Conference Play Opens With ’Cats

It’s been so far, so good for the No. 6 Cal football team—the Bears put their demons to sleep with a redemptive 45-31 win over Tennessee and survived two potential trap games, wrapping up their nonconference slate unscathed.

But when Arizona visits Cal (3-0) at Memorial Stadium for the Pac-10 opener today, the Wildcats (1-2) may rekindle those emotions, reminding the Bears of another haunting loss from last season—one that may have cost them a berth to the Rose Bowl.

After enduring a good amount of national attention and hype from week one, Cal coach Jeff Tedford appeared again reluctant to apply the revenge label.

“We’re starting conference play, it’s not so much about Arizona,” Tedford said. “Again, it’s still about us. It’s not a revenge factor against Arizona.”

Nevertheless, history may again provide the Bears an extra source of motivation.

On Nov. 11, 2006, then-No. 8 Cal held a 17-3 lead over Arizona entering the second half, poised to secure first place in the Pac-10. But the Bears unraveled in the fourth quarter, and Wildcats cornerback Antoine Cason capped off Arizona’s 21-3 second half run by intercepting Cal quarterback Nate Longshore for a touchdown.

The score gave Arizona the lead for good with 12:39 left.

“It was just a bad day for us, overall,” wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins said. “We didn’t really play to the best of our abilities. It was just like, ‘Dang, man, we just let this team mess up our whole thing that we had going.’ It was crazy.”

In a losing effort, Bears wide receiver DeSean Jackson—a product of Long Beach Poly who has also faced Cason in passing leagues— recorded a season-high 131 receiving yards and a 95-yard punt return touchdown. But in the end, Cason had the last say with the game-winning score.

“I’ve known Antoine since high school, he’s actually a friend of mine,” Jackson said. “But when game time comes, we’re not no friends. We’re out here to play. After the game I talk to him, but during the game, all we can do is compete.”

This time around, Cason has furthered the basis of competition by assuming punt return duties for the Wildcats. The senior has been effective thus far, notching a 70-yard return TD against Northern Arizona on Sep. 8. Meanwhile, Jackson hasn’t received too many return opportunities after turning a Volunteers punt into a 77-yard score in Cal’s season opener. Opposing teams have since avoided kicking to the Heisman candidate.

Aside from Cason and a punt return unit that averages a Pac-10-best 20.40 yards per return, the Wildcats also field a fluent passing attack led by quarterback Willie Tuitama.

The junior, who has already eclipsed his touchdown total from last season (seven) with nine, has led Arizona and its spread offense to a Pac-10-best 321.2 passing yards per game.

And with the Wildcats struggling on the ground (zero rushing touchdowns), offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes, who also served the position at Texas Tech during the Red Raiders’ 45-31 win over the Bears in the 2004 Holiday Bowl, may call on Tuitama and his wideouts to resume the load against Cal.

“They’re explosive on offense,” Tedford said. “Tuitama is a very good quarterback and he has some weapons there. If he catches fire, they can get rolling.”

If Arizona indeed maintains its pass-happy attack, the Cal secondary could correspondingly play an increased role, particularly the younger cornerbacks.

Other than sophomore Syd’Quan Thompson and senior Brandon Hampton, the Bears’ depth chart at that position is rounded out by freshmen.

And if the likes of first-year cornerbacks Darian Hagan, Chris Conte and Charles Amadi were ever to need advice prepping for a big game as a young defensive back, Thompson should be their man.

“The freshmen have improved a lot (so far this season), or they had to now that we don’t have too many older guys,” Thompson said. “I know it’s kind of early in their careers like it was for me (last year), but you know, everybody has to come in and get better every day.”

After conceding close to 300 passing yards in each of its first two games of the season, the unit appears to have settled down, halving that number last week to 153 against Louisiana Tech.

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