Emerald Bowl: Miami vs. California

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

December 27, 2008 * 8:00 * ESPN
AT & T Park * San Francisco, California

After a one-year hiatus from going bowling, the ‘Canes are back and second year headman Randy Shannon is looking for his first bowl win at the helm. Miami is not all the way back, but this youthful squad is full of potential and a bowl win could provide a solid building block. The Golden Bears start eight freshmen or sophomores themselves, but have a veteran core leading the way with the likes of center Alex Mack on offense and three senior starters at linebacker on defense.

When the Bears Have the Ball

After an overall disappointing season, the Golden Bears will have the opportunity to end on a high note. They have to be salivating over a Miami defense, which collapsed in its last two games and surrendered 691 yards on the ground. Jahvid Best will certainly be eager to continue his outstanding season (1,394 yards and 13 TDs) against that defense and California coach Jeff Tedford will likely test Miami early on the ground. However, the Hurricanes do have some very fast linemen and can adjust on the fly. On top of that, the Golden Bear offensive line has struggled due to injury and has had problems opening lanes for Best as well as protecting whichever quarterback is behind center. Both senior Nate Longshore (starter) and sophomore Kevin Riley took some snaps in the last game but neither one has been prolific the last few games. Riley has been the lead horse in this stable but has turned the ball over in four of the last five games. Often the California pass game will throw for no more than 100 yards so it is hardly surprising that they have no marquee wide receivers, utilizing instead a group of solid athletes who can catch the ball, run crisp short routes and help move the chains. But their ability is limited both by who they are as well as by the problems at the quarterback position. If Best stalls running the pigskin the Golden Bears could very well struggle to move the ball.

When the ‘Canes Have the Ball

Like California, Miami has flopped quarterbacks to little effect. Neither Robert Marve nor Jacory Harris has played particularly well. Marve, who has more yards but has also thrown 13 interceptions, is suspended for the contest. Meanwhile Harris has thrown 10 touchdown passes but has only barely crossed the 1,000-yard mark. Overall the Hurricanes have turned the ball over a stunning amount and rank 101st in the nation in turnovers. This could be a major problem – Miami throws interceptions and the Golden Bears are ranked third in the nation in interceptions with 23 and are second in the Pac-10 in defensive scoring. With the turnover problems, Miami may be best served by handing the ball off to their tandem of Graig Cooper and Javarris James. Neither of the tailbacks is in Best’s category in terms of game-breaking ability, but when the Hurricanes can get them going, it helps the offense stay moving. Both backs can move the chains and would keep the defense honest.

Final Analysis

Another potential factor could be the long trip to the Bay Area from Florida. California only has to hop a bus to the stadium while Miami must fly across the country. After completing the regular season with a two-game skid, the Hurricanes could struggle to get going after the long trip.

Inside the Numbers – Pass, Run & Catch

Miami Hurricanes (7-5, 4-4)
Pass: Jacory Harris – 1,001 yards, 10 TDs
Run: Graig Cooper – 778 yards, 4 TDs
Catch: Aldarius Johnson – 321 yards, 3 TDs

California Golden Bears (8-4, 6-3)
Pass: Kevin Riley – 1,360 yards, 14 TDs
Run: Jahvid Best – 1,394 yards, 13 TDs
Catch: Nyan Boateng – 412 yards, 5 TDs

The CFI Prediction: California 27, Miami 17

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images, University of Miami Sports Media Relations Office

#16 California (4-1, 6-2) @ #7 USC (5-1, 7-1)

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

USC is playing like a Pac-10 Champion – six weeks after dropping its conference opener, the Trojans have dominated for the most part, winning five straight by a 207 to 27 margin. They always heat up in November (24 straight wins), so it’s going to be a tough fight for anyone to hand them a second blemish to their record from here on out. That’s just what the Golden Bears aim to do this weekend at the Coliseum. California is one of several teams deadlocked and looking for a shot at wresting the conference title from USC.

