California Golden Bears Way Too Early Preview

Keenan Allen is one of the most dynamic players in the Pac-12.
Mark J. Rebilas/US Press Wire

Last season Cal opened with three straight wins, including a shellacking of Presbyterian in their final warm up game before the conference season. The Bears then lost a close one in Seattle (31-23) against the Huskies before walking into a buzz saw against Oregon (43-15) the next week. Another loss to USC leveled their record at 3-3. Cal would win 3 of the next four, their only loss coming on the road against UCLA (31-14) and played rival Stanford close (31-28) before beating Arizona State in a shootout (47-38.) The Golden Bears were invited to the Holiday Bowl where they couldn't get the offense off the ground against a stifling defensive performance by Texas and fell 21-10.

In Coach Tedford's 11th campaign, he leads this year's edition of the Bears back to newly renovated Memorial Stadium. The schedule is favorable for California as they face their toughest division opponents at home. These match ups against Washington and Oregon will go a long way in deciding the Bears fate and post season outlook. They also face Stanford at home in what is one of the more storied rivalries in the Pac-12. The Bears will only face two out of conference opponents before having to go on the road to face Urban Meyer's Buckeyes in Columbus. The week following that they have to leave the iconic "Horseshoe" and travel back to USC to face the Trojans. It will be a trial by fire to see if Senior QB Zach Maynard has put it all together in what could be a swan song senior season.

Look no farther than the connection between Zach Maynard and wide receiver Keenan Allen for the offensive focus on this team. Last season, Maynard fell just short of a 3000 yard season tallying 2990 through the air. While he threw 17 touchdowns he was also intercepted 12 times and sacked 27. The Cal offensive line loses some beef from both sides of the O-line in Mitchell Schwartz and Justin Cheadle. However, the line is not inexperienced and will return three starters from a year ago. Maynard's favorite target, Keenan Allen will look to improve upon his successful second season which saw him go for 98 receptions totalling 1343 yards and 6 scores. Someone will need to step up opposite Allen in the WR department or he may see his production dip a bit. His former mate Marvin Jones kept secondaries honest and provided another vertical threat for Maynard.

While the passing offense gets the attention, what really makes the offense go is running back Isi Sofele. Last season, Sofele went over 1322 yards and tallied 10 touchdowns. In what is the most telling statistic, the Bears were 6-1 in games where Sofele carried the ball 20 times or more. The only game they lost was against Stanford who were the only squad to hold Sofele under 100 yards when he has 20 or more carries. What this shows is that if the offense is successfully and consistently running the ball than the Bears are dangerous. However, once the offense becomes one dimensional, it could spell a long day for the California faithful.

On defense, the Bears are going to miss the service of Pac-12 defensive player of the year Mychael Kendricks. Kendricks was a stalwart as the inside linebacker and really quarterbacked the defense. While he was a fantastic player, it is his leadership ability that will be missed most. Last season, the Bears tallied 12 interceptions but half of those were by seniors. With the influx of young talent for the Bears it will be interesting to see where the game changing plays are going to come from on the defensive side of the ball. One possible solution is Corner back Marc Anthony. Anthony was already establishing himself as a capable cover corner last season and will likely continue to grow and prove himself to be a pest in a league that is predominantly a passing conference.

Overall, the Bears are no team to write off and can give anyone in the conference a game and if they're playing at home they are very tough to beat. The optimistic outlook on the season puts them at 8-4 while a more downtrodden approach would see them conceivably low as 5-7 and missing the post season. That would be a rarity under coach Tedford who has only missed the post season 1 time since 2002 and has made bowl games an expectation. One expectation, realistic or not for the old blues is the Rose Bowl. The Bears have not been since 1959. For them to make it back this year would take a magical run for the senior class. They would need wins against Oregon, Stanford and likely Washington to get to the Championship game to face probable opponent USC out of the south. While it's a long shot, it's not outside the realm of possibility. All three must win division games are at home and one can never tell what can happen on any given Saturday.

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl California Vs. #24 Texas Preview

The Bears and Longhorns face off on the 28th in the Holiday bowl with contrasting styles of offense. For Texas, much of their offensive firepower comes from a powerful rushing attack. Conversely on the other side of the ball, the Cal Golden Bears feature more of a passing game with some run mixed in.

That's not to say that the Longhorns can't pass the ball. In respect to yards, they are pretty close to even, rushing for 210 yards a game and throwing for 193. Where they get in trouble is with their tandem of young quarterbacks. Between Case McCoy and David Ash, the two have combined for only 10 touchdowns against 12 interceptions on the year. Texas would rather run the ball with their bruising freshman pair of running backs Malcom Brown and Joe Bergeron. Brown and Bergeron have been a strong one two punch out of the backfield.

