so a win should finally have us make a significant move upward in the polls.