Cal Struggles, But Manages First Win at Memorial Stadium

The Cal Bears certainly didn't put on a great performance. But the fans who came out to their game got to see quite a show.

Keenan Allen returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown (after fumbling it), Isi Sofele ran for 104 yards and a touchdown as Cal beat Southern Utah 50-31. The Golden Bears didn't play too well, but they dominated in the second and fourth quarters.

Cal led just 20-17 after the third quarter, but they managed to put up 30 points in the fourth. Allen returned the punt for a touchdown, and Marc Anthony had a pick-6. Oh, and reserve running back Daniel Lasco ran for a 77-yard touchdown.

After trailing 3-0 after one, Cal did well in the second quarter. Zach Maynard struggled, but Sofele and wide receiver Chris Harper helped ignite the offense. Cal led 20-3 and it looked like that would be the score at halftime.

But, Southern Utah went for a Hail Mary on the last play of the first half. Quarterback Brad Sorensen heaved a pass, and SUU receiver Cameron Morgan tipped it. He brought it in with one hand and gained possession, completing a spectacular play and scoring.

Unfortunately for the Thunderbirds, it didn't matter. Cal picked up their first win at Memorial Stadium, although I'm sure coach Jeff Tedford isn't happy.

Why? Because if the Bears play like this against Ohio State next week, they won't be going home happy.

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Writers Wanted: Calling All NFL/NCAA Fans

With the NCAA and NFL seasons about to begin, we here at "The World of Bay Area Sports" would like to cover every aspect of the brilliant games that await us.

So, if you have any interest in NCAA football or the NFL, and would like to give a shot at writing about it, we would love to have you join our team here on the blog.

Specifically, we are looking for writers to cover the Bay Area's football teams (Niners, Raiders, Cal, Stanford), but anyone with knowledge of football (regardless of the team) is more than welcome to join.

How do I get started? Simply send an email to eriche3383@gmail.com stating your interest in writing for this blog. We promise that you will receive a prompt reply.

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Cal Bears Football: 4 Bold Predictions for the Golden Bears in 2012

The Cal Bears have always been a good team. However, they haven’t been a great team in a long time.

Under coach Jeff Tedford, Cal has reached and won numerous bowl games. They even claimed a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006. However, they’ve never played in a BCS game and they haven’t played in the Rose Bowl since 1958.

No one is expecting Cal to reach a BCS bowl. Most people think the Bears will be good, but not great (again). Tedford and the Bears aren’t okay with that, but they’ll have to do a lot (add other Cal article link here) to get to a BCS bowl. That probably won’t happen, but success definitely can happen.

Here are four bold predictions for the Golden Bears in 2012.

Keenan Allen Will Be Invited to the Heisman Trophy Ceremony

Keenan Allen was one of the only bright spots in 2011 for the Bears.

Cal finished 7-6 and reached the Holiday Bowl, but they didn’t get much (if any) national media attention during the regular season, and they didn’t beat any great teams. Allen played very well and displayed his pass-catching and athletic talents, but not many people were watching.

This year, more people will be watching.

Allen caught 89 passes for 1,261 yards and six touchdowns in 2011. His numbers were great, but not Heisman-worthy. However, he will have an improved quarterback and will be targeted more. As long as Allen gets open, he will get a lot of receptions.

And it’s not only his hands that make him so good. Allen is very athletic and can run for a ton of yards after the catch. He can lay out for a ball, catch passes in the run, make adjustments to bad throws, break tackles and provide the big-play threat Cal needs.

The Golden Bears will play Ohio State on September 15, and the game will be televised. Then, on September 22, Cal plays USC. Lots of people will be watching both games, and if Allen shows the world what he can do, a lot of attention will be directed towards him and the Bears.

People would notice Allen’s spectacular performance. If he plays like he did last year and more people play attention, expect him to be in New York as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy award.

Zach Maynard Will Be a Much Better Quarterback

Zach Maynard wasn’t terrible in 2011, but he definitely wasn’t consistent.

Maynard threw 12 interceptions and failed to throw for 3,000 yards in 2011, while completing just 57 percent of his passes. His footwork had flaws and his accuracy wasn’t good, which caused a lot of the picks. If he didn’t have Allen in the receiving corps, Maynard’s stats would’ve been even worse.

