Confirmed (AP): Tedford 4-year contract extension

In an Associated Press report, it has been confirmed that Coach Jeff Tedford‘s contract has been extended for 4 years, through 2013. This great news comes in an article celebrating Tedford’s success and the emergence of the program as an annual contender, giving Cal some more exposure and recognition nationally. Some excerpts:

Tedford is 43-20 in five seasons, leading the Bears’ longest sustained period of excellence in a half-century. He led Cal to a 10-3 record, a Pac-10 co-championship and a victory over Texas A&M …

Tedford annually appears on the coaching wish lists of big-school athletic directors and NFL general managers. This winter alone, he was linked him with openings at Alabama and with the Atlanta Falcons. …

But Tedford seems comfortable at Cal, where he has transformed a once-struggling program into a West Coast power with burgeoning fan support and new facilities on the way. …

The Bears have reached the top 10 in three straight seasons while appearing in four consecutive bowl games — winning three — for the first time in school history. Cal’s share of the Pac-10 crown this season was its first conference title since 1975, and Tedford also has beaten archrival Stanford five straight times.

This also grants the Cal program additional stability and quashes any rumors of Tedford looking to bolt to other programs or NFL positions. This stability is crucial for Tedford’s continual success in recruiting top-tier talent. Plus, Tedford until 2013 and world-class facilities underway… it can’t get better than this.

EDIT: The Contra Costa Times has an article about the contract extension with some quotes from Tedford:

“I’ve never had a hidden agenda of moving anywhere else. We have been fortunate to have had some success here and I believe we have put ourselves in the national spotlight. I’m very excited about the future of this program, and I feel it’s a privilege to be a part of it.”

Tedford said his biggest desire in landing a contract extension was having job security. “I know that Cal can’t compete (with the NFL) in money,” he said.

Barbour acted quickly and Tedford said he never met personally with an NFL team. He said he also has received several calls from universities interested in luring him away from Cal and that he isn’t interested.

“I have a lot invested in this program,” he said. “There has been a lot of work done by a lot of people. I don’t want to take a step backward.”

Breaking news: Tedford contract extension

According to KGO’s Ken Dito, Coach Jeff Tedford will be receiving more money and a contract extension. This is unconfirmed but I will post details as they are released…

Cal makes preliminary 2007 preseason lists

With the end of the 2006 season, Cal is already near the top of some preliminary preseason lists ranking college football teams for 2007.

Cal takes the #10 spot in ESPN’s rankings (Schlabach):

Why: Despite losing Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year Marshawn Lynch, the Bears return a plethora of skill players on offense. DeSean Jackson is a big-play threat at receiver and punt returner. Quarterback Nate Longshore was much-improved in his first season as a starter, and Justin Forsett and freshman James Montgomery are in line to replace Lynch.

Why not: For starters, the Bears open the 2007 season against Tennessee and must fare better than in the ’06 opener. Cal must replace all its key parts on defense — tackle Brandon Mebane, linebacker Desmond Bishop and cornerback Daymeion Hughes. The transition will be easier if the NCAA grants another year of eligibility to cornerback Tim Mixon, who missed all of 2006 with a knee injury.

The Bears also take the #7 spot in the New York Times:

Loaded and experienced at skill positions, and opening its season against Tennessee. Expect DeSean Jackson to become a household name.

Cal ends season ranked 14th

In the final polls of the 2006 season, Cal has been ranked 14th in both the AP and Coaches’ polls, moving up 6 and 5 spots, respectively.

Army All-American Summers-Gavin commits

4-star offensive lineman Matt Summers-Gavin, rated the #14 guard in the nation by Scout and #11 tackle by Rivals, has made his commitment to the Bears. This addition of this 6’5″/280 lbs US Army All-American gives Cal “one of the nation’s best offensive line classes” (Rivals). Summers-Gavin is local, from St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco. Cal’s offensive line recruiting class now consists of Summers-Gavin, 4-star tackle Sam DeMartinis, 4-star guard Justin Cheadle, and 3-star guards Mitchell Schwartz and Todd Huber. In the last week or so, Cal has also added commitments from Schwartz and 3-star safety/athlete Sean Cattouse (Chicago, IL).

Lynch declares for the NFL draft

Junior running back Marshawn Lynch has decided to forgo his last season of eligibility and declare for the NFL draft. He said:

“I also want to thank all of my teammates and the Cal staff and all the mentors that have taken time to come and talk to me as well as all of the Cal Bear fans. My time at Cal has been great; I really enjoyed the chance to play with my cousins and all the friendships I made with the coaches and players. I will always consider myself a Golden Bear.”

This move is not surprising to Cal fans, as Marshawn has been projected by many experts as a first-round draft pick and either the first or second running back taken. With running backs having the shortest careers in the NFL, moving on to the NFL makes sense for Marshawn and his family.

