August 16, 2009
Fall Camp Day 9:
Fall Camp Day 9:
Chris Nguon
BearTerritory.net Senior Writer
TEDFORD speaks …
… on his assessment of Day 9: "There is some learning. As much as we can get them out there on their own and used to things as simple as 'backers manipulating the umpire, receivers communicating with the linemen. It was a good day, very productive. I thought the guys came out and worked hard."
Tedford likes what Ludwig has brought to the table
… on the young guys gaining experience playing situations: "You are able to teach and talk about things that happen in situation drills. You try to cover every situation but it never fails that something comes up at some point that you need to talk about. Anytime you can put them in that situation, it is productive."
… on crowd noise: "It's hard on communication, period. Offense, defense, coverages, so and so forth. You can't rely on everything being audible. There is a lot of visual that goes on."
… on the bumps and bruises of different players: "(It's) normal. You start to get in a position where you get hamstrings and pulled muscles. There are a lot of muscle issues out there right now."
… on Kevin Riley's mechanics: "His mechanics are much better. As we continue to practice those things are going to come more natural for him. He's going to feel more comfortable with it so he's doing a good job with it."
… on the quarterbacks' missed throws in practice: "No one is perfect. Joe Montana misses a ball every now and then."
… on Coach Ludwig: "He does a great job communicating with the players. He brought a couple wrinkles. He does a nice job of variety, which is the best fit we have had as far as people understanding the two-back offense and the spread and single back concepts and things like that. It's great to have him here."
… on Coach Ludwig again: "He has a better understanding of why we run certain things because he's run it before. His transition has been smoother than the other (offensive coordinators) that have been here."
AUDIO: Coach Tedford post-practice interview
TEDFORD speaks …… on his assessment of Day 9: "There is some learning. As much as we can get them out there on their own and used to things as simple as 'backers manipulating the umpire, receivers communicating with the linemen. It was a good day, very productive. I thought the guys came out and worked hard."
Tedford likes what Ludwig has brought to the table
… on the young guys gaining experience playing situations: "You are able to teach and talk about things that happen in situation drills. You try to cover every situation but it never fails that something comes up at some point that you need to talk about. Anytime you can put them in that situation, it is productive."
… on crowd noise: "It's hard on communication, period. Offense, defense, coverages, so and so forth. You can't rely on everything being audible. There is a lot of visual that goes on."
… on the bumps and bruises of different players: "(It's) normal. You start to get in a position where you get hamstrings and pulled muscles. There are a lot of muscle issues out there right now."
… on Kevin Riley's mechanics: "His mechanics are much better. As we continue to practice those things are going to come more natural for him. He's going to feel more comfortable with it so he's doing a good job with it."
… on the quarterbacks' missed throws in practice: "No one is perfect. Joe Montana misses a ball every now and then."
… on Coach Ludwig: "He does a great job communicating with the players. He brought a couple wrinkles. He does a nice job of variety, which is the best fit we have had as far as people understanding the two-back offense and the spread and single back concepts and things like that. It's great to have him here."
… on Coach Ludwig again: "He has a better understanding of why we run certain things because he's run it before. His transition has been smoother than the other (offensive coordinators) that have been here."
AUDIO: Coach Tedford post-practice interview
Running Back Notes
Even though Jahvid Best has been limited in practice for the last three sessions including Saturday morning, the Cal ball-carriers have still been very productive.
No one on the roster can duplicate what Best can do on the field obviously, but there really aren't any slouches in the backfield this season with or without Best. Tedford made it a point to note Friday evening that Best, while good, isn't the whole team and that applies directly to the running back unit.
Saturday morning was a perfect example of how the Bears offense could still be very effective running the ball and using the strengths of the other athletes coming out of the backfield.
Shane Vereen and Covaughn DeBoskie both showed a wonderful ability to make plays catching the ball, adding an element to the offense that is going to give defensive coordinators just another thing to think about when preparing for Cal.
No one is as explosive as Best, but the other 'backs on the roster have the skills to make an impact in other ways other than running the way straight ahead, such as catching the ball coming out of the backfield.
Even though Jahvid Best has been limited in practice for the last three sessions including Saturday morning, the Cal ball-carriers have still been very productive.
No one on the roster can duplicate what Best can do on the field obviously, but there really aren't any slouches in the backfield this season with or without Best. Tedford made it a point to note Friday evening that Best, while good, isn't the whole team and that applies directly to the running back unit.
Saturday morning was a perfect example of how the Bears offense could still be very effective running the ball and using the strengths of the other athletes coming out of the backfield.
Shane Vereen and Covaughn DeBoskie both showed a wonderful ability to make plays catching the ball, adding an element to the offense that is going to give defensive coordinators just another thing to think about when preparing for Cal.
No one is as explosive as Best, but the other 'backs on the roster have the skills to make an impact in other ways other than running the way straight ahead, such as catching the ball coming out of the backfield.
The PLAY-BY-PLAY
Beau Sweeney under center
- (from the 2) Langston Jackson up the middle for 3 yards
- (from the 5) Langston Jackson hits the line and fights for 4 yards
- (from the 9) Langston Jackson runs hard up the middle for 8 yards
- (from the 1) Kevin Lewis up the middle for 17 yards
- (from the 2) Langston Jackson up the middle for 3 yards
- (from the 5) Langston Jackson hits the line and fights for 4 yards
- (from the 9) Langston Jackson runs hard up the middle for 8 yards
- (from the 1) Kevin Lewis up the middle for 17 yards
11-ON-11 (second session, full contact)
This session was highlighted by a lot of hard-nosed running. Shane Vereen, Covaughn DeBoskie, Kevin Lewis and Langston Jackson all saw some carries.
Guyton sacked and stripped Mansion of the ball
Lewis, the former defensive back, had the top run of the day and arguably his best run of camp when he spun off a defender and sprinted into the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown.
Meanwhile, each quarterback tallied a turnover as Kevin Riley threw into coverage and was picked off by Mike Mohamed while Brock Mansion was stripped by Trevor Guyton.
This session was highlighted by a lot of hard-nosed running. Shane Vereen, Covaughn DeBoskie, Kevin Lewis and Langston Jackson all saw some carries.
Guyton sacked and stripped Mansion of the ball
Lewis, the former defensive back, had the top run of the day and arguably his best run of camp when he spun off a defender and sprinted into the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown.
Meanwhile, each quarterback tallied a turnover as Kevin Riley threw into coverage and was picked off by Mike Mohamed while Brock Mansion was stripped by Trevor Guyton.
Beau Sweeney under center
- (from the 25) Langston Jackson runs through some arm tackles for rush of 9 yards
- (from the 16) Sweeney scrambles for 2 yards
- (from the 14) Langston Jackson up the middle for 5 yards
- (from the 9) Kevin Lewis spins off a would-be-tackler and sprints into end zone for 9-yard TOUCHDOWN
- (from the 25) Langston Jackson runs through some arm tackles for rush of 9 yards
- (from the 16) Sweeney scrambles for 2 yards
- (from the 14) Langston Jackson up the middle for 5 yards
- (from the 9) Kevin Lewis spins off a would-be-tackler and sprints into end zone for 9-yard TOUCHDOWN
August 15, 2009
Fall Camp Day 8:
Chris Nguon
BearTerritory.net Senior Writer
TEDFORD speaks …
… on Day 8: "It was good. In shells today and we did a lot of situational things to get them on the field by themselves and get the coaches off. I thought they handled it pretty well."
… on the offense's final red zone drill: "There was some success from everybody. Defense had some, offense had some, so it kind of went back-and-forth."
… on general thoughts from Week 1 of camp: "I think there is a lot of skill on the field. The overall attitude, enthusiasm and attention to detail are there. Tomorrow is our first two-a-day practice so it's important to come out and get quality work."
Tedford likes what he sees from the youngsters
… on the number on injuries: "(It's expected). It's a bit physical and we are practicing at a high tempo all the time whether we have full gear on, or shoulder pads on. It's that time of camp where you start getting some tired legs, tweaked muscles, so it's to be expected."
… on the severity of the injuries: "They are minor. But when you get something like that and let that continue, it's going to be prolonged and they'll miss a lot of time. They'll be back in a day or two."
… on Jahvid Best: "He's a little sore, so we are just trying to let his aches calm down a bit."
… on the linebacking crew: "I feel great about them. People think that we are inexperienced there but a lot of those guys played last year. Eddie Young started every game for us at SAM. Mike Mohamed was our second leading tackler, D.J. Holt played, Mychal Kendricks played, so all those guys are not brand new."
… on the new recruiting class: "I'm very happy with the class. The young offensive linemen have a lot of potential, the young defensive linemen; Kaufusi, Coleman have a lot of potential. Secondary guys Steve Williams, Alex Logan to name a couple. Isi is very explosive. Vince has a lot of potential."
Fall Camp Day 8:
Chris Nguon
BearTerritory.net Senior Writer
TEDFORD speaks …
… on Day 8: "It was good. In shells today and we did a lot of situational things to get them on the field by themselves and get the coaches off. I thought they handled it pretty well."
… on the offense's final red zone drill: "There was some success from everybody. Defense had some, offense had some, so it kind of went back-and-forth."
… on general thoughts from Week 1 of camp: "I think there is a lot of skill on the field. The overall attitude, enthusiasm and attention to detail are there. Tomorrow is our first two-a-day practice so it's important to come out and get quality work."Tedford likes what he sees from the youngsters
… on the number on injuries: "(It's expected). It's a bit physical and we are practicing at a high tempo all the time whether we have full gear on, or shoulder pads on. It's that time of camp where you start getting some tired legs, tweaked muscles, so it's to be expected."
… on the severity of the injuries: "They are minor. But when you get something like that and let that continue, it's going to be prolonged and they'll miss a lot of time. They'll be back in a day or two."… on Jahvid Best: "He's a little sore, so we are just trying to let his aches calm down a bit."
… on the linebacking crew: "I feel great about them. People think that we are inexperienced there but a lot of those guys played last year. Eddie Young started every game for us at SAM. Mike Mohamed was our second leading tackler, D.J. Holt played, Mychal Kendricks played, so all those guys are not brand new."
… on the new recruiting class: "I'm very happy with the class. The young offensive linemen have a lot of potential, the young defensive linemen; Kaufusi, Coleman have a lot of potential. Secondary guys Steve Williams, Alex Logan to name a couple. Isi is very explosive. Vince has a lot of potential."
AUDIO: Coach Tedford post-practice interview
The PLAY-BY-PLAY
Beau Sweeney under center
- Pass too deep intended for Garry Graffort
- Sweeney short to Covaughn DeBoskie for 6 yards
- Strike fired into Ross Bostock for 12 yards over middle
- Short complete to Kevin Lewis for 7 yards
- Sweeney over the middle for Eric Stevens gains 8 yards
- Complete short to Langston Jackson for 4 yards
- Pass intended for Isi Sofele is incomplete
11-ON-11 (second session, play for the turnovers)
Beau Sweeney under center
- Langston Jackson around right tackle rush for 1 yard
- Langston Jackson shows some good feet to weave his way through middle for rush of 7 yards
- Pass intended down the field for Jarrett Sparks is incomplete
Allan Bridgford under center
- Pass over the middle intended for Spencer Hagan is almost picked off by Steven Fanua
- Langston Jackson carries around left tackle for 5 yards
-
The Daily Californian Online
Fall Camp: Day Seven
August 14, 2009
Fall Camp Day 7: SoCal natives play key roles
Chris Nguon
Bear Territory.net Senior Writer
Running Back Notes
With Jahvid Best given a day off, the running backs still had a very good practice running the ball.
Dasarte Yarnway broke off two major runs while Langston Jackson had by far his best performance of camp.
Just a freshman, don't be surprised if Jackson earned some time in the coming years.
No matter what happens with Best, the redshirt sophomore Vereen is going to be a key cog in the offense this season.
Vereen rushed for 715 yards and four touchdowns last season in spot duty backing up Best and for the most part became a consistent second option for the Cal offense.
While his 5.0 yards per carry last didn't match previous backup outputs over the years (Lynch 8.8 ypc in 2004, Forsett 7.6 ypc in 2005, Forsett 5.3 ypc in 2006, Best 7.6 in 2007), the staff had a lot of confidence in the Valencia (Calif.) native. That should certainly carry over to this season as well, giving the Cal offense a very solid 1-2 punch.
It's not just running the ball with Vereen either. As he showed in the USC and Stanford games, Vereen is an excellent receiver coming out of the backfield. Match him up 1-on-1 with a linebacker or even safety in space, and he's gone.
Besides those three, the other athletes that see carries are true freshman Dasarte Yarnway and walk-ons Kevin Lewis, Peter Geurts and Jackson. Lewis was moved over from defensive back to running back during Spring Ball and Geurts is a tough between-the-tackles runner who received a couple carries in the win over Washington State last season.
While realistically the odds are probably stacked against those three from seeing major action at some point of their career at Cal, the player most likely to get into the mix one day is Jackson. Standing 6-foot-1, 227 pounds, Jackson looks like a fullback but his skill-set running the ball is too good not to give him a shot a carrying the ball.
Jackson - who played at one of the few under-recruited areas in the Southern California region at Simi Valley - is not a bad option if the Bears ever needed some extra ball-carriers for whatever reason. Jackson is tough between the tackles and has nimble feet for a player his size.
Consider the fact that Jackson weighs 11 pounds more than the possible starting fullback this season in Will Kapp and the proof is in the pudding that the staff feels he can do some things with the ball in his hands.
Injury Updates Tailback Jahvid Best wore pads, but only participated in individual drills on Thursday. Shane Vereen took his first team snaps in 11-on-11's. Freshmen Desarte Yarnway and Langston Jackson received significant playing time as well, and both reeled off a few hard-nosed runs for first downs. Wearing the red jerseys were wide receiver Nyan Boateng (concussion) and defensive backs Darian Hagan (sore knee) and Sean Cattouse (pulled hamstring). Wide receiver Quinn Tedford, who was the recipient of the hit of day on Tuesday, was also out with a concussion.
9-ON-9 (no WRs or CBs)
This session is based on one thing: running the ball.
No receivers or cornerbacks present. Only offensive linemen, defensive linemen, tight ends, linebackers, safeties and quarterbacks to hand the ball off to running backs and throw the occasional play-action pass.
A lot of good hard nosed running. Langston Jackson had a nice run but the two biggest ones were by Dasarte Yarnway, who also managed to drag a couple defenders along with him.
Brock Mansion under center
- Langston Jackson breaks a couple tackles, stays on his feet and manages to get back to line before Charles Johnson tackle
- Kevin Lewis hits the line and is stripped by Keith Browner as defense picks ball up and runs other way
- Langston Jackson finds a hole and gains 7 yards before D.J. Holt chases him down
- Dasarte Yarnwa
y runs off left guard for 5 yards and drags Robert Mullins for another 3 before getting pulled down
- Langston Jackson tries the middle and cuts outside to get edge for 14 yards
- Dasarte Yarnway gains 1 yard up the middle before Mike Costanzo and Charles Johnson combine on stop
Beau Sweeney under center
- Langston Jackson runs hard up the middle for 5 yards before Ernest Owusu take down
- Dasarte Yarnway finds a hole and gets to the open field for 20-plus yard gain
- Langston Jackson is hammered behind the line by Keni Kaufusi and Charles Johnson
Brock Mansion under center
- Dasarte Yarnway around right tackle for 3 yards
- Covaughn DeBoskie no gain over left guard
- Mansion SACKED by Keith Browner
- Dasarte Yarnway off left tackle for 6 yards
- Mansion complete to Covaughn DeBoskie for 8 yards
- Langston Jackson rush around right tackle for 9 yards
Beau Sweeney under center
- Sweeney throws complete to Spencer Hagan for 10 yards
- Pass complete to Garry Graffort for 12-yard catch and run
- Langston Jackson with a big hole up the middle and gains 16 yards
Extra Points
The Bears will practice in shells Friday evening, before preparing for their first double-day on Saturday.
As a reminder, fan appreciation day is Saturday, August 29 beginning at noon.
August 13, 2009
Fall Camp: Day 6
Chris Nguon
BearTerritory.net Senior Writer
Running Back Notes
From a rotation standpoint, don't expect much to change from here on out until the start of the regular season barring injury. Jahvid Best is the lead horse and Shane Vereen is going to receive a lot of carries as well. Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson is right in the mix and after that it's possible that Kevin Lewis, Langston Jackson and Peter Geurts will see a touch here and there.
