Cal Hosts Maryland Saturday To Open 2009 Season

Transcription

1 CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS 2009 FOOTBALL Cal Athletics Media Relations: 349 Haas Pavilion Berkeley, Calif Phone: (510) Fax: (510) Web: CalBears.com Associate Director (Lead Football Contact): Kyle McRae Phone: (510) Assistant Director (Secondary Football Contact): Anton Malko Phone: (510) Assistant Athletic Director/Media Relations (Football Credentials): Herb Benenson Phone: (510) Saturday s game a rematch of last year s first-ever meeting between clubs and Terps win Cal Hosts Maryland Saturday To Open 2009 Season Game #1 Information Sat., Sept. 5, 2009 (7:06 p.m. PT) California (0-0, 0-0 Pac-10) vs. Maryland (0-0, 0-0 ACC) Television: ESPN2 Terry Gannon (Play-By- Play), David Norrie (Analyst) *Cal Radio: KGO 810 AM (San Francisco) Joe Starkey (Play-By-Play), Troy Taylor (Anaylst), Todd McKim (Sideline) *Each broadcast begins with a 30-minute pregame show that leads to the kickoff. The postgame show includes reaction from the Bears locker room and the Postgame at the Paragon live program from the Paragon Bar & Cafe at the Claremont Resort & Spa hosted by Lee Grosscup and Kate Scott. ISP Sports/Cal Radio Network Affiliates: KGIL 1260 AM (Los Angeles), XSURF 540 AM (San Diego), KESP 970 AM (Modesto), KTKZ 1380 AM (Sacramento) Sirius XM Satellite Radio: Cal fans can listen to the ISP Sports/Cal Radio Network broadcast feed on Sirius XM Satellite Radio on channel 220 (Sirius) and channel 93 (XM). CalBears.com: Visit CalBears.com for complete coverage of Cal football, including a live play-by-play update via Gametracker Cal Schedule Date Opponent (TV) Time/Result 9/5 Maryland (ESPN2) 7:00 pm 9/12 Eastern Washington (CSN-CA) 2:30 pm 9/19 at Minnesota (ESPN or ESPN2) 9:00 am 9/26 *at Oregon (ABC) 12:30 pm 10/3 *USC (ABC) 5:00 pm 10/17 *at UCLA TBA 10/24 *Washington State TBA 10/31 *at Arizona State TBA 11/7 *Oregon State TBA 11/14 *Arizona TBA 11/21 *at Stanford TBA 12/5 *at Washington (CSN-CA) 3:30 pm *Pac-10 Games All Times Pacific Home Games in Bold at Memorial Stadium Opening Kickoff California will kick off its114th season of football at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, against Maryland at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. The contest will be televised nationally by ESPN2. The Golden Bears begin a promising 2009 campaign looking to extend current streaks of seven straight winning seasons, six consecutive post-season appearances and four bowl victories in a row - the latter two school records. In the first seven seasons under head coach Jeff Tedford, the Bears record is their best seven-year stretch in nearly a century since a seven-year run under legendary head coach Andy Smith when the Wonder Teams posted a mark from The team s 59 wins over the past seven seasons are also the second most in the Pac-10 behind USC. Enthusiasm for the 2009 season is high in Berkeley with the Golden Bears featuring one of the nation s top Heisman Trophy candidates in junior tailback Jahvid Best and an experienced starting quarterback in junior Kevin Riley. A total of four players have earned preseason All-American honors and been named to national watch lists: Best, senior defensive lineman Tyson Alualu, sophomore punter Bryan Anger and senior defensive back Syd Quan Thompson. The team s defense returns eight of 11 starters, including its entire defensive line and defensive backfield, from a year ago. All told, Cal has 17 starters back with seven on offense and two specialists accompanying the eight on defense. Cal Ranked No. 12 Nationally Cal heads into the 2009 campaign ranked No. 12 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches preseason polls. Since Jeff Tedford took over as head coach in 2002, the only time the Bears were rated higher in the preseason by AP came in 2006 when Cal was listed at No. 9. The Bears were also ranked 12th by AP in 2007, while they were voted 12th by the coaches twice previously, before the 2003 and 2006 campaigns. For Openers Cal has an all-time record of in season-openers and has won its first contest of the season in four of the last five years. Jeff Tedford is 5-2 in season-openers as the Bears head coach and has never lost a season-opener at home, sporting a 4-0 mark in those contests (70-22 vs. Baylor), 2005 (41-3 vs. Sacramento State), 2007 (45-31 vs. Tennessee) and 2008 (38-31 vs. Michigan State). Cal-Maryland Series Notes Cal and Maryland met for the first time last year when the Terps came up with a victory on Sept. 13, 2008, in College Park, Maryland. The loss was the first of the campaign for Cal after it had opened the season with two victories. Kevin Riley s 423 yards in the air were the fourth-most ever by a Cal player, while his 58 attempts (33 completions) set a school record Training Camp A Success California conducted 24 practice sessions over 23 days during a successful 2009 training camp that culminated with approximately 5,000 fans attending Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday, Aug. 29. The line to get an autograph from junior tailback Jahvid Best extended nearly 140 yards at its peak. California Golden Bears Football Game Notes - California vs. Maryland (Sept. 5, 2009) 1

2 2009 Player/Coach Honors HEISMAN WATCH TB Jahvid Best Favorites (Athlon), No. 4 Candidate (Lindy s), No. 4 Candidate (The Big Lead), No. 6 Candidate (Phil Steele), No. 9 Candidate (NationalChamps.net), Second-Tier Favorites (Sports Network) QB Kevin Riley Possibilities (Phil Steele) WATCH LISTS DL Tyson Alualu Rotary Lombardi Award P Bryan Anger College Football Performance Awards Punter of the Year, Ray Guy Award TB Jahvid Best Doak Walker Award, Maxwell Award, College Football Performance Awards Overall Performer of the Year, College Football Performance Awards Running Back of the Year, Walter Camp Award DB Syd Quan Thompson Bronco Nagurski, Chuck Bednarik, The Lott Trophy PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN DL Tyson Alualu Honorable Mention Defense (NationalChamps.net) P Bryan Anger First-Team Specialists (Athlon), Second-Team Specialists (NationalChamps.net, Phil Steele) TB Jahvid Best First-Team Offense (Athlon, ESPN.com, Lindy s, Playboy), Second-Team Offense (Phil Steele, Sporting News), Third-Team Offense (NationalChamps.net) DB Syd Quan Thompson First-Team Defense (Athlon, Lindy s, National Champs.net), Second-Team Defense (Sporting News), Third-Team Defense (Phil Steele) PRESEASON ALL-PAC-10 DL Tyson Alualu First-Team Defense (Athlon, Sporting News), Second-Team Defense (Lindy s, Phil Steele) P Bryan Anger