We appreciate Marshawn for his contribution to Cal football and his positive impact on the program. He has one-of-a-kind talent and playmaking ability, and he will be remembered as one of Cal’s greats. Marshawn will be sorely missed next year but a fresh crop of talented running backs, led by Justin Forsett, are lined up to take his place.

“WOODSHED BEATDOWN”

Yesterday’s Holiday Bowl was one for the ages and a defining moment of the Tedford Era at Cal. The Bears defied all critics and came together to form the juggernaut that the Cal faithful knew would show up to play, dominating all phases of the game and routing Texas A&M 45-10.

Here are the media rounds. Go Bears, and note you can’t spell shellacking without CAL.

AP: “Lynch runs for 111 yards, 2 TDs; Cal routs Texas A&M”

Cal (10-3) put an emphatic final touch to its second 10-win season in three years. …

“Cal played a great game,” [Aggies coach Dennis] Franchione said. “We were not up to the task. They controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.” … While the Golden Bears moved up and down the field, their defense came up big, too.

ESPN: “Bears’ Holiday Bowl win exorcises some demons”

The Bears pounded Texas A&M, outhitting the Aggies from the opening kickoff en route to an impressive and very emotional 45-10 victory … But Thursday’s performance was more about this team making a statement, proving — perhaps to themselves as much as the rest of the college football world — that they had the grit to go with all the glitz. … numbers don’t accurately show Cal’s dominance. …

The rout also provided a needed boost for Pac-10 pride, which really has taken a beating in the last week … beating the No. 21 Aggies won’t answer all the critics, but it sure was a great way to jump into the offseason.

San Diego Union-Tribune: “Grizzly bears”

Not only did Cal prove it could take a punch, it delivered a haymaker. …Whereas No. 21 Texas A&M (9-4) had been identified as the intimidator in this affair, boasting a bruising running game that ranked seventh-best in the country, it was Cal that assumed the role of tormentor. The Bears finished with 476 total yards and ran roughshod over a defense that just last month limited then-No. 11 Texas to seven points in the Aggies’ regular-season finale.

San Diego Union-Tribune: “Cal’s defense shows who’s boss”

The Cal Golden Bears were the ones playing the part of the physical opponent, bottling up the Aggies’ option game with blood-letting assignment defense in a 45-10 victory.

LA Times: “Cal makes point for Pac-10, beating Texas A&M 45-10”

It wasn’t the Rose Bowl, but it was a start. The No. 20 California Golden Bears, whose chance to get to Pasadena had veered off course in two of the past three seasons, made the most of their postseason opportunity…

SF Chronicle: “Lasting impression”

It was, in short, their most dominant postseason game ever, and one that will provide rebuttal for those whose minds still go back to the losses at Arizona and USC that sent them here.

SF Chronicle: “Win both convincing and entertaining”

Marshawn Lynch’s 111 yards and two touchdowns looked like classic Chuck Muncie. Justin Forsett’s 124 yards and a score on eight carries looked a lot like Lynch. Nate Longshore’s 235 yards on 19-of-24 passing looked like Pat Barnes circa 1996. DeSean Jackson was the spitting image of Geoff MacArthur in 2003.

Contra Costa Times: “Cal puts in extra hard work on this holiday”

After stumbling at the end of the regular season with only three offensive touchdowns in their final three games, Cal erupted for 476 yards of offense, including 241 rushing yards. …

“I’ve never seen a game where we outhit somebody so hard,” said Bears linebacker Zack Follett, who had two tackles for loss. “When you put this kind of beat-down on a great team like Texas A&M, it’s going to look good. Our future is awesome.”

Houston Chronicle: “Cal turns out the lights on A&M in Holiday Bowl”

The Bears punished A&M physically, hammering quarterback Stephen McGee on at least two occasions and then knocking running back Mike Goodson out of the game late with what appeared to be a knee injury. Cal dominated the Aggies’ offensive line, swarming to the ball to cut off running lanes. A&M couldn’t return the favor. … The Bears’ speed riddled A&M zones, with Nate Longshore having plenty of time to find open receivers in soft spots. …

The Bears outscored A&M 31-0 in the second half to break open a close game.

Dallas Morning News: “Holiday off: Cal routs A&M, 45-10”

Texas A&M’s porous pass defense, its downfall last year, resurfaced to haunt the Aggies Thursday night in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. The Aggies’ inconsistent passing offense, which they overcame much of this season, finally cost them against No. 20 Cal. No. 21 A&M suffered its first blowout loss of 2006, ending an encouraging year with a disappointing 45-10 defeat in front of a pro-Golden Bears crowd of 62,395 at Qualcomm Stadium.

