2006 California Golden Bears football team
Encyclopedia
The 2006 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley
in the college football
2006-2007 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium
in Berkeley, California
and were coached by Jeff Tedford
.
The Bears began the season with a Top 25 #12 ranking. After sustaining an upset by then #23 ranked Tennessee
in their opening game, the Bears won their next eight games before suffering another upset to unranked followed by a subsequent loss to then #4 USC
. All of these defeats came in away games. The Bears went on qualify for a share of the Pac-10 title after USC was upset by rival UCLA
the following week. The team made its second Holiday Bowl
in three years, blowing out #21 Texas A&M
and finishing the season ranked #14.
took the Cal football coaching job after their dreadful 1-10 2001 campaign, Cal saw an immense improvement in its football program, having five straight winning seasons from 2002 to 2006.
This particular Bears team, with a wealth of talent returning from their previous season, had a good amount of pre-season hype surrounding it, with the preseason AP Poll
ranking the Bears #9, while the Coaches Poll
rated them #12, their highest ranking since 1952. After a season-ending injury in the first game of the 2005 season, sophomore Nate Longshore
was named the starting quarterback for the Bears over Joe Ayoob, who had struggled in the 2005 games that he had started. After a very impressive season, Cal also launched a program to officially campaign for running back Marshawn Lynch
to win the Heisman Trophy
.
In the College GameDay preview on ESPN
, Lee Corso
predicted the Bears to win the Pac-10 championship over the USC Trojans
, and even went as far to say the Bears would win the national championship
over West Virginia
, saying "they play a tough schedule, but they could lose to Tennessee
and still run 11 straight ball games. I like Cal...I'm telling you, it's Cal versus West Virginia, and then Cal wins it; the national title goes to Cal."
Cal's opener was on the road against the #23 Tennessee Volunteers
, a SEC
team just coming off of a disappointing 5-6 season under coach Phillip Fulmer
. With a hostile crowd of 106,009 watching at Neyland Stadium
, Cal was torn to shreds. Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge
went 11 for 18 and passed for 291 yards and 4 touchdowns against the highly touted Cal defense. Vol receiver, Robert Meachem
had a breakout game with 5 catches for 182 yards and 2 TD's. Newly appointed starting quarterback Nate Longshore
struggled in his first road start, only passing for 85 yards. Heisman candidate Marshawn Lynch
was held to 74 yards on 12 carries. While the Bears managed to hold Tennessee to 14 first half points, a quick 80 yard touchdown pass from Ainge to Meachem at the start of the third quarter quickly started a tumble that ended up giving the Volunteers a 35-0 lead by the middle of the third quarter. The Tennessee secondary was then dispatched to finish the Bears off, and Joe Ayoob was substituted for Longshore, putting up 187 yards, including a touchdown. Tennessee managed to rake up an extremely impressive 514 yards against the Bears. Ainge later said "This game tonight wasn't just for Tennessee versus California. It was for the South versus the West Coast, the SEC versus the Pac-10."
Because the loss was so lopsided, and because Cal was expected to do highly well this season, many immediately dismissed Cal from any type of national discussion. Cal dropped 13 spots in the AP Poll
to #22 and 11 spots in the Coaches Poll
to #23, while Tennessee rose twelve spots in the AP poll to #11 and six spots to #17 in the Coaches Poll.
in front of a crowd of 55,035. The Gophers were 1-0 with their win against Kent State
. Minnesota scored on its first drive, but the Bears bounced back with a touchdown in the first and second quarter to receivers Robert Jordan and DeSean Jackson, respectively. The Gophers' Dominic Jones responded with a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown. Eventually California pulled ahead on two touchdowns by Jackson, and led 28-17 at the half, and with two more touchdowns in the third and fourth quarter on rushes by Marshawn Lynch
, the Bears put the Gophers away 42-17.
Nate Longshore
bounced back in a big way from his previous start, finishing 22 for 31 with 300 yards and 4 touchdowns. He later joked about how it felt good to finally play a fourth quarter.
Lynch finished with 139 yards and 2 touchdowns on 27 carries, while backup running back Justin Forsett gathered 77 rushing yards of his own. Receivers Lavelle Hawkins and DeSean Jackson both finished with over 100 yards, with Jackson gathering three touchdowns as well. Cal got 531 yards of offense in all, compared to Minnesota's 352. Minnesota quarterback Bryan Cupito was 21 for 33 with 243 yards and 2 interceptions, both picked by Cal cornerback Daymeion Hughes.
With this loss, the Golden Gophers lost their first non-conference game in 18 tries, the longest streak in the Big Ten
.
Cal rose in the polls one spot in the AP Poll
to #21, and two spots in the Coaches Poll
to #21, after this win.
, a Division 1-AA opponent that was the last team scheduled on the Bears' 2006 schedule. The Vikings were 2-0 going into this game at California Memorial Stadium
before a crowd of 61,082. Portland State scored a field goal on their opening drive, but the Bears responded with three more touchdowns before the first quarter ended, one coming from a Daymeion Hughes 30 yard interception. In the second quarter, Marshawn Lynch
posted a 71 yard touchdown run, and another touchdown midway through the third quarter put the Bears put 35-3. Portland State would score two quick touchdowns before the half ended, but the half would close with Cal receiver DeSean Jackson scoring on a 27 yard pass. Cal substituted many of its roster into the game in the second half, and neither team managed to score in the second half, and the Bears won 42-16, bringing their record to 2-1.
Cal brought in 502 total yards, 335 being in the first half. Nate Longshore
passed for 225 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Lynch rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown on 6 carries, and Jackson had five catches for 103 yards and a score. Backup Cal quarterback Steve Levy also played, going 7 for 10 with 66 yards. Vikings quarterback Rob Freeman was 12 for 17 with 119 yards and a touchdown.
Despite this, Cal had three turnovers and 9 penalties which put them back over 100 yards. Both Jackson and Hughes seemed confident they could play better the next week in Pac-10 play.
With this win, Cal stayed steady in the AP Poll
at #21, and rose one spot in the Coaches Poll
to #20.
Portland State would finish the season 7-4, 6-2 in the Big Sky Conference
.
They played against the Arizona State Sun Devils
, ranked #22 in the AP Poll
and #18 in the Coaches Poll
. Many expected the Sun Devils to have a good chance to seriously compete for the conference title this year. They entered with a 3-0 record against non-conference opponents.
Arizona State scored on its opening drive, putting them up 7-0 early in the first quarter. But Cal answered back, putting up five straight touchdowns midway through the second quarter, four being passes by Nate Longshore
and the fifth being an 80-yard punt return by DeSean Jackson. Arizona State scored again before the half, and just as the half winded down, Daymeion Hughes intercepted a pass for a score to put Cal up 42-14 when the first half was over. Both teams managed one more touchdown each in the second half to give Cal the 49-21 victory. Sun Devils coach Dirk Koetter
confessed after the game, "When the pressure builds, even the routine plays become tough. This is exactly what happened to Cal at Tennessee
."
Longshore passed for 270 yards and four touchdowns, while Marshawn Lynch
added 124 rushing yards on 17 carries, including a receiving touchdown. Daymeion Hughes had his fifth interception in three games. Cal also controlled the ball for only slightly more than 23 minutes, compared to the Sun Devils 36 minutes, even though they easily outscored them.
After this win, Cal rose one spot in the AP Poll to #20, and stayed steady in the Coaches Poll at #20. Arizona State dropped from both polls after the loss.
The Sun Devils finished the season 7-6 (4-5 in the Pac-10), but would lose the Hawaii Bowl
to Hawaii and would fire Koetter soon thereafter and replace him with Dennis Erickson.
In week 5, Cal headed to Corvallis, Oregon
to play the Oregon State Beavers
at Reser Stadium
. The Beavers had a 2-1 record going into this game, and had yet to play a Pac-10 matchup this season. Last season, the Beavers played a ranked Cal squad at Memorial Stadium
in Berkeley
and upset them 23-20, dropping the Bears from the rankings for the first time in over a year.
In front of a rowdy crowd, the Bears dominated the Beavers, scoring four touchdowns and hitting a field goal before the Beavers were able to score a field goal as the first half ended. In the second half, the Beavers were able to score another field goal and a fourth quarter touchdown, but the Bears also managed another touchdown and field goal to end the game 41-13.