However, his problems are fixable. Allen is a great receiver, and Maynard will target him often. As long as Allen gets open, Maynard will throw the ball to him. He isn’t consistent, but he has the potential to make a great throw.

An offseason of work should help improve Maynard’s consistency, accuracy and decision-making. He has a year of experience under his belt, so expect “rookie mistakes” to be eliminated. Maynard will make better reads in 2012, so as long as he’s accurate, his stats will improve and Cal’s record will too.

Cal Will Have a Great Defense

Cal lost Trevor Guyton and Mychal Kendricks to the NFL, but they still have a good defense.

Marc Anthony and Josh Hill headline a Cal defense that is inexperienced but has lots of talent. Anthony and Hill are both great corners, and both can cover top receivers, knock down and intercept passes, and stop the run.

The Golden Bears also brought in some promising recruits. Raymond Ford and Damariay Drew will add more speed and run-stopping ability to Cal's secondary, and they could make a big impact towards the end of the season when Cal takes on high-scoring teams like Washington and Oregon.

There are some great offensive players in the Pac-12, especially at the wide receiver position. Markus Wheaton of Oregon State, Robert Woods and Marquise Lee of USC, Marquess Wheaton of Washington State and DeAnthony Thomas of Oregon. However, Cal has enough talent to shut down these stars.

And, if their young players can make immediate impacts, the Golden Bears will have a great defense once again.

The Bears Will Win at Least Eight Games
Cal had a winning record in 2011, but that was still a disappointment.

The Golden Bears were very inconsistent and played horribly at times. They dominated Utah and nearly beat Stanford, but they also struggled to beat Colorado and got blown out by UCLA. You never knew what to expect from the Bears.

Part of that was due to Maynard. The quarterback was very inconsistent, but luckily, he will be better this year. Hill and Anthony headline a good secondary, and the Golden Bears have lots of talent on defense.

Cal has some tough games on their schedule. They have to play USC, Oregon, Ohio State, Washington, Stanford and other tough teams. However, Cal is a well-rounded and underrated team that could be taken lightly by stronger opponents. If the Golden Bears show up and play well consistently, they will win a lot of games and pull off some upsets.

Which is exactly what they'll do when the season starts.

This article was originally published on Bleacher Report.

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Fantasy Football 2012: 5 Sleeper Wide Receivers You Should Target in Your Draft

It's that time of year again! The NFL is back! Oh, and fantasy football is too.

Sorry, but summer's almost over. And it's time for everyone to start doing their homework on their fantasy football draft. Luckily for you, I'll do some of that homework for you.

Every year, there are sleepers at every position who emerge as stars and make whoever drafted them look like geniuses. It happens all the time at wide receiver, and I'm sure it will happen again.

Here are five sleeper wide receivers you should target in your fantasy drafts.

Titus Young, Detroit Lions

When should you draft him? In the middle rounds.

Why should you draft him? The Lions have the best receiver in football in Calvin Johnson. However, that doesn't mean Matthew Stafford can't throw the ball to his other receivers.

As a rookie, Young caught 48 passes for 607 yards and six touchdowns. The athletic receiver knows how to get open and make plays after catching the ball, as we should know from watching him play in Detroit and at Boise State.

In addition to Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew and Nate Burleson caught more passes than Young in 2011. However, Stafford, who threw for over 5,000 yards last year, will target Young more. He will catch more passes and score more touchdowns in 2012.

Detroit has depth at running back, but they don't have a star ball-carrier. That means the Lions will throw the ball a lot, and Young will have chances to catch passes a lot. Expect Young's stats to be a lot better in 2012, and expect him to catch more passes than every Lions' receiver other than Johnson.

Once Young makes a catch, he can do a lot with the ball. Young averaged almost 13 yards per catch in 2011, and in his final year at Boise State, he averaged over 17 yards per catch. Once his receptions go up, so will everything else.

And that will make Young a great pickup in your draft.

Brian Quick, St Louis Rams

When should you draft him? In the later rounds.

Why should you draft him? Quick isn't as fast as his last name may indicate, but he is a great receiver. The Rams picked him in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft and are hoping for him to develop into a star receiver for a team that's in need of one.

