CAL OFFENSE “¢bull; Nowhere has the hiring of new head coach
Jeff Tedford made a bigger impact than on the offensive side of the
ball. What once was an anemic offensive attack is now balanced, and
has transformed into the top-scoring offense in the Pac-10. “¢bull;
Quarterback Kyle Boller has blossomed in the new offense. Entering
the season, he had a touchdown to interception ratio of 36 to 38.
This season, that ratio has gone to 18 to 5. He has a bruised left
hand, but it shouldn’t affect him too much, as it is his
non-throwing hand. He throws a very accurate ball with great
velocity, and the UCLA cornerbacks will be tested. “¢bull; Cal has
its own Mighty Mouse, and it comes in the form of 5-foot-8-inch
running back Joe Igber. Surprisingly physical for his size, Igber
is averaging 83.1 rushing yards a game ““ just enough to keep
teams off-balance. Backup Terrell Williams started five games last
year. “¢bull; There may not be a more balanced trio than junior
college transfer Jonathan Makonnen, former cornerback LaShaun Ward
and big receiver Geoff McArthur, each of whom have 25-30 catches
and 359-429 yards. Makonnen and Ward each have five touchdown
receptions apiece. Tight end Tom Swoboda has four touchdown
receptions and is a favorite of Boller near the goal line. “¢bull;
Cal has two potential All-Conference honorees on the left side in
guard Scott Tercero and tackle Mark Wilson. Center Ryan Jones is
experienced. The jury is still out on right guard Jonathan Giesel
and right tackle Chris Murphy.
CAL DEFENSE “¢bull; A defensive front who is unable to stop the
run and a secondary hit by injuries and academic ineligibilities
has taken its toll. The defense also seems to get worn down in the
second half. “¢bull; The defensive line is anchored by left end
Tully Banta-Cain, who far and away leads the team with 12.5 tackles
for loss. He already has seven sacks and is Cal’s best pass
rusher. Along the interior, tackles Josh Bechham and Daniel Nwangwu
haven’t performed to expectations in stopping the run.
“¢bull; Cal uses a four-linebacker rotation with Paul Ugenti,
Marcus Daniels, Wendell Hunter and Matt Nixon. Daniels, in
particular, has been a great surprise and has shown a nose for the
ball. Nixon remains solid from last year. “¢bull; The corners have
been hit by injuries and academic problems. Atari Callen has been
ruled ineligible, and Harrison Smith underwent season-ending
surgery. As a result, Cal will go with three cornerbacks in James
Bethea, Jemeel Powell and Mike McGrath, all of whom have excellent
size for cornerbacks. Powell has five interceptions while Bethea
has three. Free safety Bert Watts leads the team with 47 tackles,
and his play has allowed Nnamdi Asomugha to switch to rover/strong
safety.
CAL SPECIAL TEAMS “¢bull; Placekicker Mark Jensen is relatively
consistent, converting 11 of 14 field goal attempts. His long is 51
yards. “¢bull; Punter Tyler Fredrickson doesn’t have gaudy
numbers, but he is extremely accurate, already pinning nine punts
inside the 20. “¢bull; Kick returner Ward is averaging a Pac-10
best 26.5 yards per return.
BY THE NUMBERS 141.1: Boller’s passing efficiency after
entering the season with a 99.1 career passing efficiency
rating.
MARQUEE MATCHUP UCLA running back Tyler Ebell v. the Cal
defensive front: Cal’s defensive front was pounded against
USC, allowing USC to come back from a 21-3 deficit. If UCLA can run
the ball, it could be a long day for Cal fans.
X-FACTOR Bounce-back: With both teams stunned following last
week’s losses, whichever team is able to shrug off the sting
of those games should have a decided edge.
THREE KEYS TO UCLA VICTORY 1. Don’t turn the ball over.
While Cal’s defense has given up huge yardage, it is
opportunistic. They have forced 22 turnovers while the offense has
only committed nine turnovers. 2. Keep UCLA quarterback Cory Paus
on his feet. Cal already has 19 sacks this year, and Banta-Cain has
excellent pass rushing ability. Paus was thrown to the ground
repeatedly against Oregon, and on one key play, the hit disoriented
him. 3. Score in the red zone. Cal and UCLA are antithetical in
this respect: while Cal has been very efficient in the red zone,
UCLA has not. UCLA must score in the red zone, and they must score
touchdowns instead of settling for field goals.
Compiled by Bruce Tran, Daily Bruin Reporter