Cal #6 in AP, NC contender

Cal has again leapfrogged a team (Texas, who narrowly escaped UCF of Conference USA) and is now ranked #6 in the Associated Press poll. The Bears remain #8 in the USA Today/Coaches poll but have narrowed the point differential to be only a few points behind #7 Wisconsin and #6 Texas.

Meanwhile, an article in the New York Times has declared an “elite class of teams … that could conceivably win the national title.” This short list of six teams includes Cal:

And behind them, there is apparently a large gap to second-tier teams, which are beating one another to perpetuate the illusion of parity. Four of those six top teams — Southern California, Louisiana State, Oklahoma and Florida — have better chances than the other two — California and West Virginia. But these six teams are so far ahead of the pack that any notion that the championship race is wide open is laughable.

The article lists USC’s “game to watch” is their visit to Cal on November 10, describing it as “the West Coast’s biggest game of the year.” As for Cal:

WHY THEY CAN WIN IT ALL: The Bears have already trounced Tennessee and play top-ranked U.S.C. at home in November. DeSean Jackson is one of the country’s most dynamic players. WHY THEY CAN’T WIN IT ALL: A pass defense ranked No. 78 nationally (241.67 yards a game) and an overall defense ranked No. 69 (371.33) does not bode well for Pacific-10 play. GAME TO WATCH: On Sept. 29 at Oregon. The Ducks have blown out Houston, Michigan and Fresno State.

Live blogging for LA Tech

Here we go. Let’s hope for no injuries, solid play, and over 50 points on the board for the Bears in a convincing win.

3:34p: That was FAST. A nice fake hand-off between Lavelle Hawkins and Brandon Hampton sets up the Hawk returning over 90 yards for a touchdown on the opening kickoff.

3:39p: The Bears’ defense suffocates the Bulldog’s first offensive drive with a three and out, topped off by a monster sack by DE Cody Jones. Looks like he hit the quarterback so hard that he’s a little dazed himself.

3:45p: Cal’s offense moves the ball but they seem to be struggling to get settled. QB Nate Longshore gets hit and almost loses the ball, with lineman Mike Gibson saving a turnover. A solid punt by P Andrew Larson puts LA Tech in tough field position.

3:50p: Pac-10 refs strike again. A horrible call (confirmed on review somehow) steals a potential turnover when S Tom DeCoud hits an LA Tech receiver and the ball pops out. The announcers: “I don’t know how you can possibly confirm that call.”

3:59p: The offense isn’t clicking.

4:12p: The CLEAR reception by Robert Jordan is taken away by the officials. The announcers agree that the call is totally wrong, and they point out his hands are undeniably under the ball. What is going on here?

4:35p: Cal takes advantage of a nice turnover with Forsett taking the ball in for a touchdown.

4:45p: Nice offensive drive by the Bears. Things are picking up for the offense.

4:54p: CB Brandon Hampton brings in a great interception, setting up a quick drive into the endzone. TE Craig Stevens recovers from dropping a pass and brings in one for a touchdown.

5:40p: The defense allows an LA tech drive for a touchdown, but stops the two-point conversion. As a side note, #11 UCLA just dropped 44-6 to unranked Utah. The day is not shaping up well for the Pac-10.

5:49p: RB Jahvid Best turns on the jets and runs a quick route to pick up a pass for the endzone. He also had a nice looking kickoff return to set up the drive.

6:24p: The pounding continues, and Forsett tacks on another touchdown set up by a nice run by Best.

6:40p: We got a few looks of #2 QB Kevin Riley as the second team offense took the field. It looks like it was a good experience for the backup to get a few game snaps in case he’s needed later in the season.

6:48p: Well, that’s it. Cal looks pretty good with a 42-12 win.

Tomorrow: Louisiana Tech

There’s not much talk about tomorrow’s match up with Louisiana Tech, with Cal favored by more than 33 points over the Bulldogs. If the Bears correct the mistakes of last week’s game, it’s possible that they’ll cover the spread with ease. However, if inconsistencies linger this could be more dangerous than a typical home tune-up game, as LA Tech pushed #20 Hawaii to overtime last Saturday.

