Friday, July 30, 2010

The Story of Almost the Greatest Upset in College Football History

The year is 1915. Cal’s football program is returning after a stint with only rugby. Arch-rival Stanford was sticking with rugby. The new arch-rival was the Huskies of Washington, who Cal would match up with twice in the coming season. James Schaeffer, the rugby coach who knew nothing about the sport (neither did his players). To learn more about the game, he went on a nationwide tour to find more.


His first stop was funnily enough to Washington, where Gil Dobie was in the midst of a 63 game winning streak with his club. Dobie wouldn’t lose a single game in his coaching tenure. While Dobie initially laughed at his request, James convinced him to coach him up on the fundamentals on the game. He told him to head to the Midwest, where he could learn more. He would meet a coach named Andy Smith there, and appoint him as his successor in a year. But enough about that.

The Bears would face the Huskies in back to back games; first, they would play in Berkeley and then in Washington. The Berkeley game was an absolute shellacking; Dobie and his Huskies poured it on onroute to a 72-0 slaughter. And now the Bears had to head to Montlake. It wasn’t a question of if they lost, but by how much.

But a strange thing happened on the way. The attendance was down, because the 72-0 game in the previous game had dampened all hope of a close game. The Huskies, big headed after the 72-0 win, would be held scoreless for the entire first half. A Roy Sharp pass to Rudy Gianelli gave Cal a 7-0 lead; strange, considering how sparse passing was in 1915. Suddenly, 72-0 was a distant memory. Surviving was the only hope for the Huskies. And they would survive, if just barely. A late drive by the Huskies would give them the 13-7 final, but they were one turnover on the last drive- one stop away from losing to a team that was in its first year of football. A team that had lost to 72-0 the previous week. It should be a game to be remembered even today, but sadly it is little known and lost to history.

The 1915 California Golden Bears almost pulled off the biggest upset in college football history. Sadly they lost, but it is still a performance to be remembered today. Go Bears!

Source:

Golden Bears: A Celebration of Cal Football's Triumphs, Heartbreaks, Last-Second Miracles, Legendary Blunders and the Extraordinary People Who Made It All Possible by Ron Fimrite

4-3 nixed

My post a couple of days ago is now officially ruled out, as during media days he said that Cal is a 3-4 team and not a 4-3 team. For much better coverage, go to California Golden Blogs and Conquest Chronicles, who attended the event and actually watched it. I just watched the Cal stuff. Go Bears!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Should Cal switch to a 4-3 this year from the 3-4?

The Chris Martin transfer pits this into further spotlight, but I’ve been thinking this for a while; should Cal revert back to a more traditional 4-3 from the 3-4 they currently run? Just looking at the personal we have, it would appear that a 4-3 might be looking better than a 3-4, especially considering the lack of rush linebackers we have now and potentially in the future.


For now, here’s the projected depth chart in our 3-4:

DE Cameron Jordan

NT Derrick Hill

DE Trevor Guyton

OLB Keith Browner

ILB Mike Mohamed

ILB DJ Holt

OLB Mychal Kendericks

Now the 4-3:

DE Cameron Jordan

DT Derrick Hill

DT Kendrick Payne

DE Trevor Guyton

OLB DJ Holt

ILB Mike Mohamed

OLB Mychal Kendricks

Now, note that the 4-3 look is pure speculation; I have no clue if Holt can play outside, but he seems to have body, or at least that of someone who could handle the position. If Holt can play the outside, or if you can work those 3 in a rotation (Holt, Mohamed, and Kendricks); then I believe that that unit is the better one. Payne and Hill are both competing for the starting defensive tackle job this year; Hill starting last year and Payne challenging him currently. Getting those two on the field, as well as getting rid of the uncertainty at rush linebacker, would be a very solid move. Pendergast, from what I’ve heard, has some experience running a 4-3. Why not try and get the best players on the field, instead of sticking with one scheme for the sake of running the scheme? In my opinion, and I’m sure many would agree, the 4-3 look has better personal than the 3-4. Whether it would play better on the field is a question; but why not give it a shot? Not that this a recommendation, but I’m sure it’d be an interesting thought to get the best talent out.

Hopefully the 3-4 we’re running works out great, but the 4-3 could be a look they switch to if the defense bombs. Go Bears!