Marc Sanchez leads the Pac-10 with 22 touchdown passes, 1,884 yards and a 163.3 passer rating. Any one of USC’s stable of running backs could get hot, making it hard for opponents to game plan. The defense has also been stifling, only allowing 211 yards and one touchdown per game.

At press time, California coach Jeff Tedford has still not named a starter at quarterback. It is unclear whether sophomore Kevin Riley will be healthy enough to play or if senior Nate Longshore will get the nod. Riley tends to protect the ball a little better and that would be key against an opportunistic USC pass defense, even without safety Kevin Ellison.

Sophomore running back Jahvid Best has played well since returning from injury, showing the ability to break long runs and find the end zone. Best will have his work cut out for him against the usually tough USC run defense.

As is the case nearly every week, this is a critical game and will either give the Trojans another leg up on the rest of the conference or close ranks a little more and make things even foggier in the Pac-10.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

Pac-10 Preview - Week Nine

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

#5 USC @ Arizona

A huge game for all involved, as this game features one team still shooting for the National Championship while the other would be more than happy to make it to the Rose Bowl.

USC is rolling, as they come off an incredible 69-0 shellacking of woeful Washington State. Mark Sanchez got back on track with an outstanding performance (253 yards and five touchdowns) and the run game also got moving again. If they aren’t smothering the opposition with their tough defense, the Trojans will blow them out with the eighth best scoring offense in the nation.

The Wildcats are not too shabby offensively themselves. Turns out they put together the ninth ranked scoring offense and despite USC’s tough defense, the Men of Troy could have some issues containing the excellent Willie Tuitama (1,691, 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions). One of the keys for Arizona will be whether sophomore Nic Grigsby can hang onto the ball and get his groove back. While freshman running back Keola Antolin had an outstanding game last week, he’s fairly unproven and if things get tough, Arizona might need Grigsby to step up and be a veteran presence at the tailback position this weekend.

Both teams need this game badly – the key could be who can adjust to the flow of the game more. Will Pete Carroll keep his guys moving forward or will Mike Stoops be able to motivate his team enough to put the nail in the coffin of USC’s National Title hopes?

UCLA @ CALIFORNIA

The Golden Bears have to be wondering just what happened last week when Arizona likely delivered the fatal blow to California’s Rose Bowl hopes. One would think that the visiting Bruins would be a lay-up for the home team, however that’s when teams need to be most careful. Coach Jeff Tedford must keep his guys focused, or rather re-focused, in order to avoid another loss, which would end California’s major bowl hopes altogether.

Senior Nate Longshore played well last week, though not quite well enough to pull the win out. Still he should have good day against a UCLA secondary that, while improved, still has a long way to go. Sophomore running back Jahvid Best returned from injury last week and performed well and should be able to keep it up this weekend as well.

UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft has slowly been improving week to week, but is still plagued by inconsistency. What is truly befuddling about Craft is his ability to play well when time is short. When there are mere minutes left, Craft can thread a needle and make a big play. When Craft is in the middle of a quarter and has plenty of time on the clock? He bounces passes, throws interceptions and has mental letdowns.

The Golden Bears should be able to overcome Neuheisel’s Bruins, but as Tennessee and Stanford can tell you, you can’t take them for granted.

Notre Dame @ Washington

Could Notre Dame get Ty Willingham fired twice? By the end of Saturday, we may see an answer to that as the winless Huskies welcome the Fighting Irish into their house of pain this weekend.

Unfortunately it’s only a house of pain for Washington and will continue to be so after Notre Dame leaves.

Coming off a disappointing loss to #22 North Carolina, Notre Dame will be looking to rebound and the Huskies will be just what the leprechaun ordered.

Quarterback Jimmy Clausen started the season unable to protect the ball. But against the struggling Washington secondary, he should be able to get his rhythm back.

It’s going to be incredibly tough for Washington to make any headway against a relatively solid Notre Dame defensive unit. Whether it’s Ronnie Fouch, Jake Locker or a guy from the student section, the quarterback position has not been able to consistently move the ball, never mind get it into the end zone. The run game has also struggled quite often, although on occasion that is more because the Huskies are so far behind and they are forced to pass.