First-Team Specialist (Athlon, Lindy s, Phil Steele, Sporting News) TB Jahvid Best Most Valuable Player (Lindy s), First-Team Offense (Athlon, Lindy s, Phil Steele, Sporting News), Second-Team Kick Returner (Athlon), Third-Team Kick Returner (Phil Steele) WR Nyan Boateng Third-Team Offense (Phil Steele) OL Mark Boskovich Third-Team Offense (Athlon) DB Marcus Ezeff Second-Team Defense (Phil Steele) DB Darian Hagan Third-Team Defense (Athlon, Phil Steele) DL Cameron Jordan Third-Team Defense (Athlon), Fourth-Team Defense (Phil Steele) LB Mike Mohamed First-Team Defense (Phil Steele, Sporting News), Second-Team Defense (Athlon) QB Kevin Riley Third-Team Offense (Athlon), Fourth-Team Offense (Phil Steele) OL Mitchell Schwartz Second-Team Offense (Lindy s), Third-Team Offense (Athlon, Phil Steele) OL Mike Tepper First-Team Offense (Lindy s, Sporting News), Second-Team Offense (Athlon, Phil Steele) DB Syd Quan Thompson First-Team Defense (Athlon, Lindy s, Phil Steele, Sporting News), First- Team Punt Returner (Athlon, Phil Steele) WR Verran Tucker Fourth-Team Offense (Phil Steele) TB Shane Vereen Fourth-Team Offense (Phil Steele) Blueout Fans are encouraged to Be True, Wear Blue for the Blue Out of the season-opener against Maryland at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5. For more information, visit CalBears.com/blueout. Cal Picked Second In Pac-10 Preseason Media Poll California has been picked to finish second in the 2009 Pac-10 preseason poll of media members who regularly cover the league for the fifth time in the last six years. USC was the media s preseason choice to win the conference title for an eighth consecutive season (Cal shared the conference crown in 2006). The Trojans were listed in the top spot by 28 of the 32 voters participating in the poll, while Cal claimed three of the four other first-place votes. Oregon (one first-place vote) was picked third and followed by Oregon State, Arizona State, Stanford, UCLA, Arizona, Washington and Washington State. Preseason Honors Cal players have received multiple honors prior to the 2009 season. The firstteam preseason All-American selections of Bryan Anger, Jahvid Best and Syd Quan Thompson highlight the list, while Tyson Alualu was an honorable mention preseason All-American choice. All four are also on preseason watch lists for various awards. A list of compiled 2009 honors is in the box on this page. Turn On Your Televisions Around The Nation To date, six of Cal s 12 games have been picked up for television, including the Sept. 5 opener vs. Maryland on ESPN2. The Sept. 19 contest at Minnesota will be shown on either ESPN or ESPN2, followed by back-to-back games on ABC at Oregon Sept. 26 and vs. USC on Oct. 3. In addition, Cal s Sept.12 home date vs. Eastern Washington and Dec. 5 finale at Washington will air on Comcast SportsNet California. TV networks will announce their choices for remaining games later in the season. Every Golden Bear contest the past two years has been televised live. The Tedford Factor Cal head coach Jeff Tedford has compiled a record during his first seven seasons at Cal. Tedford, who ranks fourth on the school s all-time win list, has led his teams to school records of six straight bowl games and four consecutive postseason wins. Since his arrival in 2002, Cal has posted an overall record of 5-1 in bowl games after the Bears had earned bowl bids just four times since For good measure, Tedford is also 6-1 in Big Games against local rival Stanford. Tedford needs just nine more wins to pass the legendary Pappy Waldorf ( , ) for most victories at Cal in the modern era. Simply The Best A quick look at Heisman Trophy candidate Jahvid Best s bio shows him as the nation s top returnee in both average per game all-purpose (187.3) and rushing (131.67) yards after ranking second and third in the country in the categories last season, respectively. He set a pair of school records by averaging 8.1 yards per carry for the season and running for 311 yards in a single-game vs. Washington. In addition, Best had three 200-yard games (first Cal player with more than one) and eight 100-yard contests. He showed off his big-play capability with 19 rushes of 20 or more yards, seven of 60+ yards and three runs of 80 or more. Best Records Team s Seventh Straight 1,000-Yard Season Jahvid Best s 1,580 yards rushing in 2008 ranked second all-time at Cal and marked the seventh consecutive season in which a Golden Bear running back gained over 1,000 yards on the ground. Cal is one of only three Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools to have current seven-year streaks, along with Missouri and New Mexico, and is nearing USC s record 10-year run of 1,000-yard rushers from Joe Igber started the current trend in 2002 when he became the first Cal player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in nine years. Cal s 1,000-Yard Rushers Since 2002 Year - Player (Yards) Jahvid Best (1,580) Justin Forsett (1,546) Marshawn Lynch (1,356) Marshawn Lynch (1,246) J.J. Arrington (2,018) Adimchinobe Echemandu (1,195) Joe Igber (1,130) 2 California Golden Bears Football Game Notes - California vs. Maryland (Sept. 5, 2009)

3 Home Sweet Home Cal has been both extremely successful and popular with fans at home over the past five seasons. During the time period the Golden Bears have posted an overall record of 27-4 in Berkeley and been unbeaten at home three times (2004, 06, 08). Last year, Cal averaged 61,634 fans per contest to mark the fourth time in the last five years the Bears have drawn more than 60,000 per game. In terms of pure numbers, Cal attracted its second-highest total ever in 2008 with 431,437 fans attending seven home dates. Only the 2006 season, which drew 450,223 fans and averaged a record 64,318 spectators per contest, has had a larger total final home attendance count. Cal has also drawn at least 50,000 fans for each of its last 31 home games spanning the past five seasons. Academic Prowess Cal has had 74 players claim Pac-10 All-Academic honors in seven seasons under head coach Jeff Tedford. Last year, Alex Mack earned the Draddy Trophy honoring college football s top scholar-athlete. Offense Quick Notes Cal has averaged at least 30.0 points per game in six of the last seven years after averaging 32.6 in Cal has won 22 straight games in which the Bears have scored 30 or more points... Cal features first-year offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, who was at the helm of Utah s offense last year, when the Utes were 13-0 and finished ranked second in the nation. Defense Quick Notes Cal