Jackson wins Return Man award

WR/PR DeSean Jackson won the 2006 Randy Moss Return Man award for nation’s top returner, the first of its kind. His 18.2 average yards per punt return and 4 returns for touchdowns this season are among the best in the nation.

Hughes, Jackson AP All-Americans

In their yearly All-Americans list, the Associated Press selected Daymeion Hughes as a first-team cornerback, and DeSean Jackson as a first-team all-purpose player. Cal was the only Pac-10 team with two selections on the first team, with one player from each USC and UCLA being selected.

Pac-10 Review and Forecast

Next year looks to be an outstanding year for the Pac-10. While the Pac-10 looked rather mediocre this season and failed to meet the preseason hype of projected national rankings, the outlook for next season seems to point towards one of the most competitive for the Pac-10 in recent history. Some listed points to consider:

• Seven teams welcome back their starting quarterback (not Oregon State, Washington and Stanford). Experience at quarterback is critical for any team, but particularly in the pass-happy Pac-10.

• The top 15 rushers are all scheduled to return (though Cal junior Marshawn Lynch figures to enter the NFL draft).

• Only three of the top 10 receivers are seniors (though USC junior Dwayne Jarrett figures to enter the NFL draft).

• USC, California, Oregon and UCLA should be ranked in the 2007 preseason poll. Arizona, Arizona State and Oregon State will receive votes.

• If Lynch and Jarrett don’t return, USC quarterback John David Booty, Oregon tailback Jonathan Stewart, Cal quarterback Nate Longshore and Cal receiver wide receiver DeSean Jackson will be leading Heisman Trophy candidates.

In his analysis of the current season, Ted Miller also gave his MVP award to Marshawn Lynch, and Newcomer of the Year award to DeSean Jackson:

Most Valuable Player

	Lynch

Running back Marshawn Lynch, Cal

Lynch didn’t become the Heisman Trophy candidate he was touted as during the preseason, but he led the conference in rushing (1,245 yards) and all-purpose yards (1,657). He scored 13 touchdowns (nine rushing) and averaged 6.1 yards per carry. He piled up those numbers while battling a pair of sprained ankles, so his toughness deserves a tip of the cap as much as his talent.

And it was hilarious when he drove that golf cart onto the field after the Bears nipped Washington.

Newcomer of the Year

DeSean Jackson, Cal

Jackson, who led the Bears in receiving last season as a true freshman, has spectacular speed and athleticism — comparisons to Reggie Bush don’t evoke sarcastic snickers — making him the conference’s most dangerous player during his sophomore campaign.

He led the nation in punt returns, averaging 18.2 yards per return with four touchdowns. He also caught 54 passes for 979 yards and nine touchdowns.

With two or possibly three Heisman Trophy candidates, a competitive Pac-10, and an opening home game against Tennessee, next season should be quite exciting for the Bears.

Jackson, Hughes SI First Team All-Americans

Released earlier today, Sports Illustrated’s All American list includes Daymeion Hughes at DB and DeSean Jackson as a punt returner. Also being listed as honorable mentions are Marshawn Lynch at running back and DeSean Jackson again as a wide receiver.

Lynch, Hughes Pac-10 Players of the Year

With only three total Pac-10 games left to be played out, the Pac-10 awards and all-conference teams have already been announced. Marshawn Lynch has been named the offensive player of the year, while Daymeion Hughes has been named the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year:

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR MARSHAWN LYNCH, TB, CALIFORNIA: Lynch, a junior from Oakland, Calif., leads the Pac-10 in rushing and all-purpose yards and is co-leader with teammate DeSean Jackson in touchdowns scored. A unanimous All-Pac-10 selection, Lynch has rushed for 1,178 yards and nine touchdowns, becoming just the second player in California history to post two 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He has posted a school-record 16 100-yard rushing games. His averages of 6.3 yards per carry and 107.1 yards per game both lead the Pac-10. In addition, Lynch has 286 yards and four touchdowns receiving and 101 yards in kickoff returns to give him 1,565 all-purpose yards, an average of 142.3 yards per game. Lynch is just the third California player to be selected Pac-10 offensive player of the year and the first since quarterback Mike Pawlawski in 1991.

PAT TILLMAN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR DAYMIEON HUGHES, CB, CALIFORNIA: Hughes, a senior from Los Angeles, Calif., leads the Pac-10 in interceptions by a large margin with eight, which ties him for second in the nation in picks. Included are two returned for touchdowns. A unanimous All-Pac-10 selection by the league’s coaches, Hughes has 15 career interceptions, second all-time on the Cal list. Hughes also leads the Pac-10 in passes defended with 19 and ranks second on the Cal squad with 62 tackles. Hughes becomes just the second California player to be selected Pac-10 defensive player of the year, following cornerback Deltha O’Neal in 1998.

Also making the First Team list are WR/PR DeSean Jackson, OL Alex Mack, DL Brandon Mebane, and LB Desmond Bishop. TE Craig Stevens, OL Mike Gibson, DL Nu’u Tafisi, P Andrew Larson, and ST Byron Storer were named to the All-Pac-10 Conference Second Team. Honorable Mentions also included OT Andrew Cameron, OLB Zack Follett, WR Lavelle Hawkins, WR Robert Jordan, QB Nate Longshore, OLB Mickey Pimentel, and OG Erik Robertson.