The only thing that could throw a slight wrench into things is the impending decision whether to redshirt Isi Sofele and/or Dasarte Yarnway. It looks more and more that both players are going to be big-time playmakers for the Cal offense eventually. Will "eventually" be sometime this year? We'll just have to wait and see on that. The fullback competition remained status quo as well Wednesday, as Brian Holley took first-team reps with Will Kapp taking second-team reps.
The running backs were really able to kick things into gear Wednesday evening. Sure there were runs that were stuffed right at the line of scrimmage, but when the 'backs found a crease it meant an automatic notable gain.
Vereen and DeBoskie had two noteworthy catches coming out of the backfield. Interestingly, Best actually dropped a pass Wednesday in the 11-on-11 session, which was a surprise to the few who were in attendance.
11-ON-11 (second session)
Not exactly shocking news here, but Jahvid Best broke off a couple of nifty runs in this session. Best was able to find a crease around the edge twice for big yardage. Langston Jackson also recorded a notable run.
Best dropping a pass? Rarely happens.
Best also dropped a pass this session, which is something you rarely see the multi-faceted talent do. Best is probably not as talented as Marshawn Lynch coming out of the backfield, but Best has shown repeatedly that he has very reliable hands.
Brock Mansion's long pitch and catch to Jarrett Sparks was wonderfully executed
Beau Sweeney under center
- Kevin Lewis rush (-1) yard grabbed by Robert Mullins
- Sweeney throws a tad too high for Jarrett Sparks incomplete
- Langston Jackson tries the left side and gets 1 yard
- Nice pass down the field against good coverage is almost pulled in by a diving Nyan Boateng
- Kevin Lewis 7 yards over right guard
- Sweeney to Isi Sofele for catch of 4 yards
- Langston Jackson finds a big hole over right guard for 13 yards
- Pass is dropped by Garry Graffort
Beau Sweeney under center
- Kevin Lewis rush (-1) yard grabbed by Robert Mullins
- Sweeney throws a tad too high for Jarrett Sparks incomplete
- Langston Jackson tries the left side and gets 1 yard
- Nice pass down the field against good coverage is almost pulled in by a diving Nyan Boateng
- Kevin Lewis 7 yards over right guard
- Sweeney to Isi Sofele for catch of 4 yards
- Langston Jackson finds a big hole over right guard for 13 yards
- Pass is dropped by Garry Graffort
Beau Sweeney under center
- (from the 25) Sweeney rush for 5 yards
- (from the 20) Sweeney complete to Anthony Miller for 15 yards
- (from the 15) Sweeney throws to Spencer Hagan who beat Steve Williams in end zone for nice one-handed 15-yard TOUCHDOWN
- (from the 10) Complete to Langston Jackson for 5 yards
FALL CAMP: DAY 5
Chris Nguon
Bear Territory.net Senior Writer
Running Back Notes
Beau Sweeney under center
- Kevin Lewis gains 10 yards up the middle
- Langston Jackson rolls around right tackle for 7 yards
- Dasarte Yarnway gains 5 yards on a hard run
Allan Bridgford under center
- Dasarte Yarnway finds room over the right side for 6 yards
- Langston Jackson gains 1 yard up the middle
Beau Sweeney under center
- Sweeney finds Verran Tucker who takes a HUGE hit from D.J. Campbell but holds on for 10 yards
- Sweeney hits Isi Sofele for 7 yards
- Sweeney is sacked by Jesse Brooks
- Langston Jackson runs for 8 yards after Brian Schwenke opens up huge hole
11-ON-11 (red zone)
Several scores as the ball inched nearer to the goal-line this session. Will Kapp was wide open on his touchdown catch. Langston Jackson, Peter Geurts and Dasarte Yarnway ran hard through the line for their scores
Beau Sweeney under center
- Sweeney is chased and forced to throw ball away
- Sweeney hits Garry Graffort for 9 yards
- Sweeney finds Eric Stevens in the flat for 5-yard TOUCHDOWN
- Langston Jackson lowers the shoulders and bullies into end zone for 3-yard TOUCHDOWN
Beau Sweeney under center
- Kevin Lewis rush (-1) yard grabbed by Robert Mullins
- Sweeney throws a tad too high for Jarrett Sparks incomplete
- Langston Jackson tries the left side and gets 1 yard
- Nice pass down the field against good coverage is almost pulled in by a diving Nyan Boateng
- Kevin Lewis 7 yards over right guard
- Sweeney to Isi Sofele for catch of 4 yards
- Langston Jackson finds a big hole over right guard for 13 yards
- Pass is dropped by Garry Graffort
Every year, the first full-pads practice in Fall Camp is always thrilling. Players on both sides of the ball are itching to get after each other and let out some bent up aggression. The Bears wrapped up the most physical day of practice yet with some hard-hitting play throughout the two-hour session Tuesday evening.
FALL CAMP: DAY 4
11-ON-11 (second session)
- Langston Jackson rushes for 10 yards
- Will Kapp up the middle for 2 yards
- Kevin Lewis up the middle with rush of 2 yards
- Incomplete intended for Verran Tucker with Ernest Owusu pressure on Sweeney
- Langston Jackson gains 2 yards up the middle
- John Tyndall up the middle for 2 yards
- Sweeney scrambles and dumps it off to John Tyndall who can't come up with ball
- Kevin Lewis tries the left side for 8 yards
The PLAY-BY-PLAY
Beau Sweeney under center
- Pass too deep intended for Garry Graffort
- Sweeney short to Covaughn DeBoskie for 6 yards
- Strike fired into Ross Bostock for 12 yards over middle
- Short complete to Kevin Lewis for 7 yards
- Sweeney over the middle for Eric Stevens gains 8 yards
- Complete short to Langston Jackson for 4 yards
- Pass intended for Isi Sofele is incomplete
11-ON-11 (second session, play for the turnovers)
Beau Sweeney under center- Langston Jackson around right tackle rush for 1 yard
- Langston Jackson shows some good feet to weave his way through middle for rush of 7 yards
- Pass intended down the field for Jarrett Sparks is incomplete
Allan Bridgford under center
- Pass over the middle intended for Spencer Hagan is almost picked off by Steven Fanua
- Langston Jackson carries around left tackle for 5 yards
-
The Daily Californian Online
Fall Camp: Day Seven
August 14, 2009
Fall Camp Day 7: SoCal natives play key roles
Chris Nguon
Bear Territory.net Senior Writer
Running Back Notes
With Jahvid Best given a day off, the running backs still had a very good practice running the ball.
Dasarte Yarnway broke off two major runs while Langston Jackson had by far his best performance of camp.
Just a freshman, don't be surprised if Jackson earned some time in the coming years.
No matter what happens with Best, the redshirt sophomore Vereen is going to be a key cog in the offense this season.
Vereen rushed for 715 yards and four touchdowns last season in spot duty backing up Best and for the most part became a consistent second option for the Cal offense.
While his 5.0 yards per carry last didn't match previous backup outputs over the years (Lynch 8.8 ypc in 2004, Forsett 7.6 ypc in 2005, Forsett 5.3 ypc in 2006, Best 7.6 in 2007), the staff had a lot of confidence in the Valencia (Calif.) native. That should certainly carry over to this season as well, giving the Cal offense a very solid 1-2 punch.
It's not just running the ball with Vereen either. As he showed in the USC and Stanford games, Vereen is an excellent receiver coming out of the backfield. Match him up 1-on-1 with a linebacker or even safety in space, and he's gone.
Besides those three, the other athletes that see carries are true freshman Dasarte Yarnway and walk-ons Kevin Lewis, Peter Geurts and Jackson. Lewis was moved over from defensive back to running back during Spring Ball and Geurts is a tough between-the-tackles runner who received a couple carries in the win over Washington State last season.
While realistically the odds are probably stacked against those three from seeing major action at some point of their career at Cal, the player most likely to get into the mix one day is Jackson. Standing 6-foot-1, 227 pounds, Jackson looks like a fullback but his skill-set running the ball is too good not to give him a shot a carrying the ball.
Jackson - who played at one of the few under-recruited areas in the Southern California region at Simi Valley - is not a bad option if the Bears ever needed some extra ball-carriers for whatever reason. Jackson is tough between the tackles and has nimble feet for a player his size.
Consider the fact that Jackson weighs 11 pounds more than the possible starting fullback this season in Will Kapp and the proof is in the pudding that the staff feels he can do some things with the ball in his hands.
Injury Updates Tailback Jahvid Best wore pads, but only participated in individual drills on Thursday. Shane Vereen took his first team snaps in 11-on-11's. Freshmen Desarte Yarnway and Langston Jackson received significant playing time as well, and both reeled off a few hard-nosed runs for first downs. Wearing the red jerseys were wide receiver Nyan Boateng (concussion) and defensive backs Darian Hagan (sore knee) and Sean Cattouse (pulled hamstring). Wide receiver Quinn Tedford, who was the recipient of the hit of day on Tuesday, was also out with a concussion.
9-ON-9 (no WRs or CBs)
This session is based on one thing: running the ball.
No receivers or cornerbacks present. Only offensive linemen, defensive linemen, tight ends, linebackers, safeties and quarterbacks to hand the ball off to running backs and throw the occasional play-action pass.
A lot of good hard nosed running. Langston Jackson had a nice run but the two biggest ones were by Dasarte Yarnway, who also managed to drag a couple defenders along with him.
Brock Mansion under center
- Langston Jackson breaks a couple tackles, stays on his feet and manages to get back to line before Charles Johnson tackle
- Kevin Lewis hits the line and is stripped by Keith Browner as defense picks ball up and runs other way
- Langston Jackson finds a hole and gains 7 yards before D.J. Holt chases him down
- Dasarte Yarnwa
y runs off left guard for 5 yards and drags Robert Mullins for another 3 before getting pulled down- Langston Jackson tries the middle and cuts outside to get edge for 14 yards
- Dasarte Yarnway gains 1 yard up the middle before Mike Costanzo and Charles Johnson combine on stop
Beau Sweeney under center
- Langston Jackson runs hard up the middle for 5 yards before Ernest Owusu take down
- Dasarte Yarnway finds a hole and gets to the open field for 20-plus yard gain
- Langston Jackson is hammered behind the line by Keni Kaufusi and Charles Johnson
Brock Mansion under center
- Dasarte Yarnway around right tackle for 3 yards
- Covaughn DeBoskie no gain over left guard
- Mansion SACKED by Keith Browner
- Dasarte Yarnway off left tackle for 6 yards
- Mansion complete to Covaughn DeBoskie for 8 yards
- Langston Jackson rush around right tackle for 9 yards
Beau Sweeney under center
- Sweeney throws complete to Spencer Hagan for 10 yards
- Pass complete to Garry Graffort for 12-yard catch and run
- Langston Jackson with a big hole up the middle and gains 16 yards
Extra Points
The Bears will practice in shells Friday evening, before preparing for their first double-day on Saturday.
As a reminder, fan appreciation day is Saturday, August 29 beginning at noon.
August 13, 2009
Fall Camp: Day 6
Chris Nguon
BearTerritory.net Senior Writer
Running Back Notes
From a rotation standpoint, don't expect much to change from here on out until the start of the regular season barring injury. Jahvid Best is the lead horse and Shane Vereen is going to receive a lot of carries as well. Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson is right in the mix and after that it's possible that Kevin Lewis, Langston Jackson and Peter Geurts will see a touch here and there.
The only thing that could throw a slight wrench into things is the impending decision whether to redshirt Isi Sofele and/or Dasarte Yarnway. It looks more and more that both players are going to be big-time playmakers for the Cal offense eventually. Will "eventually" be sometime this year? We'll just have to wait and see on that. The fullback competition remained status quo as well Wednesday, as Brian Holley took first-team reps with Will Kapp taking second-team reps.
The running backs were really able to kick things into gear Wednesday evening. Sure there were runs that were stuffed right at the line of scrimmage, but when the 'backs found a crease it meant an automatic notable gain.
Vereen and DeBoskie had two noteworthy catches coming out of the backfield. Interestingly, Best actually dropped a pass Wednesday in the 11-on-11 session, which was a surprise to the few who were in attendance.
11-ON-11 (second session)
Not exactly shocking news here, but Jahvid Best broke off a couple of nifty runs in this session. Best was able to find a crease around the edge twice for big yardage. Langston Jackson also recorded a notable run.
Best dropping a pass? Rarely happens.
Best also dropped a pass this session, which is something you rarely see the multi-faceted talent do. Best is probably not as talented as Marshawn Lynch coming out of the backfield, but Best has shown repeatedly that he has very reliable hands.
Brock Mansion's long pitch and catch to Jarrett Sparks was wonderfully executed
Beau Sweeney under center
- Kevin Lewis rush (-1) yard grabbed by Robert Mullins
- Sweeney throws a tad too high for Jarrett Sparks incomplete
- Langston Jackson tries the left side and gets 1 yard
- Nice pass down the field against good coverage is almost pulled in by a diving Nyan Boateng
- Kevin Lewis 7 yards over right guard
- Sweeney to Isi Sofele for catch of 4 yards
- Langston Jackson finds a big hole over right guard for 13 yards
- Pass is dropped by Garry Graffort
Beau Sweeney under center
- Kevin Lewis rush (-1) yard grabbed by Robert Mullins
- Sweeney throws a tad too high for Jarrett Sparks incomplete
- Langston Jackson tries the left side and gets 1 yard
- Nice pass down the field against good coverage is almost pulled in by a diving Nyan Boateng
- Kevin Lewis 7 yards over right guard
- Sweeney to Isi Sofele for catch of 4 yards
- Langston Jackson finds a big hole over right guard for 13 yards
- Pass is dropped by Garry Graffort
Beau Sweeney under center
- (from the 25) Sweeney rush for 5 yards
- (from the 20) Sweeney complete to Anthony Miller for 15 yards
- (from the 15) Sweeney throws to Spencer Hagan who beat Steve Williams in end zone for nice one-handed 15-yard TOUCHDOWN
- (from the 10) Complete to Langston Jackson for 5 yards
FALL CAMP: DAY 5
Chris Nguon
Bear Territory.net Senior Writer
Running Back Notes
Beau Sweeney under center
- Kevin Lewis gains 10 yards up the middle
- Langston Jackson rolls around right tackle for 7 yards
- Dasarte Yarnway gains 5 yards on a hard run
Allan Bridgford under center
- Dasarte Yarnway finds room over the right side for 6 yards
- Langston Jackson gains 1 yard up the middle
Beau Sweeney under center
- Sweeney finds Verran Tucker who takes a HUGE hit from D.J. Campbell but holds on for 10 yards
- Sweeney hits Isi Sofele for 7 yards
- Sweeney is sacked by Jesse Brooks
- Langston Jackson runs for 8 yards after Brian Schwenke opens up huge hole
11-ON-11 (red zone)
Several scores as the ball inched nearer to the goal-line this session. Will Kapp was wide open on his touchdown catch. Langston Jackson, Peter Geurts and Dasarte Yarnway ran hard through the line for their scores
Beau Sweeney under center
- Sweeney is chased and forced to throw ball away
- Sweeney hits Garry Graffort for 9 yards
- Sweeney finds Eric Stevens in the flat for 5-yard TOUCHDOWN
- Langston Jackson lowers the shoulders and bullies into end zone for 3-yard TOUCHDOWN
Beau Sweeney under center
- Kevin Lewis rush (-1) yard grabbed by Robert Mullins
- Sweeney throws a tad too high for Jarrett Sparks incomplete
- Langston Jackson tries the left side and gets 1 yard
- Nice pass down the field against good coverage is almost pulled in by a diving Nyan Boateng
- Kevin Lewis 7 yards over right guard
- Sweeney to Isi Sofele for catch of 4 yards
- Langston Jackson finds a big hole over right guard for 13 yards
- Pass is dropped by Garry Graffort
Every year, the first full-pads practice in Fall Camp is always thrilling. Players on both sides of the ball are itching to get after each other and let out some bent up aggression. The Bears wrapped up the most physical day of practice yet with some hard-hitting play throughout the two-hour session Tuesday evening.
FALL CAMP: DAY 4
11-ON-11 (second session)
- Langston Jackson rushes for 10 yards
- Will Kapp up the middle for 2 yards
- Kevin Lewis up the middle with rush of 2 yards
- Incomplete intended for Verran Tucker with Ernest Owusu pressure on Sweeney
- Langston Jackson gains 2 yards up the middle
- John Tyndall up the middle for 2 yards
- Sweeney scrambles and dumps it off to John Tyndall who can't come up with ball
- Kevin Lewis tries the left side for 8 yards
FALL CAMP: DAY 3
Chris Nguon
Bear Territory.net Senior Writer
Football is an emotional game and the player leading the charge in that department for the Cal football team is senior linebacker Devin Bishop.