returns eight defensive starters from a team that ranked among the nation s best in nearly every defensive category last year... The Golden Bears return their entire defensive line and defensive backfield, but will need to replace three of four starting linebackers... Cal s 2009 defense features a first-team preseason All-American and a Lott Trophy candidate in Syd Quan Thompson, while Tyson Alualu has also earned 2009 honorable mention preseason All-American recognition Pac-10 Standings Team Pac-10 Overall Arizona Arizona State California Oregon Oregon State Stanford UCLA USC Washington Washington State This Week s Pac-10 Games THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 Oregon at Boise State 7:15 pm ESPN SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 Portland State at Oregon State 11:30 am FSNNW San Jose State at USC 12:30 pm FSN *Stanford at Washington State 3:00 pm FSNNW San Diego State at UCLA 4:45 pm FSNW Central Michigan at Arizona 7:00 pm AWSN Idaho State at Arizona State 7:00 pm FSNAZ Maryland at California 7:00 pm ESPN2 Louisiana State at Washington 7:30 pm ESPN *Pac-10 Games All Times Pacific Special Teams Quick Notes Cal returns all starting members from its kicking and return games in sophomore punter Bryan Anger, sophomore placekickers David Seawright and Giorgio Tavecchio, junior kick returner Jahvid Best and senior punt returner Syd Quan Thompson... Anger has earned first-team 2009 preseason All-America honors as a punter, while Best (tailback) and Thompson (cornerback) have picked up the same recognition at their primary positions. Bowling Bears Cal s school-record six straight bowl appearances and four consecutive bowl wins are listed below Insight Bowl (Cal 52, Virginia Tech 49) Holiday Bowl (Texas Tech 45, Cal 31) Las Vegas Bowl (Cal 35, BYU 28) Holiday Bowl (Cal 45, Texas A&M 10) Armed Forces Bowl (Cal 42, Air Force 36) Emerald Bowl (Cal 24, Miami 17) Seven Consecutive Winning Seasons Cal has recorded seven consecutive winning seasons ( ) to move within one winning campaign of tying the school football record of eight consecutive years from The Bears did record 10 consecutive winning campaigns from but those were split between rugby (8, ) and football (2, ). Morning Starts During the Jeff Tedford era, Cal has played five road games in other time zones that have started before noon, PT, and the Golden Bears have a 4-1 record in those contests. Cal won four in a row with victories at Michigan State (2002), Illinois (2003), Air Force (2004) and Colorado State (2007), before falling at Maryland in This year, Cal s game at Minnesota Sept. 19 has a starting time of 9 a.m. PT. California Golden Bears Football Game Notes - California vs. Maryland (Sept. 5, 2009) 3

4 California Quick Facts 2008 Records...9-4, 6-3 Pac Postseason... Emerald Bowl vs. Miami, Fla. (W, 24-17) 2008 Final Rank... No. 25 (USA Today) Head Coach... Jeff Tedford Alma Mater (Year)...Fresno State ( 83) Record at Cal (Years) (7) Career Record (Years) (7) Location...Berkeley, Calif. Enrollment...35,409 Conference...Pac-10 Colors... Blue (282) and Gold (123) Stadium... Memorial Stadium Capacity (Surface)...71,799 (Sportexe) Chancellor... Dr. Robert J. Birgeneau Athletic Director... Sandy Barbour Media Relations (Lead)... Kyle McRae Phone mcrae@berkeley.edu Media Relations (Secondary)...Anton Malko Phone amalko@berkeley.edu Media Relations (Credentials)... Herb Benenson Phone benenson@berkeley.edu Tickets GO BEARS Website...CalBears.com Maryland Quick Facts 2008 Record...8-5, 4-4 ACC 2008 Postseason... Humanitarian Bowl vs. Nevada (W, 42-35) 2008 Final Rank...None Head Coach...Ralph Friedgen Alma Mater (Year)...Maryland ( 70) Record at Maryland (Years) (8) Career Record (Years) (8) Location...Berkeley, Calif. Enrollment...35,409 Conference...Pac-10 Colors... Red, White, Black and Gold Stadium...Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium Capacity (Surface)... 51,500 (Natural Grass) President...Debra K. Yow Athletic Director...Dr. C.D. Mote Jr. Media Relations (Lead)...Shawn Nestor Phone snestor@umd.edu Website...umterps.com 2009 Maryland Schedule Date Opponent (TV) Time/Result 9/5 at California (ESPN2) 10:00 pm 9/12 James Madison (ESPN360) 6:00 pm 9/19 Middle Tennessee St. (ESPN360) 3:30 pm 9/26 Rutgers TBA 10/3 *Clemson TBA 10/10 *at Wake Forest TBA 10/17 *Virginia (Homecoming) TBA 10/24 *at Duke TBA 11/7 *at North Carolina State TBA 11/14 *Virginia Tech TBA 11/21 *at Florida State TBA 11/28 *vs. Boston College TBA *ACC Games All Times Eastern Home Games in Bold at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium Turnover Table Winning the turnover battle has been emphasized since Jeff Tedford s arrival on campus in During his seven seasons at Cal, the Bears are 34-3 when committing fewer turnovers than their opponents compared to when opponents win the battle (12-8 tied). In Pac-10 games, the stats are even more decisive as Cal is 22-1 with a positive margin in turnovers and 7-17 with a deficit, while posting a 7-5 mark when the turnover table is tied. Last year, Cal ranked seventh nationally in turnover margin (+15 overall). Start Me Up Based on Cal s depth chart as of Aug. 29, six players are slated to make their first collegiate start against Maryland on Sept. 5 - senior Brian Holley (FB), sophomores Marvin Jones (Z) and Anthony Miller (TE), and redshirt-freshman Matt Summers- Gavin (LG) on offense, and sophomores D.J. Holt (ILB) and Mychal Kendricks (ILB) defensively. Coaching Changes Cal has two new coaches on board in 2009 with the addition of offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks coach Andy Ludwig and offensive line coach Steve Marshall. Ludwig had been the offensive coordinator at Utah for the last four seasons, leading one of the best offenses in the country that was largely responsible for a 13-0 record in 2008, the country s only unbeaten mark by a Football Bowl Subdivision team, and a No. 2 final national ranking. Marshall most recently coached for six seasons in the NFL with the Houston Texans ( ) and Cleveland Browns ( ). Playing And Beating The Best Cal has played 22 nationally-ranked teams during the Jeff Tedford era and managed an record in those contests. The Bears have three games on their 2009 schedule against teams ranked in at least one of the two preseason polls. Cal will travel to Oregon (No. 14 USA Today, No. 16 AP) and host USC (No. 4 AP/USA Today) in back-to-back weeks on Sept. 26 and Oct. 3. The Bears will host Oregon State (No. 25 USA Today) on Nov. 7. Bears Play On Sunday, Too Alex Mack became the 23rd first round selection of a former