Cal vs. USC, at the half

ъглови диваниAt the half,  Cal trails 10-3.

• Overall, a decent performance, about as good as can be expected.   Although we aren’t moving the ball on offense at all, at least our defense is playing well.  Keeping USC to only 10 points in the half is a pretty good job.
• Nate Longshore needs to stop the mental blunders.  As a fan, it’s been painful watching him play.  2 picks that were luckily overturned by penalties (one questionable).  Several balls short-hopped to wide open receivers.  Taking a -14 yard sack instead of throwing the ball away.  These are things you definitely cannot do against USC.  We were lucky to even be on the board at this point, as the scoring drive was kept alive almost exclusively by USC penalties.
• Once again, Pac-10 referees prove themselves to be inept.  A USC interception called back by a somewhat questionable roughing the passer call.  Then on the USC TD drive, they failed to review two crucial plays, the first on a pass going over midfield where the receiver clearly stepped out 8 yards behind where they eventually marked the play dead.  Then on the TD itself, the ball clearly was through the receiver’s arms and trapped on the ground.
• All three timeouts wasted to avoid delay of game penalties.  MANAGE THE CLOCK LONGSHORE.  As a veteran, he should know better.

In the second half, Cal needs to keep up the pressure on defense.  They need to get to QB Mark Sanchez and apply more pressure on him, and force him to throw some picks.  On offense, they need to find a way to hit receivers in stride going down field.  Short screen passes are not working at all, and Longshore isn’t hitting his open receivers.   Until they can prove to be a threat down in the passing game, the running game will suffer, and we can’t depend on USC penalties to keep our drives moving.  If Longshore can’t get it done, Tedford should give Riley a shot, since he’s been cleared by medical staff to play.

ASU v. Cal: Blogging at the Quarters

Since I opted out of buying last minute tickets to the game and making the trek back to Berkeley for the game, a choice I am increasingly regretting, I shall make an attempt at posting periodically throughout the game.

2nd Quarter, 12:30 remaining, 10-0 17-0 Cal:

• Big announcement of the day: Nate Longshore is back in at starter.  Jeff Tedford has been worried about the slow starts the Cal Offense has been having as of late, sighting troubles managing the game in the huddle, as well as some rather poor throws in the last two games.  Those at the stadium were actually in for a big surprise, as Riley was accidentally announced over the PA as the starter.
• Despite Best being injured, the offense has looked quite sharp.  Longshore for the most part has been sharp, despite the bonehead INT on the apparently failed screen.
• Although the offense has been steadily moving down the field, its been much more of a slower-paced, controlled game.  With previous games, there was always that edge, that feeling that the next play could go all the way.  The offense today, both in play calling and execution, seems to be just trying to wear down the Arizona defense.  Very few looks down the field, lots of backfield and short passes.  Look for a big play down the field soon, its long overdue.
• The defense is playing outstanding.  Two forced fumbles, one recovered, a couple huge sacks on 3rd down.  ASU hasn’t had very much yardage yet, either in the air or on the ground, however we’ve barely seen Keegan Herring play yet
• Cal is scoring as I write, to go up 17-0.  Go Bears!  Keep up the defense now.

Halftime, 17-7 Cal:

• ASU had one good drive, capped off by a 30 yard uncontested touchdown pass.  Main difference on this drive was control of the line.  ASU provided much more protection for Rudy Carpenter, and when given that much time to throw the ball, he did well finding receivers down the field.  The key for the rest of the game will be to keep up the pressure and force Carpenter to get rid of the ball early or throw it away.
• Punt and kickoff coverage has been helping out a lot with field position, pinning ASU deep within their territory most of the time.
• Have yet to see good kick returns for the Bears.  Darian Hagan hasn’t been able to hit holes like Best does, and Sydquan Thompson has been dancing around too much rather than running vertical.
• ASU is very much still in the game, especially as they should receive the second half kickoff.  The Bears have to keep up the pressure on Carpenter on defense, and keep grinding down the field and scoring on offense.

End of 3rd Quarter, 24-14 Cal:

• Leaping?  Really?  Personal foul 15 yards?  Thats a pretty ridiculous penalty/call.  I don’t know the specifics of the rule, but ESPN says its for “jumping onto the line”, but to me, it looked like the player jumped straight up, and somebody ran under him.  Anyway, if they’re going to be sticklers and call that, why didn’t they call a penalty on the TD on the offensive line for a “Bush Push”?
• Hagan needs to hold on to the ball.  The Bears lucked out that his fumble on the kickoff went out of bounds.
• Offense seems to have slowed down.  Although they did manage a TD, that was on a short field due to the interception by Conte.

DeSean Jackson drafted by the Eagles at #49

DeSean Jackson has been drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles as the 18th pick of the second round, pick number 49 overall and the 7th wide receiver to be drafted. In a rather strange draft, no wide receivers were selected in the first round, which seemed to be dominated by defensive players and linemen.

EDIT: The Eagles have also selected OT Mike Gibson in the 6th round (184th overall).