Now that Brandon Lloyd is gone, the Rams don't have any star receivers on their team. If Quick can use his strength and hands to catch passes, he could become Sam Bradford's number one target right from the get-go. If he does that, he'll have good stats and will become a fantasy steal.

While Young is skinny and uses his speed to break away from defenders after making a catch, Quick uses his strength and tackle-breaking ability. He can easily shed tackles and break away from defenders, even though he isn't very fast (he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds).

If Quick faces a team without a speedy, athletic corner, you should definitely start him. If he is going to be facing a smaller DB, you should definitely start him. There are defensive backs that will be able to contain Quick, but not too many. Once he gets used to the NFL, Quick will dominate and put up a large amount of points for your fantasy team in the second half of the season.

Marvin Jones, Cincinnati Bengals

When should you pick him? At the very end.

Why should you pick him? Jones is a risky pick, but he could definitely put up solid numbers and do a nice job starting some games and adding depth to your bench. The Bengals' receiver got some praise from Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, who said that Jones is "sneaky fast" and can catch long passes.

2011 first-round pick A.J Green was targeted a lot by Andy Dalton, who was also a rookie last year. The two helped guide the Bengals to the playoffs, where they lost to the Texans. Jones will probably see some time opposite Green, and, since opponents will have their best DB cover Green, Jones could emerge as a sleeper.

I watched him play a lot at Cal, and he really impressed me. His ability to catch poorly thrown passes, especially near the sideline, stood out to me. Jones is great at making tough catches and getting his feet down in bounds before taking a hit.

Just like fellow Golden Bear Keenan Allen, who will be a sleeper next year, Jones is athletic and can make adjustments to poor throws. He can go deep, so if A.J Green is covered, Jones can sneak downfield and haul in a pass from Dalton.

It's possible that Jones doesn't see much playing time. However, if you are in need of a bench receiver or someone to start on a bye week, Jones could be a possible solution. He has the potential to make an immediate impact for a team in need of another great receiver alongside Green.

Denarius Moore, Oakland Raiders

When should you draft him? In the early or middle rounds.

Why should you draft him? Moore missed three games last year and has had some injury problems over the offseason, but he's definitely someone you should target in your draft.

Last year, Moore averaged almost 19 yards per catch and scored five touchdowns on just 33 catches. Moore will be targeted a lot, and with his speed, tackle-breaking ability and athleticism, it's almost a sure thing that he'll make something happen after every catch.

In addition to his athleticism, Moore also has great hands and can jump very high to make a catch. Now that he's played for a year and has experience, he will be targeted more and will probably be Carson Palmer's top target.

Don't draft Moore in the first few rounds, and don't make him your number one receiver. However, he is definitely someone you should target in the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth round. As long as Moore stays away from injuries, he will catch a lot of passes.

And, with Moore's athleticism and speed, when he catches a lot of passes, he will score a lot of points.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

When should you draft him? In the early rounds.

Why should you draft him? It's hard to consider Jones a sleeper after watching the way he ended the 2011 season and watching how he performed in minicamps, but Jones flew under the radar and a lot of fantasy owners failed to recognize how well he performed.

Jones has spectacular hands, and he made some fabulous catches at Alabama and with the Falcons. He's also very fast and athletic, just like a lot of other receivers on this list. Jones averaged almost 18 yards per catch last year, and he almost racked up 1,000 receiving yards on just over 50 catches.

While Jones was somewhat inconsistent during the early part of last season, he was dominant in the last few games. In the Falcons' last five games, Jones caught 27 passes for 457 yards and six touchdowns. And, his success carried into the offseason.

ESPN NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas said that if he had to pick one player that stood out to him the most during training camp, he'd pick Jones. Yasinskas noted that Jones made some big-time plays against corners like Asante Samuel and Dunta Robinson, which makes his feats even more impressive.

Jones is a deep threat, and he and Roddy White will create some chaos for opposing defenses. Expect Jones to catch a lot more passes, and expect his numbers to shoot up. It's almost not fair to call him a sleeper anymore, because he could be your number one receiver and you'd still be fine.

This article was originally published on Bleacher Report.

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