California Golden Bears

Head Coach

Jeff Tedford	7th year
07-08	7-6
PAC-10	3-5
FCR	46

Previous Season Wins

California Preview by Chris Farrelly>

Head Coach - Could this be the last year for Jeff Tedford who’ll be entering his 7th year, if they finish like they did last season by losing 6 of its last seven games it very well could be. They must replace seven starters offensively including much of the skill positions, defensively they return 8 starters but they struggled against the run and lost the turnover battle in 07’.

Quarterback - Senior Nate Longshore and sophomore Kevin Riley are in a battle for the starting assignment and expect Tedford to wait until the last minute to name his starter. Longshore threw for 2,580 yards last season but had 16 interceptions and only 13 TD’s and missed much of the spring with a chest injury. Riley was outstanding last year in the bowl game and was given a long look this spring so the battle is on.

Running Backs - Sophomore Jahvid Best is hoping to be the next great athlete to come out of Cal, he has blazing speed and his great agility but is recovering from a hip injury, the staff is confident he’ll be ready when the season begins. Senior Will Ta’ufo’ou will be the fullback; he’s unselfish and will contribute in the run game with his solid blocking skills.

Receivers - The Bears will be young on the outside with sophomore Jeremy Ross sophomore and redshirt freshman Michael Calvin the starters coming out of spring. Ross has 4.4 speed and they’re both big strong receivers who will create match up problems for smaller corners. Also in the mix will be senior LaReylle Cunningham and Florida transfer Nyan Boateng, the whole unit has a combined 12 receptions so everyone will be given the chance to step up.

Offensive Line - Cal will be fine upfront as three starters return led by All- PAC 10 center senior Alex Mack who is one of the best centers in the country. Also returning will be seniors Mike Tepper who’ll be at left tackle and Noris Malele at right guard, Tepper has shown continued progress and should be comfortable at with the move to the left side and the responsibilities that go with protecting the QB’s blindside. The two new starters coming out of spring will be senior Chet Teofilo at right tackle and at left guard look for sophomore Mark Boskovich, the Bears have recruited well on the O-Line and should be solid once again in the trenches.

Defensive Line - The Bears will be using a lot of three man fronts this season and return two starters upfront in juniors Tyson Alualu at defensive end and on the nose will be Cody Jones. Look for senior Rulon Davis to be the other end, he’s had to battle injuries but will be a force upfield if he can manage to play a whole season. Senior Mike and sophomores Derrick Hill and Cameron Jordan will be in the mix and when Cal goes to the four man front they all get the chance to contribute.

Linebackers - Solid experienced group with three starters returning and they’re all seniors, the leader is senior Zack Follett who will start at strongside he was All- PAC-10 and provides outstanding leadership. The other returnees are Worrell Williams and Anthony Felder; Williams led the team with 105 tackles and excels against the run. The Bears have good depth at linebacker and sophomores Eddie Young or Michael Mohamed will get the call when they go with for backers.

Defensive Backs - At one corner sophomore Chris Conte is coming off a great first season and is looking to provide even more this season, also returing is junior Syd’Quan Thompson who’s a solid cover man. Knowing he can do it is going to be the challenge. Senior Bernard Hicks is moving to free safety and sophomore Marcus Ezeff who hits like a LB, will be the new strong safety.

Special Teams - Senior Jordan Kay is looking to keeps his spot as placekicker after a poor junior season that saw hit less than 65% of his field goal attempts. Redshirt freshman Bryan Anger has been handed the job at punter, he untested but was a high school All-American. If Best is handling the returns the Bears are solid but if not there appears to be excellent team speed to step in and contribute.

Schedule - Cal has a relatively easy non-conference schedule with home games against Michigan St and Colorado St buy they must travel to Maryland and that game could tell a lot about both teams. Road games at Arizona, USC and Oregon St will all be struggles as will home dates with Arizona St and Oregon. The Bears will take a step back; Tedford will feel the heat as Cal wins only 5 games this year.