San Antonio Express: “California smashes Texas A&M”

The Aggies upset Texas 12-7 on Nov. 24 in Austin, but Franchione’s first victory over A&M’s chief rival now seems a distant memory following Thursday’s shellacking against the Bears (10-3), the Pac-10 co-champions.

Tomorrow: the Holiday Bowl

vs.

The Holiday Bowl is tomorrow (Thursday), December 28 at 5pm Pacific time on ESPN. This is a big game against a big-time opponent, and hopefully the Bears are ready. On paper, Cal is a more talented team that should have the tangible advantages on the field. However, the Aggies are not a team to be overlooked and it will be a great challenge to defeat them.

I am excited to see how Coach Jeff Tedford has prepared the #20 Bears to face #21 Texas A&M and their option offense with a 275 pound running back. It should be a great match-up to watch but I see the Bears getting it done with a close win. With three (Oregon, ASU, UCLA) out of six Pac-10 teams losing their respective bowl games, it is also imperative for the conference that Cal wins tomorrow.

The Contra Costa Times‘ Jay Heater has some optimistic words about the match-up:

My guess is that Cal’s offense is about to resurface. I think the players are very excited to be facing a traditional college football power and one that just beat Texas. Put DeSean Jackson and Marshawn Lynch in front of the national spotlight, and I would imagine that good things are about to happen. Quarterback Nate Longshore looks confident and happy, and I think he is going to bounce back with a big game.

In a way, the 2006 season is over. This game really is about 2007, even though Cal has some very talented seniors who will be leaving. But this is the lasting image that national press will get of Cal going into next season. Will it be of a team that couldn’t live up to the hype of national title contender, or will it be of a team that fell a little short against USC and went ahead and buried one of the Big 12’s top teams.

Meanwhile, Scouts, Inc.‘s take on the game is similar to predictions posted earlier:

Texas A&M is entering the Holiday Bowl on a high after its win over rival Texas. The Aggies ground game is good enough to chew up the clock and keep Cal’s playmakers on the sideline. A&M does not play very many one-sided games and will present a tough obstacle for a talented Cal team. If the Golden Bears don’t get big plays from their playmakers this game could be the exclamation point on the Aggies fine season. In our opinion, though, the Golden Bears are too balanced and too explosive for the Aggies to keep up in the end. Prediction: Golden Bears 31, Aggies 24

Surprise: Devin Bishop commits to Cal

Cal Football is really becoming a family affair. First Marshawn and his cousins Jordan and Larkins, then the Mixons, and now the Bishops.

Linebacker Devin Bishop, younger brother of linebacker Desmond Bishop (#10), has submitted his letter of intent to Cal in a surprise move on junior college LOI day. He’s transferring from San Francisco City College like Desmond. He’s rated 4 stars by Scout and 3 stars by Rivals.

Devin was previously set on Minnesota, but opted to sign with Cal instead. The 6’2″/225 lb/4.7 forty linebacker should be a good addition to the class and further loads up the linebacker corps for success. With Desmond graduating and heading to the NFL, the Bears should have another Bishop on the field making tackles.

The media on the Holiday Bowl

Opinions are mixed, but everyone says it should be close.

ESPN’s Bruce Feldman: “Picks: Texas rolls past Iowa; Cal wins Holiday shootout”

Cal 38, Texas A&M 35: Lots of dangerous skill talent on display in a bowl that always seems to be entertaining. I’m expecting a big show from the tailbacks on both sides, but in the end look for DeSean Jackson to take over.

Scout/CFN: “Mr Pac-10’s Bowl Picks”

This one is a bit tough to pick. While I definitely believe that Cal won’t lay the egg here that they did two years ago, I’m just not sold on them being all that great, especially after three straight lousy performances. A&M seems to be peaking, and while bowl games are always a crapshoot, I think that they’re the slightly better team here. Texas A&M 31, Cal 28

ESPN’s Pat Forde: “Dashing through the bowl season”

The important information: This is an intriguing game between two teams looking for a springboard to a potentially big season in 2007. A&M coach Dennis Franchione got his credibility boost by upsetting Texas to end the regular season. Cal is still looking for one. …

The pick: Cal 30, Texas A&M 26.

USA Today’s Erick Smith: “Weekend Forecast”

This is one of the better non-BCS matchups of the bowl season. Both teams should produce a lot of offense as the Holiday Bowl continues its tradition of entertaining matchups. California 34, Texas A&M 28.

FOXSports/CFN: “Fearless Prediction: Holiday Bowl”

Texas A&M struggled all year against the nastier passing offenses and doesn’t have enough of a pass rush to throw the Bear passing game off, so expect a big day from Longshore. Cal isn’t physical enough to handle the nasty A&M offensive line and the pounding of the ground game, so expect a big day from Lane. When in doubt, go with the better running game. …

Fearless Prediction: Texas A&M 24 … California 23