Cal football player when the Cleveland Browns made him their first-round pick with the 21st selection overall of the 2009 NFL Draft. Zack Follett (Detroit Lions) and Cameron Morrah (Seattle Seahawks) were both seventh round selections in A total of 35 former Cal enter the 2009 season on an NFL. A complete list is below. Lorenzo Alexander DT...Washington Nnamdi Asomugha CB... Oakland Tully Banta-Cain LB... New England David Binn C...San Diego Desmond Bishop LB... Green Bay Kyle Boller QB...St. Louis Andre Carter DE...Washington Brian De La Puente G... Seattle Thomas DeCoud S... Atlanta Anthony Felder LB...San Diego Zack Follett LB... Detroit Justin Forsett RB... Seattle Scott Fujita LB...New Orleans Mike Gibson G... Philadelphia Matt Giordano S... Indianapolis Tony Gonzalez TE... Atlanta Nick Harris P... Detroit Lavelle Hawkins WR... Tennessee Daymeion Hughes CB... Indianapolis DeSean Jackson WR... Philadelphia L.P. Ladouceur C...Dallas Ryan Longwell PK... Minnesota Marshawn Lynch RB... Buffalo Alex Mack C...Cleveland Brandon Mebane DT... Seattle Cameron Morrah TE... Seattle Ryan O Callaghan G... New England Deltha O Neal CB... Houston Marvin Philip C... Buffalo Aaron Rodgers QB... Green Bay Craig Stevens TE... Tennessee Byron Storer FB...Tampa Bay Will Ta ufo ou FB... Chicago Langston Walker OT... Buffalo Mark Wilson OT... Oakland 4 California Golden Bears Football Game Notes - California vs. Maryland (Sept. 5, 2009)

5 Jeff Tedford Head Coach 8th Season at Cal (.663) In seven seasons at the helm, Jeff Tedford has established the California football program not only as one of the top programs in the Pacific-10 Conference, but has also lifted the Golden Bears into the national picture and remained true to his ideals of playing with class while excelling in the classroom and the community. Under Tedford s leadership, the Golden Bears have finished among the nation's Top 25 teams in four of the last five seasons and also climbed into the AP National Top 10 for four consecutive campaigns from The team has played in six straight bowl games for the first time in history, winning each of the last four and five of the six appearances under Tedford to make him the first Cal mentor with more than two bowl victories. Cal s 59 wins in the past seven seasons are the most in a seven-year stretch in school history and nearly three times as many as the 21 wins the Bears managed in the seven years before Tedford's arrival. In addition, Tedford has had 74 players recognized as Pac-10 All-Academic. Of the 145 seniors who have played for Tedford, 128 (88%) have earned their degrees and/or gone on to NFL careers. All of this from a team which won just one game in 2001, the year prior to his arrival. The California football renaissance rates as one of the most impressive turnarounds in college football history. Tedford s success with the California program has resulted in local devotion and national attention. On the local level, Cal set overall (450,223) and average (64,318) home attendance records in Cal set a season-ticket record of 41,366 in 2007 and averaged 63,136 over six contests. In 2008, the Bears drew a total of 431,437 fans over seven home dates for an average of 61,634. Entering 2009, the last 31 games at Memorial Stadium over the past five seasons have each drawn at least 50,000 fans. Nationally, the Golden Bears have also had multiple Heisman Trophy candidates, most recently with Jahvid Best among the favorites in J.J. Arrington started getting the attention of Heisman Trophy voters on the Cal campus when he finished eighth in the final voting in Marshawn Lynch (2006) and DeSean Jackson (2007) were also top candidates. Other national recognition has come the Bears way in recent years. Alex Mack was the winner of the 2008 Draddy Award (often referred to as the Academic Heisman). The prestigious and highly sought-after honor recognizes the top individual in the nation for combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. In 2006, the Bears had a pair of players collect national awards. Jackson was the recipient of the inaugural Randy Moss Award for the top return man in the country, while Daymeion Hughes earned the Lott Trophy, an award given in honor of former NFL player Ronnie Lott to a defensive player which equally recognizes athletic performance and the personal character of the player. Not only have individuals gained recognition nationwide, Cal has also risen to No. 2 in the Pac-10 in television exposure, a dramatic increase over the years before Tedford. Prior to 2007, Cal had never had every game in a season televised but all 26 Cal contests in 2007 and 2008 have been on TV. In fact, a total of 73 Cal games have been televised in seven years under Tedford. In the seven years prior to that, only 41 Cal games were televised. National television broadcasts have more than doubled in that time. Despite his success, Tedford remains devoted to being a mentor to the young men on his team. Football is more than a game, he said. I think it teaches so many values for young people as they move on into life teamwork, sacrifice, dedication, hard work all those things are very valuable to their futures. I m going to be a person that they can trust and talk to while they re here. But I really hope that when they leave, they understand that they can come back and ask me for anything and count on me in any situation. The Tedford File. Birthdate...Nov. 2, Hometown... Downey, Calif.. High School... Warren HS. College...Fresno State 83 Bachelor s in Physical Education. Junior College... Cerritos College. Family... wife, Donna; sons, Taylor and Quinn California Stats (2008) Team Statistics Cal Opponents Scoring Points Per Game First Downs Attempts-Rushing Yardage Average Per Game Passing Yardage Average Per Game Comp-Att-Int Total Offense Average Per Game Punts-Average Per Punt Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards rd-Down Conversions th-Down Conversions Time Of Possession/Game 29:10 30:50 Score By Quarters OT Tot California Opponents Individual Leaders Rushing Att Yds TD Jahvid Best Passing Comp-Att-Int Yds TD Kevin Riley Receiving No Yds TD Nyan Boateng Defense TKL TFL QS INT FF Anthony Felder Maryland Stats (2008) Team Statistics Maryland Opponents Scoring Points Per Game First Downs Attempts-Rushing Yardage Average Per Game Passing Yardage Average Per Game Comp-Att-Int Total Offense Average Per Game Punts-Average Per Punt Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards rd-Down Conversions th-Down Conversions Time Of Possession/Game 27:47 32:13 Score By Quarters OT Tot Maryland Opponents Individual Leaders Rushing Att Yds TD Da Rel Scott Passing Comp-Att-Int Yds TD Chris Turner Receiving No Yds TD Darrius Heyward-Bey Defense TKL TFL QS INT FF Alex Wujciak California Golden Bears Football Game Notes - California vs. Maryland (Sept. 5, 2009) 5