Nate Longshore
had a career-high day, passing for 341 yards and four touchdowns, along with one interception. Marshawn Lynch
also had a rushing touchdown, along with two receiving ones. DeSean Jackson and Lavelle Hawkins also scored on receiving touchdowns. Oregon State quarterback Matt Moore had 187 passing yards before being replaced in the fourth quarter.
This win propelled the Bears four spots in the AP Poll
to #16, and shot them up three spots in the Coaches Poll
to #17. Their record stood at 4-1, with a 2-0 Pac-10 record, while the Beavers left with a 2-2 record, 0-1 in the Pac-10.
With a looming game against the undefeated Oregon Ducks
, Coach Tedford
confessed that he would "immediately" begin thinking about the showdown.
Despite the blowout, the Beavers finished the season with a 10-4 record, and third in the Pac-10 thanks to a 7-3 conference record, a win in the 2006 Sun Bowl
over Missouri, and would score a memorable upset over the former #3 USC Trojans
several weeks after the Cal loss.
Homecoming
weekend, against the undefeated #11 (in both the AP Poll
and Coaches Poll
) Oregon Ducks
, a team that was 4-0, and 1-0 in Pac-10 play. It was broadcast to the majority of the country on ABC Sports. The game at California Memorial Stadium
was played in front of a sold-out crowd of 72,516. Surprisingly, Cal came into the game wearing gold jerseys, instead of their normal blue outfits. Before the game, the Cal student section gave a raucous tribute to Nobel Prize
winner George Smoot
, who had just won a few days earlier for his research on the Big Bang
.
Cal continued to shine in its victory over the Ducks. Quarterback Nate Longshore
had a touchdown pass early in the first quarter, but the Ducks bounced back with a field goal. Cal then scored three straight touchdowns, two being passes from Longshore, and one being a memorable 65 yard punt return by receiver DeSean Jackson to put the Bears up 28-3. Oregon scored a touchdown before the half ended, leaving Cal with a 28-10 lead. A field goal and another Longshore touchdown into receiver Robert Jordan's hands gave the Bears a 38-10 lead, but the Ducks countered with a touchdown pass as the third quarter ended. Another touchdown score by both teams in the fourth quarter, Cal's coming from tailback Justin Forsett's 23 yard run, gave the Bears an impressive 45-24 victory.
This was the fifth straight game in which the Bears scored more than 40 points. Longshore was 14 for 26 with 189 yards, four touchdowns (including one on the ground), and one interception. While Lynch was held to just 50 yards because of an ankle injury, Justin Forsett rushed for 163 yards on 27 carries, with one score. DeSean Jackson had two touchdowns, one passing and one 65 yard punt return. Receivers Craig Stevens and Robert Jordan also had touchdown receptions. Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon
threw for 263 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Running back Jonathan Stewart, the then-leader in Pac-10 rushing yards, was held to just 25 yards on 18 carries by the Cal defense.
This game put Cal in the prime position to challenge USC
for the Pac-10 championship. Cal moved up six spots in both the AP Poll
and the Coaches Poll
to #10 and #11, respectively, after this win, while Oregon dropped seven spots in both polls to #18.
The Ducks are already bowl-eligible, unranked in the AP Poll and in the Coaches Poll, but have a #24 ranking in the BCS
standings. They have a 7-3 record (4-3 in the Pac-10).
One week later, Cal traveled to Pullman, Washington
to battle the Washington State Cougars
at Martin Stadium
. The Bears had not won in Pullman since 1979, losing nine straight games. The Cougars sported a 4-2 record, 2-1 in the Pac-10, only falling to the then-AP ranked
#4 Auburn Tigers
and to the then-AP ranked #3 USC Trojans
in a very close contest.
Rather than a blowout victory using the offense, the Bears won this game using defense. Three touchdowns were scored in the first half, two from Marshawn Lynch and one rushing touchdown by quarterback Nate Longshore
, and the Cougars were held to just a field goal. After the half, the Bears buckled down on defense and didn't allow the Cougars to score again. Washington State had an opportunity to score in the third quarter, but an official review ruled receiver Dwight Tardy's knee was down on the 1 yard line. On fourth and one, the Bears defense stopped the rush to turn the ball over on downs. A quiet second half gave Cal its six straight win, 21-3. They left with a 6-1 record, and an unblemished 4-0 Pac-10 tally. The Cougars fell to 4-3, 2-2 in the Pac-10.
Longshore threw for 176 yards and two interceptions, along with one rushing touchdown. Marshawn Lynch had 152 yards on 25 carries with Cal's two other scores. Receivers DeSean Jackson and Robert Jordan gathered 60 and 56 yards, respectively. This was the first game of the season Jackson did not score a touchdown. Daymeion Hughes got his sixth interception of the season that set up one of Lynch's touchdowns. The Cal defense stifled the Cougars running game to just 88 yards. The offensive line also managed to keep the Cougars, who led the nation in quarterback sacks with 27, at bay, only letting them sack Longshore once.
After Cal's offense had been in full throttle for five straight games, many began to wonder if the Bears were beginning to struggle. The Bears fell one spot in the AP Poll
to #11, and stayed constant at #11 in the Coaches Poll
after this win. In the first BCS Standings
of the season, released the next day, the Bears sported a #10 position.
The game was not broadcast in the Bay Area, angering many Cal fans. However, Slingbox
gave fans an opportunity to watch the game at California Memorial Stadium
. After a successful test the day before, over 3,000 fans crammed into Memorial Stadium to watch as Slingbox streamed the game from Washington to the large television in the stadium.
on October 21 to watch Cal play the Washington Huskies
. The Huskies, expected to finish last in the Pac-10 at the beginning of the season, exceeded that prediction, starting the season 4-1. Two straight losses, one a near-upset of the USC Trojans
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
, and the other a shocker against Oregon State
, swayed their momentum a bit, yielding a 4-3 record, 2-2 in the Pac-10. Coach Tyrone Willingham
had already doubled the Huskies previous year's win total. The Bears were the clear favorite to win the game, but some predicted that the Huskies could provide a "trap game" for the Bears.
Backup Washington quarterback Carl Bonnell, subbing in for the injured starting quarterback Isaiah Stanback. He managed to do quite well. The Huskies struck first, driving down field to get a 33-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Bonnell pitched a 49 yard pass to receiver Anthony Russo to give the Huskies a 10-0 lead. After scoring 192 points in their last six games, the Bears only managed a half-ending field goal from Tom Schneider to end the half with Washington up 10-3.
In Cal's first possession of the second half, they drove the ball 62 yards down field, capping it off with Justin Forsett running in for a touchdown. Later in the third quarter, Schneider managed an impressive 50 yard field goal to give the Bears their first lead of the game, 13-10. The Huskies did not stay down for long, starting the fourth quarter with Bonnell rushing seven yards for a score. Cal tried to respond, but only managed to get a field goal, leaving them one point behind. After a defensive stop, quarterback Nate Longshore
was excellent on the last drive of regulation, going 82 yards in 12 plays as the game winded down, converting two third-and-tens. Marshawn Lynch
ran in 17 yards for the score, with Justin Forsett managed to rush in for the two point conversion, giving the Bears a 24-17 lead with 1:52 to go. Cal seemed safe, but Bonnell kept pushing upfield on the Huskies possession, and capped it off with an improbable 40-yard Hail Mary pass
, batted off the hands of three Cal defenders into the hands of receiver Marlon Wood as the clock ran to zero.
Cal was on offense first in overtime. On the second play, Longshore passed back to Lynch, who ran 22 yards in for the touchdown. On Washington's possession, Cal defender Desmond Bishop intercepted a pass at the goal line and returned it 82 yards to the Washington 17, Cal's fifth interception of the game, giving the Bears a heart stopping 31-24 victory.
Marshawn Lynch jubilantly took a cart used to drive injured players off the field for a joyride in the middle of the stadium following the win. He gathered 150 yards on 21 carries, while sporting two sprained ankles. Longshore was 21 for 36 with 291 yards. Bonnell passed for 284 yards, but the five interceptions proved too costly. Bishop later said of the victory, "We know we can win big games now. We know it's inside us."
