Golden Nuggets: A Hat on A Hat

JO just now posted the Tuesday press conference quotes and CalBears.com didn't seem to have anything on the press conference.  So we're a day late for those of you who were expecting the usual tuesday press conference quotes yesterday.  Anyway, here are the highlights.

Tedford:

Elaborating on passing game problems

Passing game means a lot of things. Passing game means protection, it means the right routes being run, it means accurate throws, catching the ball. When you say passing game, everybody goes right to the quarterback. Some of it lands on his shoulders. Some of it lands on other people’s shoulders.

 

On the advantages of running the Wildcat offense

What it does it gives you a hat on a hat. When you have a quarterback back there and he’s not a threat to run and you have one back in the backfield, you have five linemen and a tight end, that's six, and another back, that’s seven. If they have eight, they have one more hat than you have. The quarterback becomes a runner. Then you can get a guy out of there, you can get a hat on a hat.

After Tedford retires, perhaps he can pick up where Dr Seuss left off and write children's books.  "Alright kids, today's book is The WildCat in the Hat on a Hat."

Derrick Hill:

On the starters getting most of the reps during a bye week
It shows that we’re here to work and we need to turn this around. We don’t deserve the days off if we’re not performing. If you want days off, you have to earn them. I’m looking forward to battling this week.

 

On the team’s work ethic
The great thing is everyone is willing to work. Previous years, we probably would have had a few people rebelling against it. But the vibe around here is wonderful. Everyone is ready to work. Everyone is willing to compete, no matter where you are on the depth chart. That’s the wonderful part of the whole feel right now. I thought we were working hard already. Now we’re working super hard.

After the jump we have highlights from yesterday's practice which really demonstrate how hard the team is willing to work to get better.  We also have updates on some former football players and previews of this weekend's action in the rest of Cal sports.  It's a huge weekend for women's volleyball and men's water polo.

• Daily Cal has notes from last night's practice.  JO also has highlights from practice.  The biggest news is that instead of giving reps to the backups (as is customary during bye weeks), the starters are out there taking first-team reps trying to get better.
  
• Worrell Williams, Erik Robertson, and Nick Sundberg are playing in the inaugural season of the United Football League.  Williams and Sundberg will be on tomorrow's game on Versus at 6pm.  Robertson will be on HDNet Saturday at 4pm.
• No. 15 women's volleyball hosts No. 3 Washington and No. 25 WSU this weekend.
• No. 4/5 men's soccer hosts Washington and Oregon St this weekend.
• No. 4 men's water polo travels to the highly competitive UCI Invitational whose pool of participants features each the top-10 teams in the nation in addition to five more in the top-20.
• Women's swimming and diving hosts Pacific this weekend.
• David Seawright writes about women's golf.
• Daily Cal on field hockey's recent loss.