Oregon @ Arizona State

What happened to the Sun Devil season? At the start of the season, they were considered contenders for the Pac-10 title and maybe more.

But a loss to Georgia, an injury to quarterback Rudy Carpenter and the same shaky offensive line issues that have plagued them for some time have sent Arizona State into a tailspin that has been nearly impossible to pull out of.

Carpenter will play again this week and for an Oregon secondary and defense that has struggled a little, that may be the cure for what ails. Carpenter is a good quarterback when he has time, but he seems to lack some of the fire he had in the past and it certainly does not help that he gets hit as much as he does. At one point earlier in the season, it seemed as if the ASU offensive line had picked up its play. But by the time #3 Georgia came calling, it was beginning to look like it had been all smoke and mirrors. If the Sun Devils want to win, they need to keep Carpenter upright and allow him to get his rhythm back. Carpenter is the engine for this team and they haven’t been taking care of it, so it’s not running smoothly.

It doesn’t help that the run game is not effective. Opposing defenses need not fret about the run, so they are able to blanket the Sun Devil wide receivers and send their defensive line through the gaps in ASU’s line.

This is not to say Oregon is without flaw. If ASU can give Carpenter time to toss the ball downfield, he can make the Ducks pay. Carpenter is dangerous with the long ball and Oregon will need to keep him pressured and force him to go to his short routes.

Oregon can also help its own cause by continuing to run the ball effectively. The tandem of LeGarrette Blount and Jeremiah Johnson keep the ball moving down the field and grind up the clock. Like Carpenter does for ASU, the Ducks pair is what makes this offense goes. The pass game works best when it works as a compliment to an effective run attack, rather than as the focus of the offensive game plan. In short, they are better when they pass because they want to, rather than because they have to.

If Arizona State can get out to an early lead and force the Ducks to the air, it’s conceivable that they can send Oregon home with a loss.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

Nate Longshore To Come Off The Bench

Kevin Riley will start the season opener at quarterback for California against Michigan State with former starter Nate Longshore expected to play as a reserve.

Coach Jeff Tedford made the announcement about his quarterbacks after practice on Thursday. The Golden Bears open the season Aug. 30 at home against the Spartans.

"We feel like both of them have had great camps, but Kevin's going to take the first snaps and we'll see how it goes from there," Tedford said. "Nate will play in the game. I don't know exactly when, but Kevin will start."

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

CFI RANKINGS: #19 CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS

2007 RECORD: 7-6; PAC-10: 3-6
Won Armed Forces Bowl vs. Air Force 42-36
LOCATION: Berkley, California
STADIUM: Memorial Stadium (72,516)
HEAD COACH: Jeff Tedford
OVERALL: 50-26 (6 seasons)
AT CAL: 50-26 (6 seasons)

After trailing Oregon St. by ten points with three minutes remaining in the contest, the Golden Bears—led by freshman QB Mike Riley—were poised to send the game into overtime. But something happened on the way to the kill-the-clock-spike and a potential 6-0 start—with all of their time outs exhausted, Riley tried to scramble. Not only did the clock run out on the game, but seemingly the season. Cal was No. 2 in the country heading into that game and proceeded to lose six of its last seven to end the regular season.

WHEN THE BEARS HAVE THE BALL

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Frank Cignetti (1st Season)/Jim Michalczik (7th Season)
OFFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 4
KEY LOSSES: DeSean Jackson, Lavelle Hawkins, Justin Forsett, Craig Stevens, Robert Jordan, Mike Gibson, James Montgomery (Left School)