In a weekend full of near upsets of the Texas Longhorns, Notre Dame
, and the Tennessee Volunteers
, the Bears dropped one spot in both polls to #12, but stayed at #10 in the BCS
Rankings. The Bears now had a 7-1 record, with a perfect 5-0 Pac-10 record. Washington dropped its third straight, falling to 4-4, 2-3 in the Pac-10.
The Washington Huskies would finish 5-7, 3-6 in the Pac-10.
After a bye week, which saw the Bears take sole position of first place in the Pac-10, rising two spots in the AP Poll
to #10 and one spot in the Coaches Poll
to #11 (staying steady at #10 in the BCS
Standings), Cal faced the UCLA Bruins
, a Pac-10 team and rival of the Bears, who sported a 4-4 record, 2-3 in the Pac-10. Last year, in a contest between the unbeaten, ranked teams at the Rose Bowl
, the Bears fell to the Bruins 47-40, letting their 40-28 lead in the fourth quarter melt away.
The Bruins starting quarterback Ben Olson
was still injured, so backup quarterback Patrick Cowan took his fourth start in California Memorial Stadium
. The Bruins had a tough last three weeks after starting 4-1, losing to the Oregon Ducks
on the road, losing their chance at an upset over the #10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
in the last minute of the game at Notre Dame Stadium
, and losing at home to the Washington State Cougars
at home 37-15. The Bears and Bruins have split their last six contests, with the home team winning each occasion.
Cal wore their gold jerseys from the Oregon game four weeks earlier in front of a sold-out crowd of 72,516, Cal's second of the year, and just their fifth from opponents besides Stanford
since the 1950s. In the first quarter, Cal drove down the field to score on their first possession of the ballgame. A defensive stop against UCLA and then the Bears gave the Bruins possession, and Cowan ran in for a twelve yard touchdown. Quarterback Nate Longshore
took the helm, driving 76 yards on the next possession, the drive capped off by Marshawn Lynch
's brilliant 24-yard catch-and-dash through the UCLA defense. The Bruins drove deep in the next drive, but settled for a field goal, which ended the first half scoring.
On an early third quarter possession of Cal, Longshore threw to receiver Robert Jordan for a 44-yard touchdown. After UCLA's failed drive, DeSean Jackson, aided by a devastating block by Thomas DeCoud, returned the ensuing punt 72 yards for a touchdown, putting the Bears up 28-10. It was the fourth punt return for touchdown in Jackson's career, tying a Pac 10 record. Lynch ran in for another touchdown early in the fourth quarter. UCLA would managed to haul in two more touchdowns, including a 70-yard run from Chris Markey, while Cal could only get off a field goal. This propelled the Bears to their eighth straight win over the Bruins, 38-24.
Longshore was 20-for-24 with 266 yards and three touchdowns. Lynch ran for 81 yards and a touchdown, and had 45 receiving yards along with another touchdown. Receiver Robert Jordan, Lynch's second cousin, had 86 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 5 catches. Lavelle Hawkins and DeSean Jackson had 60 and 58 receiving yards on 5 and 3 catches, respectively. Backup running back Justin Forsett also ran for 60 yards on just 11 carries. Desmond Bishop and Daymeion Hughes both had interceptions off of Cowan. Hughes's eighth is the current conference best. Cowan threw for 329 yards and was 22-for-40 with the two interceptions. UCLA had 516 total yards, compared to Cal's 433.
The Bears' win gave them an 8-1 record, 6-0 in the Pac-10. They saw a two spot rise in the AP Poll to #8, and another two spot rise in the Coaches Poll to #9. They are also #8 in the BCS
standings, increasing two spots from the previous week.
The Bruins are now 5-5, 3-4 in the Pac-10, on the verge of bowl eligibility.
Saturday to battle the Arizona Wildcats
. The AP ranked
#8 Golden Bears went into the game with an 8-1 record, and 6-0 in Pac-10. The Wildcats were 4-5, 2-4 in the Pac-10, coming off of an upset of the then-ranked Washington State Cougars
at Pullman
the week before. Quarterback Willie Tuitama missed two previous games due to a concussion, and went back in against the Cougars, passing for 159 yards. Junior running back Chris Henry had perhaps the biggest day, running for 94 yards and two touchdowns on a school-record 35 carries. Cal has blanked the Wildcats in their last two meetings, 28-0 last year in Berkeley
and in 2004 at Tucson, 38-0. Despite a looming, much-anticipated showdown against the USC Trojans
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
on November 18 that will probably decide the Pac-10 championship, Cal quarterback Nate Longshore
insisted that they were solely focused on the Wildcats this week.
A 95-yard punt return by DeSean Jackson was the first score, putting the Bears up 7-0. Arizona got a field goal next, putting them on the board 7-3. Midway through the first quarter, Marshawn Lynch's 79-yard touchdown run was erased by a block-in-the-back call on Lavelle Hawkins, and the Bears had to settle for a field goal. In the middle of the second quarter, Longshore hit Jackson with a 72-yard touchdown pass to put the Bears up 17-3 at the half.
Arizona would drive the clock down on two drives in the second half and get a touchdown on both drives to tie the game at 17. Within the span of three plays on the second of these drives, Cal had two interceptions by Bernard Hicks and Daymeion Hughes
nullified by two separate penalties. Hughes later argued that his case should not have given him a pass interference call, as he was just reaching for the ball. On Cal's next drive, with the score now tied, Longshore threw and the ball was intercepted by Arizona's Antione Cason for another score, putting the Wildcats up 24-17.
The Bears would respond in their next series with a long pass to Lavelle Hawkins, but he would trip inside the 5 yard line before reaching the goal. Cal could not capitalize, having to put up a field goal, earning them a four-point deficit 24-20. A stop on the Arizona defense gave the Bears the ball again. Longshore apparently hit Jackson for a 63-yard score with just over two minutes left, but a video review ruled his foot out at the 41-yard line. A few plays later, Longshore's pass was batted and intercepted with less than two minutes to clinch the game for Arizona. The student section wildly rushed the field as Cal was taken out of the national title picture for the season.
While Cal out gained the Wildcats in yardage 356 to 262, and though Longshore passed for 250 yards, his three interceptions turned quite costly, as did all of Cal's penalties on crucial plays. Despite their 17-3 mid-third quarter lead, the Bears just made too many mistakes. Hughes later reflected on the loss, "The whole game was like plays going their way."
Cal fell to 8-2, 6-1 in the Pac-10 after this loss, and fell nine spots to #17 in the AP Poll
, and eight spots in the Coaches Poll
to #17. Their BCS
ranking decreased seven spots to #15. Despite the upset, they still had a chance to clinch their Rose Bowl bid with a win against the conference leading USC Trojans the next week.
Arizona would finish 6-6, 4-5 in the Pac-10, but despite being eligible, would not be picked for a bowl game.
to battle the USC Trojans
at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
. A victory by either side would ensure a BCS
berth for that team, since the winner would be crowned champion of the Pac-10 because they would hold the tiebreaker over the other. While the previous week's loss knocked Cal from the talks of hunting for the national title, a victory would have ensured its first Rose Bowl berth since 1959.
USC had higher aspirations; they were aiming for their third strip to the BCS National Championship Game
, and with Michigan's loss to Ohio State earlier, a sweep of their final three games would guarantee them the #2 seed and a date with the Buckeyes. A win against Cal would at the very least clinch the Rose Bowl.
The Trojans and Bears would struggle to a standstill for three quarters. The Golden Bears would take a 9-6 lead into halftime thanks to a safety by Brandon Mebane
and a TD throw from Nate Longshore
to Lavelle Hawkins
, although the margin could have been bigger if not for two turnovers in USC territory. The Trojans would score one field goal in each of the three quarters to tie the game at 9.
In the fourth quarter, USC would break the game open. Two touchdown passes on two consecutive drives from John David Booty
to Dwayne Jarrett
and Steve Smith
respectively provided the game's final scoring. Just as critical was USC's defense shutting down Cal's offense in the second half, allowing only four first downs. USC clinched its fifth consecutive Pac-10 title and at least a trip to the Rose Bowl.