Friday, July 23, 2010

A look at UC Davis

A look at UC Davis


As the day of the game gets closer, we’ll take a look at this game much closer. For now, here’s a early preview of the opener against UC Davis.



NCAA Football 11 Dynasty Result: 71-7 Cal. Okay, it wasn’t UC Davis, but it was FCS West. Vereen was player of the game with 100+ rushing yards and 3 TD. Anger didn’t have to punt all day. But UC Davis did score, so they got that going for them.



Quarterback: Last year’s starter Greg Denham is gone, quitting football. 3 QBs are competing: redshirt freshman Austin Heyworth, sophomore Sean Maraz, and freshman Randy Wright. Only Maraz has thrown a pass. Maraz did throw a touchdown, and did get 12 carries. He’s mobile, and should win the job.



Running Back: The Aggies won’t run much, but when they do they’ll hand to junior Joe Trombetta and junior Josh Reese. Trombetta racked up 395 yards and a 3.3 average while Reese gained 382 yards on a 5.5 average. Trombetta is a far more consistent and steady runner, while Reese is a big play guy. Look for Reese to get more carries and run pretty well.



Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: With the 2 top receivers graduating, the load now falls on senior Sean Creadick. After a mild impact his sophomore year, he burst out with 466 receiving yards last year. He scored 5 touchdowns. The tight end, Dean Rogers, is the next leading returner besides a running back. He caught 29 balls for 326 yards in his junior season, and is now back for more. He was All-Conference his sophomore year. After that is a load of inexperience and low numbers, so we may not know much about UC Davis’ receiving corps leading up to the game.

Offensive Line: Since offensive line play is very hard to judge without ever watching a team play, here’s what I could scrounge. I did the best of what I could; of the lineman listed in the media guide with experience in the past, I count 4, including one who was All-Conference in the past. Note the media guide is from the previous season, so there could be no up and comers. UC Davis’ athletic site is pretty awful. Moving on. Last year’s unit was subpar, only paving the way for 3.1 yards per rush. They did only give up 20 sacks per game. An average unit, we’ll call it.

Defensive Line: The defensive ends are Eric Sobotka and Tommy Grillo. They combined for 6.5 TFL and 4.5 sacks, Sobtoka accounting for most of them. Sobotka is a senior and Grillo is a junior. The defensive tackles are junior Jacob Maxson and sophomore Andrew Benjamin. They combined for 11 TFL and 3.5 sacks, Maxson accounting for all of the sacks. Maxson is a very good player, but the supporting cast lags behind.

Linebackers: The only returning starter is Dozie Amajoyi, who got 50 tackles last year. Junior Brock Butler finished right behind him in tackling with 36 tackles and 3.5 TFL; only .5 sacks for him. Marshall Congdon also had 33 tackles, and 3 TFL. Those are the 3 starters. They only combined for 2.5 sacks; don’t look for much blitzing from these guys. A pretty below average unit.



Defensive Backs: The 2 starting corners from last year graduated, so Jonathan Calhoun and Fred Rice would appear to be the starters, at least from returning experience. Calhoun recorded 10 tackles and 1 interception, while Rice only had 7 tackles on the year. Senior Danny Hart, a Sacramento State transfer (funny- aren’t they rivals?) was 2nd in the team with 53 tackles and recovered 3 fumbles. He’s the leader of the defense. The other safety should be Kevyn Lewis, who tackled 30 times last year with 5 TFL and 2 sacks. Lewis is apparently sent on blitzes and is strong in run support. The cornerbacks could absolutely be blasted in this one, but the safeties are quite good.

Overall, it should be what it was scheduled for: a destruction. Still, it’ll be fun to see another California team, and to of course pick up a victory.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A look at the history of 5 star recruits in the Tedford era

With Martin departing, the unfulfilled promise of a 5 star recruit bites the Bears. It prompted me to look back at previous 5 stars to see what Martin could have been.


2002: No 5 stars

2003: No 5 stars

2004: No 5 stars

2005: WR DeSean Jackson: A true program changer. Jackson, while he had his faults, made his impact on the Bears and helped make Cal a more national brand. A huge impact on Cal. Jackson is one of the best players of the decade and worthy of a 5 star rating.

