There's Nothing "Golden" About The Cal Bears

Once again the University of California Golden Bears football team lost another pivotal game...Wait, they didn't just lose, they got destroyed by a decent USC team. USC's domination started from the opening drive when Taylor Mays, USC safety, picked off a wounded duck of a throw from Cal quarterback, Kevin Riley. From there USC never looked back. USC's defense stuffed one of the nation's best running backs, Jahvid Best, for only 47 yards on 14 carries. Jahvid Best's Heisman hopes were definitely wiped away Saturday night after the game. There is no way a running back can compete for the Heisman with other studs across the nation without at least gaining over 100 yards a game, or mixing in receiving yards to compliment low rushing totals in a game.

Once your running back keeps getting stuffed, you know it's time to look for another player to step up in the passing game, most likely the quarterback. But, Riley couldn't throw a complete pass to save his life. Even when Cal put on the perfect trick play in the third quarter coming out of a timeout, he couldn't get the job done. As players lined up on the line-of-scrimmage, Shane Vereen, Cal 2nd-string running back, stood next to the sideline with no defender in sight. Riley then proceeds to overthrow Vereen. If Riley completes the pass, Vereen has the chance to go the distance and take the goose egg off the scoreboard. This was Riley's chance to show the nation that he can compete, and lead his team to victory. He did the opposite.

Then, I start to question Jeff Tedford's, Cal head coach, play calling. In the third quarter, why do you run the Wildcat formation all the way down the field, then on 4th and 2 you put Riley back under center? Once again he throws an arrogant pass. Best was doing great marching the team down the field under the Wildcat formation. In the Wildcat formation, Cal would just run plays with Best and Vereen, while Riley decoyed as a wide receiver. Best and Vereen were making progress every time they carried the ball on that drive, and then on 4th down they don't go with the bread and butter that got them in USC territory in the first place. It just doesn't make sense.

The only good news the Bears got after the game was that they were done with their toughest tasks for four weeks until they host Arizona then go to "The Farm" at Stanford. If they can go undefeated or lose only one game for the rest of the season, Cal still has a great shot at breaking the top 15 by season's end.