Senior signal caller Nate Longshore started their bowl victory against Air Force, but he left the contest with Cal trailing 21-0. It was Riley who led the comeback and ensured a sixth straight winning season under headman Jeff Tedford. Who will get the most reps this season? It’s anyone’s guess, but if Cal sticks to one starter, they should be fine. Their major concerns lie at the skill positions where they must replace their top five pass catchers and their leading rusher from a year ago. The receiving corps is young, but very talented, while sophomore Jahvid Best looks to be a special player. Making everyone’s life easier will be one of the Pac-10’s better O-Lines led by C Alex Mack—Cal has allowed a mere 24 total sacks the last two seasons and their backs consistently average over five yards per carry.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) C Alex Mack (SR), 2) TB Jahvid Best (SO)

WHEN THE OTHER TEAM HAS THE BALL

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Bob Gregory (7th Season)
DEFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 8
KEY LOSSES: Thomas DeCoud, Brandon Hampton, Justin Moye

Cal has been known as an offensive team under Tedford, but this might be the season the defense leads the way, particularly early on. The linebacking corps returns three senior starters in Worrell Williams, Anthony Felder and Zack Follett, and all three can play. The secondary loses leading tackler Thomas DeCoud but returns two starters, CB Syd’Quan Thompson and FS Bernard Hicks, and has quality depth. The key is the defensive line, which was not up to par last season. If senior DE Rulon Davis stays healthy and sophomore DT Derrick Hill progresses as expected, this will be a far more productive unit, one that should have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the defense.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) LB Worrell Williams (SR), 2) LB Anthony Felder (SR)

THE SCHEDULE

The Bears don’t have any gimmes out of conference. However, they should be able to put home games against Michigan St. and Colorado St., as well as a trip to Maryland, in the “W” column. Their two biggest games are at home, as fellow contenders Oregon and Arizona St. both come to Berkeley giving the Golden Bears an edge in the battle for second place. However, they must do a better job away from home after losing their last four road games of the 2007, including late season defeats at Washington and Stanford (5-13 in Pac-10 play).

PIVOTAL POINT

Quarterback: Make sure you have one quarterback not two, Coach Tedford. Both Longshore and Riley can play, but this is not a situation where one has a unique skill set; there are no “sub packages” here. It is nice to have options, but if they are left open too long this could be a detriment. Coach Tedford needs to pick one quarterback and stick with him. Let’s not forget what the quarterback battle between Sam Keller and Rudy Carpenter did to Arizona St’s season two years ago.

CFI FINAL ANALYSIS

How quickly everyone forgets. Heading into last season, Cal was ranked No. 12 in both the Coaches and the AP Polls, the highest of any Pac-10 school not named Southern Cal. They rose to No. 2 by week six with a win at Oregon (with Dennis Dixon). Then it all fell apart after Longshore suffered an ankle injury, which plagued him the rest of the way. The Bears will have a productive offense, as they always do under Tedford, and with an improved defense expect a bounce back season in Berkley.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

After two-week tumble, No. 18 California gets it together again

By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - So California's season went downhill faster than DeSean Jackson gets downfield. The star receiver won't give up just because most of the Golden Bears' dreams have vanished.

``The Pac-10 is unpredictable, man,'' Jackson said. ``We've still got a good second half of the season left. We're just looking forward to going out there and making good things happen.''

A mere two weeks ago, everything was good for Jackson and his teammates. Cal had a perfect record, a No. 2 ranking - its highest in a half-century - and legitimate national title hopes.

Just about all the Golden Bears (5-2, 2-2 Pac-10) have left is their pride after back-to-back losses to Oregon State and UCLA severely injured their BCS dreams and conference title aspirations.

Cal must attempt to avoid its first three-game losing streak under coach Jeff Tedford on Saturday night when the Bears visit No. 7 Arizona State (7-0, 4-0). Just two weeks after being the nation's No. 2 team, the Bears are merely hoping to play spoilers.

``You've got to keep your head up in a situation like this,'' linebacker Worrell Williams said. ``We've got to play for pride, but we've still got a chance to accomplish some of our goals. We're still fighting. We're still in this thing.''

Running back Justin Forsett plans to make sure his teammates know they're still in the race for the conference's biggest prizes, even if it's only mathematical.