The two run with power and rarely go down after first contact. Combined they have put the ball in the end zone 10 times on the ground and have ran for 1161 yards on the ground. As was mentioned before, both of these running backs are hard to bring down and have a good burst through the hole to boot. California's defensive line and line backing team are going to have to be ready to square up and make sure tackles or they could be watching Brown and Bergeron from their backs.

When they do throw, Ash and McCoy tend to spread the ball around to their receivers. Their favorite targets so far on the year have been Mike Davis and Jaxon Shipley who have 45 and 40 catches respectively on the season. The pair provide balance to the offense which will most likely look to soften up to Cal defense with Brown and Bergeron.

On the other side of the ball, the offense is run through Buffalo transfer Zach Maynard. He quarterbacks a unit that features one of the more dynamic receiving duos in the Pac-12. The Bears like to throw a lot more than the Longhorns do, and it shows. Their leading receiver, Keenan Allen has 89 receptions on the year and is a big play threat whenever he gets his hands on the ball. Complimenting him is the sure handed Marvin Jones. Jones has reeled in 54 passes and three touch down receptions and has benefited from the attention that Keenan Allen draws from defensive backs.

Coming into the season California had a big question mark at the running back position. Fortunately for the Bears Isi Sofele has filled in nicely. Sofele has already ecliped the 1200 yard mark on the year and has been the picture of consistency late in the season. Sofele has scored 5 times in the last six games and has averaged 121.2 yards in those games. He provides a much needed balance to an offense that has been up and down through out the year. He is going to be tasked with going up against a Texas defense that ranks 11th in the country against the run game. How he and the offensive line preforms will go a long way in deciding this one's outcome.

The quarter backing has been a roller coaster ride this season for California. When the Bears win, Maynard plays quite well. In their 7 wins his touchdown to interception ratio is better than 3 to 1, whereas in the losses the Bears have suffered his numbers dropped to nearly 2 INT's for every touch down he throws. If the secondary for Texas can prove a challenge for the signal caller, it could be a long day for Bears fans in San Diego.

However, if the Golden Bears can put it all together against a solid Texas defense, it could be a solid momentum jump into the next season as California looks be be competitive in next season's Pac-12. Texas will be looking at a very similar picture. With youth in the skill positions, they could make some noise next season in the Big XII having that all important first year of experience under their belt.

Turnovers, Sofele bury Beavers in San Fransisco

Zach Maynard gets into the end zone against Oregon State
(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

Isi Sofele ran for 190 yards and C.J. Anderson added another 96 on the ground as the Golden Bears defeated the Oregon State Beavers 23-6 Saturday night. The Beavers were unable to get anything going on the ground, gaining only 27 yards on the ground and could not keep the Bears at bay. Zach Maynard managed his position well. completing 13 of 19 passes for 128 yards, providing enough balance to keep OSU off guard.

The story of the night though was turnovers. Sean Mannion threw two interceptions and fumbled at the Cal 1 yard line early in the fourth as Oregon State's offense continued to go through growing pains with the first year signal caller.

The Beavers started out promisingly enough, opening the scoring with a field goal and intercepting Zach Maynard on the next California drive. The Beav's drove deep into Cal territory on the ensuing drive but Sean Mannion was sacked by Trevor Guyton to push OSU out of field goal range and force them to punt. After Johnny Hekker's punt pinned the Bears inside their own 10, Isi Sofele lead the Bears on a 91 yard scoring drive in just over 3 minutes. The drive was capped off when Maynard connected with Michael Calvin to put the Bears on top. They wouldn't look back. Maynard bounced back to throw for a score and run for another against an Oregon State defense which has struggled against mobile Quarter Backs this season.

Cal went on their second 90+ yard scoring drive, this time taking 9 minutes off the clock in a long 16 play drive to put the Bears up 14-3. The Beavers would answer back with another field goal just before the end of the half in a 7 play drive in which Sean Mannion completed 7 of 9 passes to get the Beavers in field goal range.

The Bears received the second half kick off and pounded Oregon State repeatedly, Sofele eventually breaking through on a 20 yard run to pay dirt. In what would show as the story of the night, the Beavers drove down into California territory but Sean Mannion was intercepted by D.J. Campbell in the red zone ending the Oregon State threat.