Booty struggled in the first half, but went 13 for 19 for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns in the second. Jarrett and Smith combined for 11 catches and 154 yards and the aforementioned two scores. For Cal, Marshawn Lynch was held to 88 yards on 20 carries, and Longshore went 17-38, throwing for 1 touchdown but also 2 interceptions. The Bears would go into Thanksgiving weekend (their traditional bye week) needing to win The Big Game
to wrap up their second Holiday Bowl
bid in three years.
Despite the victory, the Trojans would be upset by UCLA in the last week of the season to ruin their BCS title aspirations. This opened the door for the Florida Gators
, who beat the Arkansas Razorbacks
in the 2006 SEC Championship Game to claim a spot in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game against Ohio State. USC would go onto the Rose Bowl
, where they would defeat Big Ten runnerup and BCS-ranked #3 Michigan 32-18. The Trojans would finish the season 11-2 and 7-2 in the Pac-10, ranked 4th in both the AP and Coaches Polls.
However, Tom Schneider kicked four field goals (including tying a school record with a 55 yarder) and Syd'Quan Thompson
picked up a fumble recovery for a late first half score, and that was just enough for the Bears to stave off a strong performance from T.J. Ostrander and the hapless one win Cardinal squad. Pac-10 defense stats
Since Cal defeated Stanford, and USC was defeated by UCLA the same day, Cal got its first share of the Pac-10 Title since 1975, with Cal and USC both atop the Pac-10 in the final standings. Because USC beat Cal though, the Trojans would be heading to the Rose Bowl while the Golden Bears had to settle for San Diego and the Holiday Bowl
. http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/recap;_ylt=Au8Rh4im82JF87Bam0rOBrBH1LYF?gid=200612020059
Stanford finished 1-11, 1-8 in the conference and fired their head coach Walt Harris
after the season was over. He was replaced by Jim Harbaugh
.
Lynch rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns while the Golden Bear defense was able to hold the Aggie offense to a scoreless second half. Longshore threw for a Touchdown, rushed for one, but also threw an interception while passing for 231 yards in the Golden Bear win. Justin Forsett also ran for 125 yards and scored once himself.
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
2006-2007 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. Commonly known as Memorial Stadium, it is the home field for the University of California Golden Bears of the Pacific-12 Conference...
in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
and were coached by Jeff Tedford
Jeff Tedford
Jeff Tedford is an American football coach and the current head coach of the California Golden Bears football team, a position he has held since 2002. As a first-time head coach, Tedford has won wide acclaim for revitalizing the Cal football program...
.
The Bears began the season with a Top 25 #12 ranking. After sustaining an upset by then #23 ranked Tennessee
2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the college football season of 2006–2007. Tennessee entered the 2006 season coming off an 5–6 record in 2005...
in their opening game, the Bears won their next eight games before suffering another upset to unranked followed by a subsequent loss to then #4 USC
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
. All of these defeats came in away games. The Bears went on qualify for a share of the Pac-10 title after USC was upset by rival UCLA
2006 UCLA Bruins football team
The 2006 UCLA Bruins football team represented UCLA in the college football 2006 season. They played their home games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California and were coached by Karl Dorrell. It was Dorrell's fourth season as the UCLA head coach...
the following week. The team made its second Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
in three years, blowing out #21 Texas A&M
2006 Texas A&M Aggies football team
The 2006 Texas A&M Aggies football team completed the season with a 9-4 record. The Aggies had a regular season Big 12 record of 5-3.-Schedule:-Roster:-The Citadel:-Louisiana-Lafayette:-Army:-Louisiana Tech:...
and finishing the season ranked #14.
Pre-season
Since Jeff TedfordJeff Tedford
Jeff Tedford is an American football coach and the current head coach of the California Golden Bears football team, a position he has held since 2002. As a first-time head coach, Tedford has won wide acclaim for revitalizing the Cal football program...
took the Cal football coaching job after their dreadful 1-10 2001 campaign, Cal saw an immense improvement in its football program, having five straight winning seasons from 2002 to 2006.
This particular Bears team, with a wealth of talent returning from their previous season, had a good amount of pre-season hype surrounding it, with the preseason AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
ranking the Bears #9, while the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
rated them #12, their highest ranking since 1952. After a season-ending injury in the first game of the 2005 season, sophomore Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
was named the starting quarterback for the Bears over Joe Ayoob, who had struggled in the 2005 games that he had started. After a very impressive season, Cal also launched a program to officially campaign for running back Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
to win the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
.
In the College GameDay preview on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, Lee Corso
Lee Corso
Leland "Lee" Corso is a sports broadcaster and football analyst for ESPN. He has been featured on ESPN's College GameDay program since its inception and he appeared annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football through NCAA Football 11...
predicted the Bears to win the Pac-10 championship over the USC Trojans
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
, and even went as far to say the Bears would win the national championship
BCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
over West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference. On July 1, 2012 the Mountaineers will switch conferences, moving from the Big East to the Big 12, becoming...
, saying "they play a tough schedule, but they could lose to Tennessee
2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the college football season of 2006–2007. Tennessee entered the 2006 season coming off an 5–6 record in 2005...
and still run 11 straight ball games. I like Cal...I'm telling you, it's Cal versus West Virginia, and then Cal wins it; the national title goes to Cal."
Schedule
Tennessee Volunteers
Cal's opener was on the road against the #23 Tennessee Volunteers
2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the college football season of 2006–2007. Tennessee entered the 2006 season coming off an 5–6 record in 2005...
, a SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
team just coming off of a disappointing 5-6 season under coach Phillip Fulmer
Phillip Fulmer
Phillip Fulmer is a TV college football analyst and the former head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, who compiled a 152–52 record from 1992–2008 as head coach, but was fired during a 5–7 season in 2008...
. With a hostile crowd of 106,009 watching at Neyland Stadium
Neyland Stadium
Neyland Stadium is a sports stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It serves primarily as the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, but is also used to host large conventions and has been a site for several NFL exhibition games. The stadium's official capacity is 102,455...
, Cal was torn to shreds. Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge
Erik Ainge
Erik Douglas Ainge is a retired American football quarterback formerly of the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
went 11 for 18 and passed for 291 yards and 4 touchdowns against the highly touted Cal defense. Vol receiver, Robert Meachem
Robert Meachem
Robert Meachem is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Saints 27th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee....
had a breakout game with 5 catches for 182 yards and 2 TD's. Newly appointed starting quarterback Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
struggled in his first road start, only passing for 85 yards. Heisman candidate Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
was held to 74 yards on 12 carries. While the Bears managed to hold Tennessee to 14 first half points, a quick 80 yard touchdown pass from Ainge to Meachem at the start of the third quarter quickly started a tumble that ended up giving the Volunteers a 35-0 lead by the middle of the third quarter. The Tennessee secondary was then dispatched to finish the Bears off, and Joe Ayoob was substituted for Longshore, putting up 187 yards, including a touchdown. Tennessee managed to rake up an extremely impressive 514 yards against the Bears. Ainge later said "This game tonight wasn't just for Tennessee versus California. It was for the South versus the West Coast, the SEC versus the Pac-10."
Because the loss was so lopsided, and because Cal was expected to do highly well this season, many immediately dismissed Cal from any type of national discussion. Cal dropped 13 spots in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
to #22 and 11 spots in the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
to #23, while Tennessee rose twelve spots in the AP poll to #11 and six spots to #17 in the Coaches Poll.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Cal got its first home game of the season on September 9 against the Minnesota Golden Gophers2006 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
The 2006 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the college football season of 2006-2007. Coached by Glen Mason, the Gophers played their home games at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as they had since Memorial Stadium closed after the 1981...
in front of a crowd of 55,035. The Gophers were 1-0 with their win against Kent State
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
. Minnesota scored on its first drive, but the Bears bounced back with a touchdown in the first and second quarter to receivers Robert Jordan and DeSean Jackson, respectively. The Gophers' Dominic Jones responded with a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown. Eventually California pulled ahead on two touchdowns by Jackson, and led 28-17 at the half, and with two more touchdowns in the third and fourth quarter on rushes by Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
, the Bears put the Gophers away 42-17.
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
bounced back in a big way from his previous start, finishing 22 for 31 with 300 yards and 4 touchdowns. He later joked about how it felt good to finally play a fourth quarter.