``After two losses like that, you can lose sight of the joy of playing football,'' said Forsett, the Pac-10's second-leading rusher. ``That's something Marshawn (Lynch) always taught me. You've got to enjoy the process of playing football.''

The losses are a new challenge for Tedford, who hasn't had to deal with too much disappointment in his six years since turning a terrible program into a contender. The Golden Bears have exceeded expectations for most of his tenure - and that's why he lost plenty of sleep over the last 10 days.

``I think one thing that we learn from this is that the expectations, when they get so high and so great, that when you do stumble, it's a long fall and it's a hard fall,'' Tedford said. ``It's not pleasant by any means.

``Of course it's going to get blown out of proportion because of what the rankings were, but it's disappointing, because they hear it everywhere they go - they hear it in class, they hear it on campus. There's no hiding. There's no getting away from it. It's just something that you have to grit your teeth and hope that you prepare well enough to win the next game.''

Tedford has stayed positive through the defeats, emphasizing the positive aspects of two disheartening losses. Both came down to two late-game mistakes by the quarterbacks who are personally tutored by him.

Kevin Riley made an ill-advised scramble in the closing seconds against Oregon State, preventing Cal's kicking unit from getting on the field to try a game-tying field goal. Last weekend, Nate Longshore threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown in the final moments against UCLA with a two-point deficit and the Bears driving for a field goal.

Tedford expects Longshore to play again Saturday despite a sprained ankle, and he doesn't believe the junior's confidence has been injured.

``For the most part, I thought he did a great job of running the show,'' Tedford said. ``He didn't have a lot of reps in practice last week, but I thought he threw the ball very sharp.''

Tedford also met this week with his top three receivers - Jackson, Robert Jordan and Lavelle Hawkins - to make sure they're happy with a game plan that's still trying to find balance among several big offensive weapons. Jackson said the Bears ought to consider throwing more on first down after the loss at UCLA, though Cal already does so frequently.

``He just came to us to see if there was anything going wrong and what he could do different,'' Jackson said. ``He's our coach, and we have to abide by him and do all of the things that he says. We're cool with him. We just want to start winning games, that's the biggest thing.''

SOURCE: NCAAFOOTBALL; PHOTO CREDIT: COLLEGIATE IMAGES

Unbearable: No. 2 Cal falls to Oregon State

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- Playing with its No. 2 quarterback, California squandered a chance to grab the No. 1 ranking.

Yvenson Bernard leaped into the end zone on fourth down from the 1 with 8:30 remaining and Oregon State delivered the latest shocker in an upset-filled season, beating the second-ranked Golden Bears and backup quarterback Kevin Riley 31-28 Saturday.

The win wasn't sealed until Riley inexplicably tried to scramble from the 12 with 14 seconds remaining and no timeouts. He was tackled after a 2-yard gain and the clock ran out before the field goal unit could get on the field. Riley had orchestrated a near-perfect drive up to that point from his own 5 with 1:27 remaining. But his inexperience showed at the end.

Cal (5-1, 2-1 Pac-10) looked poised to move into the top spot for the first time in 56 years after No. 1 LSU's triple-overtime loss at Kentucky earlier in the day. But the Bears were unable to handle their own business, becoming the 10th team ranked in the Top 10 to lose to an unranked team already this season.

Now it looks like No. 3 Ohio State will move up to No. 1 and Cal can only lament its lost opportunity after Oregon State (4-3, 2-2) beat a team ranked this high for the first time since upsetting O.J. Simpson and Southern California 3-0 on Nov. 11, 1967.

The day got off to a bad start for Cal when quarterback Nate Longshore was unable to start because of a sprained right ankle. Riley was inconsistent in his first career start, throwing an interception and failing to get star receiver DeSean Jackson involved in the offense. Jackson had four catches for 5 yards.

But the Bears still were in position to move into the top spot after Justin Forsett's 7-yard run gave them a 21-20 lead in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. Forsett finished with 150 yards against the nation's top-ranked defense but Cal's offense was unable to generate much else until the final minutes under Riley, who finished 20-for-34 for 294 yards and two touchdowns.