The Sports Network: “Bulldogs and Bears battle in Berkeley”

Cal and LaTech have met just one time previously on the gridiron, with the Bulldogs posting a 41-34 victory in Shreveport in 1997. …

Louisiana Tech … gave nationally-ranked Hawaii all that it could handle last weekend, but in the end, the Bulldogs were on the short-end of a 45-44 overtime decision. … In a wild affair, LaTech rolled up 410 yards of total offense against Hawaii last weekend, but … gave up 386 total yards in its opener to UCA, [and] was burnt for 548 yards through the air last weekend. The defense, however, did come up with three big turnovers, giving them nine takeaways this season. Getting to opposing quarterbacks has also been a strength of this unit, which has eight sacks to its credit. …

Cal is clearly the more dangerous team here and it should have no trouble lighting up the scoreboard in front of its home fans and against a much less talented LaTech club. … Predicted Outcome: California 45, Louisiana Tech 16

The News Star (Monroe, LA): “TECH QUICK SLANTS: California”

After facing No. 20 Hawaii last week at home in a Western Athletic Conference season, the Bulldogs open their road slate with a game at No. 8 Cal. And for the second straight week, the Bulldogs will be facing a Heisman Trophy Candidate in Cal wide receiver/return specialist DeSean Jackson.

Jackson has carried the ball three times for 99 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown, caught nine passes for 84 yards with a long of 25 yards and returned three punts for 77 yards, including a 77-yard score.

Tech coach Derek Dooley was an assistant at LSU when he tried to recruit Jackson to go there and said he established a solid relationship with the young standout. “I think the world of DeSean,” … Dooley said he knew immediately that Jackson was a special player. … “Every now and then you get to recruit someone that you just love going to see. DeSean will be a success in whatever he chooses to do after football because he is such a dynamic, likeable guy. … DeSean has a special elusiveness that very few athletes have,” Dooley said.

ESPN: “Cal looks for complete game vs. Louisiana Tech”

After surviving a scare in its most recent victory, California likely won’t take its next nonconference opponent for granted.

The eighth-ranked Golden Bears (2-0) look to win their ninth straight game at Memorial Stadium when they host Louisiana Tech on Saturday. …

“It’s a great lesson for us that the game’s never over,” Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. “We put some backup guys in that let some (receivers) get behind them. It’s just a lesson that you have to practice hard every day to be prepared because you never know when your opportunity’s going to come.”

It’s likely Tedford won’t make the same mistake again Saturday if his team opens a big lead against Louisiana Tech (1-1) …

The Daily Cal: “Receivers, Dooley Together Again”

“The first thing I noticed about Cal is what a physical team they are,” Dooley said. “They do a great job running the football.”

The Bears needed all of the yards they could get on the ground, in a 34-28 nail-biter that wideout Lavelle Hawkins said could serve as a wake-up call for the much-hyped Cal team.

“Teams are going to have bad games. I’m glad it happened early instead of late,” Hawkins said. “We don’t want to be on ESPN all week long about a loss like (Michigan’s). That’s all we were thinking about during (Saturday’s) game. Oh my god this is not going to happen to us.”

Louisiana Tech is no stranger to big games. … Indeed, their nonconference slate may be the most difficult in the nation. “You really have to take it one game at a time, otherwise it would be exhausting,” Dooley said. “The challenge this week is about as big a challenge as going anywhere in the country.”

Excuse Me For My Voice (fellow Cal blog): “Louisiana Tech preview”

Overall, I think the LT offense is potent enough to ensure the final score doesn’t look like a huge blowout unless the Cal offense puts up ridiculously big numbers. While I think this game will be an easy one for Cal, it’ll also look closer on the scoreboard than it should, particularly because of Tedford’s conservative play calling in low-risk games. Expect to see a game similar to Colorado State, minus the end of game secondary breakdowns and the slow start. Also expect to see Tedford take his foot off the accelerator in the mid-3rd quarter once the game is locked up. Cal 35, LT 17

Injury report for LA tech

RB Justin Forsett and WR Robert Jordan are back in practice at full capacity after spending some time this week wearing non-contact jerseys. In the CSU game, Forsett sat out the fourth quarter with a back stinger, and Jordan was hurt with bruised ribs (thankfully not a kidney as suggested earlier). They should be good to go when the Bears host Louisiana Tech on Saturday.

