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.

QB Longshore is Pac-10 Player of the Week

QB Nate Longshore has been named Pac-10 player of the week for his impressive performance in Saturday’s game.

Longshore, a sophomore from Canyon Country, Calif., directed California to a 42-17 win against Minnesota. Longshore completed 22 of 31 passes (.710) for an even 300 yards and four touchdowns covering 24, 2, 48 and 11 yards, with no interceptions. The passing yardage and touchdown passes were both career highs for Longshore. The California offense piled up 31 first downs and 531 yards total offense against Minnesota.

Daymeion Hughes was also nominated for the award.

Bears redeemed in decisive victory over Minnesota

I predicted 41-28, but Cal exceeded expectations and soundly defeated the Gophers 42-17 last night.

The defense was notably improved. Redshirt freshman Syd’Quan Thompson found redemption with great coverage and several tackles, including one for a loss. Daymeion Hughes made two interceptions. Brandon Mebane and the defensive line did well facing Minnesota’s powerful offensive line and running attack. Mebane and Mickey Pimentel each had sacks, an impressive feat considering that Minnesota only allowed 3 sacks total last season and has gone 8 consecutive games without giving one up. Most of all, the defense made sound tackles.

On the offensive side of the ball, Nate Longshore lived up to his potential and emerged as the definite starting quarterback of the team. Completing 22 of 31 passes with 4 touchdowns and 300 yards, Longshore was able to lead the offense and execute sharply. The offense included both pro-set and spread plays, a hybrid that seemed effective to confuse Minnesota’s defense. The running game was powerful and effective as well, and the Marshawn Lynch / Justin Forsett duo pounded the Gophers into submission. The receivers also looked very good. Lavelle Hawkins gained serious yards (125) while DeSean Jackson was Longshore’s favorite for the endzone with 3 TD catches and 100+ yards also.

Special teams coverage needs some work, as they gave up a 99 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Both Andrew Larson on punts and Tom Schneider on kickoffs looked good.

There were a few stupid personal foul penalties that should have been avoided. Hopefully this is addressed by Coach Jeff Tedford.

The stadium was especially loud on Minnesota’s third down plays, causing at least two false starts.

Overall, the game was a great bounce back to winning form from last week. The Bears looked like what they should’ve one week earlier. They were confident, poised, and they executed brilliantly.

Feldman: Cal #10 in Most Offensive Firepower

ESPN’s Bruce Feldman, despite his scathing article ripping Cal after the loss in Tennessee, has named Cal #10 in his list of Teams with the Most Offensive Firepower. His list is ranked “strictly on skill talent/weaponry”, and he writes:

10. Cal, 22: Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett merit a 10 at running back. DeSean Jackson leads a dynamic bunch of receivers, although the group struggled big-time in Knoxville. Problem is, the QB picture here is so cloudy.

His formula gives points to the QB, RB, and WR positions only.

Longshore starting again against Minnesota

Coach Jeff Tedford has announced that Nate Longshore will start against Minnesota this Saturday with Joe Ayoob also getting some playing time, despite the “nightmare” opener at Tennessee.Tedford called the opener “about as bad as I could imagine it going” and also stated he “won’t abandon the elements of the spread offense that were incorporated into this season’s game plan by new offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar”, as “there was very little spread stuff that was used”. Let’s hope for some improvement in execution and a win next week.

Personnel notes

At Tennessee, starting tight end Craig Stevens was lost in the opening kickoff for the rest of the game. He suffered a concussion and his status for the Minnesota game on Saturday is not known.

Marshawn Lynch was slightly banged up in a kickoff return as well and he seemed bothered by it on the sidelines during the game despite playing on it. He now has a “sore ankle” but Coach Jeff Tedford says he “will be OK”.

The quarterback competition for starter re-opens during practice this week between Nate Longshore and Joe Ayoob. Tedford says that backup quarterback Steve Levy, who was suspended for the season opener, is not in the competition and is “definitely” number 3 on the depth chart.

Cal at Tennessee is a Saturday storyline

Marshawn Lynch is on the home page of ESPN.com in a nice banner that also includes stars like QB Brady Quinn (Notre Dame), QB Drew Weatherford (Florida State), and WR Ted Ginn Jr. (Ohio State).

