BearTalk

Cal earlier this week released its post-spring practice depth chart, notable primarily for the battle that looms at quarterback when fall practice begins Aug. 5. No real news here, but worth revisiting.

New coach Sonny Dykes’ first spring workouts ended with three players still in the mix for the No. 1 quarterback spot — redshirt freshman Zach Kline, freshman Jared Goff and junior Austin Hinder.

Two other areas with questions entering the spring — the offensive line and cornerback– gained some clarity.

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Ex-Cal running back great Marshawn Lynch injected a surprise lift for the approximately 5,000 fans who checked out the Bears’ spring game on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.

Lynch, now with the Seattle Seahawks, scored a 22-yard “touchdown” before the current Bears got down to showing what they’ve worked on the past four weeks.

Click here for Carl Steward’s report.

Following Friday’s final spring practice, coach Sonny Dykes said the Bears will play strictly offense vs. defense in Saturday’s 4 p.m. spring game at Memorial Stadium.

Because of a series of injuries — few of them serious — the Bears don’t have enough players available to split into two full squads for the spring game.

So the offense will square off against the defense, with the defense scoring points for stops, forcing turnovers, etc.

The event, which will be shown live on the Pac-12 Networks, precedes Cal’s NCAA tournament basketball game against Syracuse at HP Pavilion. Tipoff for the basketball game is expected at about 6:40 p.m. on TBS.

Despite the schedule conflict for many fans, Dykes is pleased for coach Mike Montgomery’s squad.

“I’m happy that they’re playing,” he said. “I’m looking forward to going home and watching them get to the Sweet 16.”

Dykes said he plans to share the quarterback reps among the three leading candidates for the starting job — Zach Kline, Jared Goff and Austin Hinder.

As to when he and his staff might settle on a No. 1, Dykes said, “We want it to happen as quickly as possible, but we’re not going to force it.”

Admission to the spring game is free.

Every Pac-12 spring football game will be aired by the Pac-12 Networks, beginning with Cal’s game on Saturday at 4 p.m.

New coach Sonny Dykes’ first spring game at Memorial Stadium is open to fans and admission is free.

On the Pac-12 Networks, play-by-play voice Rich Cellini has the call with analyst Glenn Parker in the booth and Mike Yam reporting from the sidelines.

Here is the Networks’ promo piece on Cal: http://video.pac-12.com/get-closer-cal

Pac-12 Networks channel information in the greater Bay Area:

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Highlights from Sonny Dykes’ post-practice interview on Wednesday:

– Dykes said he’s been pleased with the defense this spring, despite injury issues and the fact that they’ve used a fairly vanilla approach, with little blitzing.

“I think we have a chance to have a good football team. Our defense is really going to determine how good our year is. That’s the way it always is,” he said. “If you want to win a championship, you;re going to win it by being a good defense.

“Offense is nice when you score points, but if you want to be a championship program, you’re going to have to play good defense.”

– After what he called a “sluggish” practice on Monday, Dykes said the Bears were sharper. “I thought we were really good today,” he said. “I thought our tempo was good, I thought our focus was good.”

– Redshirt freshman defensive back Damariay Drew is out with what Dykes described as a stress fracture in his upper leg. “Nothing serious,” he said. “Sounds much worse than it is. It’s not a bad injury.” Dykes said Drew will be shelved for about a month.

– The coaching staff still is working out details for Saturday’s spring game. There will be a game (it’s being broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks), but Dykes said he anticipates using some kind of a modified scoring system due to injuries limiting the depth of his squad. “We’ve got basically two healthy running backs. We’re one-deep in the secondary,” he said. “We’re trying to keep our players healthy. We don’t want to have any serious things happen to us on Saturday.”

– At this point, Dykes anticipates dividing quarterback reps equally on Saturday.

– Players who could return from spring injuries to play Saturday include LB David Wilkerson and RB Darren Ervin.

– An update on OT Bill Tyndall, who was scheduled to have surgery Wednesday to repair a broken ankle: “Bill’s probably going to be four months minimum … five months before contact. I think he’ll be back by the time we go to camp in August.”

– Walk-on quarterback Brendan Keeney has left the team.

– Dykes said he plans to take his family to HP Pavilion on Thursday night for Cal’s NCAA tournament game against UNLV. “We were at the first UNLV game. Hopefully, we’ll get a better last 5 or 6 seconds than we did last time,” he said, alluding to Cal’s last-second 76-75 loss.

Nothing is settled, but for perhaps the first time on Monday coach Sonny Dykes suggested a leader in the quarterback battle.

