The Cal Football Fan

DeSean Jackson drafted by the Eagles at #49

DeSean Jackson has been drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles as the 18th pick of the second round, pick number 49 overall and the 7th wide receiver to be drafted. In a rather strange draft, no wide receivers were selected in the first round, which seemed to be dominated by defensive players and linemen.

EDIT: The Eagles have also selected OT Mike Gibson in the 6th round (184th overall).

In Alumni news, the Green Bay Packers selected with the 56th pick of the draft QB Brian Brohm from Louisville, so Aaron Rodgers will have some competition for the starting QB job.

EDIT: The Packers also selected QB Matt Flynn (LSU) in the 7th round, so Rodgers will certainly be pushed to succeed with the addition of these rookies.

Movement in the trees

As a fan of Cal Football, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the renovation of Memorial Stadium. The renovation plans would be a great boon to recruiting, as the current dilapidated state of things is not that impressive to visiting high school athletes. As the date approaches for the judge’s final ruling on the tree-sitter’s lawsuit, many of the protesters have started to dissipate, with only a handful of die-hards still in the trees. Yesterday morning, UC Berkeley Police began to take minor actions against these individuals, sending an arborist into the trees to dismantle excess platforms and cut down the ropes the tree-sitters are using to travel from tree to tree. It’s a minor step, as none of the tree-sitters were removed and they are already scrambling to repair their ropes, but at least it’s a positive step forward in preparation for what will hopefully be a favorable ruling.

For those that don’t know the specifics of the lawsuits, the second half of the article above has a brief summary of what’s going on.

Mack returning for senior season

Center Alex Mack, winner of the Morris Trophy for the Pac-10’s best offensive lineman, has decided to return for his senior season:

“There is a lot I can do at Cal to improve my game and to further my career,” Mack said Tuesday. “I didn’t want to miss the experience of my senior season and helping the team get back on track and finish things right. This also gives me an opportunity to finish my degree and continue my education.”

This is good news for the Cal offensive line, which allowed only 11 sacks this season. There is still no word from WR DeSean Jackson as to his plans for next year.

More on Longshore; Armed Forces Ticket Information

EDIT [12/18/2007]: Here’s a quick guide to visiting the Armed Forces Bowl, provided by ESPN Travel.

The San Francisco Chronicle ran an article today with a more complete interview of Jeff Tedford in regards to Nate Longshore. Apparently, the high ankle sprain suffered by Longshore against Oregon was much worse than just an ordinary ankle sprain:

“I didn’t get that it was a broken ankle, but Nate has talked to me about a little chip in the back of his ankle,” Tedford said. “I don’t know what the definition is for sprained, and I don’t know what the exact explanation has been for the injury, but from Day 1, that’s what it has always been.”

…

“Nate is not the most mobile guy, but one of his attributes has always been his ability to slide and make people miss and move in the pocket,” Tedford said. “There’s no question that the injury has hindered his ability to step up and move around as much as he could.

…

“I’ve asked him numerous times about whether his ankle bothers him more in the fourth quarter, and that’s not the case,” Tedford said. “It’s a case of a guy trying to be too perfect and trying too hard to get things done. The ankle has limited his mobility, but it hasn’t done anything down the stretch that hasn’t happened in the first quarter.”

…

“When you talk about the education of quarterback, it’s much more than X’s and O’s,” Tedford said. “It has to do leadership and handling media and criticism because the position is such a focal point. There’s no question that there has been some adversity there, and I’ve been impressed with how Nate’s been able to handle it.

To me, a chipped bone sounds more like a broken or fractured ankle rather than a sprain. It may not require a cast or surgery, but the affects of it I think would a little worse and take longer to heal correctly. If from Day 1, however, this was the case, why is it just coming out now? If Longshore didn’t tell Tedford the full extent of his injury (which I suspect he did), doesn’t that reflect rather poorly on Longshore? Sure, he wants to win, and wants to be the guy to lead the team to victory. But the coach has to know the status of all his players, to make the best decision for the entire team, not just the player. And if Tedford did know, why did he play him after only 2 weeks of rest? With Tedford saying that the “ability to slide and make people miss and move in the pocket” has been one of Longshore’s key attributes, one would think that a broken ankle would have at least partially sidelined him, especially against stronger pass rushes like UCLA and USC.