Lynch finished with 139 yards and 2 touchdowns on 27 carries, while backup running back Justin Forsett gathered 77 rushing yards of his own. Receivers Lavelle Hawkins and DeSean Jackson both finished with over 100 yards, with Jackson gathering three touchdowns as well. Cal got 531 yards of offense in all, compared to Minnesota's 352. Minnesota quarterback Bryan Cupito was 21 for 33 with 243 yards and 2 interceptions, both picked by Cal cornerback Daymeion Hughes.
With this loss, the Golden Gophers lost their first non-conference game in 18 tries, the longest streak in the Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
.
Cal rose in the polls one spot in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
to #21, and two spots in the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
to #21, after this win.
Portland State Vikings
Cal played at home the next week against the Portland State VikingsPortland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
, a Division 1-AA opponent that was the last team scheduled on the Bears' 2006 schedule. The Vikings were 2-0 going into this game at California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. Commonly known as Memorial Stadium, it is the home field for the University of California Golden Bears of the Pacific-12 Conference...
before a crowd of 61,082. Portland State scored a field goal on their opening drive, but the Bears responded with three more touchdowns before the first quarter ended, one coming from a Daymeion Hughes 30 yard interception. In the second quarter, Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
posted a 71 yard touchdown run, and another touchdown midway through the third quarter put the Bears put 35-3. Portland State would score two quick touchdowns before the half ended, but the half would close with Cal receiver DeSean Jackson scoring on a 27 yard pass. Cal substituted many of its roster into the game in the second half, and neither team managed to score in the second half, and the Bears won 42-16, bringing their record to 2-1.
Cal brought in 502 total yards, 335 being in the first half. Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
passed for 225 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Lynch rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown on 6 carries, and Jackson had five catches for 103 yards and a score. Backup Cal quarterback Steve Levy also played, going 7 for 10 with 66 yards. Vikings quarterback Rob Freeman was 12 for 17 with 119 yards and a touchdown.
Despite this, Cal had three turnovers and 9 penalties which put them back over 100 yards. Both Jackson and Hughes seemed confident they could play better the next week in Pac-10 play.
With this win, Cal stayed steady in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
at #21, and rose one spot in the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
to #20.
Portland State would finish the season 7-4, 6-2 in the Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
.
Arizona State Sun Devils
On September 23, Cal played their first Pac-10 game of the season. This year, the Pac-10 football officials ruled to have twelve game schedules for its teams for the first time, and nine of those twelve games will be conference games, producing a full round-robin tournament in the conference to determine their champion.They played against the Arizona State Sun Devils
2006 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
The 2006 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented Arizona State University in the college football season of 2006-2007. The team's coach was Dirk Koetter who was fired after the season...
, ranked #22 in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and #18 in the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
. Many expected the Sun Devils to have a good chance to seriously compete for the conference title this year. They entered with a 3-0 record against non-conference opponents.
Arizona State scored on its opening drive, putting them up 7-0 early in the first quarter. But Cal answered back, putting up five straight touchdowns midway through the second quarter, four being passes by Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
and the fifth being an 80-yard punt return by DeSean Jackson. Arizona State scored again before the half, and just as the half winded down, Daymeion Hughes intercepted a pass for a score to put Cal up 42-14 when the first half was over. Both teams managed one more touchdown each in the second half to give Cal the 49-21 victory. Sun Devils coach Dirk Koetter
Dirk Koetter
-NFL drafted players under Koetter:-External links:* *...
confessed after the game, "When the pressure builds, even the routine plays become tough. This is exactly what happened to Cal at Tennessee
2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the college football season of 2006–2007. Tennessee entered the 2006 season coming off an 5–6 record in 2005...
."
Longshore passed for 270 yards and four touchdowns, while Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
added 124 rushing yards on 17 carries, including a receiving touchdown. Daymeion Hughes had his fifth interception in three games. Cal also controlled the ball for only slightly more than 23 minutes, compared to the Sun Devils 36 minutes, even though they easily outscored them.
After this win, Cal rose one spot in the AP Poll to #20, and stayed steady in the Coaches Poll at #20. Arizona State dropped from both polls after the loss.
The Sun Devils finished the season 7-6 (4-5 in the Pac-10), but would lose the Hawaii Bowl
2006 Hawaii Bowl
The 2006 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Game was a college football bowl game that was a part of the 2006-2007 bowl game schedule of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season and was the 5th Hawaii Bowl ever played. It was played on December 24, 2006, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu...
to Hawaii and would fire Koetter soon thereafter and replace him with Dennis Erickson.
Oregon State Beavers
In week 5, Cal headed to Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
to play the Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State Beavers
The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are part of the Pacific-12 Conference . Oregon State's mascot is Benny the Beaver...
at Reser Stadium
Reser Stadium
Reser Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. on the campus of Oregon State University. It is the home of the Oregon State Beavers of the Pacific-12 Conference. Originally opened in 1953 as Parker Stadium, the stadium was renamed in 1999, and its current...
. The Beavers had a 2-1 record going into this game, and had yet to play a Pac-10 matchup this season. Last season, the Beavers played a ranked Cal squad at Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. Commonly known as Memorial Stadium, it is the home field for the University of California Golden Bears of the Pacific-12 Conference...
in Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
and upset them 23-20, dropping the Bears from the rankings for the first time in over a year.
In front of a rowdy crowd, the Bears dominated the Beavers, scoring four touchdowns and hitting a field goal before the Beavers were able to score a field goal as the first half ended. In the second half, the Beavers were able to score another field goal and a fourth quarter touchdown, but the Bears also managed another touchdown and field goal to end the game 41-13.
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
had a career-high day, passing for 341 yards and four touchdowns, along with one interception. Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
also had a rushing touchdown, along with two receiving ones. DeSean Jackson and Lavelle Hawkins also scored on receiving touchdowns. Oregon State quarterback Matt Moore had 187 passing yards before being replaced in the fourth quarter.
This win propelled the Bears four spots in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
to #16, and shot them up three spots in the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
to #17. Their record stood at 4-1, with a 2-0 Pac-10 record, while the Beavers left with a 2-2 record, 0-1 in the Pac-10.
With a looming game against the undefeated Oregon Ducks
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
, Coach Tedford
Jeff Tedford
Jeff Tedford is an American football coach and the current head coach of the California Golden Bears football team, a position he has held since 2002. As a first-time head coach, Tedford has won wide acclaim for revitalizing the Cal football program...
confessed that he would "immediately" begin thinking about the showdown.
Despite the blowout, the Beavers finished the season with a 10-4 record, and third in the Pac-10 thanks to a 7-3 conference record, a win in the 2006 Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
over Missouri, and would score a memorable upset over the former #3 USC Trojans
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
several weeks after the Cal loss.
Oregon Ducks
Cal played the next Saturday, October 7, for California'sUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
Homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
weekend, against the undefeated #11 (in both the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
) Oregon Ducks
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
, a team that was 4-0, and 1-0 in Pac-10 play. It was broadcast to the majority of the country on ABC Sports. The game at California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. Commonly known as Memorial Stadium, it is the home field for the University of California Golden Bears of the Pacific-12 Conference...
was played in front of a sold-out crowd of 72,516. Surprisingly, Cal came into the game wearing gold jerseys, instead of their normal blue outfits. Before the game, the Cal student section gave a raucous tribute to Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
winner George Smoot
George Smoot
George Fitzgerald Smoot III is an American astrophysicist, cosmologist, Nobel laureate, and $1 million TV quiz show prize winner . He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006 for his work on COBE with John C...
, who had just won a few days earlier for his research on the Big Bang
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
.
Cal continued to shine in its victory over the Ducks. Quarterback Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
had a touchdown pass early in the first quarter, but the Ducks bounced back with a field goal. Cal then scored three straight touchdowns, two being passes from Longshore, and one being a memorable 65 yard punt return by receiver DeSean Jackson to put the Bears up 28-3. Oregon scored a touchdown before the half ended, leaving Cal with a 28-10 lead. A field goal and another Longshore touchdown into receiver Robert Jordan's hands gave the Bears a 38-10 lead, but the Ducks countered with a touchdown pass as the third quarter ended. Another touchdown score by both teams in the fourth quarter, Cal's coming from tailback Justin Forsett's 23 yard run, gave the Bears an impressive 45-24 victory.
