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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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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Cal Bears Football: 3 Bears Who Must Rise to the Occasion in 2012

The Cal Bears have always been a good team. However, being good isn't enough for Jeff Tedford's squad.

They want to be great.

Cal hasn't played in the Rose Bowl since 1958, and they haven't ever played in a BCS bowl game. The Bears have played in a bowl game in almost every season under Jeff Tedford, but they haven't been able to take the final step to greatness.

Just about everyone is doubting the Bears this year, but they know they can succeed and win a lot of games. However, for that to happen, lots of players will have to rise to the occasion and perform well consistently.

Here are three Golden Bears who must rise to the occasion in 2012.

Marc Anthony

Cal has the potential to shut down offenses, and to do that, they'll have to get good performances from Marc Anthony.

Anthony is an athletic corner who can shut down great receivers and stop the run. He is a good all-around corner, and injuries seem to be all that stands in his way of a great 2012 season.

The Bears will face some great receivers in 2012, such as Robert Woods and Marquise Lee of USC. Anthony and fellow corner Josh Hill will have a large task on their hands when Cal travels to Southern California to play USC, but they will probably be able to handle covering two of the nation's top receivers.

If not, the Trojans will run all over Cal's secondary and put up 40-plus points.

Cal has a young defense, but they have the potential to hold opponents to a low amount of points. Anthony will be key to Cal's defensive success. He has had trouble with injuries in the past, which could be a problem in 2012.

However, as long as he can stay healthy, expect him to make tackles in the secondary, cover the Pac-12's top receivers, knock down and intercept passes, and guide Cal's defense to success.

Keenan Allen

Keenan Allen was great in 2011. And, for Cal to succeed in 2012, he'll have to be great again.

The Heisman candidate caught 89 passes for 1,261 yards and six touchdowns in 2011, as he led Cal to a 7-6 record and an appearance in the Holiday Bowl. Allen has great hands, and he can jump for a ball, break tackles and outrun defenders.

Basically, he has everything you want in a star receiver.

Not only can he make great catches, Allen can make great catches in the rain. While watching the 2011 Big Game, it became clear that Allen can catch a wet ball and will not hesitate to lay out to make a catch. It's that kind of attitude that's made him the star he is. 

Allen boosted quarterback Zach Maynard's stats by making some great catches and running for a lot of yards after the catch. Maynard and Allen are half-brothers and have great chemistry, which is part of the reason why they've both been so good.

Maynard is a better quarterback than he was last year, so Allen should get more passes to catch. As long as he gets open and provides a target for Maynard, he'll have a good year and could even be invited to New York City for the Heisman trophy ceremony.

Zach Maynard

Zach Maynard can throw a football very well. However, he can't throw a football well consistently.

Maynard performed well in 2011, but he was very inconsistent. The Bears' quarterback failed to throw for 3,000 yards, and he threw 12 interceptions while throwing for just 17 touchdowns. His completion percentage was just 57 percent, a stat he'll have to improve.

Luckily, Maynard has a great receiver with magnetic hands in Allen. If Maynard targets Allen a lot, his completion percentage will probably get a lot higher. Maynard throws a lot of wobbly passes and has flaws in his footwork, but Allen can adjust to make catches on those passes.

Expect Maynard to perform better in 2012, but expect him to be inconsistent. He doesn't have what it takes to be a star quarterback, which is why he probably won't come close to making the NFL. However, he can definitely improve on his 2011 season.

A lot lies on Maynard's hands. He will need to perform consistently and be more accurate for the Bears to have a great year, but if he can just improve on his poor 2011 stats, Cal will be a much better team.

This article was originally published on Bleacher Report

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Tedford's Puzzling QB Indecision

The California Golden Bears have dropped their last two games by a combined score of 72-6. In those two losses to the Oregon Ducks and the USC Trojans, the Bears are 15-of-46 on third down conversions. Against the Ducks Cal QB Kevin Riley was 12-of-31 for 123 yards, and against the Trojans Riley completed 15-of-40 for 199 yards and 1 interception.

I don’t have a problem with Riley having bad games, but I do question Jeff Tedford’s resistance to putting in a different QB. This has been an issue with the Bears program for the last couple of seasons.

Former Bears QB Nate Longshore had a lot of bad games, but kept his job. Riley took over for Longshore for the last couple of games last year, but Tedford went right back to Longshore for the Emerald Bowl. Cal has been lacking consistent play at the QB position since Aaron Rodgers left for the NFL.

(Continue to Inside the Pac-10)

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