1. The calm before the storm On Jan. 15, 2012, all was well in Cal’s offseason plans. The Bears had received verbal commitments from five-star recruits Ellis McCarthy and Shaq Thompson and four-star recruit Jordan Payton. Arik Armstead and Aziz Shittu, a pair of five-star recruits, seemed like they were Read More…
Shaq Thompson, Washington nickelback The No. 1 safety in the country, Shaq Thompson was all set to follow in his older brother Syd’Quan’s footsteps and anchor the Cal secondary for four years. That all changed when Tosh Lupoi bolted from Berkeley to Seattle, the morning after he was at Thompson’s house. Read More…
When defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi left Cal to take the same position at Washington, he didn’t just leave his former team devoid of a head recruiter. Heading into the 2012 season, Cal’s defensive line was unanimously considered to be the clear strength of the team. With a core of Read More…
1. Oregon (8-0, 5-0) There’s not much more you can ask of Oregon. Through eight games this year, the Ducks have outscored their opponents 427-155 and have yet to be held under 40 points in a game. Saturday’s 70-14 win over Colorado was just the latest blowout in what might Read More…
Jeff Tedford had more excuses than answers following Saturday’s loss. The Cal football team’s head coach continued to attribute the 49-27 loss predominantly to the 21 points the Bears gave away to Utah on two kickoff returns for touchdowns and scoop fumble for a touchdown. But Cal was down 42-13 Read More…
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — For just the second time this season, the Cal football team scored first. That 3-0 lead lasted 16 seconds. Utah’s Reggie Dunn returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, the initial bullet in what is likely the death blow to the Bears’ 2012 Read More…
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Jeff Tedford preached leadership after Saturday’s game. At least that is what he told reporters after Cal’s second straight loss left the squad needing to win out to make a bowl. “It’s gonna take leadership from everyone,” he said. On defense, the Bears’ emotional leader Read More…
Follow along as Daily Cal football beat writer Jonathan Kuperberg gives play-by-play and analysis of the Cal-Utah game live from Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. Still needing three more wins to become bowl eligible, the Bears’ postseason hopes are on the line against the Utes. But with this Read More…
In what might have been the understatement of the century, Cal coach Jeff Tedford called his team’s performance against Stanford last weekend “a very frustrating day offensively,” noting that Stanford “won the line of scrimmage.” This weekend, the Bears (3-5, 2-3 in the Pac-12) will head out to Salt Lake Read More…
Predicting future events is an inherently flawed process. Take the first game of the World Series. Every baseball writer with a soapbox named the Tigers heavy favorites over the Giants in game one. Applying a rational framework, the prediction made sense. Justin Verlander is an animal; the Giants’ offense leaves Read More…