This was the fifth straight game in which the Bears scored more than 40 points. Longshore was 14 for 26 with 189 yards, four touchdowns (including one on the ground), and one interception. While Lynch was held to just 50 yards because of an ankle injury, Justin Forsett rushed for 163 yards on 27 carries, with one score. DeSean Jackson had two touchdowns, one passing and one 65 yard punt return. Receivers Craig Stevens and Robert Jordan also had touchdown receptions. Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon
Dennis Dixon
Dennis Lee Dixon, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
threw for 263 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Running back Jonathan Stewart, the then-leader in Pac-10 rushing yards, was held to just 25 yards on 18 carries by the Cal defense.
This game put Cal in the prime position to challenge USC
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
for the Pac-10 championship. Cal moved up six spots in both the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
to #10 and #11, respectively, after this win, while Oregon dropped seven spots in both polls to #18.
The Ducks are already bowl-eligible, unranked in the AP Poll and in the Coaches Poll, but have a #24 ranking in the BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
standings. They have a 7-3 record (4-3 in the Pac-10).
Washington State Cougars
One week later, Cal traveled to Pullman, Washington
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
to battle the Washington State Cougars
Washington State Cougars
The Washington State Cougars are the athletic teams at Washington State University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Washington State University is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I...
at Martin Stadium
Martin Stadium
Martin Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pullman, Washington, United States, on the campus of Washington State University. It is the home field of the Washington State Cougars of the Pacific-12 Conference, and is the smallest football stadium in the conference...
. The Bears had not won in Pullman since 1979, losing nine straight games. The Cougars sported a 4-2 record, 2-1 in the Pac-10, only falling to the then-AP ranked
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
#4 Auburn Tigers
2006 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2006 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Tommy Tuberville served his eighth season at Auburn, the third longest tenure among current SEC head coaches that year...
and to the then-AP ranked #3 USC Trojans
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
in a very close contest.
Rather than a blowout victory using the offense, the Bears won this game using defense. Three touchdowns were scored in the first half, two from Marshawn Lynch and one rushing touchdown by quarterback Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
, and the Cougars were held to just a field goal. After the half, the Bears buckled down on defense and didn't allow the Cougars to score again. Washington State had an opportunity to score in the third quarter, but an official review ruled receiver Dwight Tardy's knee was down on the 1 yard line. On fourth and one, the Bears defense stopped the rush to turn the ball over on downs. A quiet second half gave Cal its six straight win, 21-3. They left with a 6-1 record, and an unblemished 4-0 Pac-10 tally. The Cougars fell to 4-3, 2-2 in the Pac-10.
Longshore threw for 176 yards and two interceptions, along with one rushing touchdown. Marshawn Lynch had 152 yards on 25 carries with Cal's two other scores. Receivers DeSean Jackson and Robert Jordan gathered 60 and 56 yards, respectively. This was the first game of the season Jackson did not score a touchdown. Daymeion Hughes got his sixth interception of the season that set up one of Lynch's touchdowns. The Cal defense stifled the Cougars running game to just 88 yards. The offensive line also managed to keep the Cougars, who led the nation in quarterback sacks with 27, at bay, only letting them sack Longshore once.
After Cal's offense had been in full throttle for five straight games, many began to wonder if the Bears were beginning to struggle. The Bears fell one spot in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
to #11, and stayed constant at #11 in the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
after this win. In the first BCS Standings
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
of the season, released the next day, the Bears sported a #10 position.
The game was not broadcast in the Bay Area, angering many Cal fans. However, Slingbox
Slingbox
The Slingbox is a TV streaming media device made by Sling Media that encodes video into the VC-1 format for transmission over the Internet and provides an infrared blaster. The video encoding and IR blaster can both be operated remotely over the Internet...
gave fans an opportunity to watch the game at California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. Commonly known as Memorial Stadium, it is the home field for the University of California Golden Bears of the Pacific-12 Conference...
. After a successful test the day before, over 3,000 fans crammed into Memorial Stadium to watch as Slingbox streamed the game from Washington to the large television in the stadium.
Washington Huskies
58,534 people piled into California Memorial StadiumCalifornia Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. Commonly known as Memorial Stadium, it is the home field for the University of California Golden Bears of the Pacific-12 Conference...
on October 21 to watch Cal play the Washington Huskies
2006 Washington Huskies football team
The 2006 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the college football season of 2006-2007. The team's coach is former Notre Dame and Stanford coach Tyrone Willingham. It played its home games at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington.-Background:In 2004 the...
. The Huskies, expected to finish last in the Pac-10 at the beginning of the season, exceeded that prediction, starting the season 4-1. Two straight losses, one a near-upset of the USC Trojans
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, and the other a shocker against Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
, swayed their momentum a bit, yielding a 4-3 record, 2-2 in the Pac-10. Coach Tyrone Willingham
Tyrone Willingham
Lionel Tyrone "Ty" Willingham is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University , the University of Notre Dame , and the University of Washington , compiling a career college football record of 76–88–1.-Early career:Willingham attended...
had already doubled the Huskies previous year's win total. The Bears were the clear favorite to win the game, but some predicted that the Huskies could provide a "trap game" for the Bears.
Backup Washington quarterback Carl Bonnell, subbing in for the injured starting quarterback Isaiah Stanback. He managed to do quite well. The Huskies struck first, driving down field to get a 33-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Bonnell pitched a 49 yard pass to receiver Anthony Russo to give the Huskies a 10-0 lead. After scoring 192 points in their last six games, the Bears only managed a half-ending field goal from Tom Schneider to end the half with Washington up 10-3.
In Cal's first possession of the second half, they drove the ball 62 yards down field, capping it off with Justin Forsett running in for a touchdown. Later in the third quarter, Schneider managed an impressive 50 yard field goal to give the Bears their first lead of the game, 13-10. The Huskies did not stay down for long, starting the fourth quarter with Bonnell rushing seven yards for a score. Cal tried to respond, but only managed to get a field goal, leaving them one point behind. After a defensive stop, quarterback Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
was excellent on the last drive of regulation, going 82 yards in 12 plays as the game winded down, converting two third-and-tens. Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
ran in 17 yards for the score, with Justin Forsett managed to rush in for the two point conversion, giving the Bears a 24-17 lead with 1:52 to go. Cal seemed safe, but Bonnell kept pushing upfield on the Huskies possession, and capped it off with an improbable 40-yard Hail Mary pass
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
, batted off the hands of three Cal defenders into the hands of receiver Marlon Wood as the clock ran to zero.
Cal was on offense first in overtime. On the second play, Longshore passed back to Lynch, who ran 22 yards in for the touchdown. On Washington's possession, Cal defender Desmond Bishop intercepted a pass at the goal line and returned it 82 yards to the Washington 17, Cal's fifth interception of the game, giving the Bears a heart stopping 31-24 victory.
Marshawn Lynch jubilantly took a cart used to drive injured players off the field for a joyride in the middle of the stadium following the win. He gathered 150 yards on 21 carries, while sporting two sprained ankles. Longshore was 21 for 36 with 291 yards. Bonnell passed for 284 yards, but the five interceptions proved too costly. Bishop later said of the victory, "We know we can win big games now. We know it's inside us."
In a weekend full of near upsets of the Texas Longhorns, Notre Dame
2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was a college football team which represented the University of Notre Dame during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Charlie Weis in his second year as head coach and played their home football games at Notre Dame...
, and the Tennessee Volunteers
2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the college football season of 2006–2007. Tennessee entered the 2006 season coming off an 5–6 record in 2005...
, the Bears dropped one spot in both polls to #12, but stayed at #10 in the BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
Rankings. The Bears now had a 7-1 record, with a perfect 5-0 Pac-10 record. Washington dropped its third straight, falling to 4-4, 2-3 in the Pac-10.
The Washington Huskies would finish 5-7, 3-6 in the Pac-10.
