Bay Area Sports BlogConstantly dropping our pants for motivation
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The Bay Area has three Division I football schools whose nicknames happen to form an apt acronym. Here’s how they did in Week 13.
BEARS: Idle
With a bye week before their regular season finale at Washington, the Bears let their dramatic Big Game victory soak in and waited for their muddy bowl picture to clear up.
Up Next: at Washington
The Bay Area has three Division I football schools whose nicknames happen to form an apt acronym. Here’s how they did in Week 11.
BEARS: Cal 24, Arizona 16
With Jahvid Best watching from the sideline, Cal upset No. 17 Arizona and put a damper on the Wildcats’ Rose Bowl hopes with a win in Strawberry Canyon. The Bears held Arizona’s high-octane offense to only 274 yards, while backup running back Shane Vereen rushed for a career-high 159 yards. Cal did it for Jahvid. For the second time in the last three weeks, Giorgio Tavechhio was one of the Bears’ brightest stars. Tavecchio kicked four field goals and made a game-saving “tackle” on a kickoff return by Arizona’s Travis Cobb.
Up Next: at Stanford
The Bay Area has three Division I football schools whose nicknames happen to form an apt acronym. Here’s how they did in Week 10.
BEARS: Oregon State 31, Cal 14
The Prophecy is dead, as are Cal’s hopes of earning a trip to big-time bowl, but the more important news following the Bears’ deflating loss to the Beavers is that running back Jahvid Best is alive and well, with movement in all extremities. The terrifying scene of Best frozen on the turf at Memorial Stadium after his defender-clearing hurdle into the end zone was one of the more sobering moments of the college football season. Best was diagnosed with a concussion, his second of the season, and will miss at least one game. That seems like a wise decision.
Up Next: Arizona
The Bay Area has three Division I football schools whose nicknames happen to form an apt acronym. Here’s how they did in Week 9.
BEARS: Cal 23, Arizona State 21
The Bears survived Halloween in Tempe with a come-from-behind win to continue their climb back from the dead and keep The Prophecy alive. Giorgio Tavecchio’s 24-yard field goal with 21 seconds remaining was the difference in a sloppy game that featured 238 yards of penalties and five turnovers. “It wasn’t pretty by any means,” Cal head coach Jeff Tedford said. The winning kick was a dream come true for Tavecchio, who nailed a 51-yarder, missed two other kicks, and was in danger of losing his job to freshman Vince D’Amato. The win left Cal fans with a “pleasing” feeling on Halloween night.
Up Next: Oregon State
The Bay Area has three Division I football schools whose nicknames happen to form an apt acronym. Here’s how they did in Week 8.
BEARS: Cal 49, Washington State 17
You want to piss off the normally mellow Jeff Tedford? Allow Washington State to rack up 300 yards of offense on your home turf in the first half. Tedford lit into his defense at halftime Saturday after the Bears did just that and the coach’s harsh words were followed by a stern talking to from freshman Scott Fanua. These Cal cubs have some balls, huh? First, sophomore Mychal Kendricks offers a pseudo-guarantee that the Bears will win out (The Prophecy lives) and now Fanua goes fire and brimstone on his elders. “He has fire in his veins,” defensive end Cameron Jordan said. “He gave us a nice little talk.” Kevin Riley and Jahvid Best were on point against the Cougars, but the defense needs to be fixed, and soon. There’s still a realistic chance that Cal could finish 9-3, and despite a pillowy soft strength of schedule, the computers show some bleep-bop-boop-love for the Bears.
Up Next: at Arizona State
The Bay Area has three Division I football schools whose nicknames happen to form an apt acronym. Here’s how they did in Week 7.
BEARS:Cal 45, UCLA 26
Guaranteeing victory, as Mychal Kendricks essentially did before the Bears’ trip to UCLA, is always a dangerous proposition. But thanks, in part, to the linebacker’s 68-yard interception return for a touchdown, Week 1 of The Prophecy was a resounding success. Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig reportedly lit into his unit on Friday night and the team responded. After watching Cal accumulate more yards — and 39 more points — than in their previous two games combined, the reaction over at California Golden Blogs ranged from pleased, to exhilarated, to drunk. Jeff Tedford, who won in Los Angeles for the first time in his seven seasons, was probably happier than he let on after the game. “It felt good, for a lot of reasons,” he said.
Up Next: Washington State