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BERKELEY, Calif. — The 2006 season opener has become the game that won’t go away for Cal.
As Cal and Tennessee prepare for Saturday’s rematch, the mishaps of last year are being brought up again and again in media sessions with the Golden Bears.
One question asked of Cal coach Jeff Tedford: Have you ever had a loss more scrutinized than the 35-18 defeat to UT.
“No,” Tedford said. “It lasted the whole season. We won 10 games last year. But the question that gets asked the most is Tennessee. And you may get a little, “Oh by the way, good job in the bowl game (a 45-10 victory over Texas A&M).
“That’s what comes out of last year. But that’s the worst we’ve ever played. I don’t think in five or six years, I ever remember looking up and being down 35-0.
“We deserved (the criticism). We didn’t play very well.”
Tedford blamed his dismal showing, in part, on his preparation.
“I thought we took a lot of lessons away from there,” he said. “I took lessons away from there.”
His No. 1 lesson: Focus on yourself, rather than your opponent.
Tedford second-guesses himself for making too much of UT and the expected hostile environment at Neyland Stadium last year.
“When I try to find out why we didn’t play our best, the first thing I need to do is look in the mirror,” he said. “We went into the game facing Tennessee’s great tradition; it’s loud; they’re going to be playing ‘Rocky Top.’
“As I look back on it, it’s more about us. It’s more about how we play.”
The outcome reconfirmed Tedford’s scheduling philosophy. Although he likes playing one top-25-caliber non-conference opponent, he would prefer not to do it in a season opener.
“It’s really hard to simulate game speed all the time in practice,” he said. “So right out of the gate, you’re playing a team that’s so fast and physical. It takes a little while to get used to that.”
QB Reed To Transfer:
Quarterback Kyle Reed will transfer after losing the competition to be junior Nate Longshore's backup this season, the school said.
Reed, a redshirt sophomore from Oakland, Calif., already has contacted San Jose State about joining its program, a school spokesman said. If Reed enrolls in classes at San Jose State by Sept. 12, he could begin his Spartans career next fall with two years of eligibility remaining.
'We wish Kyle all the best,' Tedford said.
Reed chose Cal after a long recruiting battle, but never got on the field in two years with the Golden Bears.
Last week, Tedford chose freshman Kevin Riley over Reed to be the top backup for Longshore. Reed also faced future competition from freshman Brock Mansion, a touted Texas high school prospect.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.
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Comments » 19
GreerVol22 writes:
Nice Tedford, you go right ahead and focus on yourself and the way you play....we'll see where that gets you.
mdvol writes:
And their ain't no cure for the Rocky Top syndrome! Just take your ass-whippin' and move on. WE ARE GOING TO FREAKIN' KILL CAL! Vols 35-Cal 17. Not Tedford, not Cal, not even 50,000 megaphones will stop us now.
objk1#231846 writes:
Welcome to Knoxville.
spikevol writes:
what's going to be their excuse this time? Faulty megaphones?
mtnvol writes:
Too loud? Too fast? Too physical? West Coast football is SOFT! We deal with it every Saturday in the SEC! If you want to get to the top Mr. Telford, you gotta go south (USC or SEC) and play with the big boys!!!!
Calbears40 writes:
Thats funny, including usc in there with the sec. Well your both tough no doubt about it. However i wish you all luck in our little game in 2 days. Last year was a butt kicking no doubt, i actually had the honor of being there. I am excited to play yall again this year, you have a great school and tradition. Regarding the too loud, too physical, too fast i dont believe those are meant as excuses but as compliments to your team and environment. Anyway, you will see a different team saturday, maybe one which will challenge your notion that Cal is soft.
rootin4volz writes:
Hey Calbears40...You know what a syllogism is? Here's an example: The PAC-10 is a softer conference than the SEC. Cal plays in the PAC-10 and Tennessee plays in the SEC. Therefore, Cal is softer than Tennessee. Logic, dude, logic.
orangebloodgmc writes:
Just read the online preview of this game on espn.com ... apparently only one team is playing in the game and that's Cal, and pretty much one player will be on the field and that is D.Jackson. I guess he must have been hurt and didn't play last year because we know its impossible that one of our players might have actually been covering him.
Calbears40 writes:
I agree and disagree with touchdownTN, although he is probably being very sarcastic. We are better at QB with experience, in the secondary i dont think so, since we lost pac-10 defensive player of the year Daymeion Hughes at corner. We lost our leading tackler at middle linebacker and 3 starting defensive linemen. The Defense lost 6 starters so it will be unproven. The word is it is a faster defense, but short on experience. The offense will be strong, but without lynch will lack a powerback. The special teams will be strong all around. Thanks rootin4volz for the word of the day. As for your logic having any truth, we shall see in 2 days!!!
Thinking back it is funny how confident tennessee fans have become in one year. Last year i was listening to one of your tennessee sports talk shows as i drove to the stadium and the fans were calling in worried about this dynamic offense invading neyland stadium. The local paper at the stadium talked about the talent level of the 2 teams as not being close (in favor of cal), but the homefield should lead to a close win on a late field goal. Then the blowout win, and the Vols nation really has their chest out now. I think its great for your side, but dont think your team has a cake walk lined up for them on saturday. We're not going to play the Arkansas to your southern Cal 2 years in a row.
rockytop#413695 writes:
Offense is for show and defense wins the dough and championships. I don't think Cal's defense can stop the UT offense. I do think the Vol defense will be physical and fast enough to stop Cal's high powered offense. UT may give up a big play or two, but the defense will win this game for Tennessee. This defense is going to be special.
orangebloodgmc writes:
Calbears, we know you have some good ball players and that you could beat us. But we are getting sick of the national hype; some gurus crow that you guys might have not one but 3 heisman candidates? Just seems like myopia when the thought is you guys are "all that" and nobody else could possibly have anything. True some of us had some doubts going in last year. But many of us think our current team is better than our team of last year, while parts of your team appears not as good as last year. We'll soon see. But I do give credit to Cal fans for coming here and talking like regular human beings in contrast to our typical rival SEC fans who seem to have been poorly raised.