DT Mika Kane has recovered from the concussion he suffered in the Tennessee game. He’ll be battling for playing time with last week’s substitute starter Cody Jones and Derrick Hill (who snagged an interception against CSU).

Meanwhile, PK Tom Schneider is still out with a pulled quad but Jordan Kay has been filling in for him very nicely. Seeing the kicking game barely miss a beat with Schneider out is a great sign for next year’s field goal unit.

Arizona game televised on VS

Versus has released that it will be televising Arizona’s visit to Memorial Stadium. Kickoff for this revenge game is slated for 3pm.

Versus (formerly the Outdoor Life Network) is available nationally in many cable and satellite packages and the game will be available in HD with some providers. If you’re wondering what they’re doing with Cal’s games (they picked up the Big Game some time ago as well), the network obtained the Pac-10 contract that TBS dropped when it discontinued its lineup of college football games.

Bears move to #8 in polls

With yesterday’s 34-28 victory over Colorado State, Cal rose in the AP and Coaches polls to the #8 spot from #10 last week.

The Bears moved past Virginia Tech (who dropped to 18/17 in the polls after a blowout loss to #2 LSU) and leapfrogged Louisville (who struggled against Middle Tennessee of the Sun Belt conference). It’s questionable whether Cal’s performance against the Rams justified this jump, but we’ll take it. Cal seems to be favored heavily in the media this season, including the polls. Hopefully, the mistakes of yesterday’s game will be a learning experience for the future and the Bears will live up to the praise.

As a side note, the Pac-10 is looking more and more like a power conference this season, with four squads in the top 25 (#1 USC, #8 Cal, #11 UCLA, #19 Oregon) and two more teams receiving substantial votes (Washington and Arizona State).

Today: Colorado State

#10 Cal at Colorado State

Many in the media are warning of the dangers of Colorado State as a “trap game,” but I feel somewhat confident that the Bears will show up today with a dominant win over the Rams. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing some of Cal’s depth of talented backups if they pull out to a big lead and the reserves get on the field.

Here are the media rounds for today’s match-up.

SF Chronicle: “No. 10 Cal faces bear trap at CSU”

During Saturday’s ABC broadcast of Cal’s 45-31 win over Tennessee, [Brent Musburger] called this week’s date at Colorado State a potential “trap game.”

As clear as it was last week that the Bears sought “redemption” against the Vols, it’s just as unmistakable that the Rams seek “respect” this week. The “trap” portion will enter the scenario if Colorado State proves to have the players and coaching to match its goals against the players and coaching that Cal used last week to make its national statement. …

The Rams have 20 returning starters, more than any other team under Lubick, and they played toe-to-toe with Colorado in a 31-28 overtime loss in Week 1.

ESPN: “Top 25 Overview”

After scoring a revenge win at home against Tennessee last week, Cal hits the road to face Colorado State. The Rams, who won the only other meeting between the schools in 2003, look to rebound after a loss to rival Colorado.

AP: “No. 10 Cal intent on avoiding letdown in trip to Colorado State”

Tedford won’t have to go far back in Bears history to find an example of the perils in this trip. Just last season, their eight-game winning streak ended with a loss to lowly Arizona, preventing Cal from winning the Pac-10 outright and making its first Rose Bowl appearance.

That 24-20 defeat occurred one week before Cal’s trip to USC, and some of the Bears acknowledged they might have been looking ahead. Their trip to Colorado State raises the danger of looking behind, but the Bears say they’ll be more careful this time.

