Idiots Write About Sports

Two teams in the lower regions of the top 25 — No. 21 and No. 22 — and it’s early in the season. There’s really no way to know what’s gonna happen. Are they evenly matched? Or are their rankings entirely based on the luck of the schedule? There’s no way to get a good answer until you play the game.

We were driving across the bridge on the way to the stadium when our guests for the game asked, “What do you think is going to happen?” Well, I said, either one team will really pull away, or it’ll be close and we still won’t really know where these teams are in the pecking order. But it’ll sure be a high-scoring game.

I think we are starting to get a picture about Cal. This team, especially the one in the first half, is exactly the team that the pundits expected when they were ranked in the top 10 to begin the season. The loss of Mixon has hurt the secondary, but otherwise we are seeing the swarming defense that we expected to see. Daymeion Hughes is a monster in the backfield — he and his teammates seemed to know where Rudy Carpenter was going to throw it almost every time. And so Cal had four interceptions, scored in almost every way possible, and really pulled away rapidly after what is becoming a new Cal tradition: the Shaky Opening.

In three straight games, Cal has opened with a lousy offensive series and a lousy defensive series. And yet the team — on both sides of the ball — seems to adjust and get into the game, and then pull away from the opposition.

On offense, this game was a masterwork. Great passes by Longshore, awesome work by the receivers. Lynch was his usual self, refusing to go down and ripping off several long runs. Special teams were solid, with some fantastic punts and great returns. As I’ve already detailed, ASU cornerback Justin Tryon cheap-shotted Jackson on a punt return and deserves to be suspended. I should also mention that Lynch got another personal foul, and Tedford pulled him out of the game. In catching the TV replay I discovered what happened: Lynch whooped after the run, the long-haired ASU defender stood up and dropped an Eff You on Lynch, and then Lynch bumped him in the chest. Flag.

I want to give some praise to offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar, and not just because he’s a family friend. This was a great game in terms of the play calling. After a turnover they went for a quick score to the corner of the end zone, and it was absolutely demoralizing for ASU. And even on a failed play — Justin Forsett dropped the ball on fourth down late in the game for a turnover — the Cal offense showed its ingenuity. The team lined up three receivers on the left, put one in motion to the right, and Longshore took the ball and faked the pitch right. Then he pivoted and flipped to Forsett, who was essentially standing on the empty half of the field, with nothing but daylight between him and the end zone. Guaranteed first down and pretty much guaranteed TD. A fantastic play call — and Forsett dropped the ball. But still, great play calling.

There’s a whole lot of season, including eight more conference games, to go. But on this sunny day in Berkeley, the season seems awfully bright.

Two questions:

1) From your non Fox Sports vantage point, was ASU that bad or was Cal that good. (From watching the game on TV it seemed like I was dreaming -- I mean Porland State seemed to play us better.)

2) How is Dunbar a family friend?

1) I think it was more Cal being good than ASU being bad.

2) My uncle and his family lived in Toledo when Dunbar was coaching at Toledo, and the rest is history.

Posted by Jason at September 23, 2006 08:42 PM

man! that cheap shot was crazy! there was some old (37) lady that was screaming at the top of her lungs to throw the kid out. they really need to do something about this. he could have really messed desean, and our season, up!

A 37 year old old lady? Aiee!

Posted by Jason at September 24, 2006 08:43 AM

yeah, i mean the hit was so obvious, and dirk the jerk didn't even sit him for a play. not one play jason! do u think the pac 10 commish will look over it and issue possible suspensions?

yeah 37 isn't that old, sorry, just seems a little old to me. heck, i am 22 and feel pretty ancient when i see all the kids running around up there!

The beauty of the Forsett conversion play was that it was set up by one failed and one moderately successful toss right plays out of a very similar formation earlier in the game. That's why the ASU Defense bit so hard - a masterful bit of playcalling by Dunbar/Tedford. I remember being furious when they called toss right from the right hash and ASU nailed it dead ... but of course it was worth it to set up the fake right later in the game.

From the student section, it definitely seemed that ASU was playing very poorly (and Cal well, but not extraordinarily). I'm a little scared by the amount that they were running over our defense late. I guess we were content to let them run the ball and take time off the clock, or at least that's what I hope.

hey have u been following how the city is going to attempt to block stadium renovation?

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