Longshore back, starters may be named

Quarterback Nate Longshore was limited Saturday, but returned 100% practice yesterday (Monday) after missing 3 days of practice due to a “disk problem that inflamed a nerve”. Jay Heater of the Contra Costa Times says:

Longshore not only practiced, but he looked very sharp. I wouldn’t be all that surprised if he is named the starter. He threw some rockets on Monday. You can bet he is making the trip [to Tennessee].

Additionally, Coach Jeff Tedford is saying that he will “probably” make an announcement today naming the starting quarterback who will get “65 to 70%” of the practice repetitions. However, he still maintains that he is likely to play both Longshore and Joe Ayoob at Tennessee.

In addition to quarterback, Tedford is expected to name starters in other positions (right guard, cornerback, rover) today as well.

Both Longshore and Ayoob to play at Tennessee

It looks like Coach Jeff Tedford could not pick between quarterbacks Nate Longshore and Joe Ayoob. Apparently, both have played comparably enough that neither has defined themself as the starter for sure. This article about Tennessee has this tidbit near the end:

Quarterback Nate Longshore didn’t practice Thursday because of a “twinge in his back,” Tedford said. The head coach then went against his one-quarterback philosophy by saying Longshore and Joe Ayoob will play at Tennessee. “Just to give them some experience, to see how they perform,” Tedford said. “They’re very close. Nobody has really separated themselves. Both have been productive.”

So, we’ll see both play on September 2.

Cal ‘underrated’ despite QB uncertainty

College Football News lists Cal as an “underrated” team in the polls. They write:

CFN writes: Cal is also a little underrated. Sure, they’ve still got a very questionable quarterback situation, but almost everything else on their roster looks great. They’ve got one of the best running backs in the country, plus a proven backup who’s also very good, they’ve got a great receiver corps, and their defense looks outstanding. I don’t get how anyone can justify having them outside their top 10 (and plenty of people did just that), and really they ought to be somewhere around #6 or #7. Vegas also has them at around 33:1 to win the national title, and around 3.5:1 to win the Pac-10. Both of those are significant bargains.

There’s also an article from the Associated Press detailing Coach Jeff Tedford‘s quarterback decision. They also have some photos of fall camp. Thanks Matt G.

Personnel notes

The Contra Costa Times has a few notes on the current playing positions. Bryan Deemer is looking to have the edge for starting at offensive right guard (in front of Norris Malele, Brian De La Puente, and Duke transfer Tyler Krieg). Walk-on quarterback Bryan Van Meter is the third string quarterback flying to Tennessee in place of suspended Steve Levy, instead of the expected Kyle Reed. And, defensive back Virdell Larkens (cousin of Marshawn Lynch and Robert Jordan) is transferring to Laney College due to a lack of playing time.

ESPN: Cal will lead league in rushing

ESPN‘s Pat Forde has written an article with 5 predictions for the Pac-10 season. His second prediction is about Cal’s ground attack:

2. California will lead the league in rushing again, and the nation will realize that Jeff Tedford is the Mike Shanahan of college football. Shanahan’s reputation was built as a West Coast passing-game guru, but his success has been built on the running game. Tedford has been thought of as a throw-it-around guy as well, but check his stats at Cal: His teams led the Pac-10 in rushing in 2003 and ’04 and were second to USC in ’05, and he’s had a different 1,000-yard rusher in each of his four years. With uncertainty at quarterback and great talent at running back, look for the Golden Bears to pound the rock even more in ’06.

First scrimmage highlights

The team has posted about highlights from today’s scrimmage, the first of fall camp. Both DeSean Jackson and Lavelle Hawkins returned kicks for touchdowns, hopefully indicative of their explosive abilities and not a lacking coverage unit.

All three quarterbacks appear to have performed well, but Coach Jeff Tedford stated that they still have to work to improve execution. On the defensive side of the ball, Rulon Davis (DE) made a big splash in his debut with 3 sacks and 5 tackles. Things look pretty good overall, but check the site for more details.

Training camp update: offense/defense shine

The team is making some good progress in fall camp. Yesterday, the fifth day of camp, both the offense and defense were making big plays. The quarterbacks (especially Nate Longshore and Joe Ayoob) were connecting with their receivers (especially DeSean Jackson). Meanwhile, the defense also shined. See Cal’s report here. They also have some quotes here.

These practices are closed to the public, but there will be an open one on August 26.

Cal named “title contender” by SI

SI.com‘s Stewart Mandel has put up an article, “Anybody’s ball game: With no clear-cut favorites, title race is wide open”, analyzing 16 teams with hopes for the national title. Mandel lists Cal as one of his selections, calling the Bears “dangerous” if Coach Jeff Tedford develops a quarterback. He also suggests that Cal “may have the best offense and defense in the Pac-10″, but emphasizes that the quarterback and offensive line must live up to their potential. Take a look at his analysis here.

Bears “smelling roses” – Oakland Tribune

The Oakland Tribune has put Marshawn Lynch on the front page of today’s sports section, giving high praise and hype for the team this season. The article describes this season as a “golden opportunity” to get back to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 48 years, the best chance since Chuck Muncie and the 1975 team. The article also goes over a few question marks, including the quarterback situation, hybrid offense, Lynch, pass rush, and shutdown corners. Take a look.

Challenges, potential of infusing spread

The San Jose Mercury News has put up an article about how many will be watching Cal’s unveiling of the “Ted-Spread” offense at Tennessee. Coach Jeff Tedford again makes the reminder that the spread is only an “added dimension”, not a major change of philosophy.

However, he says the “No. 1 concern” of this is the shotgun snap: in a spread play, the quarterback stands in the shotgun position, requiring a long snap from the center (offensive line). Sophomore Alex Mack, taking over with the departure of Marvin Philip to the NFL, only has one year of experience with this type of snap. The article has a few quotes from fellow Pac-10 coaches praising Tedford’s previous system, but also expressing some concern over the introduction of this added element.

With these risks come a lot of potential. We’ll have to wait for September 2 to see the “Ted-Spread” action.