Once the Beavers got the ball back in the fourth quarter, they once again got the ball into the California red zone and were poised to punch it in, when Sean Mannion coughed the ball up at the 3 yard line and Cal recovered the fumble to keep the Beavers at bay. The Bears managed to turn the turn over into a Giorgio Tavecchio field goal to give the final margin of 23-6. Oregon State would get into Bear territory, put were thwarted on their final drive as another errant Mannion pass was intercepted with under a minute remaining to kill the last drive the Beavers had on the day.

For the Beavers, they return home to face a Washington squad which features one of the best running backs in the conference. At this point, Oregon State is reduced to spoiler against their northwest rivals Washington and then on the road to face North leader Oregon.

With the win, the Bears became bowl eligible and not a moment too soon as they face a Stanford squad in their yearly rivalry game. They close out the season on the road against Arizona State who is still looking to make a statement and stake their claim for the South division crown. California broke the streak that Oregon State held over them. Prior to this game, the Beavers had won the last four match ups against the Bears.

Oregon State Vs. California : Preview

Jacquizz Rodgers ran for 3 touchdowns and threw for another last year.
(Photo Credit - Rick Bowmer - AP )

 Oregon State is on the road this week to face the California Golden Bears in a series they have recently dominated. The Beavers have won each of the last 4 match ups between the North division rivals and look to make it 5 Saturday at AT&T Park. The interesting thing about this match up is that in recent years, regardless of record California seems to have trouble against Oregon State. It will be interesting to see if they can take advantage this year of a down OSU squad and break the streak.

Last season, the Beavers dominated the Bears in every facet of the game. Cal only managed 23 yards on the ground while Jacquizz Rodgers racked up 119 himself and three scores. The OSU running back also threw for another touchdown as they routed the Bears 35-7. One thing that goes beyond the box score is that starting QB Kevin Riley went out of the game early and forced Brock Mansion to enter the game and try to shoulder the load in hostile Reser Stadium. The Beavers defense pressured Mansion all day and forced 6 sacks for the rookie QB.

As the two teams look to renew their rivalry, Cal comes into this game favored and are looking at this game as their best chance to become bowl eligible before they face conference powers, Stanford and Arizona State. In light of recent outcomes, it may be a surprise but it is not without reason. For the Bears, the offenses output, as well as the teams success is directly tied to Zach Maynard. It's not a stretch to say that the quarter back is the most important player on the field but when looking at his statistics there is a glaring comparison from his play to Cal's winning. Zach Maynard completes just over 50% of his passes week in and week out. In that respect, he is the most consistent QB in the conference. However, looking a little deeper into the statistics, you'll see that in victories, Maynard has thrown 11 touch downs against only 3 picks. In losses, however it has been quite the opposite. Maynard has only connected on two scoring passes but has thrown 7 interceptions. The Beavers defense can win this game if they can force California to throw and capitalize on mistakes.

 However, if Keenan Allen and Marvin Jones can get open they can provide a real challenge for the OSU secondary; who, to this point been stout against the pass. One catch with the Beaver defense is they have shown difficulty defending against a mobile quarter back. Maynard has shown that he has the ability to run, but his willingness has not always been there. If Maynard gets outside the pocket he could scramble for a lot of yards against the Beavers.

Isi Sofele has been a nice compliment to Maynard in the backfield. To this point in the season he has gained 839 yards on the ground and provided a nice counter punch to an up and down passing game. This will be an interesting match up to watch as the Beavers have not played well against the run. Sofele could be the X-Factor in this game and if he can get loose and keep the Beaver defense honest it will go a long way in helping the Bears win.

The Beavers have had issues with their offensive line and they are going to have to bring their A game against one of the better defenses in the Pac-12. Statistically, the Bears are the only team with a better pass defense than OSU and they also rank in the top third in the Pac-12 against the run. Freshman, Malcom Agnew has shown signs of brilliance early in the season but has been slowed by injuries and shut down by defenses the past couple games. The Beavs will need to get him on track and take pressure off of Sean Mannion.

Mannion has been throwing the ball all over the field, and has had to often under duress. The first year signal caller has been sacked 16 times to this point in the year, but has still managed to throw for 2447 yards. His best passing game of the season thus far came against Washington State where he threw for 4 touch down passes and 376 yards. OSU is going to need those flashes of brilliance to be more sustained throughout this game and the rest of the season, for the Beavers to salvage what will be their second consecutive year without a bowl. The offensive line is going to need to clean up, cut out mistakes and play strong to keep Mannion on his feet. If they can, receivers Markus Wheaton and James Rodgers could factor in to this game and continue the recent string of dominance over the Golden Bears.