D-JAX!

2006: No 5 stars

2007: No 5 stars

2008: No 5 stars

2009: No 5 stars

2010: Keenan Allen: WR/S, has yet to play a game

Chris Martin: DE/OLB, transferred before he touched the field.



There’s a lot fewer 5 star recruits then I thought Tedford had landed. Apparently, I was mistaken. Guys like Marshawn Lynch and Jahvid Best were borderline, but so were guys like Joe Ayoob. But, 5 star recruits have a 100% success rating before this season. Keenan Allen is a sure star (just kidding; hopefully he will be!). Go Bears!

Chris Martin gone from Cal

The news coming out today is that freshman linebacker Chris Martin is transferring from Cal. Martin, one of the jewels of the recruiting class, was expected to make an immediate impact as a hybrid DE/OLB. Martin was rated the #2 defensive end, #18 player nationally, and the #1 player in the state of Colorado. Now he’s taking his potential impact elsewhere; we don’t know where yet, but we know it won’t be in a Golden Bear uniform.


For what it’s worth, Martin showed only class when he spoke regarding his decision, saying that it didn’t have anything to do with Cal but instead with him saying, ““Rather, I feel like for me to focus and truly reach my potential I need to leave many of the distractions I have here at home in the Bay Area. I need to venture away from home and start my college career somewhere else where I don’t have those distractions.” Tedford also referenced “distractions,” saying that "I understand his concern with the continued outside distractions he’s facing, and I support Chris and his decision to transfer. I wish him and his family all the best.”His father also spoke regarding these distractions, adding, "I'll let Chris do the talking in his situation but Chris and the family thought that the distractions he left the bay area for in high school wouldn't be a problem but it became apparent after he came back that that wasn't the case and that it would likely only become more of an issue later so best to make the decision now.”

It’s odd how the reason he left his Bay Area high school, or at least the official one, was that he had “bad blood” with his high school coach. There’s no reason for that to intercede while he is at Cal, so all that we have is speculation. We shall see if more details come out.

Whatever the reasoning is, we wish Martin the best of luck wherever his college destination is, as long as it’s far, far away from Berkeley. The young man has some great potential and I would’ve loved to see him flourish in the Cal uniform. It’s disappointing, but we still would like to see Martin succeed. Go Bears!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

NCAA Football 11 Review

Since I’m a nerdy blogger who lives in my mother’s basement, it figures I’d be playing the new NCAA Football game. I buy it every year, and I feel this is the best version yet on the new systems. Anyway, here’s my review:


Presentation:

Recently, NCAA Football has received heat for their awful presentation of their game. The commentating was awful, there was no atmosphere, a Sun Belt game felt the same as a National Title game, and the overlays were awful. Some of those flaws were fixed in this edition. ESPN presentation was added, and several unique entrances were added for different teams. There’s a sense of importance when a big rivalry game is going, like Cal-Stanford. The commentating is still a bit stale, there’s only a few entrances, the crowd is nearly quiet during games, and there aren’t very many stat overlays, but overall the presentation is improved. It’s good, but room for improvement.

Offense:

Offense has to be viewed in twofold: passing and rushing. The rushing game is pure awesome; the passing game is okay. The rushing game is executed well in three ways: the autoturbo added to the game, the camera angle, and the new locomotion addition. With those additions, you’re more concerned about hitting the hole (and you can actually see them) then mashing a turbo button . The new locomotion makes the running styles more realistic looking, as well as making the tackles look far better. The new gang tackling system also contributes to that. I’m not a big fan of the passing this year though. There’s far too many deflections by the defensive line and linebackers that aren’t very realistic, and the man coverage by the CPU is a little too high-powered. However, the pocket system is great and the days of scrambling around like Mike Vick are over. Overall, offense is much improved this year in realism and I love the new rushing game.

Defense:

I’ve always hated defense in NCAAs. It was always impossible, and CPU QB’s would make impossible throws normal. This year, that changes. Gone are the days of a 42-35 shootout every game. While it still might happen, defense is much improve. Playing on default All-American, I frequently hold the CPU to the 10-21 range. This, combined with the offense being toned down, leads to more 13-10 and 17-7 games that are more realistic. Like real life, you need to make adjustments in order to stop the other time. Looking at the formation the opposition is running and switching from zone to man or vice versa can be the difference between stopping an offense or getting crushed. Man defense is now an option, unlike last year’s where man D would lead to you getting burned time and time again. The rush defense is a little overpowered on the user’s side, but you still see some realistic numbers. Tackling can be shoddy though. Defense this year is much improved, compared to last year’s struggles.

