2003 Statistics

Quarterback
Bringing up the QB situation in Berkeley would incite an explosion of jubilee heading into the 2004 Bear football campaign. Junior Aaron Rodgers is more than capable of leading the high-flying Cal offense for a second straight year. Cal began the 2003 season with a two QB system, watching both Aaron Rodgers and now-senior Reggie Robertson get a significant amount of snaps. Following the loss to Colorado State, Rodgers seemed to become the top guy for Cal. Both are athletic runners with sharp minds and crisp throws. Rogers just seems to have grasped this level that much more quickly, so Robertson sits until Rogers gives Cal a reason to make a change. Either way, it looks good at this position for the Bears.

Running Back
J.J. Arrington is most certainly the man with the inside track heading into '04, but incoming freshman Marshawn Lynch (consensus top five) figures to get some carries. There are some who think there is a lack of depth at running back. Regardless, expect this unit to become more and more productive in both running and catching as the season progresses. Rogers has great feet for a good run or two per half, and Marcus O'Keith (4.4 sec. 40-time) could carry much of the running payload if necessary. A former walk-on and in-state native, junior FB Chris Manderino (Newport Beach) has always risen to that next level. His sure hands have proven an asset for two years running, and Chris' even more-sure lead-blocking is why the team averaged 4.3 yards per run.

Wide Receiver
The depth of this unit is so scary that it warrants use of the word "unstoppable" in its depiction. Geoff McArthur returns from an unbelievable junior season in which he amassed 1504 yards to rank 2nd in the nation. After Cal's previous #1 receiver, Johnathan Makonnen, broke his foot in the opener against K-State, McArthur became the go-to-guy, and Burl Toler seized the other starting spot. They are all back and healthy. Keep an eye out for Chase Lyman, who had a blow out game versus Virginia Tech in place of an injured McArthur. His contributions will make this group even more difficult to defend. We'd be shocked if Tedford didn't use three- and four-wide sets in order to maximize the possibilities of such a dominant group. There's experienced depth all the way down to the fifth and sixth guys on the chart. This group will be mind-numbingly solid in 2004.

Tight End
It sure seemed as if Cal's tight ends caught a nasty case of the "dropsies" in '03. The sum of all Cal TE receptions totaled 35. While we do expect this number to improve slightly, there is no reason to believe that Garrett Cross and co. will be anything for opponents to fear. Poignant early-game middle-seem routes for these TEs would open up LBs and safeties to playing on their heels, something we obviously recommend.

Offensive Line
The Bears lose three starters from the veteran group of 2003. The biggest loss is All Pac-10 tackle Mark Wilson. Although this group is new up front, the only one without starting experience is sophomore Andrew Cameron. The key question is the uncertainty of positional placement. Rumors of LG Aaron Merz moving to RT and senior Johnathan Giesel starting at LG are swirling around Berkeley. Coach Tedford also expects JC All-American Brian Deemer to step in and make an immediate impact. The way this unit performs will ostensibly dictate the effectiveness of the Cal offense and, in turn, the Bear's chance(s) at a Pac-10 crown.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
The Bear offense simply has too much firepower to be stopped, unless poor line play allows cal to be stopped. The key to beating Cal will be containing the offense rather than stopping it. Look for the Bears to put up offensive numbers that rival those of anyone else in the country. The only real issue is the uncertainty surrounding the line. If the big guys up front are able to hold their own and help kick the running game in so as to balance things and keep defenses honest, this offense will be a defensive coordinator's worst nightmare. It should be interesting to see all the schemes and tricks that Tedford is able to create with this kind of explosive talent.

Defensive Line
The loss of NT Josh Beckham leaves a hole in the middle that becomes an unknown as the spring approaches. The lack of depth necessitates the need for a breakout player before the start of 2004, and could create major concerns should the injury bug hit. The other three projected starters are all seniors, and all have some adequate playing time under their belts. Incoming freshman Phillip Mbakougu may very well unseat Ryan Riddle for one DE spot before the end of the season, a good competition that creates needed depth here - both are excellent. Opposite of them will be senior Tosh Lupoi, who played in 13 '03 games and marginally excelled, too. The ends shouldn't be a problem, but there seems to be a cloud of uncertainty hovering over the middle of the Bear defensive line. Does backup DT Tom Sverchek take the NT spot? Will Jeff Tedford offer Mbakougu the opportunity to compete? This appears to be the weakest area of the Cal defense heading into spring ball. The real question is whether or not the ground games of the Pac-10 will be able to exploit it enough to really hurt the Bears. Opponents did such to the tune of 133 yards per game at a 3.7 yards-per-try clip, so these replacements could turn out to be a blessing in disguise, eh.

Linebacker
Whenever there are three seniors at the second level, fans tend to expect a great performance out of their front-seven. Cal finished 37th nationally in rush-defense, and fans will most certainly expect improvement upon those numbers. If the Bears are to improve, the reformation will have to start with the linebackers. The line will be able to put helmet-on-helmet so as to allow the LBs to fill the gaps accordingly for run-stops…and the line ultimately requiring double-teams would allow this ranking ascension to be achieved. This group, anchored by Wendell Hunter on the outside, will be one of the better units in the conference. Depth seems marginally solid as of now - two seniors also man backing positions, but this could become an issue as things progress. The emergence of younger players is a necessity for Cal.

Defensive Back
With the exception of CB James Bethea, this secondary returns in tact. But many "Bear Backers" might be questioning whether or not that's a good sign. Cal's secondary has been streaky - porous at times, steady at others. The erratic play in the defensive backfield has left fans in Berkeley holding their breath during every pass. Having an inconsistent secondary usually doesn't bode well in Pac-10 play, so any stability the Bears may find in younger players is crucial to a conference title run. The maturation of ROV Donnie McCleskey and FS Ryan Gutierrez will tell us early on whether or not this team is a legit contender in the Pac-10 or simply another victim of high expectations. They will be better than in '03, when they has the 91st-ranked pass-defense, but how much better will go a long way toward determining the Bears' overall team fate.

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
There are some defensive questions that must be answered before this team is ready to show that it belongs at the top of its own conference, let alone on the national stage. The defensive line will hold up throughout, but is this secondary ready for the rigors of Pac-10 play? If not, is anyone else willing to step up? This side of the ball will be more critical for overall success, and this defense is not to be written off by any means. Nine of eleven starters are back from a young 2003 team, so improvement is certain. We think that this defense has enough experience and talent to be a nice complement to the Bear offense, but how long that takes is the key for this squad's gridiron destiny.