Coverage map for Cal-Oregon

ABC has released its coverage map for Saturday. The match up with Oregon will only be shown on stations within the white section of the map. While this includes all of the west coast and more, it would have seemed fitting to have full national coverage (ABC’s national 5pm slot is taken by USC-Washington State) for such a high-profile game – ESPN calls it “one for the ages no matter where you live.”

ESPN GameDay to Eugene

Graphic credit: my Bear Territory

ESPN GameDay has made it official that the program is coming to Eugene for Saturday’s match-up between the #11 Ducks and our #6 Bears.

This is another opportunity for Cal to make a statement on the national stage over a top-15 team. This time, the race for the conference championship is on the line and ESPN GameDay will be there to showcase the battle.

Autzen Stadium will be an unfriendly environment, with the Ducks looking for revenge after last season’s blowout (the then-#16 Bears crushed #11 Oregon 45-24). Cal hasn’t left Eugene with a W since the beginning of the Tedford era as well.

This Saturday will be the test that determines whether Cal lives up to the expectations and hype. Let’s hope that the Bears step up to the challenge with the nation watching.

Bears “romp” on the Wildcats

ESPN may list Cal’s win on its headlines as a “romp” but those watching the game may have seen an uglier picture. While the 45-27 win was solid, the offense was not always clicking (especially in the passing game), and the defense allowed some big plays. Most concerning of all was the Bears’ 14 penalties for a whopping 121 yards. The officiating was horrible as usual, but that is no excuse for the highest amount of penalties/yards in Coach Jeff Tedford‘s tenure at Cal.

Cal needs to get things smoothed out before facing Oregon on Saturday, but this win over Arizona serves as a good conference-opening tuneup before the big boys. Most of all, the team needs to get disciplined and avoid the penalties to keep their momentum going.

Here are some highlight clips from Versus: Justin Forsett‘s first TD, Lavelle Hawkins‘ TD reception, an Arizona TD, and Forsett’s second TD. The Versus TV coverage was bad, including a bizarre video outage and then a totally unacceptable twenty-something minute commercial break. They need to get their act together before the Big Game in a couple of months.

As always, here are the media rounds for the game.

SF Chronicle: “Cal payback: razing Arizona”

Safety Thomas DeCoud used the haunting memories to fuel his fire, and tailback Justin Forsett played through a hobbled ankle and a quadriceps contusion, because the bitter taste of a year ago was renewed in his craw. DeCoud set the tone in Saturday’s 45-27 payback in Strawberry Canyon, and when Arizona made a late threat, Forsett slammed the door shut. …

Arizona, however, mounted a comeback as the Bears’ offense stalled with Forsett on the sideline. … “They were about to give us our first L of the season, and I wasn’t about to let that happen,” said Forsett, who totaled 117 yards and two scores on 23 carries. “I decided to get in there and be a spark.” …

While No. 6 Cal (4-0 overall, 1-0 Pac-10) has gotten rid of the Tennessee and Arizona ghosts from a year ago, it still hasn’t played a complete game. The Bears let Tennessee cut their 17-point lead to 7, saw Colorado State turn a 20-point thumping into a 6-point thriller and outscored Louisiana Tech only 14-6 in the second half of last week’s 42-12 win.

“We can’t take any quarters off,” Forsett said. “We’re one step away from playing a complete game, but we’ve got to put all of the pieces together.”

AP: “No. 6 Cal Settles Score, Beats Arizona”

Three weeks after the Bears avenged last year’s season-opening loss to Tennessee, they flattened the Wildcats by taking a 25-point lead in the first 13 minutes.

“Last year’s game was in the motivational tape we watched today,” coach Jeff Tedford said. “Our guys were very motivated to play this game after last year’s game.”

The Bears were sloppy after their fast start, committing 14 penalties for 121 yards, but Forsett did more than enough to secure Cal’s 10th straight win at Memorial Stadium.

Contra Costa Times: “Banged-up back seals Cal victory”

It didn’t appear there would be any nervous moments after the Bears (4-0) scored on three consecutive possessions in the first quarter and defensive end Tyson Alualu returned a fumble recovery 4 yards for another touchdown.

But Cal’s offense stalled a bit in the second half, and the Wildcats’ spread offense began to wear down the Bears’ defense. Quarterback Willie Tuitama, who was 42 of 61 for 309 yards, led Arizona on a couple of sustained scoring drives to make the game competitive again. The 61 attempts were an Arizona record.

Arizona Daily Star: “UA loses 45-27 to Cal”

Arizona learned one of football’s simplest lessons in Saturday’s 45-27 loss to California: Don’t let a good team get ahead of you early.

The sixth-ranked Golden Bears scored 28 points in the first quarter and withstood a late Arizona push to win in the team’s Pac-10 opener at Memorial Stadium. The Wildcats (1-3 overall, 0-1 Pac-10) outscored the Golden Bears in the second half, but could get no closer than 11 points.

After Jason Bondzio’s 32-yard field goal pulled the UA to within 38-27 with 13 minutes remaining, Cal drove 74 yards to put the game away.

Arizona Republic: “Miscues cost Cats”

Arizona receiver Mike Thomas caught a short pass, broke a couple of tackles and ran down the middle of the field for a 65-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half Saturday against No. 6 California.

The Wildcats were going to get back into the game, right? Nope.

A personal foul flag on the play negated the touchdown. Three plays later, the Wildcats fumbled it away.