Overview:

This year’s NCAA is the best football game I’ve played in a long time. Realism is in nearly every facet of the game, and the new rushing game system is a great feature. While I’m always hyped for a new game, I believe this is the real deal. I suggest buying this game if you’re a college football fan looking for your video game fix.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Preliminary Pac-10 basketball predictions

1. Washington- A team that went deep in the tourney returns everything but Quincy Pondexter. A lot of returning talent plus a solid recruiting class=Pac-10 champion. Terrance Ross could be a solid 6th man. Abdul Gaddy could be ready to break out




2. Arizona State- While Glasser and Boateng are gone, they still do return 3 starters and McMillan who started a few games. I think some of their big guys improve, and this team competes heavily. They might not be here, but they’ll be awfully close or here exactly.



3. Arizona- A team that surprisingly competed a year ago is all back, except for Nic Wise. Momo Jones and Freshman of the Year Derrick Williams return, as does almost everybody. Their recruiting class doesn’t look too strong, but they still have talent.



4. Washington State- Reggie Moore and Klay Thompson combined is the best backcourt in the conference. Thompson could be a lottery pick, and Moore is a very good college player. Casto is another solid piece, and I think their team will continue to grow.



5. UCLA- This team is too talented to pull the performance they did last year. With almost everything returning, and a very good recruiting class, this team could make a return to the NCAAs.



6. OSU- I really like the Beavers this year. Their front line is actually pretty good, and they got some talent in the backcourt. Nelson, who redshirted last year, could be a starter right now if he lives up to his promise in high school. Their defense will give people problems.



7. Cal- We finally come to our Golden Bears. A fall from last year’s #1, but it is to be expected after losing 4 starters. A very talented team is still there, but they are too inexperienced to make a run to anything but the NIT.



8. Oregon- Dana Altman is a good coach, and there is some talent, but I don’t see them able to make a run. With all the transfers and their awful play a year ago, I don’t see them going anywhere but near the cellar.



9. Stanfurd- Landry Fields was the team last year, with Jeremy Green helping out. Fields is gone. Green will have to carry the team this year.



10. USC- These guys are awful. Vucecic is a good big man, as is Stephenson, but there backcourt is really bad. Tough sledding for the Trojans.



There you have it. The really early Pac-10 predictions!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Can 9 Pac-10 teams make a bowl game,or at least have the ability to make it?

Bowl games now a day are a joke. 6 wins and 6 losses is a mediocre season, not worthy of a reward. But could 9 of our Pac-10 teams make a bowl,or at least have the wins necessary?




USC: 3-0 in non-conference, 3 wins in conferenc at least (WSU, ASU, UCLA)

Oregon: 3-0 in non-conference, 3 wins in confrence at least (ASU, WSU, UCLA)

Arizona: 3-0 (2-1 possible) in non-conference, 4 wins in conference likely (WSU, UW is HC, I’m going 2 win out of Cal/OSU/USC/ASU home games, as well as at UCLA included in there)

Cal: 3-0 in non-conference, 3 wins in conference at least (UCLA, WSU, ASU and many other chances)

OSU: 2-1 in non-conference, 4 wins in conference 95% chance (WSU, ASU, UCLA/UA road games 1 win, Cal/USC/Oregon home 1 win)

Furd: 2-1 in non-conference, 4 win in conference likely (WSU, ASU, USC/UO/OSU/UA/UCLA 2 wins)

UW: 2-1 in non-conference, 4 wins in conference likely (WSU, UCLA, Furd, ASU)

UCLA: 2-1 in non-conference, 4 wins in conference 50-50 or worse (WSU, ASU, Furd/UA 1 win, Cal/OSU 1 win)

ASU: 2-1 in non-conference, 4 wins in conference very unlikely (possibilities: WSU, UA, USC,Cal, UCLA, UW- though only WSU would see me favoring ASU. And they need 7 wins to make a bowl- 2 FCS team OOC)



So there you have it. 9 teams is highly unlikely, but 7 is almost certain and 8 is a solid chance. We shall see how many Pac-10 team make it into the postseason.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Things to be happy about, basketball edition

Despite the awfulness of the Pac-10 last year, and the fact that we’re losing 5 of the most successful graduating class in recent history, there’s a lot to be happy about.


