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Basketball: Imagine, a break from football

 In the wake of their first defeat of the season — an 81-56 thrashing at the hands of host Wisconsin — coach Mike Montgomery is expecting more from his team.

Not just Sunday, when the Bears face No. 21 UNLV at Haas Pavilion.

But all week in practice.

“It’s one game,” he said Tuesday. “We’ve got some underlying issues weve got to solve. We’ve got to play harder in practice. We’ve got hold ourselves accountable. We’ve got to want to try to improve and find ways to do that.

“We didn’t have a good week of practice. Guys didn’t push themselves. I knew that we were going to be in for it there.”

Wisconsin has lost just 16 games at home since the start of the 2001-02 season, and Montgomery understands that winning in Madison was going to be difficult under any circumstances.

“We go back to Wisconsin at our best, doesn’t mean we’re going to win there,” he said. “There were 17,000 people there. Then the (Big Ten champion) football team showed up — that changed the energy level in the building a little bit.”

The game started poorly for the Bears, then got worse.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted on Wednesday, December 5th, 2012
Under: Basketball, Mid-week | 7 Comments »
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Football: `The first place I will look is in the mirror’ — Tedford on Bears’ 2011 shortcomings

Even before he sits down with Cal athletic director Sandy Barbour next week to discuss his future, Jeff Tedford said he will dissect what’s gone wrong in his 11th season as coach of the Golden Bears.

“The first place I will look is in the mirror. … How can I be better as a coach?,” Tedford said Tuesday as his team prepared for its season finale Saturday night at Oregon State.

Asked if he’s received any assurances from Barbour, Tedford said he anticipates meeting with her early next week. The Bears (3-8, 2-6 Pac-12) will miss playing in a bowl game for the second time in three seasons, so their game vs. the Beavers (7-2, 5-2) is their final chance to make a statement.

Click here to read the rest of my Cal football notebook.

Posted on Tuesday, November 13th, 2012
Under: Football, Mid-week | 17 Comments »
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Football: Tedford says Bridgford `most likely’ to start vs. No. 2 Ducks on Saturday night

Still reluctant to give a definitive answer, Cal coach Jeff Tedford said after practice Thursday that backup Allan Bridgford “most likely” will replace injured starter Zach Maynard against No. 2 Oregon.

Maynard, who sprained his left knee last Friday against Washington, has not practiced all week. He walked off the practice field Thursday morning wearing a brace on his knee, after being transported on a cart the previous two days.
 
“He has not practiced,” Tedford said of Maynard. “He’s gotten better each and every day, but we don’t want to irritate it.
 
“Most likely if he’s ready to play (Saturday), he’ll be there for a backup-type of role. Most likely Bridgford will start.”
 
Bridgford finished the Washington game after Maynard, a two-year starter, left with 4:01 left.
 
Bridgford, who is 4 for 16 for 32 yards this season in limited action, has gotten first-team practice reps all week. Tedford said he is ready.
 
“He’s always done a real nice job of preparing, keeping his head into it. He’s a student of the game,” Tedford said.
 
Redshirt sophomore Austin Hinder has taken snaps with the second team all week.
 
Tedford said the status of all other injured players will be game-time decisions.
 
But it seems unlikely senior offensive tackle Matt Summers-Gavin will be available. He injured his right knee against Washington, has not practiced this week and was wearing a T-shirt and knee brace on Thursday.
 
Three players — cornerback Marc Anthony and linebackers Jalen Jefferson and J.P. Hurrell — all are awaiting clearance after sustaining concussions.
 
Freshman wide receiver Bryce Treggs, who sat out last week with an ankle sprain, has practiced but still was limping Thursday.
 
Star junior wideout Keenan Allen remains sidelined with a knee injury.

Posted on Thursday, November 8th, 2012
Under: Football, Mid-week | 17 Comments »
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Football: Bears brace for explosive Ducks

Notoriously slow-starting this season, the Cal football team cannot afford to be sluggish out of the gate Saturday night against No. 2 Oregon.

Among the long list of scary offensive numbers the Ducks boast is this: They have outscored their opponents 176-29 in the first quarter. By halftime, the nation’s high-scoring team has racked up an average of 36 points.

If Cal, which has scored just two first-quarter touchdowns all season, follows that script in its home finale, this could get ugly. Fast.

Click here to read the rest of my story on Oregon “blur” offense.

*****

If you’re in the mood to be frightened a bit, check out this list of Oregon’s scariest offensive numbers:

1 – Number of times Oregon has scored fewer than 23 points in first half
2:20 – Average elapsed time of 18 scoring drives the past two games
6 – Games the Ducks have scored at least 50 points
14 – Times Oregon has scored at least three touchdowns in a quarter
36.0 – Oregon’s season first-half scoring average
42 – Season-low point total for a game
43 – Rushing plays of at least 10 yards by Kenjon Barner
44.3 – First-half scoring average over the past three games
54.3 – Season scoring average, tops in NCAA and on pace for Pac-12 record
68 – Touchdowns scored in nine games
83.64 – Percentage of red zone chances (46 of 55) Oregon has scored TDs
101 – Oregon’s national ranking in time of possession
132 – Points Oregon scored in past two games
181 – Plays of 10 yards or more this season
341.22 – Average rushing yardage per game — No. 1 in the nation

 *****

MAYNARD UPDATE: No further word from Cal on the status of quarterback Zach Maynard, but it’s abundantly clear he will not play Saturday against the Ducks.

For the second straight day, Maynard left the practice field Wednesday wearing a brace on his sprained left knee and riding on a cart. He was dropped off at an elevator that takes him to the locker room, so he didn’t have to hobble down the stairway with the rest of his teammates.

