Because the Maryland football team picked up a new defensive coordinator over the offseason, Cal's offense finds itself doing a little mix-and-match with game film in preparation for Saturday's season opener.

Don Brown spent the last five years as head coach of the University of Massachusetts Amherst before signing on to run the Terrapins' defense. As a result, the Bears are watching film ofUMass to get a sense of Brown's tendencies while studying Maryland's personnel from game tape of last season, and then trying to put them together mentally.

Regardless of how well that works, the fact is that No. 12 Cal is going to be something of a guinea pig when it plays the Terrapins on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

"Anytime you go into something like this, it's unsettling not to have some history on tape," Bears coach Jeff Tedford said. "It'd be nice to have one game."

Cal quarterback Kevin Riley passed for 423 yards against Maryland in their meeting last year, but most of that came during the fourth quarter after the Bears had fallen behind 28-6. It also came against a Terrapins unit that played mostly zone defense.

This season, according to Tedford, Brown has the Maryland defense playing much more aggressively.

"They're a big pressure team now," Tedford said. "So a lot has changed."

"They tend to bring everybody," fullback Brian Holley added. "Lot of safeties and corners."

An aggressive Terrapins defense means that Cal's relatively young offensive line is going to be tested early. Left tackle Mike Tepper is a sixth-year senior and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz is a returning starter. But guards Justin Cheadle and Matt Summers-Gavin will be starting their first game for the Bears at guard, and Chris Guarnero -- who started just three games last season -- will be making his first start at center, replacing Alex Mack.

Tedford said that it will be a good early test for the unit.

"I have a lot of confidence in our guys as far as their talent level is concerned," he said. "But there's probably going to be an adjustment period as far as what are (the Terrapins) doing, what are the adjustments we need to make."

Brown has impressive credentials from his tenure with the Minutemen, leading them to the 2006 NCAA FCS championship game and a top-20 finish in total defense in three of his five seasons. UMass was first nationally in scoring defense in 2005 and fifth the following season.

Nothing Wrong With a Little Anger

As one of the nation's best punters, Bryan Anger experiences a lot of conflicted emotions directed his way.

"I get that ... a lot -- 'We really want you in, but we really don't want you in at the same time,'" Anger said, summarizing the conundrum faced by Cal football fans and players alike.

Anger's punts regularly draw amazement and appreciation from crowds. His longest punt last season was 76 yards and he pinned opposing offenses inside the 20-yard line 26 times. He has the ability to completely reverse the playing field anytime he sets foot on the field.

The problem is that when he's kicking, it means the offense is stalling.

Anger seems like he's all right with the fact that people don't always want to see him in games, although he doesn't want to be forgotten completely.

"I want to punt a little bit," he said. "Maybe four times a game. Get in there just enough."

There aren't many players better suited for the job. Anger averaged 43.1 yards per punt last season and starts this year on the watch list for the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation's best punter. During camp, Anger said that he averaged about 48 yards per punt -- something that he attributes largely to offseason work on how he drops the ball toward his foot.

"My drop was a little squirrelly," he said. "In punting, 90 percent of the kick is the drop, so if the drop's good then the kick will pretty much be good.

"I turned my hand a little bit, how I hold the ball, so it should be good."

Anger should have some competition on Saturday. Maryland punter Travis Baltz was All-ACC last season and is also featured on the watch list for this year's Ray Guy Award. Baltz averaged 41.1 yards per punt in 2008 and landed 24 punts inside the 20.

"I'm looking forward to a little rivalry, a little duel," Anger said. "I don't get that often."

Quick Hits

-- Anger said that taking snaps from long snapper Matt Rios isn't much different than taking them from Nick Sundberg, who was automatic in his four years with the Bears.

"Matt's really good," Anger said. "Matt came from the same coach in Arizona, so Matt and Nick have a lot of similarities. Of course, Nick's going to be a little bit better because he's got four years on Matt, but Matt's doing really well."

-- Kevin Barnes' hit on Jahvid Best last year -- the one that caused Best to vomit while lying on the field -- recently came up in the locker room, fullback Brian Holley said. Holley recounted the exchange between him and Best as follows: "I asked him, 'What number was the guy who made you throw up?' (Best) said, 'He graduated.' And I was like, 'Dang.'"

Barnes was taken in the 2009 NFL Draft.

-- Tedford said that Best will return kickoffs on Saturday.

Tags: JAHVID BEST, BRYAN ANGER, JEFF TEDFORD, CAL, CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS, CAL FOOTBALL