Fort Collins Coloradoan: “Rams face tough test against 10th-ranked Bears”

The Rams went to Berkeley, Calif., [a September day in 2003] and put together one of the more memorable wins of the 15-year Sonny Lubick era, rallying for a 23-21 victory. It was the type of win – tough defense, gritty offense, solid special teams – the Rams became known for during the first 10 season’s of Lubick’s tenure. …

CSU, meanwhile, has gone 20-27 since that day. The Rams have gone three consecutive seasons without a winning record and, thanks to a frustrating 31-28 overtime loss last week to the University of Colorado, enter bearing the ever-increasing weight of an eight-game losing streak.

Greely Tribune: “Colorado State vs. Cal key matchups”

[Last week, Caleb] Hanie passed for 229 yards before an interception ended the Rams’ chances in overtime. Kory Sperry was excellent as well, leading the receivers with eight catches — three for touchdowns — and 103 yards. Co-offensive coordinator Dan Hammerschmidt said the Rams also had several near misses on big gains in the passing game. …

[The] Rams’ rushing game showed big improvement, but they would like to see another positive jump. Kyle Bell shouldered the load, taking the ball 40 times for 135 yards. The running game allowed them to hold the ball for more than 37 minutes, and that ball control could be crucial against explosive Cal. …

The Rams expect to be improved on their coverage teams, which allowed Colorado to seize critical field position at the end of the first and second halves. Those long returns allowed the Buffaloes to score field goals with time running out. … The Rams have said they don’t intend to punt to Jackson, but if he gets his hands on a ball, he could have his seventh return for a touchdown in no time at all.

AP: “Grind-it-out Rams hope to slow down speedy California”

“When you have a national championship on your mind, you have to compete and win every week,” Cal safety Brandon Hampton said. “Saturday was great, and we were happy about that, but now we have to prepare for the Rams …. We have a new task at hand.” …

Tedford really doesn’t have to preach to his players about the dangers of overlooking the Rams, who upset Cal 23-21 in their only previous meeting in 2003 on Jeff Babcock’s 32-yard field goal with 1:57 left. … “We’ve already had that talk about what’s going to be the biggest question. I asked everybody on the team, ‘Guys, what do you think the big question is going to be exactly?’ They all said, ‘Letdown.’

“There’s enough leadership that this team understands last week’s over and this is a whole new week. Colorado State is a football team that came here and beat us a few years ago on our home field. So, they’re a good football team and we’re going to have to play our best to be successful.”

DeSean Pac-10 PotW

Despite touching the ball only once on special teams Saturday, DeSean Jackson has received the Pac-10 Player of the Week honor for his special teams play.

Jackson was a key player in Cal’s victory over Tennessee, tallying 143 all-purpose yards on just six touches. His most spectacular play came on his first punt return of the season as he fielded the ball on the near sideline. After dodging a Volunteer gunner, he maneuvered to his right, picked up a pair of crunching blocks and then accelerated. However, as the next Tennessee would-be tackler approached, Jackson stopped on a dime and back-stepped two steps to avoid any contact at all. From there, he had an open line to the end zone for a 77-yard score – his sixth career punt return touchdown (on just 27 returns).

That play was selected as ESPN’s No. 2 play of an exciting opening weekend of college football.

Tennessee’s remaining punts were directed well-away from Jackson.

RB Justin Forsett and LB Zack Follett were also nominated for the award on offense and defense, respectively.

AP/Coaches polls: Cal is #10

Cal has moved up in the polls following Saturday’s victory over Tennessee.

The Bears gained 290 points (to 1080) in the Associated Press poll. In the Coaches’ poll, Cal gained 222 points (to 985), also obtaining the #10 spot. In both polls, Cal moved to #10 from #12 and Tennessee dropped to #24 from #15.

Meanwhile, Cal’s at #6 in ESPN’s own Power 16 rankings.

The media on redemption: 45-31

  

AP: “No. 12 Cal gets revenge vs. No. 15 Tennessee”

This celebration was a full year in the making the 12th-ranked Golden Bears, who scored one for the whole West Coast when they simply outscored the Volunteers in a redemptive win.

Jackson scampered 77 yards for his sixth career punt return for a touchdown, and Golden Bears avenged last season’s humiliating loss at No. 15 Tennessee with a 45-31 victory Saturday night.

