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Golden Nuggets: Tucker and Jones Are Cal's Starting Receivers

For further discussion on the depth chart, check out this excellent fanpost by dballisloose, who discusses what sticks out from the current release.

The competition at kicker still remains open despite the depth chart (who do you guys think gets the nod?), good health news concerning Michael Calvin, and we have a nice report on Austin Hinder. But first, a pleasant surprise at wide receiver.

Verran Tucker was in a deep hole from the spring onward. But it looks like he's found his way out of it coming back from behind the pack to surge into a starting position aside Marvin Jones. Are you guys satisfied with these two as our starters?

More on Tucker and other news after the jump.

Star-divide

Tucker didn’t know he had been named a starter until a group of reporters informed him after practice.

"I’ve come a long way," he said. "I had to get my academics situated. I’m feeling good. I feel like I have my legs under me. Camp was great. I’m ready for Saturday. I can’t wait to step on the field."

Tucker had an uphill climb after falling to the bottom of the depth chart when fall began. He said the coaching staff never gave up on him.

"The coaches talked to me every practice, giving me motivation, telling me I had to work to get my spot back," he said. "They just kept me motivated."

While the Bears practiced during the spring, Tucker studied in the coaches office. Then he would join the team at the end of practice for conditioning. But he didn’t stop when his teammates stopped. While the rest of the Bears were headed for the locker room, Tucker did extensive extra running with either Tedford or receivers coach Kevin Daft, sometimes to the point of vomiting.

"It just showed me that i have to get my life together," Tucker said.

There's a more complete profile on Tucker's odyssey to starter from the SF Chronicle.

Short tidbit on the receiver front
: Calvin should be good to go for Maryland.

Wide receiver Michael Calvin is back at practice after arthroscopic knee surgery and will be available against Maryland.

1245115383_medium

via bearinsider.com

Ciao Giorgio: Although Giorgio Tavecchio has been listed as Cal's starting kicker, it's likely that the final decision on who's kicking off against the Terps won't be made until before the game. Again, from Okanes's report.

"As of right now, Tavecchio would be the guy," Tedford said. "But just because (McRae) forces me to put a depth chart together, doesn’t mean that’s what is going to happen next Saturday. We could change the kicker on Wednesday. That hasn’t been decided yet."

Tavecchio confirmed he hasn’t been told anything about Saturday’s game at this point, and continues to take a diplomatic approach about the competition between him, David Seawright and Vince D’Amato.

"I have 100 percent faith and i believe in Coach Tedford’s judgment," Tavecchio said. "I feel like  I’m giving the best effort I can. I’m very happy and satisfied  with the way I have performed so far. Of course, there is always room to improve. I hope I’m the kicker. If not, I’ll be the best teammate possible."

The Bear Insider has provided some good complimentary video of Tavecchio's thoughts on the kicking competition, and in addition a link to an interview they did with him on his origins story from Italy to Strawberry Canyon.

No Hinderance: Austin Hinder performed splendidly in his high school senior debut:

The University of California-Berkley commit and Steamboat senior threw five touchdowns, ran for another and had 383 total yards in a 41-21 win. Hinder finished the day 20 of 29 passing for 326 yards and five touchdowns against one interception. He also carried the ball four times for 57 yards and one touchdown.

Here are highlights of the game, including Hinder's spectacular 59 yard touchdown run.

One more high school story: A profile on commit Tevin Carter from the LA Times.

Rankings, rankings, rankings...totally meaningless, but everyone loves them anyway!

Rivals thinks we have the 6th best defensive line (singling out Alualu), the 5th best offensive line (Schwartz and Tepper getting pub), the 7th best backfield in the country, the best running back duo in the country in Best and Vereen and the 5th best secondary.  (EDIT: Thanks to ava1anche69 for figuring out that backfield includes quarterback, explaining the disparity between the backfield/running back rankings)

But the biggest, and maybe most pleasant surprise, is Cal's cheerleaders. Thirteenth??? Nice job ladies. You've made great progress since the days when I was there.

3869013410_04477bec1e_medium

via cdn2.sbnation.com (Thanks to turkey for the photo)

Other Cal sports news

Poll
Satisfied with Verran Tucker and Marvin Jones being our top two options?
Yes, I'm satisfied.
174 votes
I'm satisfied with Tucker.
10 votes
I'm satisfied with Jones.
14 votes
I'm not satisfied with either of them.
7 votes

205 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs  |  Comment 15 comments |

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Comments

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the #7 ranking is for “offensive backfields,” ostensibly including quarterbacks. hence the disparity.