In regards to the last quote above… maybe the article pulled it out of context, but to me, the “education of the quarterback” isn’t just about “try, try, and try again.” If this were to have occurred in the NFL, Longshore would have been sidelined for at least a few games to give another QB a chance. Just look at Rex Grossman and the other Bears team. If a QB can’t turn things around after a game or two, which by the time we lost to Washington we could tell Longshore couldn’t, they’ve got to learn how to turn things around on the sideline. Anyway, I appreciate the job that Tedford has done since the Holmoe Era, as well as his concentration on each player’s individual growth and integrity, however this whole season he’s been tip-toeing the line between the good of a single player’s growth, and the possible good of the entire team. As he’s already slated Longshore as the definite starter of the Armed Forces Bowl come December 31st, I guess he still hasn’t crossed that line yet. We can always hope, however, that the month will give Longshore’s ankle enough time to finally fully heal, as well as for him to forget this horrible streak and regain some confidence and run through some more intense pressure drills. Otherwise, we’ll just have to hope that if Longshore shows signs of struggling during the game, Tedford will give in and at least go with some form of two quarterback system (even Stanford used a two quarterback system against us) to give our outgoing seniors (and potential early draft jumpers) a chance to end on a bright spot.

For those of you hardcore fans who are still interested in traveling to Fort Worth, Texas (TCU’s campus) for the Armed Forces Bowl against Air Force (9-3, 6-2 conference) on December 31st, tickets are now on sale through the Cal Bears website. Currently, all season ticket holders can purchase tickets, and on friday, December 7th at noon, tickets will go on sale to the general public. Tickets are $40 each for reserved seating, and there is no limit to how many tickets you can order. Hopefully those fans that have the opportunity will go, and represent our struggling Bears well no matter how they do, and give our seniors a good send-off.

Cal drowns in fourth quarter woes vs. USC

In what was once considered to be one of the biggest games of the season, the Bears found themselves once again in a close game entering the fourth quarter. And yet again, they fell short, losing 24-17 to the Trojans. Entering the fourth quarter tied, the Bears final three possessions resulted in a three-and-out, a fumble, and an interception, allowing the Trojans to escape with a victory. It’s been reported that QB Nate Longshore has taken full responsibility for the loss:

“I take the responsibility on myself,” Longshore said. “I need to play better down the stretch to give us a chance to win. It’s a culmination of this late season. I haven’t been playing well enough for us to win.

“That’s what it comes down to, and I’ll be the first to say it.”

Also of importance in the article is the injury to RB Jahvid Best. He was taken out of the game during the third quarter with an apparent hip injury. To those at the game, his injury was not pronounced, as he came off the field on his own and was briefly examined on the tables by staff before watching the rest of the game. Although he has been ruled out for Saturday’s game up in Washington, let’s hope it is just precautionary and nothing too serious.

It seems to be a recurring theme of poor fourth quarter play on the part of QB Nate Longshore. Since returning from his ankle injury earlier in the season, he has failed to deliver a dominant fourth quarter, despite some considerably strong first halves. Some would argue that he hasn’t put up even a decent fourth quarter, as in the fourth quarter of the previous four games he’s only been 9-of-28 with 0 TDs and 5 INTs. Many fans have been calling for him to be replaced with red-shirt freshman Kevin Riley, who showed great potential in several fourth quarter drives during the Bears’ loss to Oregon State earlier in the season.

In response to these critics, Ted Lee over at Scout.com has done a breakdown of Longshore and Riley’s performances, analyzing their play game-by-game, quarter-by-quarter, and down-by-down. While I realize that Longshore’s play hasn’t been all that bad overall, it’s quite apparent that something is amiss and he has become incapable of playing a full four quarters to his full capacity. As Ted Lee says, “winning a game with a quarterback consistently putting up fourth quarter numbers like this is almost impossible.”

Players in the news

DeSean Jackson dropped out of the Heisman Watch completely this week, after catching 4 passes for only 5 yards against Oregon State. Lavelle “The Hawk” Hawkins, after his outstanding performance Saturday and his consistency since the beginning of the season, is being highlighted on ESPN’s spotlight by Mel Kiper as a first day NFL pick. It’s good to see him get some more positive press, as he’s been our most reliable receiver, and he’s also been doing a good job of kick returns.

Cal in the news

In his weekly Forde-Yard Dash, ESPN analyst Pat Forde mentions Cal and Jeff Tedford as three of his points, expecting the team to enter the November 10th match up against USC ranked at least 3rd in the nation:

California (4). Ranking: third in all major polls. Dash ranking: third. Highest ranking since: 1952. Cal’s leading passer that season was Bill Mais, who completed 30 passes on the year. That’s just two more than current QB Nate Longshore (5) completed in the Saturday triumph at Oregon.

Why the Golden Bears are there: They’ve come through when the nation is watching, beating Tennessee handily in the biggest game of the opening weekend and then winning at Oregon in the biggest game last Saturday. They’ve also scored a minimum of 31 points in every game and rank third nationally in turnover margin. And in case you ever doubted the importance of turnovers, know this: four of the top five teams in that department, and seven of the top 17, are undefeated.

Also, in Mark Schlabach’s On (and off) the Mark, he gives positive marks to Cal, in particular LB Anthony Felder, DeSean Jackson, and Marcus Ezeff.