Before every practice, the Bears choose a teammate to lead the squad in pre- and post-practice chants during stretches. So far during Fall Camp, Kevin Riley, Brian Holley and Marcus Ezeff have all earned that honor.
Running Back Notes
Is this year's backfield the most explosive ever under Tedford? While that notion can be up for debate, there is no question Cal's feature 'backs this season all can take the ball to the end zone if given a small lane to run through.
Jahvid Best and his explosive speed is a given, but watching Shane Vereen and Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson in action these first three practices, you get the sense that while they are do not possess the top-end football quicks that Best has, they too can bust off a 20-plus yard carry at a moments notice.
Specifically in regards to Vereen, the redshirt sophomore actually battled through a nagging ankle sprain last season that never quite healed correctly as the year went along. As fans know, arguably Vereen's two best runs of the year came against Michigan State in the season opener and a week later against Washington State, both of which went for touchdowns.
Suffice to say, it is no surprise that those two runs came in the beginning of the year with a healthy Vereen. While he's not Jahvid Best explosive, the Valencia native is no slouch either if his legs are fresh.
Meanwhile, same theory applies to DeBoskie. The former Army All-American has shown flashes of his ability in practice, but practice is just practice. It'll definitely be interesting to see DeBoskie receive some carries, albeit maybe in a limited fashion, in an actual game this season.
Kevin Lewis, Langston Jackson, Dasarte Yarnway and Peter Geurts continue to split reps with the third and fourth teams.
Football is an emotional game and the player leading the charge in that department for the Cal football team is senior linebacker Devin Bishop.
Before every practice, the Bears choose a teammate to lead the squad in pre- and post-practice chants during stretches. So far during Fall Camp, Kevin Riley, Brian Holley and Marcus Ezeff have all earned that honor.
Running Back Notes
Is this year's backfield the most explosive ever under Tedford? While that notion can be up for debate, there is no question Cal's feature 'backs this season all can take the ball to the end zone if given a small lane to run through.
Jahvid Best and his explosive speed is a given, but watching Shane Vereen and Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson in action these first three practices, you get the sense that while they are do not possess the top-end football quicks that Best has, they too can bust off a 20-plus yard carry at a moments notice.
Specifically in regards to Vereen, the redshirt sophomore actually battled through a nagging ankle sprain last season that never quite healed correctly as the year went along. As fans know, arguably Vereen's two best runs of the year came against Michigan State in the season opener and a week later against Washington State, both of which went for touchdowns.Suffice to say, it is no surprise that those two runs came in the beginning of the year with a healthy Vereen. While he's not Jahvid Best explosive, the Valencia native is no slouch either if his legs are fresh.
Meanwhile, same theory applies to DeBoskie. The former Army All-American has shown flashes of his ability in practice, but practice is just practice. It'll definitely be interesting to see DeBoskie receive some carries, albeit maybe in a limited fashion, in an actual game this season.
Kevin Lewis, Langston Jackson, Dasarte Yarnway and Peter Geurts continue to split reps with the third and fourth teams.
Lewis and Geurts took some vicious hits in the team sessions Sunday evening.
Position coach Ron Gould worked a lot with his players on blocking Sunday evening, especially with the fullbacks. The position is going to be closely watched all camp, and so far it appears that the race is between Brian Holley and Will Kapp.
Both guys notched some decent blocks in the team sessions, especially Kapp, but both guys were also knocked off their feet on various runs as well.
Like the wide receiving battle, the fullback competition will probably come down to the wire.
Position coach Ron Gould worked a lot with his players on blocking Sunday evening, especially with the fullbacks. The position is going to be closely watched all camp, and so far it appears that the race is between Brian Holley and Will Kapp.Both guys notched some decent blocks in the team sessions, especially Kapp, but both guys were also knocked off their feet on various runs as well.
Like the wide receiving battle, the fullback competition will probably come down to the wire.
The PLAY-BY-PLAY
Beau Sweeney under center
- Sweeney hits Garry Graffort for short gain
- Complete to Langston Jackson for short gain
Beau Sweeney under center
- Kevin Lewis is stopped behind the line of scrimmage by Robert Mullins
- Langston Jackson 1 yard gain up middle stopped by Robert Mullins and Aaron Tipoti
- Time to throw, Sweeney goes deep to Jarrett Sparks to no avail with good coverage by Robert Mullins
- Kevin Lewis is stuffed behind the line of scrimmage by Deandre Coleman
- Kevin Lewis takes carry and slips Steven Fanua and Robert Mullins for 4-yard gain
- Langston Jackson gets free for 15-yard reception down sideline
FALL CAMP: DAY 2
Chris Nguon
BearTerritory.net Senior Writer
The Cal football team wrapped up the second day of Fall Camp Saturday evening in what turned out to be a jam-packed practice full of highlights from both sides of the ball. Leading the charge was sophomore wide receiver Marvin Jones, who had an excellent outing that was accentuated by two tremendous catches down the field in the 11-on-11's. BearTerritory caught up with Jones to get his take on his outing.
"I'm just excited that all of us are 100 percent," Jones said of his receiving corps. "Obviously, we are at a level of experience we weren't at. That helps. We are coming out here having fun. We know the playbook so we just have to execute."
Beau Sweeney under center
- Sweeney hits Garry Graffort for short gain
- Complete to Langston Jackson for short gain
Beau Sweeney under center
- Kevin Lewis is stopped behind the line of scrimmage by Robert Mullins
- Langston Jackson 1 yard gain up middle stopped by Robert Mullins and Aaron Tipoti
- Time to throw, Sweeney goes deep to Jarrett Sparks to no avail with good coverage by Robert Mullins
- Kevin Lewis is stuffed behind the line of scrimmage by Deandre Coleman
- Kevin Lewis takes carry and slips Steven Fanua and Robert Mullins for 4-yard gain
- Langston Jackson gets free for 15-yard reception down sideline
FALL CAMP: DAY 2
Chris Nguon
BearTerritory.net Senior Writer
The Cal football team wrapped up the second day of Fall Camp Saturday evening in what turned out to be a jam-packed practice full of highlights from both sides of the ball. Leading the charge was sophomore wide receiver Marvin Jones, who had an excellent outing that was accentuated by two tremendous catches down the field in the 11-on-11's. BearTerritory caught up with Jones to get his take on his outing.
"I'm just excited that all of us are 100 percent," Jones said of his receiving corps. "Obviously, we are at a level of experience we weren't at. That helps. We are coming out here having fun. We know the playbook so we just have to execute."
The PLAY-BY-PLAY
Beau Sweeney under center
- Langston Jackson tries the right side for 2-yard rush
- Sweeney is sacked by Solomona Aigamaua
- Kevin Lewis is stuffed by Aaron Tipoti
- Langston Jackson rushes for 3 yards
- Kevin Lewis no gain up the middle
- Sweeney hits Langston Jackson for 5 yards
- Dasarte Yarnway rushes for 2 yards
- Sweeney scrambles and is tripped up by Steven Fanua
Allan Bridgford under center
- Fumbled exchange
- Bridgford hits Eric Stevens for 6 yards
- Dasarte Yarnway gobbled up behind the line by Keni Kaufusi
- Dasarte Yarnway up the middle for no gain
- Bridgford fires strike to Jarrett Sparks for 7 yards
- Langston Jackson up the middle for 1-yard gain
The team will be in shells for Sunday's practice. The first full pads practice is scheduled for Tuesday.
FALL CAMP: DAY 1
Chris Nguon
BearTerritory.net
Senior Writer
August 8, 2009
The 2009 season officially kicked off for the Cal football team Friday evening at Memorial Stadium. The Bears ran through a brisk two-hour practice to open Fall Camp, which featured a handful of newcomers and old-timers alike going at each other. As you could probably guess, head coach Jeff Tedford was very excited to get back on the field and work with his players.
When a program heads into the pre-season ranked in the top-15 in almost every poll put out there, that means there aren't many concerns surrounding what the team can do.
Running Back Notes
The last time we saw Jahvid Best practice was in preparation for the Emerald Bowl way back in December. After off-season surgery, Cal's Heisman Candidate didn't participate in Spring Ball. As fans could probably guess, Best expressed supreme excitement leading up to this week about getting back on the field. Best is back on the field
The dynamic speedster wasted no time showing off what he can do, hit holes in a blur. When Best was able to get into the open field, he showed off his world-class speed. As Tedford noted, it seems as if Best never left. And yes, he's still fast.
Meanwhile, the rest of the running back rotation went as expected. Shane Vereen took snaps behind Best and Covaughn DeBoskie saw some strong action as well.
Vereen saw a handful full of carries, running hard up the middle. Without a doubt, Vereen and Best make up one of the best duos in the country.
Kevin Lewis, Langston Jackson and Peter Geurts also each broke off a decent run. Of the three, Jackson's power through the middle of the line was probably the most impressive.
As expected, 
August 5, 2009
FALL CAMP PREVIEW
Chris Nguon BearTerritory.net Senior Writer
It's quite a luxury to have one of the most explosive offensive players in the country on your team. It's just as much a luxury to have athletes behind him on the depth chart that can pick up the pace if he goes down. When it comes to the Cal backfield this season, there's simply not much to complain about.
So will Jahvid Best's production change at all this year now that everyone in the country - outside of Jim Harbaugh - knows who he is? Probably not. But it is important to realize that the Bears are going to see an even wider variety of 8 and 9 man fronts designed to slow down the dynamic athlete from Vallejo.
As much national praise as Marshawn Lynch and DeSean Jackson received in the months preceding their final seasons at Cal, it doesn't even come close to the attention Best is currently receiving. Virtually every national pundit, in one way or another, has mentioned the 5-foot-10, 195 pound running back in some fashion as a top player so far this pre-season. In fact, it's safe to say that Best might be the most nationally hyped player in Cal history up to this point of his career.
The reasons are obvious.
Best can score at any time when the ball is in his hands and unlike former Cal ball-carrier J.J. Arrington for example, who publically and rightfully complained about feeling slighted for not being in the Heisman race after his monster 261-yard performance against Southern Mississippi in the season finale of '04, Best possesses a highlight reel quality about him that Arrington never could match.
"He's a guy that's worth the price of admission and one of the most talented players in the country," head coach Jeff Tedford said of Best. "Jahvid also provides a lot of leadership capabilities besides the big-play capabilities. For all that he does for us on the football field, he does even more off the football field."
Projected RB starter: Jahvid Best
A lot of defenders see this view of Best
Looking at all of his tremendous stats last season, the one that tends to get overlooked about Best's sophomore year was the number of carries he received throughout the season.
Outside of the season-opener against Michigan State, Best didn't carry the ball over 20 times again the rest of the season. There were obviously various reasons for that - from Best's own injuries to the confidence the staff had in Shane Vereen - but overall it speaks to the notion that if there is something that Best can improve on, it's his durability.
"Over the summer, I put on a lot more pounds, so I'm going into the season a lot bigger," Best said. "But it's just about playing smart because sometimes you have no control over yourself."
Even if he doesn't carry the ball 30 times a game this season though, the Bears will be just fine handing the ball off to Vereen or one of the other backups. Vereen rushed for 715 yards and four touchdowns last season in spot duty backing up Best and for the most part became a consistent second option for the Cal offense.
While his 5.0 yards per carry didn't match previous backup outputs over the years (Lynch 8.8 ypc in 2004, Forsett 7.6 ypc in 2005, Forsett 5.3 ypc in 2006, Best 7.6 in 2007), the staff had a lot of confidence in the redshirt freshman. That should certainly carry over to this season as well, giving the Cal offense a very solid 1-2 punch.
More than likely, the third option out of the backfield will be redshirt freshman Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson. The former Army All-American saw some carries in practice last season and was able to break off a long run here and there. Like virtually all of Cal's running backs in the Tedford era, DeBoskie possesses tremendous speed and has the ability to break big runs if he can get to the edge.
If DeBoskie falters in camp however, or if someone gets hurt, then don't be surprised if walk-ons Kevin Lewis or Langston Jackson grab the third spot. Both players received their fair share of carries in Spring Ball.
The most intriguing name though has to be true freshman Dasarte Yarnway. From a physical standpoint, no 'back that has entered the Cal program has been more physically ready to play with the exception of maybe Lynch. While he'll likely redshirt like the majority of true freshmen, Yarnway's strength between the tackles might be too hard to pass up.
Projected FB starter: Brian Holley
Five years ago, an relatively unknown player named Will Ta'ufo'ou walked-on to the Cal program from nearby Mountain View (Calif.) St. Francis High. Fans of the tough WCAL saw first hand how rugged and talented Ta'ufo'ou was in high school and eventually, college fans learned that as well.
** Note: This is a BearTerritory.net feature and is not necessarily reflective of Cal coaching staff opinion.
FALL CAMP OUTLOOK - RUNNING BACKS & FULLBACKS
PROJECTED STARTERS
PROJECTED BACKUPS
RB: JAHVID BEST 5-10, 195 pounds, Jr.Best is probably Cal's best shot ever at a player from the school winning the Heisman Trophy. From the way he acts though, you wouldn't know it. Best is as humble and gracious as they come.
RB: SHANE VEREEN 5-10, 198 pounds, R-Soph. Considering the amount of snaps he receives both coming out of the backfield and lined up wide, it's not 100 percent accurate to define Vereen as a "backup" but rather a utility athlete.
FB: BRIAN HOLLEY 5-9, 235 pounds, R-Sr.Holley finally receives his chance to earn a starting role after Will Ta'ufo'ou having the position locked up for the last three seasons.
FB: JOHN TYNDALL 6-3, 236 pounds, R-Soph. If Holley isn't the guy blocking for Best and company then more than likely it'll be Tyndall, who is strong as an ox.
RB: COVAUGHN DEBOSKIE-JOHNSON 5-11, 205 pounds, R-Fr. The former prep Army All-American has always been a speedster but how well has his running between-the-tackles skills improved? Fans will see very soon.
FB: PETER GEURTS 6-1, 215 pounds, R-Soph. Tedford said on many occasions that Will Ta'ufo'ou was the toughest SOB on the team. With Tofu now on to the NFL, the rugged Geurts probably takes that honor.
RB: KEVIN LEWIS 5-9, 180 pounds, R-Fr. Lewis began his career as a DB but after a couple of practices as the scout team running back his skills with the ball in his hands were quickly noticed.
PROJECTED STARTERS
PROJECTED BACKUPS
RB: JAHVID BEST 5-10, 195 pounds, Jr.Best is probably Cal's best shot ever at a player from the school winning the Heisman Trophy. From the way he acts though, you wouldn't know it. Best is as humble and gracious as they come.
RB: SHANE VEREEN 5-10, 198 pounds, R-Soph. Considering the amount of snaps he receives both coming out of the backfield and lined up wide, it's not 100 percent accurate to define Vereen as a "backup" but rather a utility athlete.
FB: BRIAN HOLLEY 5-9, 235 pounds, R-Sr.Holley finally receives his chance to earn a starting role after Will Ta'ufo'ou having the position locked up for the last three seasons.
FB: JOHN TYNDALL 6-3, 236 pounds, R-Soph. If Holley isn't the guy blocking for Best and company then more than likely it'll be Tyndall, who is strong as an ox.
RB: COVAUGHN DEBOSKIE-JOHNSON 5-11, 205 pounds, R-Fr. The former prep Army All-American has always been a speedster but how well has his running between-the-tackles skills improved? Fans will see very soon.
FB: PETER GEURTS 6-1, 215 pounds, R-Soph. Tedford said on many occasions that Will Ta'ufo'ou was the toughest SOB on the team. With Tofu now on to the NFL, the rugged Geurts probably takes that honor.
RB: KEVIN LEWIS 5-9, 180 pounds, R-Fr. Lewis began his career as a DB but after a couple of practices as the scout team running back his skills with the ball in his hands were quickly noticed.
RB: LANGSTON JACKSON 6-1, 227 pounds, R-Fr. Jackson is one of the more compelling running backs on the roster because of his size and strength running between the tackles. Could Jackson be the short-yardage 'back Cal is searching for?
FB: WILL KAPP 5-10, 216 pounds, R-So. If Kapp was naturally 25 pounds heavier he'll be the next starting fullback for Cal. Because he doesn't weigh 240 pounds though, Kapp will have to battle hard for a starting spot.
FB: ERIC STEVENS 6-0, 229 pounds, R-Fr. Keep an eye out for Stevens, the younger brother of former tight end Craig Stevens. The younger Stevens has terrific hands coming out of the backfield and looks like a player.
RB: DASARTE YARNWAY 6-0, 222 pounds, Fr. There's no doubt Yarnway is in the future plans of the Cal program. Where he fits into the scheme this season however remains to be seen. Like a lot of other issues, Fall Camp will resolve Yarnway's redshirt status.
