California 2006 Season | Team Page

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DeSean Jackson John W. McDonough/SI

Special Athlon offer for SI.com readers The Lowdown 2007 Schedule Coach: Jeff Tedford (6th season, 43-20) 2006 record: 10-3 (Beat Texas A&M in Holiday Bowl) Pac-10 finish: 7-2 (2nd) 2006 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 33rd (162.8 ypg) Passing: 17th (253.2 ypg) 2006 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 47th (125.4 ypg) Passing: 103rd (240.9 ypg) Date Opponent Sept. 1 Tennessee Sept. 8 at Colorado State Sept. 15 Louisiana Tech Sept. 22 Arizona Sept. 29 at Oregon Oct. 13 Oregon State Oct. 20 at UCLA Oct. 27 at Arizona State Nov. 3 Washington State Nov. 10 USC Nov. 17 at Washington Dec. 1 at Stanford Depth Chart: Offense 7 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 1 DeSean Jackson Jr. 86 Sam DeSa Sr. WR 7 Lavelle Hawkins Sr. 11 Robert Jordan Sr. LT 53 Mike Gibson Sr. 58 Chet Teofilo Jr. LG 55 Noris Malele Jr. 50 Kevin Bemoll So. C 51 Alex Mack Jr. 54 Chris Guarnero Fr. RG 63 Brian De La Puente Sr. 77 Mark Gray Sr. RT 79 Mike Tepper Jr. 78 Justin Prueitt Fr. TE 82 Craig Stevens Sr. 6 Cameron Morrah So. QB 9 Nate Longshore Jr. 8 Kyle Reed So. FB 23 Will Ta’ufo’ou So. 32 R.J. Garrett Fr. RB 20 Justin Forsett Sr. 21 James Montgomery Fr. Depth Chart: Defense 5 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 94 Rulon Davis Jr. 91 Cody Jones So. DT 69 Matthew Malele Sr. 77 Michael Costanzo Fr. DT 98 Mika Kane Jr. 76 Derrick Hill Fr. DE 90 Tyson Alualu So. 92 Tad Smith So. LB 56 Zack Follett Jr. 55 Greg Van Hoesen Sr. LB 1 Worrell Williams Jr. 88 Eddie Young So. LB 15 Anthony Felder Jr. 16 Justin Moye Sr. CB 5 Syd’Quan Thompson So. 27 Charles Amadi Fr. CB 26 Darian Hagan Fr. 24 Brandon Jones Fr. ROV 2 Bernard Hicks Jr. 3 Brandon Hampton Sr. FS 4 Thomas DeCoud Sr. 7 Robert Peele So. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. K 15 Tom Schneider Sr. P 11 Andrew Larson Sr. KR 21 James Montgomery Fr. PR 1 DeSean Jackson Jr. To order your 2007 Athlon Sports annual and receive $1 off plus free shipping courtesy of SI.com, click here.

When assessing Cal’s chances to supplant USC as Pac-10 champion this season, it isn’t so much a matter of what the Golden Bears have; it’s about what they lack.

The major concerns are cornerback and defensive end. Cal can be a Top 25 team by filling those holes with adequate players. However, beating Pete Carroll’s dynasty is an entirely different issue.

“We have to incorporate some of our younger players into our depth chart, and cornerback is one position where somebody is going to have to step up for us,” says Cal coach Jeff Tedford.

Last season, Tedford plugged redshirt freshman cornerback Syd’Quan Thompson into his lineup, and Tennessee attacked him in the opener. Cal’s opponent in the 2007 season opener? Tennessee, of course. The Bears will have an inexperienced cornerback once again.

Whether Cal can survive without a dominating defensive end also remains to be seen. Defensive coordinator Bob Gregory got through last season by using a variety of blitzes, but that could be a dangerous tactic, especially if Cal’s two cornerbacks are both underclassmen.

OFFENSE

If junior quarterback Nate Longshore can stay on target, Cal should be an offensive juggernaut. Last season, Longshore was ranked No. 1 in passing efficiency for most of the season before slumping late to finish behind USC’s John David Booty. Cal coach Jeff Tedford would like the 6-foot-5 Longshore to be a little more nimble in 2007. According to the coach, Longshore got above 245 pounds last season; Tedford wants him around 225 to 230.

Wide receivers coach Dan Ferrigno believes junior DeSean Jackson is the fastest player in college football. At only 6-foot and 166 pounds, he is an incredible talent who might be skipping off to the NFL after his junior season. Seniors Robert Jordan and Lavelle Hawkins both caught 46 balls last season and have above-average speed.

Despite Marshawn Lynch’s departure, Cal’s running attack should continue to prosper. Justin Forsett, a 5-8 tailback, has averaged 6.4 yards per carry over his first three seasons, primarily as a backup.

All-Pac-10 center Alex Mack returns to anchor an offensive line that has the potential to be among the strongest in the league.

DEFENSE

The coaching staff has high expectations for junior end Rulon Davis, who missed the second half of the 2006 season with a bone bruise in his leg. If healthy, Davis, a former junior college transfer, can give Cal the threat it needs off the edge. At the other end is sophomore Tyson Alualu, who played mostly at tackle last season. Matthew Malele and junior Mika Kane will start at the tackle slots, but depth could be an issue.

Junior Zack Follett is being touted as an awards candidate at inside linebacker, and former freshman All-American Anthony Felder is healthy again after suffering through an injury-plagued 2006 season. Junior Worrell Williams, a returning starter, completes a strong linebacking corps.

Finding a cornerback to replace Lott Trophy winner Daymeion Hughes is a huge concern. Cal has plenty of young talent in players such as sophomores Robert Peele and Jesse Brooks as well as freshmen Darian Hagan and Charles Amadi, but they are unproven. The starter on the other side will be Thompson, who had a strong 2006 season despite a rocky start. Cal is rock-solid at safety with Thomas DeCoud and Bernard Hicks.

SPECIALISTS

The Bears boast one of the finest all-around special teams units in the country, with the top punt return man in the nation in Jackson, who returned four punts for touchdowns last season. Punter Andrew Larson finished eighth in the country in net punting (38.3) and placekicker Tom Schneider will be entering his fourth year as a starter. He hit 15-of-20 field goals last season, including 13-of-15 inside 50 yards.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Cal has a deep, experienced and talented team that looks like a title contender in the Pac-10. The combination of Longshore and wide receivers Jackson, Hawkins and Jordan should be exciting to watch. However, the offensive line has been reworked, and that could cause problems for Longshore, who is not very mobile. Finding a pass rusher off the edge and a cornerback are other worries.

Fortunately for the Bears, their two biggest games of the season — the opener against Tennessee and a Nov. 10 showdown against the Trojans — are at home. Possible bumps in the road are matchups at Oregon (Sept. 29) and at UCLA (Oct. 20). Cal has been knocking at the BCS door for a while. This could be the season the Bears break through.