6 2009 Media Schedule Sunday Coaches and players will be available for interviews on the field following practice. Check with Kyle McRae each week for exact times as this practice time can vary. Monday No practice or scheduled availability for players or coaches to local media. Updated game notes distributed and available at CalBears.com. Tuesday Weekly press conference will be held in the Hall of Fame Room at Memorial Stadium. Head coach Jeff Tedford will address the media at 11:45 a.m., followed by a different group of selected players each week. Requests for specific players can be made by contacting Kyle McRae the previous Sunday by 3 p.m. Press conferences begin Sept. 1 and will take place each Tuesday through the end of the 2009 regular season. The exceptions are on Oct. 6 and Nov. 24 (bye weeks), and Big Game Week when the press conference will be held on Monday, Nov. 16 at a location and time to be announced. Players and assistant coaches will also be available for interviews on the field following practice at approximately 5:30 p.m. Tedford is available only at the press conference and on a Pac-10 teleconference call at 11:20 a.m. Contact Kyle McRae to obtain the media call-in number. Wednesday Players and coaches will be available for interviews on the field following practice at approximately 5:30 p.m. Thursday Coaches will be available for interviews on the field following practice at approximately 5:00 p.m. (no local media access for players). Friday The team walk-thru is closed to local media (no local media access for coaches or players). Broadcast television can make arrangements with Kyle McRae for media access to coaches and players. Saturday Coaches and players will be available for interviews in the Travers Club Room (home games) or a designated location (road games) after a 10-minute cooling down period following the game. Notes Jahvid Best will be available for local media access only following practice on Wednesdays and postgame on Saturdays. Please contact Kyle McRae for specific requests. Media may attend Cal football practices for the first 20 and final 10 minutes of the session with video and photography allowed under the supervision of the Cal media relations office for the first 20 minutes only. It is strongly advised that media wishing to attend the final 10 minutes of the workout and interview players/coaches following the session return to the Memorial Stadium vicinity at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled end of practice. A member of the Cal media relations staff will escort the media in and out of the inside of the stadium at appropriate times Season Outlook With most key players returning from a 9-4 team that captured the 2008 Emerald Bowl for its school-record fourth straight bowl victory, California has plenty of reasons to be optimistic in In fact, prognosticators believe there could be something special about this year s squad as the Bears enter the season ranked No. 12 nationally in both the Associated Press and USA Today coaches polls. Our goal is to realize our potential, head coach Jeff Tedford offered calmly. And this is a season full of potential. Two of the primary reasons for the optimism are a defense that is arguably one of the best units in the nation and a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate in Jahvid Best. I m excited about the 2009 season and the possibilities, Tedford continued. The team chemistry and leadership are some of the best during my time here. Junior quarterback Kevin Riley won a three-way competition for the quarterback spot during training camp and will work with Tedford and first-year offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, who spent last season as the offensive coordinator of a high-powered Utah offense that contributed to the nation s only unbeaten record (13-0) and a No. 2 ranking in the final polls. I believe that the addition of a couple of new coaches on the offensive side of the ball will bring some freshness to what we re doing, said Tedford in reference to Ludwig and new offensive line coach Steve Marshall. On the defensive side of the ball, Cal is coming off its best showing since 1994 and expected to continue to improve under defensive coordinator Bob Gregory. The primary concern will be replacing starting linebackers Anthony Felder, Zack Follett and Worrell Williams. The three new starters will be supported by eight returning defensive starters as both the defensive line and backfield remain intact from a 2008 team that was among the national leaders in nearly every statistical category. Should the Golden Bears have another successful season, Tedford will continue his rapid ascent into hallowed territory within the school s coaching annals. He has already taken Cal to more postseason bowl games (6) than anyone else in school history and needs just nine more wins to pass College Football Hall of Fame member Pappy Waldorf ( ) on top of the modern era victory list. Tedford will start the 2009 season with a all-time mark at Cal after leading the Bears to a 9-4 record, an Emerald Bowl victory over Miami, Fla., and a No. 25 ranking in the final USA Today coaches poll in I m really looking forward to this team working very hard to accomplish our goal, Tedford explained. Our goal never really changes, and that s to reach our full potential. I know there s going to be high expectations on this team, and it s something we welcome. I have a lot of confidence that we are going to work hard and achieve what we have set forth to do. The following pages contain a position-by-position look at the Golden Bears heading into the 2009 season. Offense Cal returns seven starters on offense, headlined by junior running back Jahvid Best, who last season ranked third nationally in rushing yards per game (131.7) as well as second in all-purpose yards per contest (187.2). The Bears also have their top passer from a year ago back in junior quarterback Kevin Riley in addition to their top receiver from 2008 in senior Nyan Boateng. The trio helped the Golden Bears average 32.6 points per game last season to mark the sixth time in the past seven campaigns Cal has scored more than 30.0 ppg - a feat the team accomplished just once in the eight years prior to Tedford s arrival in Quarterback Junior Kevin Riley earned the starting quarterback job during training camp in a three-way battle with sophomore Brock Mansion and redshirt-freshman Beau Sweeney. Riley compiled a 7-2 record as a starter last fall, when he completed 112-of-221 passes for 1,360 yards and 14 scores (only six interceptions). In 2007, he was named Offensive MVP of the Armed Forces Bowl after coming into the game with a 21-0 deficit and guiding Cal to a victory over Air Force. Riley was 16-of-19 for 269 yards and three TDs. He also had a big game against Oregon State (20-of-34, 294 yards, 2 TDs) earlier in In addition to Mansion and Sweeney, the other quarterbacks on the team s roster are redshirt freshman Ryan Wertenberger and true freshman Allan Bridgford. 6 California Golden Bears Football Game Notes - California vs. Maryland (Sept. 5, 2009)