California Golden Bears 2009
Date
Opponent*
Result
Record
Sept. 5, 2009
Maryland
7:00 pm PT
Sept. 12, 2009
E. Washington
2:30 pm PT
Sept. 19, 2009
at Minnesota
9:00 am PT
Sept. 26, 2009
at Oregon
12:30 pm PT
Oct. 3, 2009
USC
5:00 pm PT
Oct. 17, 2009
at UCLA
TBA
Oct. 24, 2009
Wash. St.
TBA
Oct. 31, 2009
at Arizona State
TBA
Nov. 7, 2009
Oregon State
TBA
Nov. 14, 2009
Arizona
TBA
Nov. 21, 2009
at Stanford
TBA
Dec. 5, 2009
at Washington
3:30 pm PT
Cal head coach Jeff Tedford addressed the media and luncheon attendees at the second annual Bay Area College Football Media Session and Luncheon held at Hotel Nikko on Monday.
HEADLINES
Jahvid Best Announced As 2009 Doak Walker Award Candidate
Cal Football Bay Area Media Day Quotes
Bay Area College Football Media Session And Luncheon To Take Place Monday In San Francisco
Cal Football Bay Area Media Day Quotes
Head coach Jeff Tedford, Heisman Trophy candidate Jahvid Best and Lott Award honoree Syd'Quan Thompson represented Cal on Monday.
Aug. 3, 2009
Cal Photo Gallery Buy Cal Football Tickets Cal Athletics On Twitter
SAN FRANCISCO - California head coach Jeff Tedford, Heisman Trophy candidate Jahvid Best and Lott Trophy watch list honoree Syd'Quan Thompson spoke to the media and luncheon attendees at the second annual Bay Area College Football Media Session and Luncheon held at Hotel Nikko on Monday. Following are selected comments of what the trio had to say during the day.
FB: WILL KAPP 5-10, 216 pounds, R-So. If Kapp was naturally 25 pounds heavier he'll be the next starting fullback for Cal. Because he doesn't weigh 240 pounds though, Kapp will have to battle hard for a starting spot.
FB: ERIC STEVENS 6-0, 229 pounds, R-Fr. Keep an eye out for Stevens, the younger brother of former tight end Craig Stevens. The younger Stevens has terrific hands coming out of the backfield and looks like a player.
RB: DASARTE YARNWAY 6-0, 222 pounds, Fr. There's no doubt Yarnway is in the future plans of the Cal program. Where he fits into the scheme this season however remains to be seen. Like a lot of other issues, Fall Camp will resolve Yarnway's redshirt status.
California Golden Bears 2009
Date
Opponent*
Result
Record
Sept. 5, 2009
Maryland
7:00 pm PT
Sept. 12, 2009
E. Washington
2:30 pm PT
Sept. 19, 2009
at Minnesota
9:00 am PT
Sept. 26, 2009
at Oregon
12:30 pm PT
Oct. 3, 2009
USC
5:00 pm PT
Oct. 17, 2009
at UCLA
TBA
Oct. 24, 2009
Wash. St.
TBA
Oct. 31, 2009
at Arizona State
TBA
Nov. 7, 2009
Oregon State
TBA
Nov. 14, 2009
Arizona
TBA
Nov. 21, 2009
at Stanford
TBA
Dec. 5, 2009
at Washington
3:30 pm PT
Cal head coach Jeff Tedford addressed the media and luncheon attendees at the second annual Bay Area College Football Media Session and Luncheon held at Hotel Nikko on Monday.
HEADLINES
Jahvid Best Announced As 2009 Doak Walker Award Candidate
Cal Football Bay Area Media Day Quotes
Bay Area College Football Media Session And Luncheon To Take Place Monday In San Francisco
Cal Football Bay Area Media Day Quotes
Head coach Jeff Tedford, Heisman Trophy candidate Jahvid Best and Lott Award honoree Syd'Quan Thompson represented Cal on Monday.
Aug. 3, 2009
Cal Photo Gallery Buy Cal Football Tickets Cal Athletics On Twitter
SAN FRANCISCO - California head coach Jeff Tedford, Heisman Trophy candidate Jahvid Best and Lott Trophy watch list honoree Syd'Quan Thompson spoke to the media and luncheon attendees at the second annual Bay Area College Football Media Session and Luncheon held at Hotel Nikko on Monday. Following are selected comments of what the trio had to say during the day.
JEFF TEDFORD Opening Statement "It's great to see you all again. I hope you had a great summer and are ready to get on to football season. I know we are. Our players have been working very hard throughout the summer, and I'm very excited about the prospects of this season. I would like to wish coach (Jim) Harbaugh and coach (Dick) Tomey (at Stanford and San Jose State, respectively) the best of success and to stay healthy during camp. That's always a challenge as we get together and try to get prepared for the season."
On Syd'Quan Thompson"He's been a mainstay in our program for a long time. He's a preseason All-American and has been first-team all-conference. We really depend on his leadership on defense."
On Jahvid Best"He's a guy that's worth the price of admission and one of the most talented players in the country. Jahvid also provides a lot of leadership capabilities besides the big-play capabilities. For all that he does for us on the football field; he does even more off the football field. We're excited about his (Heisman) campaign coming up. One of the things about Jahvid is that there is a lot of talk about him with the Heisman Trophy and so on, and so forth. That's all well and good, but make no mistake about it that Jahvid is a team above self guy all the way. First and foremost, he has a great amount of respect for his teammates as do his teammates for him. I know he's focused on our team goals this year."
On expectations for the upcoming season"One of the questions we have is about the expectations on us going into the season. We welcome the high expectations. I don't think we've ever gone into a season with low expectations. Sometimes the media expectations have kind of gone up-and-down, but the internal expectations that we have for ourselves have never changed. We're very excited."
On opening training camp"I'm looking forward to reporting to camp on Thursday and then Friday will be our first day on the field. We're excited. It's one of the best days of the year for me. I can't wait to get back and reconvene with all of these guys and get back to talk and plan about what we're going to do, and then get out there on the field and do it. I love the kids and getting back together with them again. I feel very privileged to be associated with the University of California and am looking forward to an exciting year."
On the 2009 Golden Bears "We feel like we have experience and leadership on both sides of the football. Pretty much our whole defense comes back. We lost three good linebackers from last year, but there were a whole lot of guys that played a year ago. We have a lot of talent, maybe even more talent than we had last year. It's pretty exciting on the defensive side of the ball, and then offensively the line is very solid, we have two great tailbacks, our receiving core is much more mature and experienced now, and our quarterback situation ... we feel like Kevin (Riley) has to step up right now, because we feel that his experience on game day in our offense puts him a step ahead. But, we will have great competition there with Brock Mansion and Beau Sweeney. I'm looking forward to it and can't wait to get there on Thursday and let these guys loose."
On talking to Jahvid Best about the Heisman Trophy hype"I think that's part of our duty to as an institution that we give Jahvid the publicity he deserves, but also provide the management of it for him. Because he is still a young man and sometimes the media can be overwhelming. We need to make sure we manage it properly and educate him about all the ups and downs as you go through it. Sincerely, Jahvid could care less about all that stuff. He just wants to play football and be with his teammates. But there's a part of it that he's got to do, and it's our job to manage that for him."
On playing USC in 2009"That's going to be an exciting event, I can tell you that. I know everyone will be pumped. I know Memorial Stadium will be packed and ready to go. There's obviously a lot of work to go before we get to USC, but we don't have to work on getting up for USC. We know what that's all about."
On coaching at Cal. "There's so much invested at Cal. When we got there our first year, everyone said Cal will grow on you. The first event we had like this, they said do you bleed blue and gold, and I said `I've been here a week, no I don't bleed blue and gold." But since then, we've worked very hard and invested a lot of time and energy there. We've made great relationships, built great relationships with the alumni and with our fans. Our players are awesome. I love our players and our coaching staff. The Bay Area does grow on you and Cal grows on you, and I would like to stay here forever."
JAHVID BEST On getting so much attention heading into the season"I feel honored. Just to hear my name mentioned in all those reviews is an honor. But that's not what I'm focusing on right now. I'm focusing on getting better as a player and looking forward to a great season."
On coach Tedford calling him a "team" guy, not an "I" guy"I think that's the most important thing about being on the team. If you've got a guy going around saying he's the best man on the team, then you can't build trust with your teammates. So, that's not what I want to do. I'm just going to make sure I do what I can to be the best for the team. The biggest thing is winning. Nobody really wins the highest honor on the team. But if we win, my chances will go up, so I will do the best I can."
On the transformations in the expectations at Cal "When I came to Cal, there was already a tradition of winning. Our expectation is winning the Pac-10 championship every year. We go into the season aiming for that. That's always the way it's been since I got there."
On playing a big game early in the season "I personally like playing a big game early on because it really sets the tone for the season and gets the ball rolling. So, hopefully we get rolling and the momentum will carry us through five more games. If you start out slow, playing easier teams, you really don't know how good you are as a team. I want to know how good we are as a team from the beginning of the season and know what we have to work on."
On staying healthy "Over the summer, I put on a lot more pounds, so I'm going into the season a lot bigger. But it's just about playing smart because sometimes you have no control over yourself."
On all the attention USC receives "At Cal, we have a lot of respect for USC. They do some great things down there. But we feel like we are a big team, too. So, on any given Saturday, any team can knock off any other team. We just have to stay strong."
On looking forward to the USC game"Well, yes and no. Even if we do knock them off, we still have to win every other game because they will probably win every other game. We don't put too much focus on that."
On whether there any is any added attention to game one after losing at Maryland last year "Definitely. We don't like to say it, but it does add a little bit more excitement to this game, taken what happened down there. Now we have them at home, we will try to return the favor."
On playing in the 2008 Emerald Bowl "It was a great experience. Most of us are from around the area, but we've never really had time to spend in San Francisco like this. The Emerald Bowl really took care of us. It was also another home game, and we were undefeated at home."
On rehabbing from off-season elbow and foot surgeries "There were a lot of extra hours put in. Rehab is something I had to do, so I put a lot of extra hours in just rehabbing to make sure my body felt good, and that I would be ready to roll."
SYD'QUAN THOMPSON On his personal goals and some of the things he is looking to accomplish given the fact that he didn't make the jump to the NFL after last year and decided to come back to Cal for one final year? "This off-season I wanted to focus on the little things in my game. Last year, I had a good season, but I felt like I could have done a lot better. I have worked on the technical part of my game. There's a lot of technique work that I can get better at, and that I could have been better at last year and put myself in a better position to make plays. This season, it's just been really technical for me to be able to elevate my game, and come August 6 to be able to put all the hard work I've put in together with the defensive scheme."
On what he can do better in 2009 "Getting hands on receivers more, working on my footwork, using my eyes better, reading my run pass keys a little better, being able to show up on run support and not only on pass. Just little things I can always get better at. I'm never satisfied with my game, even if I have an outstanding game and people tell me it's good, I always think it's not good enough. I go back to the film room the next day after game day and I always see a couple of things I could have done a little better, or run a little harder to make a play."
On the depth in the defensive backfield "We feel good about that, because the young guys have really stepped it up and proved that they can compete on the D-I level. Anyone that we throw on the fire, we think we can pretty much win downs and win games with anybody."
On the defense"I think we will be really good. We lost three good linebackers, but I don't think we took a step back going through the off-season, spring and summer workouts. Our linebackers hear a lot about that, like `how are you going to replace the linebackers that left, you know you have some big shoes to fill.' I think there's a motivation for them that make them want to come out and work a little harder. The defense is going to be pretty solid. We have a veteran d-line and a veteran secondary. With us surrounding the linebackers, we should be alright."
On his career growth from a tumultuous start in his first collegiate game at Tennessee to now being a preseason All-American in 2009 "It just shows my maturity as a player and how much I've matured from my first game until now. Being nominated as a preseason All-American is a big accomplishment, but I don't really look back on the past. I just want to get something out of every day. That's what I look towards to wake up every morning and ask myself, `How can I make myself better today? That's what I go by, just trying to get something out of each and every day."
On being in a 3-4 defensive for the second year"We're able to add more to the 3-4. There's so much stuff you can do with the 3-4. Last year, we were kind of limited. It's a different feel for a linebacker; it's a different feel for the d-line; a different feel for the defensive backs. Just transferring from the 4-3 to the 3-4, you have a whole different gap to cover. You have to learn a whole new assignment and I think over the spring everybody seemed to have a whole season to work on it, that now it's clicking. We are adding plays in and just running with it. We're playing a lot bigger and faster with it. Everybody's just flying around the field and having fun."
On returning punts "That's my thing. In high school, I had a lot of success in returning punts. Now that I've had the opportunity to return punts last year, it felt good being able to get back there and control the ball again. Playing defensive back, you don't get the ball unless you earn the ball, and go get the ball. In returning punts, the ball is kicked and given to me. It's all about what I can do with it. I'm a guy that likes to run around and make everybody tired and get positive yards. It's fun back there being able to field balls and put our offensive in field position."
On team goals "The team goal is to win the Pac-10. However nice it is, or however messy it is. It's just to win the Pac-10 and be the conference champions. That's the team goal. It's only going to happen if we can handle each team in front of us that week. You can't look too far ahead. Every team is a competition. You've got to be handle what's in front of you before you can move to the next week."
On Syd'Quan Thompson"He's been a mainstay in our program for a long time. He's a preseason All-American and has been first-team all-conference. We really depend on his leadership on defense."
On Jahvid Best"He's a guy that's worth the price of admission and one of the most talented players in the country. Jahvid also provides a lot of leadership capabilities besides the big-play capabilities. For all that he does for us on the football field; he does even more off the football field. We're excited about his (Heisman) campaign coming up. One of the things about Jahvid is that there is a lot of talk about him with the Heisman Trophy and so on, and so forth. That's all well and good, but make no mistake about it that Jahvid is a team above self guy all the way. First and foremost, he has a great amount of respect for his teammates as do his teammates for him. I know he's focused on our team goals this year."
On expectations for the upcoming season"One of the questions we have is about the expectations on us going into the season. We welcome the high expectations. I don't think we've ever gone into a season with low expectations. Sometimes the media expectations have kind of gone up-and-down, but the internal expectations that we have for ourselves have never changed. We're very excited."
On opening training camp"I'm looking forward to reporting to camp on Thursday and then Friday will be our first day on the field. We're excited. It's one of the best days of the year for me. I can't wait to get back and reconvene with all of these guys and get back to talk and plan about what we're going to do, and then get out there on the field and do it. I love the kids and getting back together with them again. I feel very privileged to be associated with the University of California and am looking forward to an exciting year."
On the 2009 Golden Bears "We feel like we have experience and leadership on both sides of the football. Pretty much our whole defense comes back. We lost three good linebackers from last year, but there were a whole lot of guys that played a year ago. We have a lot of talent, maybe even more talent than we had last year. It's pretty exciting on the defensive side of the ball, and then offensively the line is very solid, we have two great tailbacks, our receiving core is much more mature and experienced now, and our quarterback situation ... we feel like Kevin (Riley) has to step up right now, because we feel that his experience on game day in our offense puts him a step ahead. But, we will have great competition there with Brock Mansion and Beau Sweeney. I'm looking forward to it and can't wait to get there on Thursday and let these guys loose."On talking to Jahvid Best about the Heisman Trophy hype"I think that's part of our duty to as an institution that we give Jahvid the publicity he deserves, but also provide the management of it for him. Because he is still a young man and sometimes the media can be overwhelming. We need to make sure we manage it properly and educate him about all the ups and downs as you go through it. Sincerely, Jahvid could care less about all that stuff. He just wants to play football and be with his teammates. But there's a part of it that he's got to do, and it's our job to manage that for him."
On playing USC in 2009"That's going to be an exciting event, I can tell you that. I know everyone will be pumped. I know Memorial Stadium will be packed and ready to go. There's obviously a lot of work to go before we get to USC, but we don't have to work on getting up for USC. We know what that's all about."
On coaching at Cal. "There's so much invested at Cal. When we got there our first year, everyone said Cal will grow on you. The first event we had like this, they said do you bleed blue and gold, and I said `I've been here a week, no I don't bleed blue and gold." But since then, we've worked very hard and invested a lot of time and energy there. We've made great relationships, built great relationships with the alumni and with our fans. Our players are awesome. I love our players and our coaching staff. The Bay Area does grow on you and Cal grows on you, and I would like to stay here forever."JAHVID BEST On getting so much attention heading into the season"I feel honored. Just to hear my name mentioned in all those reviews is an honor. But that's not what I'm focusing on right now. I'm focusing on getting better as a player and looking forward to a great season."