ESPN.com‘s Chris Fowler also has a lot to say about Saturday’s matchup:

But let’s see what happens Saturday. Cal is a trendy pick to win the Pac-10 (and that cutting edge Lee Corso has the Bears winning the national title!). But can the Bears get out of Rocky Top intact? They are slight underdogs against a Tennessee team coming off a dismal 5-6 year. Why? Home field, of course. But is the power of Rocky Top being hugely overrated?

About home field advantage:

… The fact is, home field often is vastly overrated. When a huge, hostile crowd is cheering on a great team, it’s hard for visitors to win. When the same crowd is cheering for a merely decent home team, upsets happen all the time.

… The point is, home field is overrated when it comes to a collision of quality teams.

Some questions and analysis about the game for each team:

Now, can Tennessee reclaim Neyland Stadium this year, starting Saturday night? A win would be a huge springboard for a team that certainly will rebound from the unthinkable 2005. A seventh straight home loss to a top-10 team would really sting. The key matchup is Tennessee’s rebuilt but veteran defensive line versus Cal’s rebuilt defensive line. Combined, the Vols’ group has 10 career sacks. These are solid guys, but can they be disruptive playmakers and “War-Daddy” run stuffers against hypertalented Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett? Cal’s blockers consist of three sophomore starters who will get a baptism to the big-time. How well will they handle the noise and confusion of opening night, protect Nate Longshore and open holes? Quick drops can help mask an overmatched line, but for how long?

About Tennessee’s quarterback and new offensive coordinator:

More attention on Rocky Top has been focused on the effect David Cutcliffe’s return as offensive coordinator will have on QB Erik Ainge. In the six years Cutcliffe called the plays at UT, the Vols averaged more than 30 points each year, with Peyton Manning and Tee Martin under center. Last year’s team scored fewer than 19 per game. Expect the average to be closer to 30 than 19 this year. The Vols will be fine. Corso might need a Plan B for Glendale by 9 p.m. Saturday.

And finally, some general praise for the coaches:

Fun with Corso aside, I want to salute what Jeff Tedford and defensive coordinator Bob Gregory have done at Cal. Before they got there, don’t forget, the Bears were awful. Eight straight losing seasons, bottoming out with a 1-10 debacle in 2001 that featured six losses by 27 or more points. The Bears took beatings from UCLA (by 39) and Oregon (by 41). Under Tedford, Cal has reeled off four straight winning seasons, averaging more than eight wins per. If this kind of astounding reversal had been engineered at a more visible program, Tedford would be much more fully appreciated as the absolute top-tier coach he is. That kind of national wake-up call is what can be achieved Saturday night.

Longshore will start at Tennessee

It’s official. Nate Longshore will start at quarterback in front of Joe Ayoob on Saturday’s season-opening game at Tennessee. Coach Jeff Tedford said, “They’ve both had great camps, (but) somebody has got to take the first snap. It’s very possible they’ll both play. Nate has run the offense very well. There wasn’t a lot of difference between them, but Nate has been real consistent.”

Both quarterbacks are taking the news with class and humility.

Longshore: “Either way, I’m sure we’ll both play, and we just want to go out there and execute the offense. I’m excited. We’re jelling and we’re getting each other’s timing down. We’re figuring everything out, and it’s coming together at the right time.”

Ayoob: “If Nate comes out and goes 10-for-10, I don’t think I’ll go in. But my understanding is I’ll get some playing time, so we’ll see what happens. It’s not about who’s starting or not. It’s about winning games.”

You can also watch a video featuring Tedford’s announcement and statements from the quarterbacks. Thanks Sam W.

No QB named starter, but Longshore favored

Longshore or Ayoob?

Coach Jeff Tedford has still not named a starter at quarterback for the season opener at Tennessee. At today’s Pac-10 coaches teleconference, Tedford stated that the decision is likely to be “a game-time decision” between Nate Longshore and Joe Ayoob.

Apparently, there was also some confusion caused by ESPN asking Marshawn Lynch about the starting situation, implying that Ayoob was to start.

However, according to an unofficial report from a respected insider at the conference, it “distinctly sounded like [Longshore] would start as he remained healthy today, although [Tedford] refused to be pinned down to announcing the starter today.”