In Alumni news, the Green Bay Packers selected with the 56th pick of the draft QB Brian Brohm from Louisville, so Aaron Rodgers will have some competition for the starting QB job.

EDIT: The Packers also selected QB Matt Flynn (LSU) in the 7th round, so Rodgers will certainly be pushed to succeed with the addition of these rookies.

Movement in the trees

As a fan of Cal Football, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the renovation of Memorial Stadium. The renovation plans would be a great boon to recruiting, as the current dilapidated state of things is not that impressive to visiting high school athletes. As the date approaches for the judge’s final ruling on the tree-sitter’s lawsuit, many of the protesters have started to dissipate, with only a handful of die-hards still in the trees. Yesterday morning, UC Berkeley Police began to take minor actions against these individuals, sending an arborist into the trees to dismantle excess platforms and cut down the ropes the tree-sitters are using to travel from tree to tree. It’s a minor step, as none of the tree-sitters were removed and they are already scrambling to repair their ropes, but at least it’s a positive step forward in preparation for what will hopefully be a favorable ruling.

For those that don’t know the specifics of the lawsuits, the second half of the article above has a brief summary of what’s going on.

Mack returning for senior season

Center Alex Mack, winner of the Morris Trophy for the Pac-10’s best offensive lineman, has decided to return for his senior season:

“There is a lot I can do at Cal to improve my game and to further my career,” Mack said Tuesday. “I didn’t want to miss the experience of my senior season and helping the team get back on track and finish things right. This also gives me an opportunity to finish my degree and continue my education.”

This is good news for the Cal offensive line, which allowed only 11 sacks this season. There is still no word from WR DeSean Jackson as to his plans for next year.

More on Longshore; Armed Forces Ticket Information

EDIT [12/18/2007]: Here’s a quick guide to visiting the Armed Forces Bowl, provided by ESPN Travel.

The San Francisco Chronicle ran an article today with a more complete interview of Jeff Tedford in regards to Nate Longshore. Apparently, the high ankle sprain suffered by Longshore against Oregon was much worse than just an ordinary ankle sprain:

“I didn’t get that it was a broken ankle, but Nate has talked to me about a little chip in the back of his ankle,” Tedford said. “I don’t know what the definition is for sprained, and I don’t know what the exact explanation has been for the injury, but from Day 1, that’s what it has always been.”

…

“Nate is not the most mobile guy, but one of his attributes has always been his ability to slide and make people miss and move in the pocket,” Tedford said. “There’s no question that the injury has hindered his ability to step up and move around as much as he could.

…

“I’ve asked him numerous times about whether his ankle bothers him more in the fourth quarter, and that’s not the case,” Tedford said. “It’s a case of a guy trying to be too perfect and trying too hard to get things done. The ankle has limited his mobility, but it hasn’t done anything down the stretch that hasn’t happened in the first quarter.”

…

“When you talk about the education of quarterback, it’s much more than X’s and O’s,” Tedford said. “It has to do leadership and handling media and criticism because the position is such a focal point. There’s no question that there has been some adversity there, and I’ve been impressed with how Nate’s been able to handle it.

To me, a chipped bone sounds more like a broken or fractured ankle rather than a sprain. It may not require a cast or surgery, but the affects of it I think would a little worse and take longer to heal correctly. If from Day 1, however, this was the case, why is it just coming out now? If Longshore didn’t tell Tedford the full extent of his injury (which I suspect he did), doesn’t that reflect rather poorly on Longshore? Sure, he wants to win, and wants to be the guy to lead the team to victory. But the coach has to know the status of all his players, to make the best decision for the entire team, not just the player. And if Tedford did know, why did he play him after only 2 weeks of rest? With Tedford saying that the “ability to slide and make people miss and move in the pocket” has been one of Longshore’s key attributes, one would think that a broken ankle would have at least partially sidelined him, especially against stronger pass rushes like UCLA and USC.

In regards to the last quote above… maybe the article pulled it out of context, but to me, the “education of the quarterback” isn’t just about “try, try, and try again.” If this were to have occurred in the NFL, Longshore would have been sidelined for at least a few games to give another QB a chance. Just look at Rex Grossman and the other Bears team. If a QB can’t turn things around after a game or two, which by the time we lost to Washington we could tell Longshore couldn’t, they’ve got to learn how to turn things around on the sideline. Anyway, I appreciate the job that Tedford has done since the Holmoe Era, as well as his concentration on each player’s individual growth and integrity, however this whole season he’s been tip-toeing the line between the good of a single player’s growth, and the possible good of the entire team. As he’s already slated Longshore as the definite starter of the Armed Forces Bowl come December 31st, I guess he still hasn’t crossed that line yet. We can always hope, however, that the month will give Longshore’s ankle enough time to finally fully heal, as well as for him to forget this horrible streak and regain some confidence and run through some more intense pressure drills. Otherwise, we’ll just have to hope that if Longshore shows signs of struggling during the game, Tedford will give in and at least go with some form of two quarterback system (even Stanford used a two quarterback system against us) to give our outgoing seniors (and potential early draft jumpers) a chance to end on a bright spot.