On coach Tedford calling him a "team" guy, not an "I" guy"I think that's the most important thing about being on the team. If you've got a guy going around saying he's the best man on the team, then you can't build trust with your teammates. So, that's not what I want to do. I'm just going to make sure I do what I can to be the best for the team. The biggest thing is winning. Nobody really wins the highest honor on the team. But if we win, my chances will go up, so I will do the best I can."
On the transformations in the expectations at Cal "When I came to Cal, there was already a tradition of winning. Our expectation is winning the Pac-10 championship every year. We go into the season aiming for that. That's always the way it's been since I got there."On playing a big game early in the season "I personally like playing a big game early on because it really sets the tone for the season and gets the ball rolling. So, hopefully we get rolling and the momentum will carry us through five more games. If you start out slow, playing easier teams, you really don't know how good you are as a team. I want to know how good we are as a team from the beginning of the season and know what we have to work on."
On staying healthy "Over the summer, I put on a lot more pounds, so I'm going into the season a lot bigger. But it's just about playing smart because sometimes you have no control over yourself."
On all the attention USC receives "At Cal, we have a lot of respect for USC. They do some great things down there. But we feel like we are a big team, too. So, on any given Saturday, any team can knock off any other team. We just have to stay strong."
On looking forward to the USC game"Well, yes and no. Even if we do knock them off, we still have to win every other game because they will probably win every other game. We don't put too much focus on that."On whether there any is any added attention to game one after losing at Maryland last year "Definitely. We don't like to say it, but it does add a little bit more excitement to this game, taken what happened down there. Now we have them at home, we will try to return the favor."
On playing in the 2008 Emerald Bowl "It was a great experience. Most of us are from around the area, but we've never really had time to spend in San Francisco like this. The Emerald Bowl really took care of us. It was also another home game, and we were undefeated at home."
On rehabbing from off-season elbow and foot surgeries "There were a lot of extra hours put in. Rehab is something I had to do, so I put a lot of extra hours in just rehabbing to make sure my body felt good, and that I would be ready to roll."
SYD'QUAN THOMPSON On his personal goals and some of the things he is looking to accomplish given the fact that he didn't make the jump to the NFL after last year and decided to come back to Cal for one final year? "This off-season I wanted to focus on the little things in my game. Last year, I had a good season, but I felt like I could have done a lot better. I have worked on the technical part of my game. There's a lot of technique work that I can get better at, and that I could have been better at last year and put myself in a better position to make plays. This season, it's just been really technical for me to be able to elevate my game, and come August 6 to be able to put all the hard work I've put in together with the defensive scheme."
On what he can do better in 2009 "Getting hands on receivers more, working on my footwork, using my eyes better, reading my run pass keys a little better, being able to show up on run support and not only on pass. Just little things I can always get better at. I'm never satisfied with my game, even if I have an outstanding game and people tell me it's good, I always think it's not good enough. I go back to the film room the next day after game day and I always see a couple of things I could have done a little better, or run a little harder to make a play."
On the depth in the defensive backfield "We feel good about that, because the young guys have really stepped it up and proved that they can compete on the D-I level. Anyone that we throw on the fire, we think we can pretty much win downs and win games with anybody."On the defense"I think we will be really good. We lost three good linebackers, but I don't think we took a step back going through the off-season, spring and summer workouts. Our linebackers hear a lot about that, like `how are you going to replace the linebackers that left, you know you have some big shoes to fill.' I think there's a motivation for them that make them want to come out and work a little harder. The defense is going to be pretty solid. We have a veteran d-line and a veteran secondary. With us surrounding the linebackers, we should be alright."
On his career growth from a tumultuous start in his first collegiate game at Tennessee to now being a preseason All-American in 2009 "It just shows my maturity as a player and how much I've matured from my first game until now. Being nominated as a preseason All-American is a big accomplishment, but I don't really look back on the past. I just want to get something out of every day. That's what I look towards to wake up every morning and ask myself, `How can I make myself better today? That's what I go by, just trying to get something out of each and every day."
On being in a 3-4 defensive for the second year"We're able to add more to the 3-4. There's so much stuff you can do with the 3-4. Last year, we were kind of limited. It's a different feel for a linebacker; it's a different feel for the d-line; a different feel for the defensive backs. Just transferring from the 4-3 to the 3-4, you have a whole different gap to cover. You have to learn a whole new assignment and I think over the spring everybody seemed to have a whole season to work on it, that now it's clicking. We are adding plays in and just running with it. We're playing a lot bigger and faster with it. Everybody's just flying around the field and having fun."On returning punts "That's my thing. In high school, I had a lot of success in returning punts. Now that I've had the opportunity to return punts last year, it felt good being able to get back there and control the ball again. Playing defensive back, you don't get the ball unless you earn the ball, and go get the ball. In returning punts, the ball is kicked and given to me. It's all about what I can do with it. I'm a guy that likes to run around and make everybody tired and get positive yards. It's fun back there being able to field balls and put our offensive in field position."
On team goals "The team goal is to win the Pac-10. However nice it is, or however messy it is. It's just to win the Pac-10 and be the conference champions. That's the team goal. It's only going to happen if we can handle each team in front of us that week. You can't look too far ahead. Every team is a competition. You've got to be handle what's in front of you before you can move to the next week."On the attention Cal football receives "Everybody's going to come out and give us their best game. That's what we are looking for week in and week out. We are looking for competition and everybody coming out and giving us their best. We just want to come out and prove to everybody that we can come out and compete with any team and have a positive outcome in each game."
On working hard "My competition, the receiver that I'm lining up against every game, is working right now. That means I've got to work ten times as hard as he's working."
On whether there any is any added attention to game one after losing at Maryland last year"That was a game we beat ourselves. It was a game that we feel like got away from us real early, and we ran out of time to make a comeback and change the game around. Having the opportunity to play them for a second time at our house, we like our chances. We can't wait until this game kicks off."
On becoming a more vocal leader"I'm trying to move into a more vocal role, but I don't want to go outside of my boundaries or outside of my character to where the stuff that's coming out of my mouth doesn't sound true or convincible. I pretty much know my time and place where I should step up. I'm going to try to be more vocal, but I'm more of a `by example guy.' But whatever our team needs, I'm here to step up and play that role for us."
On guys who are becoming vocal leaders"I think Eddie Young has stepped up - Kevin Riley, Mike Tepper, Jeremy Ross. Everybody's trying to contribute and keep everybody hungry, humble and ready to compete this season."
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2009 Season Outlook: Cal Reports To Training Camp Thursday
Golden Bears begin workouts Friday at Memorial Stadium.
Cal head football coach Jeff Tedford and the Golden Bears report to 2009 training camp on Thursday
Aug. 6, 2009
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On working hard "My competition, the receiver that I'm lining up against every game, is working right now. That means I've got to work ten times as hard as he's working."On whether there any is any added attention to game one after losing at Maryland last year"That was a game we beat ourselves. It was a game that we feel like got away from us real early, and we ran out of time to make a comeback and change the game around. Having the opportunity to play them for a second time at our house, we like our chances. We can't wait until this game kicks off."
On becoming a more vocal leader"I'm trying to move into a more vocal role, but I don't want to go outside of my boundaries or outside of my character to where the stuff that's coming out of my mouth doesn't sound true or convincible. I pretty much know my time and place where I should step up. I'm going to try to be more vocal, but I'm more of a `by example guy.' But whatever our team needs, I'm here to step up and play that role for us."
On guys who are becoming vocal leaders"I think Eddie Young has stepped up - Kevin Riley, Mike Tepper, Jeremy Ross. Everybody's trying to contribute and keep everybody hungry, humble and ready to compete this season."
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2009 Season Outlook: Cal Reports To Training Camp Thursday
Golden Bears begin workouts Friday at Memorial Stadium.
Cal head football coach Jeff Tedford and the Golden Bears report to 2009 training camp on Thursday
Aug. 6, 2009
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BERKELEY - The 2009 California football team will report to training camp on Thursday to begin preparations for the upcoming season. The Bears will hold their first workout Friday at Memorial Stadium. All practices are closed to the public, but the Golden Bears will host their annual Fan Appreciation Day at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 29 (12:00 - 2:00 p.m. PT), following their final practice of training camp.
The Golden Bears open their 2009 campaign with a nationally televised ESPN2 contest against Maryland at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5 (7:00 p.m., PT). Cal fans are encouraged to participate in a Blue Out of Memorial Stadium in the season opener. The best way to show your support is to pick up the Cal 2009 Football Official Game Day Tee. For more information, visit CalBears.com/Blueout.
For 2009 Cal football tickets, visit CalBears.com or call (800) GO BEARS.
The Golden Bears open their 2009 campaign with a nationally televised ESPN2 contest against Maryland at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5 (7:00 p.m., PT). Cal fans are encouraged to participate in a Blue Out of Memorial Stadium in the season opener. The best way to show your support is to pick up the Cal 2009 Football Official Game Day Tee. For more information, visit CalBears.com/Blueout.
For 2009 Cal football tickets, visit CalBears.com or call (800) GO BEARS.
Cal has been ranked as high as No. 9 (Phil Steele) in 2009 national team preseason rankings released by college football preview publications. The Golden Bears were selected to finish second in the Pac-10 this year in an annual preseason poll of media who regularly cover the league.
Following are a 2009 preseason outlook and notes.
2009 PRESEASON OUTLOOK
GOLDEN BEARS READY TO GROWL With most key players returning from a 9-4 team that captured the 2008 Emerald Bowl for its school-record fourth straight bowl victory, California has plenty of reasons to be optimistic in 2009.
In fact, prognosticators believe there could be something special about this year's squad. The Bears are referred to as a "legitimate national title contender" in Phil Steele's 2009 College Football Preview. Cal is ranked in nearly every Top 25 preseason poll and in the Top 15 in most.
"Our goal is to realize our potential," head coach Jeff Tedford offered calmly. And this is a season full of potential.
Two of the primary reasons for the optimism are a defense that is arguably one of the top units in the nation and a running back in Jahvid Best that is one of the top Heisman Trophy candidates.
"I'm excited about the 2009 season and the possibilities," Tedford said with more excitement. "The team chemistry and leadership are some of the best during my time here."
The Bears will head into camp with a three-way competition for the starting quarterback job among junior Kevin Riley, sophomore Brock Mansion and redshirt freshman Beau Sweeney. The trio will work with Tedford and first-year offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, who spent last season as the offensive coordinator of a high-powered Utah offense that contributed to the nation's only unbeaten record (13-0) and a No. 2 ranking in the final national polls.
"I believe that the addition of a couple of new coaches on the offensive side of the ball will bring some freshness to what we're doing," said Tedford in reference to Ludwig and new offensive line coach Steve Marshall. On the defensive side of the ball, Cal is coming off its best showing since 1994 and expected to continue to improve under eighth-year defensive coordinator Bob Gregory.
The primary concern will be replacing starting linebackers Anthony Felder, Zack Follett and Worrell Williams. The three new starters will be supported by eight returning defensive starters as both the defensive line and backfield remain intact from a 2008 team that was among the national leaders in nearly every statistical category, including impressive top 10 showings in red zone efficiency defense (.68, No. 2), interceptions (24, No. 3), turnovers gained (34, No. 4-T), pass efficiency defense (98.44, No. 6) and third down conversations defense (30.96, No. 10).Should the Golden Bears have another successful season, Tedford will continue his rapid ascent into hallowed territory within the school's coaching annals. He has already taken Cal to more postseason bowl games (6) than anyone else in school history and needs just nine more wins to pass College Football Hall of Fame member Pappy Waldorf (67-32-4) on top of the modern era victory list.
Tedford starts the 2009 season with a 59-30 all-time mark at Cal after leading the Bears to a 9-4 record, an Emerald Bowl victory over Miami, Fla., and a No. 25 ranking in the final coaches' poll in 2008.
Cal begins 2009 by hosting Maryland in a nationally televised ESPN2 game at Memorial Stadium on September 5. After a visit from Eastern Washington on September 12, the Bears travel to play only the second game in a new on-campus stadium at Minnesota on September 19.The Pac-10 slate starts the following week and the Golden Bears will open conference action with nationally televised ABC games against two other teams holding serious Pac-10 title hopes, travelling to Oregon on September 26 and hosting USC for homecoming on October 3.
After a bye week, Cal will round out October by making a trip to UCLA (October 17), hosting Washington State (October 24) and visiting Arizona State (October 31). November starts with a pair of home games against Oregon State (November 7) and Arizona (November 14) before a short ride across the Bay to Stanford for the Big Game (November 21). After a second bye, the Bears close out the regular season at Washington on December 5.
"I'm really looking forward to this team working very hard to accomplish our goal," Tedford explained. "Our goal never really changes, and that's to reach our full potential. I know there's going to be high expectations on this team, and it's something we welcome. I have a lot of confidence that we are going to work hard and achieve what we have set forth to do."The following is a position-by-position look at the Golden Bears heading into the 2009 season.
OFFENSE Cal returns seven starters on offense, headlined by junior running back Jahvid Best, who last season ranked third nationally in rushing yards per game (131.7) as well as second in all-purpose yards per contest (187.2). The Bears also have their top passer returning in junior quarterback Kevin Riley as well as their top receiver in senior Nyan Boateng.The trio helped the Golden Bears average 32.6 points per game last season to mark the sixth time in the past seven campaigns Cal has scored more than 30.0 points per game - a feat the team accomplished just once in the eight years prior to Tedford's arrival in 2002.
QUARTERBACK (5)16 - Allan Bridgford (6-3, 210, FR, HS)10 - Brock Mansion (6-5, 237, SO, 1V) 13 - Kevin Riley (6-2, 221, JR, 2V) 9 - Beau Sweeney (6-2, 226, RFR, RS) 14 - Ryan Wertenberger (6-2, 207, RFR, RS)
Junior Kevin Riley, sophomore Brock Mansion and redshirt freshman Beau Sweeney are expected to compete for the starting job and the starter won't be determined until training camp.
"We will have competition for the starting quarterback job in 2009," Tedford confirmed. "It's a good situation to have three guys that are capable of doing the job."
Riley compiled a 7-2 record as a starter last fall, when he completed 112-of-221 passes for 1,360 yards and 14 scores (only six interceptions). In 2007, he was named Offensive MVP of the Armed Forces Bowl after coming into the game with a 21-0 deficit and guiding Cal to a victory over Air Force. Riley was 16-of-19 for 269 yards and three TDs. He also had a big game against Oregon State (20-of-34, 294 yards, 2 TDs) earlier in the year.
The strong-armed Mansion saw spot duty in 2008, finishing 3-of-6 for 26 yards in late-game situations. He was named Cal's Freshman Lifter of the Year in 2007. Sweeney was voted the Bears' Co-Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year in 2008. Redshirt freshman Ryan Wertenberger and true freshman Allan Bridgford are the other quarterbacks on the team's roster.
RUNNING BACKTAILBACK (6)4 - Jahvid Best (5-10, 195, JR, 2V) 28 - Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson (5-11, 205, RFR, RS) 24 - Langton Jackson (6-1, 227, RFR, RS) 21 - Kevin Lewis (5-9, 180, RFR, RS)34 - Shane Vereen (5-10, 198, SO, 1V) 23 - Dasarte Yarnway (6-0, 222, FR, HS)
FULLBACK (7)30 - Nico Dumont (6-0, 210, FR, HS) 18 - Peter Geurts (6-1, 215, SO, 1V) 32 - Jon Harris (6-0, 230, FR, HS) 33 - Brian Holley (5-10, 235, SR, 3V) 22 - Will Kapp (5-10, 216, SO, 1V) 48 - Eric Stevens (6-0, 229, RFR, RS) 31 - John Tyndall (6-3, 236, SO, 1V)
It's nearly impossible to have a conversation about Cal football without talking about Jahvid Best, the team's Heisman Trophy candidate. The junior speedster is a first-team preseason All-American and near the top of almost everybody's list of Heisman Trophy favorites heading into the 2009 campaign. All he did in 2008 to earn this recognition was rush for 1,580 yards - No. 3 in the country, No. 1 in the Pac-10 and No. 2 on Cal's all-time single-season list - and set single-season school records with 8.1 yards per carry and 15 rushing TDs (tied mark). The 2008 first-team All-Pac-10 selection also set a single-game Cal mark by galloping for 311 yards in the regular season finale vs. Washington before establishing an Emerald Bowl record with 186 yards in a victory over Miami, Fla. Best had three of the Pac-10's four 200-yard games and went for 100 or more yards on eight occasions. He also posted 19 rushes of 20 or more yards and seven that he broke for at least 60, including three of 80 or more.