USC Forces 5 Turnovers, Rout California

Dion Bailey returns his second interception on the night.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Coming into last night's game, USC had only forced 5 turnovers on the season. You wouldn't have been able to tell as the turnovers kept pouring in, starting with a Keenan Allen fumble which set up USC in Cal territory early in the first. By the end of the game, the Trojans had doubled that yearly total forcing 5 turnovers for Zach Maynard and the Golden Bears. USC opened up the offense with a deep pass from Matt Barkley to Marqise Lee to put the Trojans in business at the 6 yard line. After three plays though, USC was unable to punch it in for a touch down and on 4th down lined up in a swinging gate like formation. With an errant direct snap to tight end Rhett Ellison, California escaped the opening drive not allowing any points.

USC and Cal traded punts through most of the rest of the first quarter until Nick Perry broke through the line and forced a fumble from Zach Maynard. USC was once again starting with the ball deep in Cal territory, but the Golden Bear defense stood strong and forced a Trojan field goal. That seemed to open up the flood gates as USC scored another 17 points in the second quarter highlighted by two Barkley touch down passes, one to Marqise Lee and the other to Brandon Carswell.

With time winding down in the first half, California got some offensive momentum and got the ball down into the Trojan red zone. With under a minute to play, Cal's most promising drive was thwarted by Dion Bailey's first of two interceptions in the end zone and the Trojans would go into the break holding a commanding 20-0 lead. After a USC field goal to open the second half scoring, Cal had their chance to move the ball down the field and broke their scoring drought, getting into the red zone and converting on a field goal. The reeling Cal defense made a stop and the Bears looked to get back into the game. Maynard connected on 4 consecutive passes and then ran it in himself from 3 yards out to bring the Bears within 23-9 after the extra point attempt was blocked.

Cal had the opportunity to really put some pressure on USC, forcing successive punts but were unable to do anything with the ball, giving it back on a punt and then Dion Bailey again intercepted Zach Maynard and returned it inside the 10 yard line. Curtis McNeal punched it in from 2 yards out to render the final margain of 30-9.

Keenan Allen continues to impress, last night he reeled in 13 receptions for 160 yards. It is clear that Allen is Maynard's favorite target as more than half of Maynard's completed passes went to Allen. As good as Allen is and has been, you have to wonder if defenses are going to focus on shutting down the talented sophomore and force Zach Maynard to look elsewhere to get his yardage. You can't stop Allen from getting the ball but you can minimize his impact.

For USC, injuries are a concern as they lost starting running back Marc Tyler and Marqise Lee to shoulder injuries. The Trojans need those guys as they move into the heart of the Pac-12 schedule as well as their yearly showdown with Notre Dame. Also, Barkley looked shaky in the early going and missed on some passes that he would normally make. It could be just a blip on the radar for the Junior signal caller and it must be if the Trojans are going to be successful this season.

#9 Ducks win game, Lose James

LaMichael James breaks free against California (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

At the half, it appeared that Oregon was on upset alert at home. They trailed 15-14 going into the break after Keenan Allen's 12 yard touch down reception and memories of last season began to well up in the minds of the home crowd. Oregon had a chance to respond, but Darron Thomas' errant pass was intercepted by D.J. Campbell and Cal was on the march again..After driving to the Oregon 23, Giorgio Tevecchio had a field goal blocked by John Boyett and the Ducks took a little momentum back heading into the locker room at the break.  However, the upset effort was shut down as the Duck defense shut down and shut out California in the second half en route to a 43-15 win for Oregon.

 California opened up the scoring with a Tevecchio field goal after a promising drive. The Cal kicker had a career night going 3 for 4 including a career best 54 yard kick which brought the bears within 5 early on at 14-9. Oregon answered back with a two play 64 yard drive to answer back. The drive was capped off by a 53 yard run by LaMichael James for his only rushing touchdown of the game. James went for 239 yards but encountered a scary moment early in the fourth quarter when on a rushing play, James dislocated his elbow and stayed on the ground for several minutes. In a great sign of support for the injured superstar, 54,000 began to chant his name as they feared the worst. LaMichael, the NCAA's leading rusher left the field with a smile on his face to the relief of the home town crowd.

California quaterback Zach Maynard missed on several passes early, but started to find his rhythm as he threw for 218 yards, Keenan Allen a nice compliment with 170 receiving yards and the only touchdown California would score on the night. As good as Allen and other Cal receiver Marvin Jones were, Oregon's defense was simply better. They put pressure on Maynard early forcing high and errant throws and locked down  Isi Sofele, not letting him get rolling in the second half.