7 Running Back It s nearly impossible to have a conversation about Cal football without talking about Jahvid Best, the team s Heisman Trophy candidate. The junior speedster is a first-team preseason All-American and near the top of almost everybody s list of Heisman Trophy favorites heading into the 2009 campaign. All he did in 2008 to earn this recognition was rush for 1,580 yards - No. 3 in the country, No. 1 in the Pac-10 and No. 2 on Cal s all-time single-season list - and set single-season school records with 8.1 yards per carry and 15 rushing TDs (tied mark). The 2008 first-team All- Pac-10 selection also set a single-game Cal mark by galloping for 311 yards in the regular season finale vs. Washington before establishing an Emerald Bowl record with 186 yards in a victory over Miami, Fla. Best had three of the Pac-10 s four 200- yard games and went for 100 or more yards on eight occasions. He also posted 19 rushes of 20 or more yards and seven that he broke for at least 60, including three of 80 or more. Although Best is certainly among the nation s elite, it s not a one-man show in the Cal backfield. Sophomore running back Shane Vereen churned his way to 715 yards (No. 10 Pac-10) and four touchdowns as Best s backup during his redshirt freshman campaign last season. Vereen rushed for 101 yards in the Michigan State opener, including a game-clinching 81-yard TD sprint in the fourth quarter. Subbing for an injured Best vs. Arizona State, he totaled 93 yards on the ground and 51 more on five catches to help the Bears to a win over the Sun Devils. He also added 99 yards to complement Best s 100-yard game vs. UCLA while picking up 80 at Washington State and 56 at Stanford, where he also made one catch for a 59-yard touchdown against the Cardinal. We would like to think that we have one of the best running games in the country, said Tedford. Everyone knows that Jahvid Best is a Heisman Trophy candidate, but we have excellent depth at the position. With Jahvid and Shane Vereen, we have one of the best 1-2 punches in the country. We are also very impressed with all of the other players we have in this talented group. Those other players include redshirt freshmen Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson, Langston Jackson and Kevin Lewis, as well as true freshman and local product Dasarte Yarnway from San Francisco s Sacred Heart Cathedral High School, who will be forced to miss the 2009 campaign after suffering a season-ending injury during training camp. Fullback duties were up for grabs after the graduation of starter Will Ta ufo ou during training camp with several players battling for the starting spot. Senior Brian Holley picked up the starting nod after serving as the primary backup for Ta ufo ou the past two seasons, but also expect sophomore Will Kapp (son of former Cal standout and head coach Joe Kapp) to see significant action. Others fullbacks on the squad include sophomore John Tyndall, redshirt freshman Eric Stevens and a pair of true freshmen in Nico Dumont (Novato, CA/Marin Catholic HS) and Jon Harris (Riverside, CA/Riverside Christian HS). Wide Receiver After having nearly an entirely new batch of receivers in 2008, Cal returns four of its top six wideouts this fall. The Bears should have excellent depth and are hopeful that several members of the group will have breakout seasons. We have a promising group of receivers and are looking for a couple of them to emerge as leaders of the group, confirmed Tedford. Senior Nyan Boateng put up the top numbers last year with team-highs of 29 catches and 439 yards receiving, while also ranking second on the club with five TD receptions. Senior Verran Tucker was the biggest deep threat with his team-high 17.2 yards per catch average and three scores among his 21 receptions for 362 yards. Junior Jeremy Ross was solid during a 2008 season in which he moved into the starting lineup for four of the final five games and finished the campaign with 17 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomores Marvin Jones and Michael Calvin both had impressive spring workouts in 2009 and are looking to stay healthy after suffering knee injuries in 2008 that limited the talented duo. Jones earned a starting spot during training camp while Calvin suffered a setback with a minor knee injury during the early stages but has since returned to practice. Sophomore Alex Lagemann has yet to catch a pass in college but also should get a look in the rotation. CalBears.com There is much more information available on the 2009 Cal football team and all Golden Bear squads online at... CalBears.com CalBears.com/media Detailed information produced specifically to assist members of the media can be accessed online by visiting... CalBears.com/media Cal In The News Detailed information produced specifically to assist members of the media can be accessed online by visiting... CalBears.com/genrel/inthenews. html Gameday Central For all the latest information on promotions and special events related to each 2009 home football game, visit... CalBears.com/Gameday Media/Information Guide Cal Athletics will not print media guides for the academic year. However, the information previously contained in media guides will be available online at CalBears.com in a newly formatted information guide that media can print, view on the web, and/or download onto their computers via a standard PDF file or through an enhanced viewer format. CalBears.com/sports/mfootbl/09cal_fb_infoguide.html Memorial Stadium Access Due to construction of the Student-Athlete High Performance Center adjacent to Memorial Stadium, the University of California Athletic Department has instituted several changes to assist fans with in and around the facility during football games this fall. Access more information at... CalBears.com/genrel/ memorialstadiumaccess.html Simply The Best Stay up-to-date on Cal s Heisman Trophy candidate Jahvid Best this season through a website that features an array of information on the junior tailback and his bid for college football s most prestigious honor at... CalBears.com/simplythebest Social Networking Follow Cal Athletics online at... facebook.com/calathletics twitter.com/calathletics youtube.com/calathletics California Golden Bears Football Game Notes - California vs. Maryland (Sept. 5, 2009) 7