Best is a triple threat as he also tied for second on the team last year with 27 receptions while averaging 26.3 yards per kickoff return. Although Best is certainly among the nation's elite, it's not a one-man show in the Cal backfield.
Sophomore running back Shane Vereen churned his way to 715 yards (No. 10 Pac-10) and four touchdowns as Best's backup during his redshirt freshman season last season. Vereen rushed for 101 yards in the Michigan State opener, including a game-clinching 81-yard TD sprint in the fourth quarter. Subbing for an injured Best vs. Arizona State, he totaled 93 yards on the ground and 51 more on five catches to help the Bears to a 24-14 win over the Sun Devils. He also added 99 yards to complement Best's 100-yard game vs. UCLA while picking up 80 at Washington State and 56 at Stanford, where he also made one catch for a 59-yard touchdown against the Cardinal."We would like to think that we have one of the best running games in the country," said Tedford. "Everyone knows that Jahvid Best is a Heisman candidate, but we have excellent depth at the position. With Jahvid and Shane Vereen, we have one of the best 1-2 punches in the country. We are also very impressed with all of the other players we have in this talented group."
Those other players include redshirt freshmen Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson, Langston Jackson and Kevin Lewis, as well as true freshman and local product Dasarte Yarnway from San Francisco's Sacred Heart Cathedral High School.
Fullback duties are up for grabs after the graduation of starter Will Ta'ufo'ou, with several players battling for the starting spot. Senior Brian Holley brings the most experience after serving as the primary backup for Ta'ufo'ou the past two seasons, but he will be challenged by sophomores John Tyndall and Will Kapp (son of former Cal standout and head coach Joe Kapp).
Others include sophomore Peter Geurts, redshirt freshman Eric Stevens and a pair of true freshmen in Nico Dumont (Novato, CA/Marin Catholic HS) and Jon Harris (Riverside, CA/Riverside Christian HS).
WIDE RECEIVER (13)8 - Nyan Boateng (6-2, 211, SR, 1V) 81 - Ross Bostock (6-2, 194, RFR, RS) 82 - Jackson Bouza (6-1, 185, FR, HS) 84 - Michael Calvin (6-2, 205, SO, 1V) 87 - Spencer Hagan (6-4, 180, FR, HS) 1 - Marvin Jones (6-2, 190, SO, 1V) 5 - Alex Lagemann (6-2, 200, SO, SQ) 3 - Jeremy Ross (5-11, 216, JR, 1V) 2 - Charles Satchell (6-2, 208, RFR, RS) 20 - Isi Sofele (5-7, 170, FR, HS)7 - Quinn Tedford (6-0, 170, RFR, RS) 86 - Verran Tucker (6-1, 204, SR, 1V) 88 - Aric Williams (6-2, 198, SO, TR)
After having nearly an entirely new batch of receivers in 2008, Cal returns four of its top six players this fall. The Bears should have excellent depth and are hopeful that several members of the group will have breakout seasons.
"We have a promising group of receivers and are looking for a couple of them to emerge as leaders of the group," confirmed Tedford.
Senior Nyan Boateng put up the top numbers last year with team-highs of 29 catches and 439 yards receiving, while also ranking second on the club with five TD receptions.
Senior Verran Tucker was the biggest deep threat with his team-high 17.2 yards per catch average, three scores among his 21 receptions for 362 yards.
Junior Jeremy Ross was solid during a 2008 season in which he moved into the starting lineup for four of the final five games and finished the campaign with 17 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns.
Sophomores Marvin Jones and Michael Calvin both had impressive spring workouts in 2009 and are looking to stay healthy after suffering knee injuries in 2008 that limited the talented duo.
Sophomore Alex Lagemann has yet to catch a pass in college but also had an impressive spring and should get a look in the rotation.
Other returning receivers include redshirt freshmen Ross Bostock, Charles Satchell and Quinn Tedford.
Newcomers joining the group are sophomore Aric Williams (Livermore, CA/Granada HS/West Los Angeles College), as well as true freshmen Jackson Bouza (Lafayette, CA/De La Salle HS), Spencer Hagan (Sacramento, CA/Capital Christian HS) and Isi Sofele (Salt Lake City, UT/Cottonwood HS).
TIGHT END (7)83 - Skylar Curran (6-4, 256, SR, 1V) 99 - Savai'i Eselu (6-3, 251, SO, SQ) 89 - Garry Graffort (6-3, 242, JR, SQ) 45 - Spencer Ladner (6-7, 253, RFR, RS) 80 - Anthony Miller (6-3, 258, SO, 1V) 44 - Tad Smith (6-5, 254, SR, 2V) 19 - Jarrett Sparks (6-1, 230, RFR, RS)
After the early departure of Cameron Morrah for the NFL Draft following his 2008 junior season, Cal is looking for a new starter at tight end. Morrah was an active receiver a year ago, tying for second on the team with 27 receptions and ranking third with his 326 yards receiving.
Senior Tad Smith seemed to have the inside track to take over the starting spot before being sidelined for much of the offseason when he broke his scapula during spring workouts. Smith, who had three catches for 23 yards and a TD as a backup last season after converting to the position from defensive end, is expected to be ready to go for training camp.
"Tad Smith is the veteran in the group and will provide solid play and leadership," stated Tedford. "I'm also looking forward to seeing what some of the younger players will bring to the table."
One of those younger players is sophomore Anthony Miller, who is an intriguing option that should certainly see playing time. Miller had only one catch as a true freshman last season, but it was the gamewinner with just 2:41 left in the Emerald Bowl against Miami, Fla. A pair of redshirt freshmen - Spencer Ladner and converted wide receiver Jarrett Sparks - and senior Skylar Curran also figure into the mix. Other tight ends on the roster include sophomore Savai'i Eselu and junior Garry Graffort.
OFFENSIVE LINE
GUARD (10) 70 - Mark Boskovich (6-4, 304, JR, 2V) 61 - Justin Cheadle (6-2, 299, SO, 1V)74 - T.J. Emery (6-3, 291, SO, SQ) 73 - Richard Fisher (6-4, 290, JR, 1V) 52 - Justin Gates (6-3, 281, SO, SQ)59 - Ed Johnston (6-3, 265, FR, HS) 77 - Tyler Rigsbee (6-5, 285, RFR, RS) 57 - Brian Schwenke (6-3, 260, FR, HS) 75 - Matt Summers-Gavin (6-4, 291, RFR, RS) 58 - Chet Teofilo (6-3, 329, SR, 3V)
CENTER (3)68 - Mark Brazinski (6-4, 293, FR, HS) 65 - Dominic Galas (6-1, 281, RFR, RS) 54 - Chris Guarnero (6-2, 275, JR, 1V)
TACKLE (7)53 - Donovan Edwards (6-5, 285, JR, 1V) 71 - Sam DeMartinis (6-5, 293, SO, SQ) 78 - Justin Prueitt (6-5, 280, JR, SQ) 66 - Charles Ragland (6-8, 285, FR, HS) 72 - Mitchell Schwartz (6-6, 335, SO, 1V) 76 - Charles Siddoway (6-7, 325, FR, HS) 79 - Mike Tepper (6-7, 319, SR, 2V)
Although the Bears lost a pair of starters in All-America center Alex Mack and All-Pac-10 guard Noris Malele, Cal has seven players back on the offensive line that have collegiate starting experience.
"We expect that the offensive line will be a strength of our team in 2009," offered Tedford. "We are excited about the balance of playing experience and young emerging talent that this group possesses."
Much of that experience lies with senior Mike Tepper, who has been granted a sixth season of eligibility after missing all of 2008 with a pectoral injury. A starter for all 13 games at right tackle in 2007, he is expected to man the left tackle position this year. Sophomore Mitchell Schwartz earned Freshman All-America notice in 2008 after starting all 13 games - three times at right tackle and the final 10 contests at left tackle. He is expected to move back to right tackle with the return of Tepper to the starting lineup.
Junior Mark Boskovich and senior Chet Teofilo are slated to be the team's starting guards. Boskovich, a first-team Pac-10 All-Academic selection in 2008, started the club's final 10 games at left guard last year and is expected to return in the role. Teofilo plans to move inside to the right guard position after making each of his eight starts over the past two seasons at tackle. He missed the team's final six games a year ago with an ankle injury.
Junior Chris Guarnero is back at full strength and should return to his more natural center spot to replace Mack, a first-round selection by the Cleveland Browns in the 2009 NFL Draft. Guarnero started the team's first three games last season at left guard before an injured toe kept him out the rest of the campaign.
In addition, junior tackle Donovan Edwards and sophomore guard Justin Cheadle earned starts in 2008 with Edwards in the lineup for the team's final six games at right tackle and Cheadle making his sole start at right guard vs. Oregon.
Others returnees vying for a spot in the rotation include junior guard Richard Fisher and a pair of redshirt freshmen in center Dominic Galas and guard Matt Summers-Gavin. Additional returning offensive linemen are sophomores Sam DeMartinis, T.J. Emery and Justin Gates, as well as junior Justin Prueitt and redshirt freshman Tyler Rigsbee.
True freshman newcomers include highly touted center Mark Brazinski (Basking Ridge, NJ/Immaculata HS), guards Ed Johnston (Fairfield, CA/Armijo HS) and Brian Schwenke (Oceanside, CA/Oceanside HS), and tackles Charles Ragland (Denver, CO/Mullen HS) and Charles Siddoway (Eugene, OR/Sheldon HS).
DEFENSE Utilizing a new 3-4 alignment, Cal ranked among the top defensive units in the country last year, finishing among the nation's top 30 in most key statistical categories. The Bears have eight starters returning this season, including their entire contingents along the defensive line and in the defensive backfield. Cal will need to replace three starters at linebacker.
DEFENSIVE LINE
NOSE GUARD (5)50 - Kevin Bemoll (6-4, 334, SR, 1V) 57 - Austin Clark (6-0, 250, FR, HS) 77 - Michael Costanzo (6-2, 296, JR, 1V) 76 - Derrick Hill (6-2, 302, JR, 2V) 96 - Kendrick Payne (6-2, 300, RFR, RS)
DEFENSIVE END (8) 44 - Tyson Alualu (6-3, 295, SR, 3V) 47 - Keith Browner (6-6, 268, JR, 1V) 91 - Deandre Coleman (6-6, 309, FR, HS) 92 - Trevor Guyton (6-3, 285, SO, 1V) 97 - Cameron Jordan (6-4, 287, JR, 2V) 56 - Keni Kaufusi (6-2, 275, FR, HS)95 - Ernest Owusu (6-4, 268, SO, 1V) 40 - Aaron Tipoti (6-2, 281, RFR, RS)
Senior Tyson Alualu and junior Cameron Jordan give Cal a pair of the top defensive ends in the Pac-10. Junior nose guard Derrick Hill also returns to give the Golden Bears a strong first group in the trenches.
"We will be very solid up front with Tyson Alualu, Cameron Jordan and Derrick Hill," said Tedford. "Those three guys are among the very best in the conference."
Alualu, a second-team All-Pac-10 choice in 2008 who has already earned honorable mention preseason All-American honors this year, is projected to go high in the 2010 NFL Draft and would love to have an impressive final collegiate season to raise his stock even further. Last year, he had the most tackles (62) by a Cal defensive lineman since 1995 and played in all 13 games for the third year in a row, while starting all 13 contests for the second consecutive campaign. Alualu added 6.0 sacks, 11.0 TFL and a pair of forced fumbles.
Jordan claimed honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors in 2008, when he tallied 47 takedowns, 4.0 sacks and 11.0 TFL, which equals Alualu for the most stops behind the line of scrimmage by any returning Bear. He also added two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and an interception, starting seven of the 12 games in which he played.
Hill, who earned nine starts last season in the middle of Cal's base 3-4 set, is expected to be a force in the middle once again. Last year, he recorded 29 tackles, 2.5 TFL and 0.5 sacks, while doing an excellent job controlling the line of scrimmage.
Other returnees who have made strides at defensive end and are looking to provide depth to Alualu and Jordan include junior Keith Browner, sophomores Trevor Guyton and Ernest Owusu, and redshirt freshman Aaron Tipoti. Deandre Coleman (Seattle, WA/Garfield HS) and Keni Kaufusi (Salt Lake City, UT/Cottonwood HS) are the incoming players at the position.
In the middle, redshirt freshman Kendrick Payne is slotted to be Hill's main backup. The other two returning veterans are senior Kevin Bemoll and junior Michael Costanzo. Freshman Austin Clark (Tampa, FL/Plant HS) is the team's lone newcomer at the spot.
LINEBACKER (16) 90 - Simon Aigamaua (6-1, 246, SO, SQ) 10 - Devin Bishop (6-1, 239, SR, 1V) 93 - Dan Camporeale (6-3, 235, FR, HS) 22 - Ryan Davis (6-4, 247, JR, JC)42 - Steven Fanua (6-1, 203, FR, HS)3 - D.J. Holt (6-1, 250, SO, 1V) 34 - J.P. Hurrell (6-0, 205, FR, HS) 43 - Charles Johnson (6-1, 232, JR, 1V) 30 - Mychal Kendricks (6-0, 230, SO, 1V) 4 - Chris Little (6-2, 224, RFR, RS) 55 - Jerome Meadows (6-3, 240, JR, JC) 18 - Mike Mohamed (6-3, 237, JR, 2V) 37 - Robert Mullins (5-11, 222, RFR, RS) 13 - Jarred Price (5-11, 218, JR, JC) 45 - Nick Rosato (6-1, 230, RFR, RS) 9 - Eddie Young (6-0, 239, SR, 2V)
Cal's defense took its biggest hit at linebacker with the graduation of starting senior trio Anthony Felder, Zack Follett and Worrell Williams. But the Bears appear to have the necessary depth to fill the vacant spots with quality personnel.
"Even though we have lost three outstanding players from this group, our linebackers should still be a strength of this team," explained Tedford. Senior Eddie Young has the most starting experience of any returnees after he was in the lineup for the first snap in 11 of the 12 games he played in a year ago at an outside spot.
Junior Mike Mohamed, who has the ability to play any of the four spots, is arguably the team's top returnee and expected to start on the inside this season after earning honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors as a reserve last year. Despite making just two starts at outside linebacker a year ago, Mohamed's 87 tackles ranked tied for second on the team with Follett. Senior Devin Bishop and sophomore Mychal Kendricks have both made a push to earn starting nods alongside Young and Mohamed.
Other returnees expected to challenge for playing time include junior Charles Johnson, sophomores D.J. Holt and Robert Mullins, and redshirt freshman Chris Little.
Junior college transfers Ryan Davis (Los Angeles, CA/Artesia HS/Cerritos College), Jerome Meadows (Spartanburg, SC/Broome HS/San Jose CC) and Jarred Price (Dallas, TX/Madison HS/Blinn College) are all expected to be in the mix as well.
The other returning linebackers on the roster include sophomore Simon Aigamaua and redshirt freshman Nick Rosato.
The team's incoming freshmen are Dan Camporeale (Lafayette, CA/Acalanes HS), Steven Fanua (Milpitas, CA/Milpitas HS) and J.P. Hurrell (San Mateo, CA/Juniperro HS).
DEFENSIVE BACK
CORNERBACK (9) 27 - Charles Amadi (5-10, 186, JR, 2V) 2 - Marc Anthony (6-0, 194, RFR, RS) 17 - Chris Conte (6-3, 205, JR, 2V) 26 - Darian Hagan (6-0, 186, JR, 2V) 23 - Josh Hill (5-11, 194, RFR, RS) 15 - Bryant Nnabuife (6-1, 190, JR, 1V) 24 - Vachel Samuels (6-0, 175, FR, HS) 5 - Syd'Quan Thompson (5-9, 191, SR, 3V) 1 - Steve Williams (5-10, 160, FR, HS)
SAFETY (8) 20 - Jesse Brooks (5-11, 197, SR, 2V) 7 - D.J. Campbell (6-0, 198, SO, 1V)11 - Sean Cattouse (6-2, 206, SO, 1V) 21 - Tyré Ellison (6-2, 184, RFR, RS) 29 - Marcus Ezeff (5-11, 219, SR, 3V) 25 - Brett Johnson (6-1, 194, SR, 3V) 6 - Alex Logan (6-2, 190, FR, HS)8 - Chris Moncrease (6-2, 215, SO, JC)
Cal's defensive backs are arguably the top returning position group on the team with all four starting members of the secondary returning from a unit that surrendered only 12 touchdown passes a year ago. The group features a trio of seniors in 2009 preseason All-American cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson, and the starting safety tandem of Marcus Ezeff and Brett Johnson. The other returning starter is junior cornerback Darian Hagan.