Jackson to #3 in the Heisman Watch

In this week’s Heisman Watch released this morning, WR DeSean Jackson moved up into third place behind Arkansas’ Darren McFadden and Kentucky’s Andre Woodson. Todd McShay writes:

DeSean Jackson, WR/RS, Cal
Cal’s thrilling victory at Oregon propels the team to a No. 3 ranking and Jackson right back in the Heisman mix. The junior receiver hauled in 11 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson was limited — partially due to a sprained thumb — to only 67 receiving yards in the previous two games (Louisiana Tech and Arizona) combined, making his performance Saturday that much more dramatic. Is there any doubt that Jackson is the nation’s most electrifying playmaker? Not from where I stand, at least.

While it is still early in the season and the door is still open for any and all candidates to make it to the final few, more publicity and airtime right now will only help his campaign.

EDIT by ERIC: Meanwhile, well-respected blogger Heisman Pundit just placed Jackson at #6 in his predictive Heisman rankings - I think Jackson will need more big games to become a real contender to win.

Cal defeats Oregon, 31-24

In a tough, well-fought battle, the #6 Bears survived a relatively low-scoring showdown in Eugene, Oregon. With both teams coming in averaging well over 40 points per game and questionable defenses, it was expected to be an offensive showcase. During the first half, however, both defenses stepped up, and neither offense was able to find their rhythm. It wasn’t until the final minutes of the second quarter that Oregon was able to find the end zone for the first touchdown of the game.

The second half, however, was more of the shootout that everybody expected. DeSean Jackson had a breakout performance, catching 11 passes for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns. Once again, DeSean managed to fake out the Oregon secondary. On his first touchdown, he faked an inside route, then cut outside for a wide open 25-yard strike. On his second, he caught a short pass, stutter stepped, then exploded down the sideline past the defender. It was great to see DeSean come out and play like a true Heisman candidate. Equally important was Justin Forsett. Despite a slow first half, he managed 101 yards on 25 carries, including 2 touchdowns.

The biggest question most people in the country had about Cal so far this season was whether the defense could hold up against a top-ranked team. This game should go a long way towards silencing that crowd, as Oregon came in ranked 6th in the nation for total yards, 4th for rushing yards, and 7th for points scored. The Bears held them to only 24 points, half of their average 48.5. During the first half, and especially during the fourth quarter, the defense came up huge, coming up with the first two interceptions against Dennis Dixon this year, the first of which set up the go-ahead touchdown. Then came the biggest play of the game, the goal-line forced fumble with only 22 seconds to play.

On the offensive side of the ball, Cal struggled to find their rhythm during the first half, managing to score only 3 points. The O-line seemed to have a little difficulty controlling the line, as nearly each of Forsett’s touches had first contact behind the line of scrimmage. They looked much improved in the second half, as initial successes in both running and passing the ball forced Oregon’s defense to honor and protect against both aspects of the offense.

The scariest point in the game came with only about six and a half minutes to play in the game. With the score tied at 24, Nate Longshore was drilled from the side, his legs buckling sideways underneath him. It brought back flashbacks of two years ago to when a similar tackle took Longshore out for the season. He came out of the game for the rest of the drive, had his ankle taped up, then came back on the next possession. Despite being in the game, his ankle was still clearly bothering him, as he even had trouble with the kneel-down on the very last possession. Both Lavelle Hawkins and Robert Peele were also banged up during the game. Next week’s bye couldn’t come at a better time, as hopefully the extra week of rest will allow all the players to recover from injuries.

With so many upsets this weekend, and the win coming on ABC with the ESPN College GameDay crew in tow, Cal should be moving up in the polls. Oregon may also not move down very far. Here’s what happened in the top 10 this weekend:

• #1 USC squeaked out a 27-24 win over unranked Washington
• #3 Oklahoma lost 24-27 to unranked Colorado
• #4 Florida lost 20-17 to unranked Auburn
• #5 West Virginia lost 13-21 to #18 South Florida
• #7 Texas was routed 41-21 by unranked Kansas State
• #10 Rutgers lost 34-24 to unranked Maryland

The last time that 5 of the top 10 teams lost occurred back in 2003. Look for Cal to be moving up to #3 in the polls this week, and for LSU to gain ground on USC after their shaky victory. Also look for DeSean to move back up in the Heisman watch after his stellar performance, perhaps even as far as #3 behind Darren McFadden and Andre Woodson.

Links:

• ESPN Recap and video highlights
  
• Ezeff’s hit boosts Bears’ national title hopes - Mark Schlabach
• Final Analysis: California-Oregon - Mark Schlabach

Oregon game to be televised on ABC

ABC has picked up the broadcast of the Cal-Oregon when Cal travels up to Autzen Stadium to take on the 13th-ranked Ducks. This will be one of the Bears’ most difficult away games of the season, and should be quite an offensive shootout.