“Looks a little bit like Zach Kline is starting to get a little bit more settled in,” Dykes said of the redshirt freshman from San Ramon Valley High. “I’ve seen him kind of make a move here over the last two practices.”

Kline, freshman Jared Goff and junior Austin Hinder have battled throughout the spring and shared reps. Cal has two more practices — Wednesday and Friday — before closing down for the off-season with its spring game Saturday at Memorial Stadium, beginning at 4 p.m.

Asked if he has any clarity on the quarterback picture, Dykes initially said, “I’m liking what I’m seeing from all of them.”

Then he singled out Kline.

“His reads are happening a little faster, seems like he’s a little more accurate on his mid-range throws than he was,” Dykes said. “I saw some of that in the scrimmage Saturday and it carried over to practice today.

“I think he’s improved and getting better and better. It’s good to see that.”

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Cal senior Bill Tyndall, penciled in as the starting right offensive tackle, will undergo surgery Wednesday after breaking his left ankle Saturday during a scrimmage.

Tyndall will be out about four months, coach Sonny Dykes said.

Dykes said the Bears likely will used as many as four different players at the position through Saturday, when workouts end with the spring game. “We’re going to experiment a little bit and move some guys around and see how they respond this week,” Dykes said.

The Bears’ 12th of 15 spring workouts wasn’t their best, Dykes.

“I thought we were sluggish,” he said. “Didn’t have the same bounce we’ve been having. Look like they were a little worn out. We’re a little bit beat up.”

Nineteen players sat out practice Monday due to health issues.

“The good thing was we were able to come out and have a functional practice and get better and look good in some ways.”

I’m still out here Las Vegas covering hoops, but  apparently there were a few new wrinkles Wednesday at Cal spring practice.

Kyle Boehm, ostensibly the fourth-string quarterback, saw some time at receiver, at least partly in response to the club’s injury situation.

“We’re a little beat up across the board,” coach Sonny Dykes said. “Kyle got a little receiver, did some good things. He’s a good athlete. He’s a guy we thought we’d put out there and see what he can do.”

Boehm also took some shotgun snaps out of what was described as a “wildcat” running formation.

Likewise, junior Austin Hinder — dueling with freshman Jared Goff and redshirt freshman Zach Kline — for the starting quarterback spot, got a few reps at both receiver and running back.

Dykes did not indicate this suggests the QB battle is down to two players. What he said was that because Boehm and Hinder have backgrounds as running quarterbacks, the coaching staff wants to see what they have to offer in different roles.

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Two of the three players competing for Cal’s starting quarterback job did post-practice interviews on Monday. Here’s what Zach Kline and Austin Hinder had to say:

Zach Kline

On what he saw on film from his Saturday scrimmage performance: “Definitely I have a lot of work to do. I’ve got to just be quicker — this offense is about tempo — keep listening to the coaches, keep going at it, keep progressing.”

On what he makes of the initial spring depth chart that shows all three quarterbacks even: “Really haven’t even thought at all about it. Just go out here and tried my hardest. Whatever happens happens. Obviously, I want to be leading the Bears out there on Saturday. We’re all trying and it’s pretty intense competition, for sure.”

On how the competition will make all three better: “Competition makes the guy better. It’s definitely making me find the extra gear. There’s no days off. It’s pretty amazing, pretty cutthroat. It’s amazing to see all of us working together, all help each other. We’re all friends.”

On his approach to competing for the job: “Every day you just got to come out and be consistent. The most consistent quarertback is going to get the starting job. It’s getting out of the habit of trying to make the big play. Take your check downs when they give it to you. That quarterback is going to get the starting job.”

On how he’s adjusting to the no-huddle, spread offense: “I’m a lot more conforable in this system. It’s all about speed and tempo instead of really trying to pick apart the defense’s scheme … trying to get the ball in your athletes hands and let them make plays.”

On whether he keeps track of all of his throws in practice: “I have a mental note of all the plays I shouldn’t have done, the plays that are going to hurt me getting the starting job. Those are the plays where I’ve got to go back:  What was I thinking here? Why did I do this? What could I have done to be more successful in this situation?”

On Allan Bridgord leaving the program: “It’s kind of sad to hear. He’s a good friend of mine. I wish the best of luck to him. He’s a great quarterback.  Maybe he’s going to find a system he likes a little bit more. Hopefully wherever he chooses he’s going to have success.”

On when he expects a starter to be named: “The fact is, even if they name a starter, there’s a long time before that first game. Anybody who gets that job, it’s not going to be gauranteed. It’s going to be a competition all the way to that first week. It’s not over.”