Calbears40 writes:
orangebloodgmc,
yes i understand your feelings on the hype. I suppose that it really gets old for an established program to hear of the up and comers that are here today, gone tomorrow (i'm not kidding myself, that is what would happened if tedford left today). I dont know who the 3 heisman candidates could possibly be! Again, no one on our side is suggesting that your team doesnt have anyone! The espn commentators and the like are just selling our star wideout because he is very exciting and a game changer. I know you know what that is like, Tennessee has had many. These five years of success that we have had have been incredible. I imagine its like if kentucky came from nowhere and challened the sec top teams consistently. We are getting better, and we really were/are excited to play your team. Your team is already "there", we want to be "there". After last year it looked like we had a way to go! I think last year the college football world looked at the game as a gauge to see where we were, it definately took some shine off our program. We need a W this time out or Cal will continue to be considered not ready for the big boys. I think your going to see us come out and try to establish the run more to open up our passing game. Last year we came out passing with the spread. I'm glad that experiment is over! I just wish we had a bigger back to pick up the tough yards. How are your defensive tackles looking this year? I know you lost J.H. to the packers in the draft.
orangebloodgmc writes:
Calbear, well-said. I heard a good bit of hoopla for Longshore and Forsett. Our dl is considered to be a question mark, but the ends are established returnees and the dl's have played as reserves and are said to improved and ready. People forget that we lost Harrel in our 2nd game last yr so really lacked him most of season (I know he played briefly in 3rd game but that was mostly symbolic). Of the other 2 tackles that we "lost," one of 'em (McG) got 0 sacks, while the other (McB) was a solid plug-in but I think our 2 current starters both have potential to exceed what he did. May you win all the rest of your's after Sept. 1.
Calbears40 writes:
Evol-yes, i suppose that might be true. Its hard to say, over the last few years the recruiting classes have gotten better and there are quite a few highly ranked players that cant make the field. I know one day this week in practice tedford had the 1st team offense going against the first team defense to simulate game speed. regarding jackson, yes i believe there are quite a few that are fast like him. He is not the fastest on california's team. That honor goes to a feshman running back named Jahvid Best. Cal got a transfer this year, a WR from florida. Anyway he said that florida had like 10 Desean Jacksons. I totally disagree with that, they may have had 10 that could run as fast as him, but its the talent that seperates jackson. Its not the speed, the hands, the route running, its all that and just the ability to make plays few can. Things that cant be taught. Anyway i'm sure your sick of hearing about desean jackson, but this will be the last year you hear about him before he declares for the draft.
Anyway i'm looking at the sec east, man you guys are primed to take the division. Florida lost a ton, Georgia is still young, South Carolina is probably a year away from making serious noise, and kentucky and vanderbilt are a notch below. Looks like LSU-Tennessee in Atlanta.
Calbears40 writes:
orangebloodgmc,
regarding longshore he has a great arm. Not mobile as you saw last year but he can make the throws. 2 years ago when he got injured we had a kid named joe ayoob at qb. He would underthrow the receivers constantly. Jackson would beat his man on a post and wait and wait for the ball to arrive. The DB's would have enough time to recover and knock the ball down. With longshore that isnt a problem. I have a lot of confidence in him if he has some time.
Forsett is a smallish back.5'8" 195. He hits the hole quick, but i question if he has a fifth gear. He is listed as 4.4 in the forty but i have seen him caught from behind a lot. Last year Lynch would pound a defense and they would bring in forsett and he would pop a big one against a tired front. Can he do it now that he is the man? 2 years ago he started a few games when lynch was injured and did well, but this time it will be the whole season. Another thing about him is if you hit him he goes down. Lynch had great power and balance, always moving forward. Forsett goes down. He's good, but a drop off from lynch.
Calbears40 writes:
oh yes it is very obvious some vols fans are, which is kind of surprising to me. Regarding the two games you talk about, the penn state game featured that big fumble that changed the game plus they were able to run the ball behind that big line and back. You guys struggled with injuries and really werent too good stopping the run. Arkansas was more of the same, a heck of a power rushing attack, plus you were without ainge. Tough to pull that out. Cal doesnt poses that power attack that those teams featured. If we win, it will be with our offensive balance, big play ability, and a defense that wants to eliminate the "soft" label.
AllVol writes:
Calbears, you are all right, my friend. You speak knowledgeably and reasonably. I hope we Tennessee Vols do as well. We get a lot of nuts from other teams on here and it brings out our worst. Sometimes I think that being a Tennessee fan is a disease, but it's one I glady bear, and we live and die by football in the South--somethng about Southern manhood and the war and the Southern Code of Honor and all, I believe psychologists have deemed it. Anyway, I sure hope we win, but good luck to you and your Bears. Intelligent people are the same all over the world. Gotta say it: GO BIG ORANGE. Please look up our colors and other traditons, Calbear. They are unmatched (although your nickname is on your state flag, I know).
Peace from Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Calbears40 writes:
thanks allvol, i have learned much of your team and tradition. I was born and raised in california, but have lived in alabama for the last 7 years. I root for you guys every 3rd saturday in october. Good luck to you and you vols.
Calbears40 writes:
thanks TN, good luck to you after the 1st : )
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