UCLA Bruins
After a bye week, which saw the Bears take sole position of first place in the Pac-10, rising two spots in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
to #10 and one spot in the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
to #11 (staying steady at #10 in the BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
Standings), Cal faced the UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
, a Pac-10 team and rival of the Bears, who sported a 4-4 record, 2-3 in the Pac-10. Last year, in a contest between the unbeaten, ranked teams at the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
, the Bears fell to the Bruins 47-40, letting their 40-28 lead in the fourth quarter melt away.
The Bruins starting quarterback Ben Olson
Ben Olson
Benjamen James Olson is an American football quarterback. He played for the UCLA Bruins football team. He excelled in football at Thousand Oaks High School, earning high school All-American honors in 2001....
was still injured, so backup quarterback Patrick Cowan took his fourth start in California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. Commonly known as Memorial Stadium, it is the home field for the University of California Golden Bears of the Pacific-12 Conference...
. The Bruins had a tough last three weeks after starting 4-1, losing to the Oregon Ducks
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
on the road, losing their chance at an upset over the #10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was a college football team which represented the University of Notre Dame during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Charlie Weis in his second year as head coach and played their home football games at Notre Dame...
in the last minute of the game at Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium is the home football stadium for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. The stadium is located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States, just north of the city of South Bend....
, and losing at home to the Washington State Cougars
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
at home 37-15. The Bears and Bruins have split their last six contests, with the home team winning each occasion.
Cal wore their gold jerseys from the Oregon game four weeks earlier in front of a sold-out crowd of 72,516, Cal's second of the year, and just their fifth from opponents besides Stanford
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
since the 1950s. In the first quarter, Cal drove down the field to score on their first possession of the ballgame. A defensive stop against UCLA and then the Bears gave the Bruins possession, and Cowan ran in for a twelve yard touchdown. Quarterback Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
took the helm, driving 76 yards on the next possession, the drive capped off by Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
's brilliant 24-yard catch-and-dash through the UCLA defense. The Bruins drove deep in the next drive, but settled for a field goal, which ended the first half scoring.
On an early third quarter possession of Cal, Longshore threw to receiver Robert Jordan for a 44-yard touchdown. After UCLA's failed drive, DeSean Jackson, aided by a devastating block by Thomas DeCoud, returned the ensuing punt 72 yards for a touchdown, putting the Bears up 28-10. It was the fourth punt return for touchdown in Jackson's career, tying a Pac 10 record. Lynch ran in for another touchdown early in the fourth quarter. UCLA would managed to haul in two more touchdowns, including a 70-yard run from Chris Markey, while Cal could only get off a field goal. This propelled the Bears to their eighth straight win over the Bruins, 38-24.
Longshore was 20-for-24 with 266 yards and three touchdowns. Lynch ran for 81 yards and a touchdown, and had 45 receiving yards along with another touchdown. Receiver Robert Jordan, Lynch's second cousin, had 86 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 5 catches. Lavelle Hawkins and DeSean Jackson had 60 and 58 receiving yards on 5 and 3 catches, respectively. Backup running back Justin Forsett also ran for 60 yards on just 11 carries. Desmond Bishop and Daymeion Hughes both had interceptions off of Cowan. Hughes's eighth is the current conference best. Cowan threw for 329 yards and was 22-for-40 with the two interceptions. UCLA had 516 total yards, compared to Cal's 433.
The Bears' win gave them an 8-1 record, 6-0 in the Pac-10. They saw a two spot rise in the AP Poll to #8, and another two spot rise in the Coaches Poll to #9. They are also #8 in the BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
standings, increasing two spots from the previous week.
The Bruins are now 5-5, 3-4 in the Pac-10, on the verge of bowl eligibility.
Arizona Wildcats
Cal travelled to Tucson, ArizonaTucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
Saturday to battle the Arizona Wildcats
Arizona Wildcats
-Athletic program:The University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific-12 Conference Arizona participates in the conference's South Division, along with Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, and Utah...
. The AP ranked
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
#8 Golden Bears went into the game with an 8-1 record, and 6-0 in Pac-10. The Wildcats were 4-5, 2-4 in the Pac-10, coming off of an upset of the then-ranked Washington State Cougars
Washington State Cougars
The Washington State Cougars are the athletic teams at Washington State University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Washington State University is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I...
at Pullman
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
the week before. Quarterback Willie Tuitama missed two previous games due to a concussion, and went back in against the Cougars, passing for 159 yards. Junior running back Chris Henry had perhaps the biggest day, running for 94 yards and two touchdowns on a school-record 35 carries. Cal has blanked the Wildcats in their last two meetings, 28-0 last year in Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
and in 2004 at Tucson, 38-0. Despite a looming, much-anticipated showdown against the USC Trojans
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
on November 18 that will probably decide the Pac-10 championship, Cal quarterback Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
insisted that they were solely focused on the Wildcats this week.
A 95-yard punt return by DeSean Jackson was the first score, putting the Bears up 7-0. Arizona got a field goal next, putting them on the board 7-3. Midway through the first quarter, Marshawn Lynch's 79-yard touchdown run was erased by a block-in-the-back call on Lavelle Hawkins, and the Bears had to settle for a field goal. In the middle of the second quarter, Longshore hit Jackson with a 72-yard touchdown pass to put the Bears up 17-3 at the half.
Arizona would drive the clock down on two drives in the second half and get a touchdown on both drives to tie the game at 17. Within the span of three plays on the second of these drives, Cal had two interceptions by Bernard Hicks and Daymeion Hughes
Dante Hughes
Daymeion Dante Hughes is an American football cornerback who currently plays for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL.He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
nullified by two separate penalties. Hughes later argued that his case should not have given him a pass interference call, as he was just reaching for the ball. On Cal's next drive, with the score now tied, Longshore threw and the ball was intercepted by Arizona's Antione Cason for another score, putting the Wildcats up 24-17.
The Bears would respond in their next series with a long pass to Lavelle Hawkins, but he would trip inside the 5 yard line before reaching the goal. Cal could not capitalize, having to put up a field goal, earning them a four-point deficit 24-20. A stop on the Arizona defense gave the Bears the ball again. Longshore apparently hit Jackson for a 63-yard score with just over two minutes left, but a video review ruled his foot out at the 41-yard line. A few plays later, Longshore's pass was batted and intercepted with less than two minutes to clinch the game for Arizona. The student section wildly rushed the field as Cal was taken out of the national title picture for the season.
While Cal out gained the Wildcats in yardage 356 to 262, and though Longshore passed for 250 yards, his three interceptions turned quite costly, as did all of Cal's penalties on crucial plays. Despite their 17-3 mid-third quarter lead, the Bears just made too many mistakes. Hughes later reflected on the loss, "The whole game was like plays going their way."
Cal fell to 8-2, 6-1 in the Pac-10 after this loss, and fell nine spots to #17 in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
, and eight spots in the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
to #17. Their BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
ranking decreased seven spots to #15. Despite the upset, they still had a chance to clinch their Rose Bowl bid with a win against the conference leading USC Trojans the next week.
Arizona would finish 6-6, 4-5 in the Pac-10, but despite being eligible, would not be picked for a bowl game.
USC Trojans
In one of the most important Pac-10 game of the season, Cal traveled to Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to battle the USC Trojans
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
. A victory by either side would ensure a BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
berth for that team, since the winner would be crowned champion of the Pac-10 because they would hold the tiebreaker over the other. While the previous week's loss knocked Cal from the talks of hunting for the national title, a victory would have ensured its first Rose Bowl berth since 1959.
USC had higher aspirations; they were aiming for their third strip to the BCS National Championship Game
BCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
, and with Michigan's loss to Ohio State earlier, a sweep of their final three games would guarantee them the #2 seed and a date with the Buckeyes. A win against Cal would at the very least clinch the Rose Bowl.
The Trojans and Bears would struggle to a standstill for three quarters. The Golden Bears would take a 9-6 lead into halftime thanks to a safety by Brandon Mebane
Brandon Mebane
Brandon Mebane is a defensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks. He attended Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. He played college football at California.-College career:...
and a TD throw from Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
to Lavelle Hawkins
Lavelle Hawkins
Lavelle Hawkins is an American football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Titans in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
, although the margin could have been bigger if not for two turnovers in USC territory. The Trojans would score one field goal in each of the three quarters to tie the game at 9.