-At least were not in the Big-10. I was watching on ESPNU a Big-10 tournament game; it was 39-35…at the halfway mark…of the second half. At least we play in a more exciting conference.
Ick. Big-10 Basketball.

-We’re going to get to watch a new team mesh and develop. It probably won’t be pretty; but when they get it together, it’s going to be good.

-We still broke the Basketball curse. No matter how bad it gets.

-Expectations are low. Mike Montgomery’s teams, or at least from what I’ve seen, thrive when they are under the radar. This team, with all the talent we have, could surprise people. A mediocre season is expected, maybe .500. I think the youngsters will thrive on that.

-Jorge! Kid can ball. I look forward to his great defense over the course of the year.
Suck it, Oregon.

-We get some great home games this year. Kansas comes to town. Kansas, the team that made it as far as we did! Haas better be rocking.

-The future is strong. Nothing more needed.

-Having good big guys. As awful as our boarding was last year, it should be much better. Zhang, Kamp, Sanders-Frison is going to be a great front line, especially in a conference without much big fellas.
Who do you think is taller?

-Brandon Smith. I’m actually looking forward to seeing this kid play. I’m intrigued.


Alright, that’s about it. I’m sure there’s many more to be added, but that’s a good start.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Was Joe Ayoob really the white Mike Vick?

I think everybody looks at the Joe Ayoob process as a failure. A highly touted JC transfer, Ayoob was truly awful. But out of the JC ranks, he was regarded as possibly the “next Mike Vick,” or some saying along those lines. So today, I compare the two to see if those comparisons weren’t really that far-fetched (okay it is, ridiculously so. Ayoob is awful. But I’m bored and I need to make a post!).


The one image I can find without a dog.

The one image I could find without an interception.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=2030539

After reading this article, one might see why he had so many problems. Anyway, we move on. Joe Ayoob’s one season as a meaningful starter:

2007: 125-254, 1707 yards, 49.2%, 15 TD, 14 INT, 6.72 YPA; 5 rushing TD, 7 games

Now Mike Vick’s stats (pre dog fighting) when he last started:

2006: 204-388, 2474 yards, 52.6%, 20 TD, 13 INT, 6.4 YPA; 2 rush TD, 16 games

Wow, that’s closer than I thought. MAYBE ALL THOSE EXPERTS WERE RIGHT! Of course, Ayoob did throw more INT’s in half as many game, but he threw 5 less TD then Vick did in 9 games less. If he played 14 games (still 2 less), he’d have 10 more TD then Vick did. But, boy the interceptions. Back-breakers all the time. /shudders. LET’S KEEP THIS STATISTICAL AND FORGET ALL THE AWFUL MEMORIES. Okay, I’m ready to resume.

Completion percentage, and YPA are relatively similar, and those are 2 of the more useful stats when looking at a QB’s baseline stats. But ultimately Ayoob’s knack for the interception hurts the comparison. But still, it’s much closer than one might think from remembering Ayoob’s…poor play.

Shockingly, I actually have a decent deal of respect for Ayoob. While he wasn’t up to snuff as a QB, he still worked hard, seemed like a nice enough guy, and didn’t transfer when he was demoted to fourth string. For that, I respect White Mike Vick.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Finding strengths in other teams

Following up on our flaws post yesterday, we move on to the strengths of each team, as in what keeps me up at night. Without further ado:




Arizona: Passing Game. Nick Foles will probably take a step forward from last year, where he was very good. He has a good receiving corp, with Bug Wright, Juron Criner, and Delashaun Dean all returning. He also has 3 returning starters on the offensive line, including the LT. They’re bound to have some shootouts.
Starting Arizona WR Bug Wright



Arizona State: Front 7. Vontaze Burfict is perhaps the best defensive player in the conference. Dude shuts down run games and blows people up. Couple that up with Lawrence Guy, one of the top DT’s in the conference, and 3 returning starters on the D-Line and you got a beastly Front 7.
Have mercy. HAVE MERCY!!!!!!