Bernard leaped over the pile for the go-ahead score on fourth-and-goal from the 1 to give the Beavers the lead for good. Sean Canfield hit Anthony Brown on the 2-point conversion to make it 28-21. After Jahvid Best fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Alexis Serna kicked his third field goal of the game to make it 31-21.

Riley threw three straight incompletions on the next drive before connecting with Lavelle Hawkins on a 64-yard score with 2:31 to go to cut the lead to 31-28.

Oregon State recovered the onside kick and Serna pinned Cal at the 5 with 1:27 left and no timeouts with a perfect punt. The Bears' last-ditch effort ended just short.

Bernard finished with 110 yards and two scores. His 7-yard run on the opening possession of the second half gave the Beavers a 20-14 lead. The Beavers have won four straight at Cal, last losing here in 1997.

The news of LSU's loss reached Berkeley almost instantaneously, with fans standing up to cheer and chant ``We're No. 1! We're No. 1!'' The Bears didn't respond like a top-ranked team, committing a delay of game on their next play. That proved to be a sign of things to come.

Cal went three-and-out on that drive and Riley was intercepted on the next drive when he was hit as he threw and defensive lineman Victor Butler caught the ball. Butler's 36-yard return to the 17 set up Serna's 22-yard field goal that made it 10-7.

Longshore got hurt late in Cal's win at Oregon on Sept. 29, but was expected to play after practicing Thursday. He split time in warmups with Riley, but when the game started Longshore had a headset on rather than a helmet.

Riley, a redshirt freshman from Portland, Ore., came into the game having throw only three passes, all incompletions.

Riley did lead a pair of touchdown drives in the first half, throwing a 10-yard TD pass to Hawkins and running in from the 3 to make it 14-10 with 43 seconds left in the half. Hawkins finished with nine catches for 192 yards and two scores.

Source: ncaafootball.com

O'Brien Quarterback Award Marquee Match-up for Week Five

FORT WORTH, Texas (September 24, 2007) - The 2007 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O'Brien) Marquee Match-up for week 5 features two high-powered offensive units. Fan voting on The O'Brien's Web site, www.DaveyOBrien.com, is a new component to the award's voting procedures for 2007. This week's Marquee Match-up will undoubtedly grab the attention of fan voters from the West coast.

Marquee Match-up - California at Oregon (All games listed in CST)

Saturday, Sept. 29 at 2:30 p.m. on ABC

Nate Longshore leads his California Golden Bears into the Duck Pond of Oregon to square off with a potent offensive attack led by Dennis Dixon, to decide which Pac-10 power is the best of the undefeated teams. Both O'Brien aspirants are looking to make a splash in the O'Brien Fan Vote. Longshore, 13th in O'Brien voting, has completed more than 63% of his passes in leading Cal to a 4-0 start to the season. Dixon, 9th in Fan Voting, has been the focus of Oregon's offense, throwing for 11 touchdowns and rushing for more than 290 yards this season.
Fans looking for one more reason to make this Marquee Match-up special should get their Duck Calls and Bear Traps ready and start voting; this West coast battle could decide the fate of more than these teams - it could determine the next O'Brien winner.

Head-to-Head O'Brien Match-ups
These O'Brien Watch List contenders will face off in our highlighted quarterback battles of the week.

· Haugabook, Omar (Troy) at Lancaster, Kinsmon (UL - Monroe); Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. (not televised)

Fans are able to vote for the starting quarterback from any of the 119 Division I-A football programs, leaving room for the possibility of a quarterback who is not on the Watch List to win the award. Fans can vote once daily on The O'Brien's Web site in hopes of moving their pick to the final round.

The top three quarterbacks who garner the most votes will be added to The O'Brien semifinalist list, and the Fan Vote will count as 5% in determining the finalists and winner. The 2007 O'Brien winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN Dec. 6.