"I truly believe that we have one of the best defensive backfields in the country," said a confident Tedford about a group that was ranked as the nation's No. 6 defensive backfield in Lindy's preview magazine.
Thompson, who is on the watch list for The Lott Trophy in 2009, has 32 passes defended over his career with six interceptions and 26 pass breakups. Thompson has started all 39 games possible in his first three seasons at Cal and is the team's active career leader in tackles (208), as well as interceptions, passes defended and pass breakups. Last year, he led the team's defensive backs with 70 tackles and all Golden Bears with four interceptions. His 18 passes defended tied Hagan for the team lead, while his 14 pass breakups were second to Hagan. He also added 7.5 TFL and 2.0 sacks.
Ezeff moved into a full-time starting role in 2008 and responded by recording 66 tackles to rank fifth on the team and second among defensive backs behind Thompson. He also came up with three picks, six pass breakups, a fumble recovery and 1.0 TFL. Hagan had three interceptions to go with his team-high 15 pass breakups, team-high-tying 18 passes defended, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble, 2.5 TFL and 56 tackles in his first year as a starter.
Johnson has appeared in more games for Cal (36) than anyone else in the defensive backfield other than Thompson, but last year was his first as a starting safety. He made nine of his 10 career starts in 2008 and finished with 43 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a blocked kick.
Cal also has a plethora of talented depth in its secondary with the likes of junior cornerback Chris Conte and sophomore safety Sean Cattouse leading the group. Conte has flirted with a full-time role as a starter in the past, collecting four starts in his first two seasons. Cattouse got a taste of a starting role with two starts in 2008 and also picked off a pair of passes while in his role as a reserve.
Juniors Charles Amadi and Bryant Nnabuife are joined by redshirt freshmen Marc Anthony and Josh Hill to give the Bears additional returning depth at cornerback. Vachel Samuels (Lynwood, CA/Lynwood HS) and Steve Williams (Dallas, TX/Skyline HS) join the cornerback crew as freshmen.
At the safety position, additional returnees include senior Jesse Brooks, sophomore D.J. Campbell and redshirt freshman Tyré Ellison. Freshman Alex Logan (Denver, CO/Mullen HS) will be joined by sophomore Chris Moncrease (El Cerrito, CA/El Cerrito HS/Laney College) as the team's newcomers at the position.
SPECIAL TEAMS
HOLDER (2)19 - Bryan Anger (6-4, 202, SO, 1V)10 - Brock Mansion (6-5, 237, SO, 1V)
LONG SNAP (2)86 - Steven Callaway (5-10, 206, RFR, TR)50 - Matt Rios (6-1, 236, RFR, RS)
KICKER (4)16 - Vince D'Amato (6-1, 195, FR, HS)14 - Nick Demopoulos (5-9, 166, JR, SQ)46 - David Seawright (6-3, 223, SO, 1V)40 - Giorgio Tavecchio (5-8, 173, SO, 1V)
KICK RETURN (2)4 - Jahvid Best (5-10, 195, JR, 2V)34 - Shane Vereen (5-10, 198, SO, 1V)
PUNTER (1)19 - Bryan Anger (6-4, 199, SO, 1V)
PUNT RETURN (2)5 - Syd'Quan Thompson (5-9, 191, SR, 3V)3 - Jeremy Ross (5-11, 216, JR, 1V)
Punter Bryan Anger is back for his sophomore campaign and has already claimed first-team preseason All-America status in 2009 after picking up second-team All-Pac-10 and first-team Freshman All-American honors last year. The only freshman named a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter, Anger averaged 43.1 yards per punt in 2008 to rank fifth on Cal's all-time single-season list and also had the three longest punts in the Pac-10 with boots of 76, 75 and 72 yards.
The battle for kicking duties could include three participants. Sophomore David Seawright earned starting placekicking duties at the start of last season and made 5-of-7 field goals over the first five games before a groin injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. Fellow sophomore Giorgio Tavecchio, who joined the team just three days before its first game in 2008, filled in the rest of the way and was 9-for-13 on field goals. Both Seawright (26-26) and Tavecchio (25-25) were perfect on extra points in 2008. Both are expected to compete for the starting job in 2009 along with incoming freshman Vince D'Amato (Lake Forest, CA/El Toro HS).
At long snapper, redshirt freshman Matt Rios looks to take over for the graduated Nick Sundberg, who held the position for four years. Redshirt freshman Steven Callaway (Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley HS) has transferred from Nebraska and is the team's other long snapper.
Sophomore quarterback Brock Mansion is slated to do the team's holding with Anger his backup.
The Bears are also solid in the return game with Thompson and Best resuming their roles returning punts and kicks, respectively. Thompson averaged 12.3 yards on punt returns in 2008 to rank among the Pac-10 (No. 4) and NCAA (No. 21) leaders with one of his returns going 73 yards for a score vs. Colorado State. Best led the Pac-10 with a 26.3 average on kick returns a year ago (No. 21 NCAA). Junior Jeremy Ross and sophomore Shane Vereen are the secondary returnees on punts and kicks, respectively. Ross will be new in his role returning punts but has experience returning kicks last year when he returned one more (17) than Best for a total of 337 yards and an average of 19.8 yards per return.
"We have some of the best specialists in the country in Anger, Best and Thompson," said Tedford. "It will also be important that we get a solid performance from our placekickers and a new long snapper. I am confident that the players stepping into those spots will do a great job."
2009 PRESEASON NOTESOFFENSE QUICK NOTES• Cal has averaged at least 30.0 points per game in six of the last seven years after averaging 32.6 in 2008.• Cal has won 22 straight games in which the Bears have scored 30 or more points.• Cal features a Heisman Trophy candidate in junior running back Jahvid Best, who rushed for 1,580 yards last season and is the nation's leading returning rusher.• Cal features first-year offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, who was at the helm of Utah's offense last year, when the Utes were 13-0 and finished ranked second in the nation.• Cal is expected to start 2009 training camp with a three-way competition for the starting quarterback spot between junior Kevin Riley, sophomore Brock Mansion and redshirt freshman Beau Sweeney.• Cal returns four of its top six pass catchers from 2008 in senior wide receiver Nyan Boateng, Best, fellow running back Shane Vereen and junior wide receiver Jeremy Ross.
DEFENSE QUICK NOTES• Cal returns eight defensive starters from a team that ranked among the nation's best in nearly every defensive category last year. The Golden Bears return their entire defensive line and defensive backfield.• Cal's 2009 defense features a first-team preseason All-American and a Lott Trophy candidate in senior cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson. Senior defensive end Tyson Alualu has also earned 2009 honorable mention preseason All-American recognition.• The Golden Bears will need to replace three starting linebackers from 2008 in Anthony Felder, Zack Follett and Worrell Williams.SPECIAL TEAMS QUICK NOTES• Cal returns all starting members from its kicking and return games in sophomores Bryan Anger (punter), David Seawright and Giorgio Tavecchio (placekickers), Best (kick return) and Thompson (punt return).• Anger has earned first-team 2009 preseason All-America honors as a punter, while Best (tailback) and Thompson (cornerback) have picked up the same recognition at their primary positions.
MISCELLANEOUS QUICK NOTES• Head coach Jeff Tedford begins the season with a 59-30 all-time record as a head coach, needing just nine more wins to move past the legendary Pappy Waldorf as the all-time modern era win leader at Cal.• Cal is ranked as high as No. 9 in preseason publications, where the Golden Bears stand in Phil Steele's College Football Preview.
BOWLING BEARS• Cal has played in a school-record six straight bowls and also has a current school mark intact with four consecutive bowl wins.2003 Insight Bowl Cal 52, Virginia Tech 49
2004 Holiday Bowl Texas Tech 45, Cal 31
2005 Las Vegas Bowl Cal 35, BYU 28
2006 Holiday Bowl Cal 45, Texas A&M 10
2007 Armed Forces Bowl Cal 42, Air Force 36
2008 Emerald Bowl Cal 24, Miami 17
WIN STREAK• Cal has recorded seven consecutive winning seasons (2002-08) to move within one winning campaign of tying the school football record of eight consecutive years from 1918-25. The Bears did record 10 consecutive winning campaigns from 1907-16 but those were split between rugby (8, 1907-14) and football (2, 1915-16).
TEDFORD TEAMS ON TOP• Cal's 59 victories in its first seven seasons under head coach Jeff Tedford are the most wins during a seven-year span in school history. All seven of Tedford's teams have had winning seasons with at least seven victories in each. Tedford's teams have recorded at least eight wins to equal Andy Smith and Pappy Waldorf as the school's all-time leaders. He also fares well among all-time Pac-10 coaches and is just one of four in the history of the conference to record winning seasons in each of his first seven campaigns at the helm. He is also 6-1 in seven career Big Games against Stanford.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS AND WATCH LISTS• Sophomore punter Bryan Anger, junior running back Jahvid Best and senior defensive back Syd'Quan Thompson have all earned first team preseason All-America honors in 2009. Best is also one of the nation's leading Heisman Trophy and Doak Walker Award candidates. Anger is on the Ray Guy Award watch list, while Thompson is on the watch list for The Lott Trophy. Senior defensive lineman Tyson Alualu has added a 2009 honorable mention preseason All-America selection.
SIMPLY THE BEST• A quick look at Heisman Trophy candidate Jahvid Best's bio shows him as the nation's top returnee in both average per game all-purpose (187.3) and rushing (131.67) yards after ranking second and third in the country in the categories last season, respectively. Some of his other impressive numbers from 2008 included a pair of school records with an 8.1 yards per carry season average and 311 yards in a single game vs. Washington, three 200-yard games, eight 100-yard contests and big-play capability with 19 rushes of 20 or more yards, seven of 60+ yards and three runs of 80 or more.
BEST OF THE BUNCH• Jahvid Best's 1,580 yards rushing in 2008 is second all-time at Cal and marks the seventh consecutive season in which a Golden Bear running back has gained over 1,000 yards on the ground. Cal is one of only three Football Bowl Subdivision schools to have accomplished the feat and is only three seasons from equaling USC's 10-year run from 1972-81. Joe Igber started the current trend when he became the first Cal player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in nine seasons in 2002. Cal's 1,000-Yard Rushers Since 2002
2008 Jahvid Best 1,580
2007 Justin Forsett 1,546
2006 Marshawn Lynch 1,356
2005 Marshawn Lynch 1,246
2004 J.J. Arrington 2,018
2003 Adimchinobe Echemandu 1,195
2002 Joe Igber 1,130
ACADEMIC PROWESS• Cal has had 74 players claim Pac-10 All-Academic honors in seven seasons under head coach Jeff Tedford. Last year, Alex Mack earned the Draddy Trophy, often referred to as the Academic Heisman, and was one of a Pac-10-high-tying four players that earned first-team All-Academic recognition from the conference.
AM STARTS• During the Jeff Tedford era, Cal has played five road games in other time zones that have started before 12 pm, PT. The Golden Bears have a 4-1 record in those games and had won four in a row with victories at Illinois (2003), Air Force (2004, 2007) and Colorado State (2007) before falling at Maryland in 2008. This year, Cal's game at Minnesota in the Golden Gophers' first-year stadium on September 19 has a starting time of 9 am, PT.
TURNOVER TABLE• Winning the turnover battle has been emphasized since Jeff Tedford's arrival on campus in 2002. During his seven seasons at Cal, the Bears are 34-3 when committing fewer turnovers than their opponents compared to 13-19 when opponents win the battle (12-8 tied). In Pac-10 games, the stats are even more decisive as Cal is 22-1 with a positive margin and 7-17 with a deficit (7-5 tied).
HOME COOKING• Cal has been unbeaten at home in three of the past five seasons (2004, '06, '08) and posted a 27-4 record at Memorial Stadium during the span. The only two teams to have beaten Cal on its home turf during the five-year period are Oregon State (10/15/05, 10/13/07) and USC (11/12/05, 11/10/07).
LARGE CROWDS, AGAIN• Cal averaged 61,634 fans per contest in 2008 to mark the fourth time in the last five years the Bears have drawn more than 60,000 per game. In terms of pure numbers, Cal attracted its second-highest total ever in 2008 with 431,437 fans attending seven home dates. Only the 2006 season, which drew 450,223 fans and averaged a record 64,318 spectators per contest, has had a larger total final home attendance count. Cal has also drawn at least 50,000 fans for each of its last 31 home games spanning the past five seasons.
COACHING CHANGES• Cal has two new coaches on board in 2009 with the addition of offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig and offensive line coach Steve Marshall. Ludwig had been the offensive coordinator at Utah for the last four seasons, leading one of the best offenses in the country that was largely responsible for a 13-0 record in 2008, the country's only unbeaten mark by a Football Bowl Subdivision team, and a No. 2 final national ranking. Marshall has most recently coached for six NFL seasons with the Houston Texans (2002-05) and Cleveland Browns (2007-08).
BEARS ON TV• For the first two seasons in school history, every Cal football game has been televised over the past two years. In Jeff Tedford's seven campaigns at the helm, a total of 73 Cal football contests have been televised compared to just 41 in the previous seven years before his arrival.
BEARS PLAY ON SUNDAY, TOO• As of press time, a total of 38 former Cal football players were either currently on an NFL roster and/or are NFL free agents that have been on an NFL roster at some point since the 2009 NFL Draft.
FOR OPENERS• Cal has been successful in openers during the Jeff Tedford era, going a perfect 4-0 when opening the season at home and 5-2 overall.
2007 Justin Forsett 1,546
2006 Marshawn Lynch 1,356
2005 Marshawn Lynch 1,246
2004 J.J. Arrington 2,018
2003 Adimchinobe Echemandu 1,195
2002 Joe Igber 1,130
ACADEMIC PROWESS• Cal has had 74 players claim Pac-10 All-Academic honors in seven seasons under head coach Jeff Tedford. Last year, Alex Mack earned the Draddy Trophy, often referred to as the Academic Heisman, and was one of a Pac-10-high-tying four players that earned first-team All-Academic recognition from the conference.
AM STARTS• During the Jeff Tedford era, Cal has played five road games in other time zones that have started before 12 pm, PT. The Golden Bears have a 4-1 record in those games and had won four in a row with victories at Illinois (2003), Air Force (2004, 2007) and Colorado State (2007) before falling at Maryland in 2008. This year, Cal's game at Minnesota in the Golden Gophers' first-year stadium on September 19 has a starting time of 9 am, PT.
TURNOVER TABLE• Winning the turnover battle has been emphasized since Jeff Tedford's arrival on campus in 2002. During his seven seasons at Cal, the Bears are 34-3 when committing fewer turnovers than their opponents compared to 13-19 when opponents win the battle (12-8 tied). In Pac-10 games, the stats are even more decisive as Cal is 22-1 with a positive margin and 7-17 with a deficit (7-5 tied).
HOME COOKING• Cal has been unbeaten at home in three of the past five seasons (2004, '06, '08) and posted a 27-4 record at Memorial Stadium during the span. The only two teams to have beaten Cal on its home turf during the five-year period are Oregon State (10/15/05, 10/13/07) and USC (11/12/05, 11/10/07).
LARGE CROWDS, AGAIN• Cal averaged 61,634 fans per contest in 2008 to mark the fourth time in the last five years the Bears have drawn more than 60,000 per game. In terms of pure numbers, Cal attracted its second-highest total ever in 2008 with 431,437 fans attending seven home dates. Only the 2006 season, which drew 450,223 fans and averaged a record 64,318 spectators per contest, has had a larger total final home attendance count. Cal has also drawn at least 50,000 fans for each of its last 31 home games spanning the past five seasons.COACHING CHANGES• Cal has two new coaches on board in 2009 with the addition of offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig and offensive line coach Steve Marshall. Ludwig had been the offensive coordinator at Utah for the last four seasons, leading one of the best offenses in the country that was largely responsible for a 13-0 record in 2008, the country's only unbeaten mark by a Football Bowl Subdivision team, and a No. 2 final national ranking. Marshall has most recently coached for six NFL seasons with the Houston Texans (2002-05) and Cleveland Browns (2007-08).
BEARS ON TV• For the first two seasons in school history, every Cal football game has been televised over the past two years. In Jeff Tedford's seven campaigns at the helm, a total of 73 Cal football contests have been televised compared to just 41 in the previous seven years before his arrival.
BEARS PLAY ON SUNDAY, TOO• As of press time, a total of 38 former Cal football players were either currently on an NFL roster and/or are NFL free agents that have been on an NFL roster at some point since the 2009 NFL Draft.
FOR OPENERS• Cal has been successful in openers during the Jeff Tedford era, going a perfect 4-0 when opening the season at home and 5-2 overall.