For those of you hardcore fans who are still interested in traveling to Fort Worth, Texas (TCU’s campus) for the Armed Forces Bowl against Air Force (9-3, 6-2 conference) on December 31st, tickets are now on sale through the Cal Bears website. Currently, all season ticket holders can purchase tickets, and on friday, December 7th at noon, tickets will go on sale to the general public. Tickets are $40 each for reserved seating, and there is no limit to how many tickets you can order. Hopefully those fans that have the opportunity will go, and represent our struggling Bears well no matter how they do, and give our seniors a good send-off.

Cal drowns in fourth quarter woes vs. USC

In what was once considered to be one of the biggest games of the season, the Bears found themselves once again in a close game entering the fourth quarter. And yet again, they fell short, losing 24-17 to the Trojans. Entering the fourth quarter tied, the Bears final three possessions resulted in a three-and-out, a fumble, and an interception, allowing the Trojans to escape with a victory. It’s been reported that QB Nate Longshore has taken full responsibility for the loss:

“I take the responsibility on myself,” Longshore said. “I need to play better down the stretch to give us a chance to win. It’s a culmination of this late season. I haven’t been playing well enough for us to win.

“That’s what it comes down to, and I’ll be the first to say it.”

Also of importance in the article is the injury to RB Jahvid Best. He was taken out of the game during the third quarter with an apparent hip injury. To those at the game, his injury was not pronounced, as he came off the field on his own and was briefly examined on the tables by staff before watching the rest of the game. Although he has been ruled out for Saturday’s game up in Washington, let’s hope it is just precautionary and nothing too serious.

It seems to be a recurring theme of poor fourth quarter play on the part of QB Nate Longshore. Since returning from his ankle injury earlier in the season, he has failed to deliver a dominant fourth quarter, despite some considerably strong first halves. Some would argue that he hasn’t put up even a decent fourth quarter, as in the fourth quarter of the previous four games he’s only been 9-of-28 with 0 TDs and 5 INTs. Many fans have been calling for him to be replaced with red-shirt freshman Kevin Riley, who showed great potential in several fourth quarter drives during the Bears’ loss to Oregon State earlier in the season.

In response to these critics, Ted Lee over at Scout.com has done a breakdown of Longshore and Riley’s performances, analyzing their play game-by-game, quarter-by-quarter, and down-by-down. While I realize that Longshore’s play hasn’t been all that bad overall, it’s quite apparent that something is amiss and he has become incapable of playing a full four quarters to his full capacity. As Ted Lee says, “winning a game with a quarterback consistently putting up fourth quarter numbers like this is almost impossible.”

Players in the news

DeSean Jackson dropped out of the Heisman Watch completely this week, after catching 4 passes for only 5 yards against Oregon State. Lavelle “The Hawk” Hawkins, after his outstanding performance Saturday and his consistency since the beginning of the season, is being highlighted on ESPN’s spotlight by Mel Kiper as a first day NFL pick. It’s good to see him get some more positive press, as he’s been our most reliable receiver, and he’s also been doing a good job of kick returns.

Cal in the news

In his weekly Forde-Yard Dash, ESPN analyst Pat Forde mentions Cal and Jeff Tedford as three of his points, expecting the team to enter the November 10th match up against USC ranked at least 3rd in the nation:

California (4). Ranking: third in all major polls. Dash ranking: third. Highest ranking since: 1952. Cal’s leading passer that season was Bill Mais, who completed 30 passes on the year. That’s just two more than current QB Nate Longshore (5) completed in the Saturday triumph at Oregon.

Why the Golden Bears are there: They’ve come through when the nation is watching, beating Tennessee handily in the biggest game of the opening weekend and then winning at Oregon in the biggest game last Saturday. They’ve also scored a minimum of 31 points in every game and rank third nationally in turnover margin. And in case you ever doubted the importance of turnovers, know this: four of the top five teams in that department, and seven of the top 17, are undefeated.

Also, in Mark Schlabach’s On (and off) the Mark, he gives positive marks to Cal, in particular LB Anthony Felder, DeSean Jackson, and Marcus Ezeff.

Jackson to #3 in the Heisman Watch

In this week’s Heisman Watch released this morning, WR DeSean Jackson moved up into third place behind Arkansas’ Darren McFadden and Kentucky’s Andre Woodson. Todd McShay writes:

DeSean Jackson, WR/RS, Cal
Cal’s thrilling victory at Oregon propels the team to a No. 3 ranking and Jackson right back in the Heisman mix. The junior receiver hauled in 11 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson was limited — partially due to a sprained thumb — to only 67 receiving yards in the previous two games (Louisiana Tech and Arizona) combined, making his performance Saturday that much more dramatic. Is there any doubt that Jackson is the nation’s most electrifying playmaker? Not from where I stand, at least.

While it is still early in the season and the door is still open for any and all candidates to make it to the final few, more publicity and airtime right now will only help his campaign.

EDIT by ERIC: Meanwhile, well-respected blogger Heisman Pundit just placed Jackson at #6 in his predictive Heisman rankings – I think Jackson will need more big games to become a real contender to win.