Hughes semifinalist for Jim Thorpe Award; DeCoud fine; other news

Daymeion Hughes has been named as one of the 11 players as semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, an award given annually to the best defensive back in the nation. Last year’s winner was Michael Huff of Texas, who was drafted in the Oakland Raiders’ first draft pick. The other semifinalists include Michigan’s Leon Hall, LSU’s LaRon Landry, Fresno State’s Marcus McCauley, Florida’s Reggie Nelson, Pittsburgh’s Darrelle Revis, Texas’ Aaron Ross, Ohio State’s Antonio Smith, Utah’s Eric Weddle, Notre Dame’s Tom Zbikowski, and Arizona’s Antoine Cason. With the upcoming Cal-Arizona game, the Tucson Citizen ran a feature on Hughes and Cason.

Some additional articles to read:

Rose Bowl hopes depend on Cal’s defense Contra Costa Times:

However, as frustrating as it is to see Cal’s defense playing so “soft” with so much individual talent on the field, perhaps there is some magic to defensive coordinator Bob Gregory’s madness.

Pac-10 Crown, not NFL draft, topping Lynch’s agenda Contra Costa Times:

On Tuesday at Memorial Stadium, Lynch said he hasn’t decided what his future holds. He remains firm about the task at hand, which is winning the Pac-10 title.

However, certain clues indicate Lynch, the Pac-10’s leading rusher at 109.8 yards per game, will do what everyone expects, enter the NFL draft.

Lynch’s game plan is runnin’, chillin’ Inside Bay Area.

Q. Is it difficult on campus, dispelling the notion that you’re just a jock?

A. Yeah, but I try to get away from that. If you’ve ever seen me outside the stadium, and you didn’t know who I was, you probably wouldn’t think too much of me. You never see me dressed up in my Cal sweats. I always have on street clothes, trying to blend in but just being me, being comfortable with what (clothing) I’m in.

Q. Do you try to converse with non-student athletes?

A. Yeah. People would probably think that because I play football, and I’m all over everything (publicity wise), that I would be hard to approach. After people have a conversation with me, it’s “Ah, he’s cool. I wasn’t expecting him to be like that.” But I’m just me. Solid.

DeCoud out of haze — and studying The Hit San Francisco Chronicle.

Coach Jeff Tedford knew safety Thomas DeCoud was fine by Sunday morning.

“I found him in here watching replays of the hit,” Tedford said. “I think he had to watch it, because he didn’t remember it.”

AP feature: Lynch taking vocal lead

The Associated Press has a great feature article about Marshawn Lynch becoming a vocal leader in addition to a leader on the field for Cal football.

That’s because Lynch normally dislikes attention even more than sprained ankles, opposing linebackers and formal dress codes.

His reserve has made it difficult for Cal to promote him as a Heisman Trophy candidate, and even many of his teammates say they didn’t know much about him beyond his bare-bones biography: An Oakland native who survived childhood in his hard-scrabble part of town to become the biggest star yet in the Bears’ five-season resurgence under coach Jeff Tedford.

But in what might be Lynch’s last few weeks in college before jumping to the NFL, his teammates are seeing dimensions to his character that only his closest friends knew.

“He’s more vocal, more outgoing now,” Tedford said. “He still doesn’t like to be front-and-center, though.”

Take a look here.

SI: Lynch is #1 RB in the nation

Sports Illustrated, after naming Nate Longshore the #7 QB in the nation last week, has similarly honored Marshawn Lynch with the #1 spot for running backs. They write:

Lynch — who has rushed for 907 yards and eight touchdowns and averaged nearly seven yards per carry — packs excellent, all-around talent into his 5-foot-11, 223-pound frame. The junior uses his 4.4 speed to easily get around the edge, but he’s no stranger to mixing it up between the tackles, regularly delivering crushing blows to brave defenders. With three receiving TDs, he’s a dangerous target out of the backfield, too.

Lynch has taken the top spot over Heisman candidates and well-respected backs like Steve Slaton (WVA), Ray Rice (Rutgers), Mike Hart (Michigan) and more. However, Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma) and Michael Bush (Louisville) are ineligible in this ranking due to their season-ending injures.

Lynch named Pac-10 offensive POTW

Marshawn Lynch has been honored as the Pac-10 player of the week on offense. Cal is really racking up the honors in this category.

Lynch, a junior from Oakland, Calif., was a pivotal performer in California’s 31-24 overtime win against Washington. Lynch rushed 21 times for 150 yards (7.1-yard average) and two touchdowns, including a 22-yard touchdown run in overtime to give Cal the win. He added four receptions for 53 yards to give him 203 all-purpose yards. The California offense put up 486 yards in total offense (195 rushing, 291 passing) and had no turnovers. It marks the fourth time in eight weeks that a California player has garnered Pac-10 offensive player of the week honors.

Teammates Desmond Bishop and Tom Schneider were also nominated for defense and special teams play, respectively.

Lynch to play Saturday at WSU

After sitting out most of the Oregon game last weekend due to injury, Marshawn Lynch is expected to be back in action this coming Saturday when the Bears travel to Washington State. Throughout the season, Lynch has been bothered by an ankle injury but has played through it. He re-injured it early in the second quarter following a 24-yard rush to the Oregon 2 yard line:

“He reirritated it during the game,” Tedford said Tuesday. “But he’s moving around fine. He’s just a little bit sore. I wouldn’t say he’s questionable. I would say he’ll play for sure.”