Justin Forsett rushed for 156 yards and a score, and Nate Longshore passed for 241 yards and two TDs as the Bears racked up the most points scored against the Volunteers in 12 years to win the opening weekend’s only matchup between ranked schools.

Though both teams struggled on defense, Cal’s offensive creativity and athleticism were too much for its SEC foes. Once Jackson recovered his cap, he declared the Bears ready for a spot in the national title race in coach Jeff Tedford’s sixth season.

AP: “Cal carries Pac-10 banner, sticks it to SEC”

No. 12 California answered LSU coach Les Miles’ barbs with a resounding 45-31 victory over 15th-ranked Tennessee on Saturday night. …

Cal coach Jeff Tedford shrugged when asked about Miles’ remarks. “I don’t need to respond to his comments,” Tedford said.

His players did it for him. That Cal-Berkeley juggernaut left tire tracks all over the Vols’ white road uniforms.

ESPN: “Revenge golden for Bears in season opener”

Cal traveled the distance from “But, Tennessee,” to “Beat Tennessee,” fueled by big plays. The offense scored a lot. The defense scored once. And Tennessee punted once to DeSean Jackson, which, translated from the language of dumb football, means that the Bears also scored once in the kicking game.

California made big plays and Tennessee did not, which is usually an accurate way to describe any victory. All told, a raucous crowd of 72,516 fans could leave Memorial Stadium confident that their Bears deserve national attention.

CBS News: “Cal squashes SEC arrogance with mauling of Tennessee”

The mistake, Les, was including Cal in your list of Pac-10 patsies. The Bears have become an annual top 15 team under Tedford.

Contra Costa Times: “Cal gives nation reason to care”

Ranked 12th and climbing, Cal used its vast array of playmakers to take advantage of Tennessee’s Southern hospitality before a sold out Memorial Stadium crowd of 72,516.

Playmaker No. 1, DeSean Jackson, provided the thrill everyone expected, a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown. Quarterback Nate Longshore also got into the end zone. So did Robert Jordan. As did Lavelle Hawkins. Ditto Justin Forsett.

“It’s nice to have all those playmakers,” Tedford said. “Everybody was really involved in the game.”

SF Chronicle: “Jackson answers Tennessee’s bold talk with punt return TD”

Phillip Fulmer backed up his pregame talk, punting the ball to Cal’s dynamo DeSean Jackson. But Fulmer made that mistake only once. … Jackson [now] has six career punt-return touchdowns on 27 opportunities.

Tennessee punter Britton Colquitt kicked the next two punts out of bounds for an average of 29 yards.

LA Times: “Cal ‘Pacs’ a punch in beating Tennessee”

Cal tried Saturday to dispel stereotypes about the Pac-10 being a finesse-first conference. On the first series, linebacker Zach Follett made a jarring blindside hit on Ainge that dislodged the ball from the quarterback’s hand and led to a 44-yard touchdown return by teammate Worrell Williams.

Follett heard for a year how soft Cal was last season at Knoxville. This year?

“They folded,” Follett said of the Vols. “In the third quarter, their offensive linemen were taking a knee. So I never want to hear that again.”

Knoxville News Sentinel: “Can’t Bear to watch”

The big plays changed uniforms. So did the winners.

A year ago in Neyland Stadium, Tennessee used an arsenal of big plays to put a season-opening whipping on the California Golden Bears.

Saturday night on the other side of the Continental Divide, it was 12th-ranked Cal ripping off a couple of early big plays and making them stand up for a season-opening 45-31 victory over the 15th-ranked Vols.

Knoxville News Sentinel: “UT’s Karl impressed by Cal’s speed”

As far as skill-position players are concerned, Ryan Karl thinks Tennessee has seen the finest that 2007 will offer.

“Probably the best we’re going to play all year,” the senior linebacker said of Cal’s running backs, receivers and quarterback following Saturday night’s 45-31 loss. “They have better speed than probably anyone we’re going to play all year. All of them have that big-play potential.” … “They have great speed on offense,” Karl said. “It surprised me how fast they were.”