8 Key Player Mini-Bios #44 - DL Tyson Alualu (Sr.) Has played in all 39 games possible with 27 starts over the last three years, including two straight seasons of starting all 13 contests Had a career-high 62 tackles in 2008, the most for a Cal defensive lineman since 1995 #19 - P Bryan Anger (So.) Ranked No. 3 in the Pac-10 and No. 8 nationally in punting average (43.1 ypp) #4 - TB Jahvid Best (Jr.) Cal s Heisman Trophy candidate is the nation s leading returning rusher after recording the second-best single-season in Cal history with 1,580 yards rushing in 2008, while setting a new single-season school record with an average of 8.1 yards per rush and tying a single-season school record with 15 rushing TDs Has rushed for 1,801 career yards and is just 389 out of the school s all-time Top 10 Two-time All-Pac-10 choice #8 - WR Nyan Boateng (Sr.) Cal s leading returning receiver after 29 catches and 439 receiving yards in 2008 #29 - DB Marcus Ezeff (Sr.) Has played in 34 career games with 17 starts and 125 career tackles Started all 13 games in 2008 at safety #54 - OL Chris Guarnero (Jr.) Has played in only four games (three starts) but is a key member of the offensive line as the replacement at center after the graduation of first-team All-American Alex Mack #26 - DB Darian Hagan (Jr.) Started all 13 games in 2008 and tied the single-season school record with 18 passes defended with the total including three interceptions and 15 pass breakups #76 - DL Derrick Hill (Jr.) Started nine of Cal s 13 games at nose tackle in 2008 and finished with 29 tackles #3 - LB D.J. Holt (So.) Has become a starting linebacker after playing in 12 of 13 games off the bench in 2008 #25 - DB Brett Johnson (Sr.) A starting safety that has played in 36 career games with 10 starts with nine of those starts coming in 2008 #1 - WR Marvin Jones (So.) Expected to be one of the team s top receivers after an injury limited him to one catch for eight yards as a true freshman in 2008 Other returning receivers include redshirt freshmen Ross Bostock, Charles Satchell and Quinn Tedford. Incoming true freshmen joining the group are Jackson Bouza (Lafayette, CA/De La Salle HS), Spencer Hagan (Sacramento, CA/Capital Christian HS) and Isi Sofele (Salt Lake City, UT/Cottonwood HS). Sofele was the most impressive during camp and expects to play as a true freshman in Tight End After the early departure of Cameron Morrah for the NFL Draft following his 2008 junior season and the loss of senior Tad Smith for the season with a torn ACL during training camp, Cal is looking for a new starter at tight end. Morrah was an active receiver a year ago, tying for second on the team with 27 receptions and ranking third with his 326 yards receiving. Smith, who had been sidelined for much of the offseason when he broke his scapula during spring workouts, had been expected to take over before his heartbreaking injury. He had spent last season backing up Morrah after converting to the position from defensive end. Sophomore Anthony Miller will now head into the regular season with the starting job. Miller had only one catch as a true freshman last season, but it was the gamewinner with just left in the Emerald Bowl against Miami, Fla. A pair of redshirt freshmen - Spencer Ladner and converted wide receiver Jarrett Sparks - and senior Skylar Curran also figure into the mix. Other tight ends on the roster include sophomore Savai i Eselu and junior Garry Graffort. Offensive Line Although the Bears lost a pair of starters in All-America center Alex Mack and All- Pac-10 guard Noris Malele, seven players return that have collegiate starting experience and they all had to put up a fight for starting jobs during training camp. We expect that the offensive line will be a strength of our team in 2009, offered Tedford. We are excited about the balance of playing experience and young emerging talent that this group possesses. Much of that experience lies with senior Mike Tepper, who has been granted a sixth season of eligibility after missing all of 2008 with a pectoral injury. A starter for all 13 games at right tackle in 2007, he is expected to man the left tackle position this year. Sophomore Mitchell Schwartz earned Freshman All-America notice in 2008 after starting all 13 games - three times at right tackle and the final 10 contests at left tackle. He will move back to right tackle with the return of Tepper to the starting lineup. The team will have a new pair of starting guards to begin the season as redshirt freshman Matt Summers-Gavin (left guard) and sophomore Justin Cheadle (right guard) moved into their respective starting positions during training camp. Summers- Gavin will be making his collegiate debut in Junior Chris Guarnero is the team s starter at center and will replace Alex Mack, a first-round selection by the Cleveland Browns in the 2009 NFL Draft. Guarnero started the team s first three games last season at left guard before an injured toe kept him out the rest of the campaign. Three players with starting experience are slated to begin the season as backups. Junior Mark Boskovich and senior Chet Teofilo will be the team s reserves at left and right guard, respectively. Boskovich, a first-team Pac-10 All-Academic selection in 2008, started the club s final 10 games at left guard last year. Teofilo moved to the right guard position after making each of his eight career starts over the past two seasons at tackle Junior tackle Donovan Edwards will be the top backup at both left and right tackle to start the season. He cracked the lineup a year ago to start the team s final six games at right tackle. Others returnees vying for playing time include junior guard Richard Fisher and redshirt freshmen center Dominic Galas. Additional returning offensive linemen are sophomores Sam DeMartinis, T.J. Emery and Justin Gates, as well as junior Justin Prueitt and redshirt freshman Tyler Rigsbee. True freshman newcomers include highly touted center Mark Brazinski (Basking Ridge, NJ/Immaculata HS), guards Ed Johnston (Fairfield, CA/Armijo HS) and Brian Schwenke (Oceanside, CA/Oceanside HS), and tackles Charles Ragland (Denver, CO/Mullen HS) and Charles Siddoway (Eugene, OR/Sheldon HS). 8 California Golden Bears Football Game Notes - California vs. Maryland (Sept. 5, 2009)

