I await the O'Connor's take on Cal. I know they have a dynamic offense that can run and toss it around, and will be a huge challenge for our Jekyll/Hyde defense. What I'm more interested in is their defense. I notice they are very low on the pass defense totem pole (113th), but that of course could be a result of playing in the PAC more than having a bad set of DB's. They seem to be much better against the run (49th), but again, this could be a PAC caused stat. Overall the Bears are a not so good 92nd in total defense, and 47th in scoring defense. I KNOW what the Aggies plan will be: RUN THE BALL, and limit Cal's possessions. Assuming all goes as planned I don't see us scoring more than 30 points (winning TOP also limits our scoring opps as well). I guess it comes down to scoring efficiency for Cal and the Aggies. If you only get 7 to 8 possessions, who can score the most with those opportunities? We have a slight edge in turnovers. We have been VERY stingy with the ball only turning it over 12 times all year. Cal is not shabby in this area, only giving it up 20 times themselves. Special teams could be a big factor. The Aggies have improved to no longer killing themselves, but I wouldn't call it a strength. So... somebody who's seen Cal a few times tell me what you think they will bring to the game, and what to expect...
CAL <t>is a weird team. They have offensive playmakers, but I still think their QB sucks. I think he is the product of a great QB coach, but no real talent. Their RB is stout though.<br/> <br/> They're defense is a mystery. They have talent, and if they could play 'touch' football they might be the best defense in the country. But since this is 'tackle' football, and they seem to have consistancy problems with that, I really believe A&M is going to give them big trouble.<br/> <br/> I guess, to me, this game will have a lot to do with breaks and attitude. If A&M falls behind early, they could be in trouble. If not, I sort of like the Aggies chances here.</t>
:?: I've thought a lot about this game, but I haven't come to any conclusions other than I may try to snag some tickets if I can find some. This can be difficult, as the Holiday Bowl is very popular and it always sells out. Its a good bowl every year and this should be another great matchup. The California Golden Bears are the Pac 10 co-champs along with USC. They were the preseason favorites to win the conference, but a series of key injuries hurt them before the season even started. The losses in their secondary have been especially bad and their QB was overrated. They've just never looked as good as their preseason publicity. They do have some serious weapons, however. Here's a look at some of them from CalBears.com: Two Golden Bears Selected First Team All-America by AFCA California Adds Five Rivals.com All-Americans As Well Nov. 30, 2006 BERKELEY - California senior cornerback Daymeion Hughes and junior running back Marshawn Lynch were named first team All-Americans by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) on Thursday. In addition, Hughes and sophomore punt returner DeSean Jackson were named first team All-Americans by Rivals.com. Lynch was a second team All-American by Rivals and senior linebacker Desmond Bishop and senior defensive tackle Brandon Mebane were third team honorees. Lynch and Hughes were named the Pac-10 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, as well. Lynch, an Oakland product, has turned out an impressive trifecta in the Pac-10 thus far this year, leading the conference in rushing yardage (107.1 yards per game), all-purpose yardage (142.3 yards per game) and touchdowns (13, tied with Jackson). The junior became just the second player in Cal history with two 100-yard rushing seasons and is the fourth Golden Bear to tally over 3,000 career rushing yards. Hughes entered the season as one of the nation's top cornerbacks and only solidified that status during the year. He leads the Pac-10 and ranks second in the nation with eight interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. The Los Angeles product also has 62 tackles and 11 pass break-ups this season. For his career, he has 15 interceptions to rank second all-time in Cal history. Jackson has established himself as one of the most exciting players in the nation. He leads the country in punt return average with 19.1 yards per return, including a Pac-10 record four returns for touchdowns this year. He is also a potent threat at receiver, leading the Golden Bears with 47 catches for 852 yards and nine touchdowns. Bishop, a first-team All-Pac-10 selection, is the second-leading tackler in the conference with 104 takedowns while Mebane, a two-time All-Pac-10 first team honoree, has registered a career-best 41 tackles while anchoring the defensive line. - As you can see, Hughes and Lynch are the real deal. They were the two best players in the Pac-10 and freshman DeSean Jackson was arguably the best player coming out of California high schools last year. - Hughes will throw a blanket over any receiver he covers, but he can't cover them all. The other Dbacks are younger and nowhere near as good as he is. - Marshawn Lynch is a great back. He's a junior and a certain 1st Round pick, so this will probably be his final game... - DeSean Jackson is a great kick returner as well as a super-quick WR. He's inexperienced and makes freshman mistakes, but he's literally one of the fastest players in the country. - Cal is a hard team to analyze, because they have some all-world players at some positions and some San Jose rejects at others. They will no doubt stack the line and dare the Ags to throw the ball. The key for TAMU will be to find those holes in the Bears lineup and take advantage of the mismatches. The Cal coaches disguise their weaknesses well, but those weaknesses are definitely there. Lets see if Fran can find them... ............JO'Co