And that was the kind of day, and year, it has been for Arizona, which lost to the Golden Bears 45-27 in Memorial Stadium in front of 56,021.

Contra Costa Times: “Receiver Longshore isn’t really an option”

Cal committed 14 penalties – the most in Tedford’s six seasons in Berkeley – for 121 yards, including a handful of personal fouls. The Bears were flagged for two personal fouls – roughing the passer, against defensive end Cameron Jordan, and a late hit by safety Robert Peele – to extend an Arizona drive in the fourth quarter with Cal protecting its 45-27 lead.

“There were a couple things that were poor judgment,” Tedford said. “Guys were trying to make plays. A couple of those calls where ticky-tack down the stretch. I was getting ready to tell (Jordan) good job because he pulled off the quarterback and just touched him with his hands. He didn’t go into him with his head or anything like that. I didn’t agree with that call.”

ESPN: “Top 25 Overview”

It was over when… Cal found three different ways to score four touchdowns in the first quarter. The Bears ran two in, threw another and returned a fumble for a score. Gameball goes to… Justin Forsett. The Bears’ senior running back carried the ball 23 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns, including the final score of the game. Stat of the game… 20. Cal thwarted Arizona’s rushing attempts — holding the Cats to 20 yards on 20 carries. Arizona also turned the ball over four times.

Saturday: Revenge vs. Arizona

Arizona Republic: “UA wary of revenge-seeking Cal”

Arizona’s 24-20 upset victory last November over the then-No. 8 Bears ruined a possible Pac-10 title and Bowl Championship Series invitation for Cal.

At a team meeting Sunday, Cal coach Jeff Tedford told his team not to forget the game, in which UA rallied from a 17-3 second-half deficit before 55,519 fans at Arizona Stadium.

“We brought it back into their minds so they know what that game was all about,” Tedford said. “There’s no question we have enough guys on this team that remember.”

USA Today: “Weekend Forecast”

We saw how motivated the Golden Bears were to get revenge against Tennessee in the opener. Now they’re focused on the Wildcats after a loss in Tucson cost them the Pac-10 title. [Note: this is wrong – Cal shared the title with USC last year] A rough start to the year gets worse for Arizona coach Mike Stoops, who has already seen his team lose to BYU and New Mexico. California 42, Arizona 21

ESPN: “Feldman: Week 4 Picks”

Cal 34, Arizona 10: The Golden Bears’ offense can score with anybody, and Arizona has been a huge disappointment thus far. Mike Stoops’ team is not responding to him and the Cats are very undisciplined. Not a good indicator for a road team.

Contra Costa Times: “One more game for ‘redemption'”

ONLY A MATTER OF HOURS now until Cal vs. Arizona and the best kind of football weekend there is — one enhanced by boiling blood and a trail of tears.

We can sense your skepticism from here. But we assure you, Arizona is indeed on the schedule this week. …

Cal should have no such problem achieving a blood-boiling, teary-eyed state Saturday. Not given last year’s loss to Arizona — that was a lookahead game, by the way, coming the week before a highly anticipated matchup with USC — in which the Bears played themselves out of a Rose Bowl berth.

That makes Saturday’s game a revenge game. Or a redemption game. Whichever, it was such obvious motivational plutonium that Tedford was already backing away from it early this week.

Tucson Citizen: “Wildcat’s defense tries to rebound”

Arizona defensive coordinator Mark Stoops says the Wildcats need to play with an edge or they could look foolish at No. 6 California.

When you play a great team that will expose you at any given moment, you have to play on edge or you will get flat-out embarrassed,” Stoops said. “That is what is so great about this week. The focus will be there.

Cal is so good. They make you execute. You better be in the right position, or they will embarrass you.”

Arizona Republic: “UA challenge: Match Cal offense”

The University of Arizona football team’s improving offense might have to score a lot of points to hang with an explosive California squad on Saturday in Berkeley, Calif. But can the Wildcats beat the No. 6 Golden Bears in the game… if it’s a shootout?

“I don’t know if we can score big numbers. I would like to think that 27 (points) would have been good enough last week to win,” Arizona coach Mike Stoops said, referring to Saturday night’s 29-27 loss to New Mexico.

“I don’t know if it would be realistic to go up there and score 40-some points. Hopefully we can control the football and control the time and limit their touches. (Cal is) a hard team to slow down, but we are going to have to.”

Unless the struggling UA defense can play more aggressively, quarterback Willie Tuitama and the offense will have to keep up with the California offense.

Contra Costa Times: “Jackson, Cason eager for marquee matchup”

Not only will the Bears be attempting to atone for their 24-20 loss last season in Tucson that essentially knocked them out of a Rose Bowl bid, but the contest will feature one of the marquee individual matchups in college football this season when Cal wide receiver DeSean Jackson lines up against Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason.

Jackson and Cason arguably are the best players in the country at their positions. Both were preseason All-Americans. The Sporting News ranks Jackson as the nation’s No. 1 receiver and Cason as the No. 1 cornerback.

There’s more. Jackson and Cason are both from Long Beach and have known each other since high school. Jackson attended Long Beach Poly and Cason went to nearby Los Alamitos.

The players have developed a friendly rivalry, although the friendly part disappears once they take the field.

Oregon game to be televised on ABC

ABC has picked up the broadcast of the Cal-Oregon when Cal travels up to Autzen Stadium to take on the 13th-ranked Ducks. This will be one of the Bears’ most difficult away games of the season, and should be quite an offensive shootout.

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.

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.”