9 Defense Utilizing a new 3-4 alignment, Cal ranked among the top defensive units in the country last year, finishing among the nation s top 30 in most key statistical categories. The Bears have eight starters returning this season, including their entire contingents along the defensive line and in the defensive backfield. Cal will need to replace three starters at linebacker. Defensive Line Senior Tyson Alualu and junior Cameron Jordan give Cal a pair of the top defensive ends in the Pac-10. Junior nose guard Derrick Hill also returns to bolster the Golden Bears strong first group in the trenches. We will be very solid up front with Tyson Alualu, Cameron Jordan and Derrick Hill, said Tedford. Those three guys are among the very best in the conference. Alualu, a second-team All-Pac-10 choice in 2008 who has already earned honorable mention preseason All-American honors this year, is projected to go high in the 2010 NFL Draft. Last year, he had the most tackles (62) by a Cal defensive lineman since 1995 and played in all 13 games for the third year in a row, while starting all 13 contests for the second consecutive campaign, recording 6.0 sacks, 11.0 TFL and a pair of forced fumbles. Jordan claimed honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors in 2008, when he tallied 47 takedowns, 4.0 sacks and 11.0 TFL, which equals Alualu for the most stops behind the line of scrimmage by any returning Bear. He also added two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and an interception, starting seven of the 12 games he played. Hill, who earned nine starts last season in the middle of Cal s base 3-4 set, is expected to be a force in the middle once again. Last year, he recorded 29 tackles, 2.5 TFL and 0.5 sacks, while doing an excellent job controlling the line of scrimmage. Other returnees who have made strides at defensive end and are looking to provide depth to Alualu and Jordan include sophomores Trevor Guyton and Ernest Owusu, and redshirt freshman Aaron Tipoti. Deandre Coleman (Seattle, WA/Garfield HS) and Keni Kaufusi (Salt Lake City, UT/Cottonwood HS) are the incoming players at the position. In the middle, redshirt freshman Kendrick Payne is slotted to be Hill s primary backup. The other two returning veterans are senior Kevin Bemoll and junior Michael Costanzo. Freshman Austin Clark (Tampa, FL/Plant HS) is the team s lone newcomer at the spot. Linebacker Cal s defense took its biggest hit at linebacker with the graduation of starting senior trio Anthony Felder, Zack Follett and Worrell Williams. But the Bears appear to have the necessary depth to fill the vacant spots with quality personnel. Even though we have lost three outstanding players from this group, our linebackers should still be a strength of this team, explained Tedford. Senior Eddie Young has the most starting experience of any returnees after he was in the lineup for the first snap in 11 of the 12 games he played in a year ago at an outside spot. Junior Mike Mohamed, who has the ability to play any of the four spots, is arguably the team s top returnee and expected to start on the outside this season after earning honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors as a reserve last year. Despite making just two starts at outside linebacker a year ago, Mohamed s 87 tackles ranked tied for second on the team with Follett. Sophomores Mychal Kendricks and D.J. Holt earned the other starting nods during training camp. Other returnees expected to challenge for playing time include senior Devin Bishop, junior Charles Johnson, sophomore Robert Mullins and redshirt freshman Chris Little. Junior college transfers Ryan Davis (Los Angeles, CA/Artesia HS/Cerritos College), Jerome Meadows (Spartanburg, SC/Broome HS/San Jose CC) and Jarred Price (Dallas, TX/Madison HS/Blinn College) are all expected to play a role as well. The other returning linebackers on the roster include sophomore Simon Aigamaua and redshirt freshman Nick Rosato. J.P. Hurrell (San Mateo, CA/Juniperro HS) was a greyshirt last year, while the team s incoming true freshmen are Dan Camporeale (Lafayette, CA/Acalanes HS) and Steven Fanua (Milpitas, CA/Milpitas HS). #97 - DL Cameron Jordan (Jr.) Has played in 25 of 26 possible games with seven starts in his first team seasons, including an honorable mention All-Pac-10 campaign as a sophomore in 2008 when he finished with 47 tackles, 11.0 TFL and 4.0 sacks #30 - LB Mychal Kendricks (So.) Has emerged as a starting inside linebacker after playing in 12 of 13 games in 2008 #18 - LB Mike Mohamed (Jr.) One of the team s most experienced linebackers despite coming off the bench in 23 of the 26 games he has played in Second among all active Cal players in career tackles (133) and Cal s leading returning tackler from the 2008 campaign with 87 #13 - QB Kevin Riley (Jr.) Has career totals of 1,923 passing yards and 19 TDs over 15 games played and 10 starts Has completed 148-of-277 career passes Has a career passer efficiency rating Won the team s starting job during 2009 training camp #72 - OL Mitchell Schwartz (So.) Named a second-team Freshman All- American in 2008 after starting all 13 games #40 - PK Giorgio Tavecchio (So.) Joined the team three days before the 2008 season-opener versus Michigan State and handled kickoff duties versus the Spartans Assumed full-time placekicker responsibilities in mid-october and finished second on the team in scoring in 2008 with 52 points (9-13 FGA, PATs) #79 - OL Mike Tepper (Sr.) A sixth-year senior who returns after missing all of 2008 with an injury to start at left tackle #5 - DB Syd Quan Thompson (Sr.) Has started all 39 games possible in the last three years and is Cal s active career leader in tackles (208), interceptions (6), passes defended (32), pass breakups (26), punt returns (28) and punt return yardage (344) Earned 2008 first-team All-Pac-10 honors #86 - WR Verran Tucker (Sr.) Started the team s final seven contests in 2008 and finished with 21 catches for 362 yards (second on the team) and a team-high 17.2 yards per catch average #34 - TB Shane Vereen (So.) Had a strong season playing behind Jahvid Best in 2008, rushing for 715 yards and also making 27 catches for 221 receiving yards #9 - LB Eddie Young (Sr.) Has played in 27 career games with 11 starts (all in 2008) California Golden Bears Football Game Notes - California vs. Maryland (Sept. 5, 2009) 9