I am Ted Miller

by ava1anche69 on Aug 30, 2009 7:11 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Whoops

Thanks, duly noted.

Contact if you want to chat: bearsnecessities@gmail.com

by Avinash on Aug 30, 2009 7:18 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

So is it Terp week yet?

The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS

by norcalnick on Aug 30, 2009 10:12 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Seems close enough. What should we do now?

by CalBandGreat on Aug 30, 2009 10:19 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Let’s go crazy – Broadway Style!

The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS

by norcalnick on Aug 30, 2009 10:25 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Berkeley, Berkeley
It’s a hell of a town
Memorial’s up and Haas is down
Treesitters go to the animal pound

by CalBandGreat on Aug 30, 2009 10:28 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I don’t know where you magic pixies came from but I like your pixie drink!

by LeonPowe on Aug 30, 2009 10:40 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

The New York Times projects Cal vs Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. I have NO idea how they came up with this one, since if Cal were to qualify for a BCS bowl, New Orleans would be the third option for the Pac-10 (behind Pasadena and Tempe).

I guess that depends on which order the bowls pick in. Both the Sugar and Fiesta Bowls would probably honor their respective conference affiliations in picking Alabama and Oklahoma at-large, but if the Sugar Bowl got to pick first then they would probably go for the available BCS at large team, hence Cal, leaving the Fiesta Bowl to pick TCU. Then again, I have no idea how the bowl rotation is supposed to go so I don’t know if that’s what Bierman/Myerberg had in mind.

"Let me tell you a story. I was a political prisoner for two years. The instant I was released I ran to McDonald's. I had a Big Mac and a Coke.

It was fantastic."
-Toyama Koichi, US Presidential candidate from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZqOkeYbB0

by AERose on Aug 31, 2009 12:13 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

The Sugar is actually last in line this season

to select BCS teams.

4. After steps No. 1, 2 and 3 have been completed, any bowl with an unfilled slot shall select a team from the automatic qualifiers and/or at-large teams in the following order for the games played in 2007 through 2010:

  A. The bowl played on the date nearest to the National Championship Game will pick first;
  B. The bowl played on the date second-nearest to the National Championship Game will pick second;
  C. The bowl hosting the game that is played in the time slot immediately after the Rose Bowl game will pick third.

The selection order noted in paragraphs A, B and C is as follows:


  January 2007 games: Sugar, Orange, Fiesta
  January 2008 games: Orange, Fiesta, Sugar
  January 2009 games: Fiesta, Sugar, Orange
  January 2010 games: Orange, Fiesta, Sugar

Contact if you want to chat: bearsnecessities@gmail.com

by Avinash on Aug 31, 2009 12:34 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Nicely done. I think you put more thought into it than the NYT writer, especially considering he picked that list of bowl teams that he then slotted into each game.

At CGB, we whine because we care

by dballisloose on Aug 31, 2009 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah man, excellent work compiling this. I’d still be very surprised if a bowl that far east picked Cal though.

Contact if you want to chat: bearsnecessities@gmail.com

by Avinash on Aug 31, 2009 10:55 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah, I was going to put in a bit about the fact that if Cal and Penn State both finished 11-1, the Orange Bowl would probably pick Penn State in a second, but it didn’t seem germane to the topic of straightening out the NYT dudes’ logic.

"Let me tell you a story. I was a political prisoner for two years. The instant I was released I ran to McDonald's. I had a Big Mac and a Coke.

It was fantastic."
-Toyama Koichi, US Presidential candidate from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZqOkeYbB0

by AERose on Aug 31, 2009 6:19 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

In other news:

Going by the highlights, damn, it must be good to be Austin Hinder. Just throw to the tall dude with the retarded ball skills or the fast dude who just breezed by the coverage on a streak route. Worst case scenario, run the keeper for 6.

"Let me tell you a story. I was a political prisoner for two years. The instant I was released I ran to McDonald's. I had a Big Mac and a Coke.

It was fantastic."
-Toyama Koichi, US Presidential candidate from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZqOkeYbB0

by AERose on Aug 31, 2009 1:29 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Let me get the number for the cheerleader on the far right, thanks, I am in love.

by CaliforniaCMB on Sep 1, 2009 5:26 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

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