In the fourth quarter, USC would break the game open. Two touchdown passes on two consecutive drives from John David Booty
John David Booty
John David Booty is an American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He last played for the Houston Texans until being cut on September 4, 2010. He played college football at USC.Booty has also been a member of the Tennessee Titans...
to Dwayne Jarrett
Dwayne Jarrett
Dwayne Jarrett is an American football wide receiver formerly of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:Jarrett attended New Brunswick...
and Steve Smith
Steve Smith (New York Giants)
Steve Smith is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
respectively provided the game's final scoring. Just as critical was USC's defense shutting down Cal's offense in the second half, allowing only four first downs. USC clinched its fifth consecutive Pac-10 title and at least a trip to the Rose Bowl.
Booty struggled in the first half, but went 13 for 19 for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns in the second. Jarrett and Smith combined for 11 catches and 154 yards and the aforementioned two scores. For Cal, Marshawn Lynch was held to 88 yards on 20 carries, and Longshore went 17-38, throwing for 1 touchdown but also 2 interceptions. The Bears would go into Thanksgiving weekend (their traditional bye week) needing to win The Big Game
Big Game (football)
The Big Game is an American college football rivalry game played by the California Golden Bears football team of the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University. It is typically played in late November or early December...
to wrap up their second Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
bid in three years.
Despite the victory, the Trojans would be upset by UCLA in the last week of the season to ruin their BCS title aspirations. This opened the door for the Florida Gators
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
, who beat the Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
in the 2006 SEC Championship Game to claim a spot in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game against Ohio State. USC would go onto the Rose Bowl
2007 Rose Bowl
The 2007 Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2007 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was the 93rd Rose Bowl Game and part of the 2006-2007 Bowl Championship Series at the conclusion of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
, where they would defeat Big Ten runnerup and BCS-ranked #3 Michigan 32-18. The Trojans would finish the season 11-2 and 7-2 in the Pac-10, ranked 4th in both the AP and Coaches Polls.
Stanford Cardinal
After being defeated by USC two weeks previous, Cal looked to try to rebound from its two-game losing streak by facing their rivals, the Stanford Cardinal in the 109th Big Game. It was not a particularly strong performance from the Bears, who only managed one offensive touchdown. Nate Longshore threw for 217 yards and one score against a Cardinal defense that had tried their best to stop the California offense. Both Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett were held under 100 yards against a defense that was once the worst in the entire NCAA that season.However, Tom Schneider kicked four field goals (including tying a school record with a 55 yarder) and Syd'Quan Thompson
Syd'Quan Thompson
Syd'Quan Thompson is an American football cornerback for the Denver Broncos. Thompson was drafted by the Broncos as the 225th overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.-Early life:...
picked up a fumble recovery for a late first half score, and that was just enough for the Bears to stave off a strong performance from T.J. Ostrander and the hapless one win Cardinal squad. Pac-10 defense stats
Since Cal defeated Stanford, and USC was defeated by UCLA the same day, Cal got its first share of the Pac-10 Title since 1975, with Cal and USC both atop the Pac-10 in the final standings. Because USC beat Cal though, the Trojans would be heading to the Rose Bowl while the Golden Bears had to settle for San Diego and the Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
. http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/recap;_ylt=Au8Rh4im82JF87Bam0rOBrBH1LYF?gid=200612020059
Stanford finished 1-11, 1-8 in the conference and fired their head coach Walt Harris
Walt Harris
Walt Harris is a former American football player and coach in the United States. Harris served as the head football coach at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California from 1989 to 1991, the University of Pittsburgh from 1997 to 2004, and at Stanford University from 2005 to 2006,...
after the season was over. He was replaced by Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
.
Texas A&M Aggies
Roster
| (as of 9/20/2006) | ||||||
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Fullbacks
Wide Receivers
|
Tight Ends
Offensive Linemen
|
Defensive Ends
Defensive Tackles
Linebackers
|
Defensive Backs
Kickers
Punters
Long Snappers
|
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Player recognition
| Player, Position | Recognition |
|---|---|
| Daymeion Hughes, CB | First Team All-American: AP, AFCA, ESPN.com, Rivals.com, SI.com, Scout.com Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year Lott Trophy Recipient First Team All-Pac-10 |
| DeSean Jackson, PR | First Team All-American: AP, FWAA, ESPN.com, Rivals.com, SI.com, Scout.com Honorable Mention All-American: SI.com Randy Moss Award Winner First Team All-Pac-10 Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week 11/6 |
| Marshawn Lynch | First Team All-American:RB: AFCA Second Team All-American: Rivals.com Honorable Mention: SI.com Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year First Team All-Pac-10 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week 10/23 |
| Desmond Bishop, LB | Third Team All-American: Rivals.com |
| Brandon Mebane, DT | Third Team All-American: Rivals.com: Rivals.com |
| Alex Mack, OL | First Team All-Pac-10 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Pac-10 Second Team All-Academic |
| Mike Gibson, OL | Second Team All-Pac-10 |
| Andrew Larson, P | Second Team All-Pac-10 |
| Craig Stevens, TE | Second Team All-Pac-10 |
| Byron Storer, ST | Second Team All-Pac-10 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Pac-10 First Team All-Academic |
| Nu'u Tafisi, DL | Second Team All-Pac-10 |
| Andrew Cameron, OL | Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 |
| Zack Follett, LB | Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 |
| Lavelle Hawkins, WR | Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 |
| Robert Jordan, WR | Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 |
| Nate Longshore, QB | Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 |
| Mickey Pimentel, LB | Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 |
| Vincent Drake, LB | Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 |
| Erik Robertson, OL | Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 |
| Randy Bundy, DB | Pac-10 First Team All-Academic |
| John Allen, DL | Pac-10 Second Team All-Academic |
| Greg Van Hoesen, LB | Pac-10 Second Team All-Academic |
| Noris Malele, OL | Pac-10 Honorable Mention All-Academic |
| Erik Robertson, OL | Pac-10 Honorable Mention All-Academic |
| Scott Smith, OL | Pac-10 Honorable Mention All-Academic |
| Syd'Quan Thompson, DB | Pac-10 All-Freshman Team: Sporting News, Scout.com |
| Nate Longshore, QB | Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week 9/11, 9/27, 11/6 USA Today National Player Of The Week 9/25 |
| Tom Schneider, PK | Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week 10/2, 12/4 |
| Justin Forsett, RB | Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week 10/9 |
California team awards
- Bear Backer Award (Most Vaulable Player - voted on by the team): Marshawn Lynch (offense); Daymeion Hughes (defense)
- Dink Artal Award (Player Best Exemplifying Cal Spirit): Byron Storer/Mickey Pimentel
- Ken Harvey Award (Academic Commitment & Improvement): Marcus O'Keith
- Frank J. Schlessinger Coaches Award (Athletic, Academic, Community): Scott Smith
- Ken Cotton Award (Most Courageous Player): Andrew Cameron/Steve Kelly
- Everett Merriman Award (Community Service): Eric Beegun
- Stub Allison Award (Most Inspirational Player): Desmond Bishop
- Joe Roth Award (Courage, Attitude & Sportsmanship): Nu'u Tafisi
- Andy Smith Award (Most Big C Playing Time): Daymeion Hughes
- Senior Lifter of the Year: Byron Storer
- Freshman Lifter of the Year: James Montgomery
- Scout Team Player of Year: Chris Guarnero, Jeremy Ross (co-offense), Charles Amadi, Kyle Kirst (co-defense), Brian Holley (special teams)
- Berkeley Breakfast Club Award (Outstanding Big Game Player): Tom Schneider
- Bob Tessier Award (Most Improved Lineman): Alex Mack (offense); Abu Ma'afala (defense)
- Most Improved Player: Thomas DeCoud
- Bob Simmons Award (Most Valuable Freshman): Syd'Quan Thompson
- Most Valuable Back: Marshawn Lynch (running back); Daymeion Hughes (defensive back)
- J. Scott Duncan Award (Most Valuable Special Teams Player): DeSean Jackson/Byron Storer
- Cal Coaches Award : Tim Mixon
- Brick Muller Award (Most Valuable Lineman): Brandon Mebane (defense); Erik Robertson (offense)
- Cort Majors Captains Award (Team Captains): Craig Stevens (offense); Desmond Bishop (defense)