UO: Skill Players. The running backs, wide receivers, and defensive backs are top notch. The Ducks have 3 backs who could start pretty much anywhere: LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner, and Lache Seastrunk. They return all 3 starters on the receiving corp, and they have some of the most talented safeties in the nation.
Hang on...Shouldn't this make him ineligible? NCAA, GET ON IT!



OSU: Rodgers. Simply put Jacquizz and James are the best at their respective positions, and they can (and do) carry the OSU offense. Without them, OS is probably nowhere near conference contention.
Shorties.



Furd: They are the Furd. Nothing is a strength there.
Enough said.



UCLA: Secondary. A bunch of ball hawks; Rahim Moore is perhaps the best safety in the conference, and Tony Dye returns alongside him. Sheldon Price is also back starting another year, and Aaron Hester in my mind could be a very good corner in the future.
Not THAT Hester. Aaron Hester.



SC: Overall talent. It’s hard to find a guy who wasn’t incredibly highly touted. On many other teams their 2nd stringers could start. Like Mitch Mustain. He started as a freshman for a high and almighty SEC school in Arkansas, yet he can’t start a single game in his time at SC.
"Hogs."



UW: Passing Game. Locker is the best quarterback in the conference, and all 3 wideouts return, as does the TE. Kavario Middleton is a great tight end, and Jermaine Kearse provides a big threat.
#1 GIS for Jake Locker.



WSU: Passing Game. Jeff Tuel really impressed me last year, and 2 receiver starters return. Karstetter is a solid option, and Simone returns with added experience from last year. Look on the bright side Cougs!
Couldn't make this up...#1 GIS search for the name of WSU's #1 WR



So there you have it. What to look forward to facing, and now what to fear.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Finding flaws in other teams

Here’s another two part series, this one involving each team’s flaws and strengths. First are the flaws of each Pac-10 team.




Arizona: Defense. This team loses a ton of starters, their defensive coordinator, and their defense wasn’t very good last year. They might score a ton of points, but they’ll give up a ton too. A decent offense will score a bunch of points.
Name that Stoops! Pro tip: this one is still at Arizona


Arizona State: Quarterback. This team has a great Front 7, a decent running game, and…an awful quarterback. Brock Osweiler is a solid project, but he’s still raw. Beyond him, there’s little else. This position cost them a win against SC last year. It could cost Dennis Erickson his job this year.
Not a good sign when your starting QB is a better basketball player.


Oregon: Quarterback. Okay, okay, I’m taking the easy way out. This team is as flawless as any in the conference, but color me unimpressed by Darren Thomas and Nate Costa. Neither have much in the way of experience, and they are as much a question mark as any.
Dude held this kick.


Oregon State: Linebacker. Sure, quarterback is a question mark, but losing a bunch o high-quality linebackers is a tougher loss. We know a bit about Ryan Katz, but there linebacking corps has little experience or highly-toutedness (is that a word?). Knowing them, they’ll uncover an All Pac-10 linebacker out from somewhere.
Where will find my next NFL linebacker?



Stanford: Running Back. Toby Gerhart is gone, and no matter who his replacement they can’t match his numbers. I doubt they’ll even come close, and the added pressure on Luck and the passing game could lead to offensive problems.

Die in a fire.


UCLA: Quarterback. For the 3rd time, a Pac-10 team has QB as a weakness. This time Kevin Prince, who throws quite a few interceptions and drags down the passing game, is the weakness. A offense stacked with highly touted recruits needs a QB to make it run.

Little brother says: "At least he's not Kevin Craft!"



USC: Postseason play. They can’t go to it. Close the book.
"At least I'm not listed."



UW: Defense. Jake Locker, Polk, and Kearse are as good a threesome on offense as they come. But their defense, losing its star Donald Butler, needs to stop the other team in order to rack up wins. Mason Foster is a good building block.

Jake Locker is good and all, but really?

WSU: Everything. 1 conference win in 2 seasons. Sorry guys.
He's the sharpest Tuel in the WSU shed! (That was really bad)


Next up: the strength of each team.