Men's Hoops Sets Non-Conference Schedule
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 07/30/2009
Men's Basketball Schedule (Link)
Men's Basketball Schedule (PDF)
MALIBU, Calif. — Home games against out-of-state foes Miami (Fla.), Utah, New Mexico State and Portland State and in-state rivals including Fresno State, Long Beach State and Pacific highlight the Pepperdine men’s basketball team’s 2009-10 non-conference schedule.
Some of the bigger road games include a 20-mile trip across town to UCLA and a roughly 2,000-mile-plus trip across the country to Georgia, as well as an appearance in Wyoming’s BTI Tournament.
The Waves will end up playing nine home games, five road contests and two neutral-site games in their non-conference slate.
Six non-conference opponents took part in postseason play last season. Portland State, UCLA and Utah made the NCAA Tournament, Miami (Fla.) was in the NIT, Wyoming was in the College Basketball Invitational and Pacific was in the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
“It’s a very challenging schedule,” Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury said. “We do that by design. We want to play some really good non-conference schools, some BCS-level schools, and then we have our normal dose of Big West-type schools and local schools that we find challenging because of where our program is. So I think our schedule will prepare us. Our goal is always to be as prepared as we can be for conference play. Certainly, this will do it.”
For the second straight season, the Waves will begin the regular season with three straight home games – Nov. 13 vs. Pacific, Nov. 17 vs. Long Beach State and Nov. 20 vs. UC San Diego. Pacific will be visiting Firestone Fieldhouse for the second straight year, while the Waves and the 49ers have had a home-and-home series going since 1998-99. The meeting between UCSD and Pepperdine will be the first.
Pepperdine then hits the road for the next several games, beginning with a Nov. 23 contest at UCLA. It will be the Waves’ first appearance in Pauley Pavilion since December 2004. Pepperdine had a memorable road win over a #10-ranked UCLA squad in November 2001.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, the Waves will be in Laramie, Wyo., for the three-day BTI Tournament. Pepperdine will play host Wyoming (Asbury’s alma mater), Hampton and Monmouth.
After a road contest at Cal Poly SLO on Dec. 5, Pepperdine gets the next four games at home. The Waves host Fresno State on Dec. 8 (the Bulldogs’ first visit to Firestone Fieldhouse since the 1998-99 season), California Baptist on Dec. 10 (the Lancers were the NAIA’s #1-ranked team at one point last season), Portland State on Dec. 13 (the schools’ first meeting in more than 30 years) and New Mexico State on Dec. 18 (a return game after Pepperdine went to Las Cruces last season).
Pepperdine has played UC Irvine in each of the last six seasons, and this year’s meeting will be in Irvine on Dec. 21. Then, right before Christmas, Pepperdine hosts Utah on Dec. 23. Pepperdine Associate Head Coach Marty Wilson was an assistant at Utah for four seasons before returning to Malibu prior to last season. The Utes won all four games in a series that lasted between 2000-01 and 2003-04.
The Waves then head cross-country to take on Georgia on Dec. 30. New Georgia Coach Mark Fox was an assistant coach at Kansas State when Asbury was the head coach there. The Waves and Bulldogs have only met twice: in 2000 in Athens and in 2001 in Firestone Fieldhouse (both Georgia victories).
Pepperdine wraps up the non-conference season with a home game against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent for the second straight year. Last season it was Georgia Tech, and this season it will be Miami (Fla.) on Jan. 3. The Waves and the Hurricanes have met only once before, a 93-90 home victory for Pepperdine in December 1969.
The West Coast Conference schedule will be released later this summer. Game times and television coverage will also be determined at a later date. Season ticket information will be announced shortly.
Pepperdine returns four starters and 12 letterwinners (including the top four scorers) from last year’s team, which went 9-23 overall and 5-9 in the WCC for sixth place. The Waves had eight freshmen on last year’s squad.
PEPPERDINE MEN’S BASKETBALL 2009-10 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Fri., Nov. 13 vs. Pacific (Malibu, Calif.)
Tues., Nov. 17 vs. Long Beach State (Malibu, Calif.)
Fri., Nov. 20 vs. UC San Diego (Malibu, Calif.)
Mon., Nov. 23 at UCLA (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Fri.-Sun., Nov. 27-29 at Wyoming BTI Tournament (Pepperdine, Wyoming, Hampton, Monmouth)
Sat., Dec. 5 at Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)
Tues., Dec. 8 vs. Fresno State (Malibu, Calif.)
Thurs., Dec. 10 vs. California Baptist (Malibu, Calif.)
Sun., Dec. 13 vs. Portland State (Malibu, Calif.)
Fri. Dec. 18 vs. New Mexico State (Malibu, Calif.)
Mon. Dec. 21 at UC Irvine (Irvine, Calif.)
Wed., Dec. 23 vs. Utah (Malibu, Calif.)
Wed., Dec. 30 at Georgia (Athens, Ga.)
Sun., Jan. 3 vs. Miami (Fla.) (Malibu, Calif.)
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 07/30/2009
Men's Basketball Schedule (Link)
Men's Basketball Schedule (PDF)
MALIBU, Calif. — Home games against out-of-state foes Miami (Fla.), Utah, New Mexico State and Portland State and in-state rivals including Fresno State, Long Beach State and Pacific highlight the Pepperdine men’s basketball team’s 2009-10 non-conference schedule.
Some of the bigger road games include a 20-mile trip across town to UCLA and a roughly 2,000-mile-plus trip across the country to Georgia, as well as an appearance in Wyoming’s BTI Tournament.
The Waves will end up playing nine home games, five road contests and two neutral-site games in their non-conference slate.
Six non-conference opponents took part in postseason play last season. Portland State, UCLA and Utah made the NCAA Tournament, Miami (Fla.) was in the NIT, Wyoming was in the College Basketball Invitational and Pacific was in the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
“It’s a very challenging schedule,” Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury said. “We do that by design. We want to play some really good non-conference schools, some BCS-level schools, and then we have our normal dose of Big West-type schools and local schools that we find challenging because of where our program is. So I think our schedule will prepare us. Our goal is always to be as prepared as we can be for conference play. Certainly, this will do it.”
For the second straight season, the Waves will begin the regular season with three straight home games – Nov. 13 vs. Pacific, Nov. 17 vs. Long Beach State and Nov. 20 vs. UC San Diego. Pacific will be visiting Firestone Fieldhouse for the second straight year, while the Waves and the 49ers have had a home-and-home series going since 1998-99. The meeting between UCSD and Pepperdine will be the first.
Pepperdine then hits the road for the next several games, beginning with a Nov. 23 contest at UCLA. It will be the Waves’ first appearance in Pauley Pavilion since December 2004. Pepperdine had a memorable road win over a #10-ranked UCLA squad in November 2001.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, the Waves will be in Laramie, Wyo., for the three-day BTI Tournament. Pepperdine will play host Wyoming (Asbury’s alma mater), Hampton and Monmouth.
After a road contest at Cal Poly SLO on Dec. 5, Pepperdine gets the next four games at home. The Waves host Fresno State on Dec. 8 (the Bulldogs’ first visit to Firestone Fieldhouse since the 1998-99 season), California Baptist on Dec. 10 (the Lancers were the NAIA’s #1-ranked team at one point last season), Portland State on Dec. 13 (the schools’ first meeting in more than 30 years) and New Mexico State on Dec. 18 (a return game after Pepperdine went to Las Cruces last season).
Pepperdine has played UC Irvine in each of the last six seasons, and this year’s meeting will be in Irvine on Dec. 21. Then, right before Christmas, Pepperdine hosts Utah on Dec. 23. Pepperdine Associate Head Coach Marty Wilson was an assistant at Utah for four seasons before returning to Malibu prior to last season. The Utes won all four games in a series that lasted between 2000-01 and 2003-04.
The Waves then head cross-country to take on Georgia on Dec. 30. New Georgia Coach Mark Fox was an assistant coach at Kansas State when Asbury was the head coach there. The Waves and Bulldogs have only met twice: in 2000 in Athens and in 2001 in Firestone Fieldhouse (both Georgia victories).
Pepperdine wraps up the non-conference season with a home game against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent for the second straight year. Last season it was Georgia Tech, and this season it will be Miami (Fla.) on Jan. 3. The Waves and the Hurricanes have met only once before, a 93-90 home victory for Pepperdine in December 1969.
The West Coast Conference schedule will be released later this summer. Game times and television coverage will also be determined at a later date. Season ticket information will be announced shortly.
Pepperdine returns four starters and 12 letterwinners (including the top four scorers) from last year’s team, which went 9-23 overall and 5-9 in the WCC for sixth place. The Waves had eight freshmen on last year’s squad.
PEPPERDINE MEN’S BASKETBALL 2009-10 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Fri., Nov. 13 vs. Pacific (Malibu, Calif.)
Tues., Nov. 17 vs. Long Beach State (Malibu, Calif.)
Fri., Nov. 20 vs. UC San Diego (Malibu, Calif.)
Mon., Nov. 23 at UCLA (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Fri.-Sun., Nov. 27-29 at Wyoming BTI Tournament (Pepperdine, Wyoming, Hampton, Monmouth)
Sat., Dec. 5 at Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)
Tues., Dec. 8 vs. Fresno State (Malibu, Calif.)
Thurs., Dec. 10 vs. California Baptist (Malibu, Calif.)
Sun., Dec. 13 vs. Portland State (Malibu, Calif.)
Fri. Dec. 18 vs. New Mexico State (Malibu, Calif.)
Mon. Dec. 21 at UC Irvine (Irvine, Calif.)
Wed., Dec. 23 vs. Utah (Malibu, Calif.)
Wed., Dec. 30 at Georgia (Athens, Ga.)
Sun., Jan. 3 vs. Miami (Fla.) (Malibu, Calif.)
Lorne Jackson
# 20
Guard - G
Height:
6-2
Weight:
205
Sophomore
Previous Affiliations
Simi Valley HS
Previous Experience
1L
Simi Valley, Calif.
PEPPERDINE 2008-09: Pepperdine’s third-leading scorer as a freshman ... Averaged 6.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 16.6 minutes ... Played in 31 games ... Started 14 games at point guard while Ryan Holmes was injured ... Scored in double-figures 12 times ... Had a season-high 18 points at Hawaii (12/30) in just 22 minutes ... Other season highs were five assists (several times), four rebounds (several times), three steals at Saint Mary’s (1/17) and three three-pointers (several times) ... After scoring 11 points in the first five games, exploded for 17 vs. Cal State Bakersfield (11/29) in a season-high 31 minutes ... Drove in for a game-winning lay-up with 6.6 seconds left vs. Coppin State (12/29) ... Late in the season, scored in double-figures in three straight games, amassing 32 points in 33 minutes.
HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Simi Valley (Calif.) High School in 2008 ... Named the Ventura County Star’s Player of the Year as a 2008 senior ... On the Ventura County all-time lists, finished second in career steals (308) and ninth in career assists (439) ... Also named CalHiSports.com all-state second team, All-SCIBCA Southern Section Division I-AA first team and Marmonte League co-Player of the Year ... A McDonald’s All-American nominee ... Led Ventura County in scoring (22.9 ppg) and steals (4.3 spg) and was second in assists (6.8 apg) ... Added 6.7 rebounds per game and shot 50% from the field, 38% on three-pointers and 84% from the free throw line ... Set a school record with a 20-for-22 free-throw performance against Dominguez High School en route to a season-high 39 points ... Scored 20 or more points 19 times and 30 or more points three times ... Helped Simi Valley to a 26-2 record, an unbeaten record in the Marmonte League and the second round of the CIF playoffs ...As a 2007 junior, made the CalHiSports.com all-state junior second team and the All-Ventura County first team while averaging 16.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 4.0 steals ... As a 2006 sophomore, averaged 11.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.6 steals ... Also lettered in football ... Earned a CIF “Character Counts” award and the Marmonte League’s “All-Star” honor.
CLUB: Played for Double Pump Elite and BTI.
PERSONAL: Born in Simi Valley, Calif. ... Son of Reginald and Lyle Jackson ... His father played football at UCLA ... Has two siblings, Ashley and Langston ... His twin brother Langston is a freshman walk-on on the California football team ... Majoring in integrated marketing ... His personal trainer was former NBA player Pooh Richardson ... Chose Pepperdine because “I loved the coaches, the players and the campus.”
FAVORITES: Enjoys watching television and movies and listening to music ... Favorite pro basketball player is Kobe Bryant ... Favorite pro basketball team is the Los Angeles Lakers ... Favorite book is Coach Wooden One-on-One ... Favorite movie is Superbad ... Favorite musical artist is Lil’ Wayne ... Favorite sport other than basketball is football ... Favorite thing about basketball is “there is so much more that you can get better at, even though I’ve been playing it since I was young.”
Men's Basketball Summer Notebook
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 08/12/2009
2009-10 Pepperdine Men's Basketball Quick Facts
MALIBU, Calif. -- Following are some of the notes from the Pepperdine men's basketball's summer prospectus/quick facts, attached as a PDF above.
-- The Pepperdine men's basketball team has been marked by instability in recent years, but not during this offseason, and that's why Tom Asbury was brought back to lead the team. Three seniors departed from the 2008-09 team, and all 12 players who were able to come back have done so. Additionally, there were no changes on the coaching staff. It's been more than a decade since every possible player that could return did so.
-- It appears that 12 returning lettermen are the most in program history for Pepperdine.-- One notable thing about Pepperdine's 12 returning letterwinners, however, is that not a single one is a senior. The Waves' 2009-10 squad breakdown is zero seniors, four juniors, eight sophomores and three freshmen.
-- Pepperdine's 12 returning letterwinners account for 82.5% percent of last year's scoring (1629/1974), 88.3% of the rebounds (919/1041), 65.4% of the assists (223/341), 95.0% of the blocked shots (96/101) and 77.2% of the steals (166/215).
-- The Waves will be looking for a great deal of growth out of their eight sophomores. Last year as freshmen most of them played a key role, accumulating more than half of the team's total points (57.4%, 1133/1974).
-- In terms of total points scored, Pepperdine returns its top five point-scorers from a year ago (four of the five were freshmen and the other was a sophomore).
-- Keion Bell was the first Pepperdine player since 2002-03 to lead the team in points (12.9), assists (2.2) and steals (1.5), and he did so as a freshman. He was named to the WCC All-Freshman team. He was Pepperdine's only player to average double-figures in points for the season.
-- Bell, Mychel Thompson (9.6 ppg, team-high-tied 35 three-pointers made), Taylor Darby (6.1 ppg, team-high 6.1 rpg) and Corbin Moore (3.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg) are the returning starters.-- Pepperdine's three incoming freshmen haven't exactly come the traditional route. Tanner Kerry is from Australia, Caleb Willis sat out a year after graduating from high school in order to get himself into better shape (he dropped roughly 50 pounds) and Josh Lowery did not play his senior year (he played varsity as an eighth-grader in Washington and the state of Arizona did not allow him to play a fifth year of high school).
-- In non-conference play, the Waves will end up playing nine home games, five road contests and two neutral-site games.
-- Nine opponents took part in postseason play last season. Gonzaga, Portland State, UCLA and Utah made the NCAA Tournament, Miami (Fla.) and Saint Mary's were in the NIT, Wyoming was in the College Basketball Invitational and Pacific and Portland were in the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
-- It's believed that Pepperdine and Duke might be the only two programs in the country where all three assistant coaches are alums of the school. Associate head coach Marty Wilson is a member of the class of 1989, while Damin Lopez graduated in 1994 and Will Kimble did so in 2004.
-
- Several of Pepperdine's players have excellent bloodlines. Mychel Thompson's father was the #1 overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft and a 12-year veteran in the NBA. Dane Suttle Jr.'s father is Pepperdine's all-time leading scorer and he also went on to play in the NBA with the Kansas City Kings. Richard Branning's father played basketball at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Indiana Pacers. Tanner Kerry's father swam in the Olympics for Australia and won a gold medal and two bronze medals.-- All 12 returners and the three newcomers were in Malibu for at least one session of summer school. A majority of the team took part in the Say No Classic, a summer league in Los Angeles.
-- Some of the Say No Classic numbers through mid-August, according to the league's website: Keion Bell was sixth in the Los Angeles Division in scoring (20.8 ppg in six games) and fifth in assists (3.7 apg), Dane Suttle was ninth in scoring (18.0 ppg in five games) and Caleb Willis was third in three-point field-goal percentage (10-for-18, 55.5%). In the Pomona Division, Mychel Thompson was sixth in scoring (21.6 ppg in seven games) and sixth in rebounding (6.0 rpg).