Coach Jeff Tedford does not meet with reporters on Wednesday. He may provide an update Thursday, but it’s hard to imagine how Maynard could play.

Backup Allan Bridgford, taking all the first-team snaps this week, said he has not been told he will start.

The news doesn’t appear to be good, either, for senior right tackle Matt Summers-Gavin, who injured his right knee late in the Washington game last Friday. Summers-Gavin was wearing a T-shirt and knee brace as he limped toward the locker room after practice.

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Here’s a story from Bob Clark of the Register-Guard in Eugene on Tedford, the one-time Oregon assistant.

Cal is not the only team playing Saturday at Memorial Stadium with injury issues along the defensive line. Here’s an Oregon notebook.

Click here for an Oregon-Cal game preview by Rick Neuheisel and Glenn Parker of the Pac-12 Networks.

Here’s an interesting piece by Yogi Roth, an analyst with the Pac-12 Networks, on how the Oregon offensive line is the key to everything the Ducks do.

Posted on Wednesday, November 7th, 2012
Under: Football, Mid-week | 31 Comments »
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Football: With Maynard still out, Bridgford prepares to play QB vs. No. 2 Ducks

Zach Maynard, Cal’s starting quarterback the past two seasons, left the practice field Tuesday morning riding on a cart with a brace immobilizing his left knee.

Hardly an encouraging scenario with No. 2 Oregon, the nation’s high-scoring team, coming to town on Saturday.

Injured four days earlier against Washington, Maynard’s status for Cal’s home finale remains iffy. “I have no idea,” Cal coach Jeff Tedford said.

An MRI showed no ligament damage to Maynard’s knee but there is not even a timetable on when he might resume practicing. So junior Allan Bridgford is being prepped to start while Maynard rehabs.

Click here to read the rest of my Cal football notebook.

 

Posted on Tuesday, November 6th, 2012
Under: Football, Mid-week | 33 Comments »
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Football: Keenan Allen out of UW game with knee injury — don’t know yet how severe

Cal announced Thursday morning that star junior wide receiver Keenan Allen has been ruled out of Friday’s home game against Washington due to a left knee injury.
 
“Keenan won’t play against Washington,” Cal coach Jeff Tedford said in a statement. “We’ll continue to evaluate him on a weekly basis.”
 
Allen, regarded as one of the nation’s top wide receivers, was expected to leave school for the NFL draft after this season. His injury, depending on the severity, could impact that decision. He has one year of college eligibility remaining, if he opts to return.
 
Scuttlebutt is that Allen’s injury is more serious than a one-week deal, that he could be out for the season.
 
Allen set Cal’s career receptions record with 205 catches during the Bears’ 49-27 loss at Utah last Saturday, but suffered the knee injury in the final minutes while playing on an onside kick coverage team.
 

Posted on Thursday, November 1st, 2012
Under: Football, Mid-week | 13 Comments »
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Football: Report says Keenan Allen injured vs. Utah; status for Friday game vs. UW unclear

UPDATED

Cal junior wideout Keenan Allen, who broke the school’s career receptions record last Saturday at Utah, may also have been injured against the Utes.

His status for Friday’s game at Washington is unclear.

I was at Memorial Stadium for an interview (with Avery Sebastian) this afternoon but there was no word on Allen’s status. An athletic department spokesman said afternoon that Cal would have no comment on the situation for now.

Let me make this clear: I was not on hand this morning when players came off the field and walked past reporters to the dressing room. But Ryan Gorcey of Bear Territory reports that Allen did not appear to be at practice and that he was told Allen may have been injured during an onside kick try in the 49-27 loss to the Utes.

Will update as information is available.

Posted on Wednesday, October 31st, 2012
Under: Football, Mid-week | 21 Comments »
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Football: Tosh Lupoi says it’s just another game

I’ll be writing more on this topic later in the week, but former Cal player/assistant coach/recruiter Tosh Lupoi told Seattle reporters today he’s not giving Friday’s UW-Cal game any special significance.

“I really haven’t thought about it, honestly,” said Lupoi, who bolted to Washington last January, just prior to signing day.

Uh, right.

Anyway, courtesy of the Seattle Times, here’s a four-minute video of an interview he did after practice Tuesday.

Posted on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012
Under: Football, Mid-week | 51 Comments »
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Football: Bears at 3-6 — `Nobody’s giving up’

After a 49-27 loss at Utah, coach Jeff Tedford kept his postgame remarks to a minimum and encouraged players to have their say in the locker room.

Senior defensive end Kendrick Payne said there was clear consensus: “Nobody’s giving up.”

At 3-6 and coming off back-to-back blowout defeats, the Bears need to win the final three games on their schedule to become bowl eligible, starting Friday night at home against Washington.

Click here to read the rest of my Cal notebook.

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times explores Washington’s offensive shortcomings.

Posted on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012
Under: Football, Mid-week | 9 Comments »
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Football: Can Bears avoid the `Star’ treatment at the hands of Utah’s defensive line standout?

Cal offensive coordinator Jim Michalczik conceded that Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei won’t make every tackle Saturday night when the teams clash in Salt Lake City.

“He’s just overpowering,” Michalczik said. “A lot of times you see the guard going backwards. He may not make the tackle, but he’s disruptive.

“He was a tough guy for us last year and he’s an even better player now,” Michalczik said. “He’s just so big and so strong, he overpowers guys. You’ve got to try to help guys with him.”

Click here for more on the challenge facing Cal’s offensive line.

 

 

Posted on Thursday, October 25th, 2012
Under: Football, Mid-week, Pac-12 news | 2 Comments »
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