On the other side of the ball, Oregon really got rolling in the second half as fans have grown accustomed to seeing, rattling off 29 unanswered points to put the game away early in the fourth. James had the yardage but the player of the game had to be De'Anthony Thomas who had two receiving touchdowns as well as one on the ground on a beautiful end around after a bit of misdirection by Darron Thomas.

Oregon put the game away with 68 yard touch down run by Kenjon Barner which seemed to break the spirit of the Golden Bears' defense. Coach Tedford was forced to pull Maynard early in the fourth and replaced him with Sophomore Allen Bridgeford. It appeared that Maynard got sandwiched between two defenders and would not return. By that point the Ducks had the game well in hand as Bridgeford was ineffective in running the offense.

The loss gives the Cal Bears their second in the Pac-12 giving them a 0-2 record in conference, both losses coming against fellow members of the North division. Cal has won a game against a conference opponent, Colorado but due to the conference realignment and scheduling conflict the game was not ruled as a conference game. After this game, they have to go home to AT&T field to face a challenging game against the USC Trojans. The Ducks now 2-0 in conference have an extra two days of rest to prepare for #22 Arizona State in a potential conference championship preview. It will be interesting to see if LaMichael James will return against the talented ASU run defense and Vonteze Burfict.

California at #9 Oregon Preview

Chris Conte is gone but it remains to be seen what impact that will hold Saturday.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America)

Last season's match up between Oregon and California was mired in controversy that left both sides pointing the finger for dirty tactics. Much was made of feigning injuries by California and the illegal pick play by Oregon. Truly, that's all that needs to be said about those two topics. If you feel the need to look them up, Google is your friend. It was a hard fought, low scoring game that saw Oregon held under 20 points for the only time in the regular season. The game turned on a Cliff Harris punt return which made the difference in the game. Oregon made several stops down the stretch and held the ball for the final 9:26 as they escaped Memorial Coliseum with a 15-13 win to keep their national title hopes alive.

This year California makes the trip up to Eugene with revenge on their mind. Last season, they were able to contain Oregon's dynamic offense by playing a Cover-Zero package, meaning they were committing to the run and essentially playing one on one with the wide receivers. They dared Oregon Quarterback Darron Thomas to beat them over the top, which he was unable to do. Cal was able to do this with a disciplined attack on the defensive side of the ball and force Oregon's hand. It will be interesting to see if this years defense which had to replace more than half of its starters can be as disciplined and contain Oregon again this year. Cal loses standouts from every level on the defensive side of the ball. Cameron Jordan, Mike Mohammed and Chris Conte were who made that defense click and their absense could spell trouble for California's efforts.

On offense, the lefty Zach Maynard will get his first taste of Autzen Stadium. Along side him in the back field is, Junior first year starter Isi Sofele. Maynard has played well to this point in the season already throwing for 10 touchdowns, 3 a piece to dynamic weapons on the outside Keenan Allen and Marvin Jones. Both Allen and Jones average over 16 yards a catch and have the ability to break a big one at any point. The key to stopping any offense is to make them one dimensional. The Ducks won't stop Keenan Allen but if they can contain him, they stand a good chance to keep Cal's play makers off the field and do what Oregon is wont to do, run the football and wear down Cal's defense. As far as running goes, Sofele has 380 yards on the year. In his last game against Washington, Sofele went for 98 yards and two catches out of the back field. Standing 5'8", Sofele will remind Oregon fans of LaMichael James for his quickness and explosiveness with the ball in his hands.

For the Ducks, it all starts and stops with the offense. If Thomas and James can push the tempo and get Cal back on their heels early, it could be a long day for the Bears. Last time we saw James he was carving up the Arizona defense to the tune of 288 yards on the ground, a school record. The Golden Bears must stop him if they want to hang tough. On a lot of big plays against Cal, they were often caused by poor tackling. They will have to wrap up and make the stops early to keep players like Josh Huff, Kenjon Barner, DeAnthony Thomas and Darron Thomas from breaking a big one. It will be interesting to see what defensive strategy the Golden Bears come out with to stop the Oregon offense. Darron Thomas has matured as a passer and receivers Rashaan Vaughn and Lavasier Tuinei have stepped up for a graduated Jeff Maehl and a hobbled Josh Huff.

California Will Win If:                    Oregon Will Win If:
Maynard has time to throw                Offense spreads the field successfully
Sofele proves to be a weapon            Contain Allen and Jones
Defense contains running game          Receivers make an impact