Golden Nuggets: One More Opportunity for Riley

by Berkelium97 on Jul 18, 2010 5:00 PM PDT in Golden Nuggets Comment 19 comments

Kevin Riley is optimistic heading into his final season at Cal. Knowing he has a shot at NFL, he is especially motivated to succeed this year.

"I feel great about this year," Riley said. "We lost Jahvid Best from last year, and he was an awesome player, but we return all but one guy up front and they’re already better now than they were last year at this time."
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"Winning seven or eight games isn’t good enough," he said. "Winning the Pac-10 is our goal and we think that’s doable. We’ve got a lot of senior guys on the team this year, and when you’re a senior, you have a different mentality, knowing it could be your last football season ever."

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"Maturity-wise, I’m already playing better and I’m throwing the ball better," he said. "It’s just knowing your check-downs and getting there quickly, then getting those second-and-fives — that’s how you continue drives. That and watching a lot of film has made me a better player."

Still, individual success is the last thing on Riley’s mind as he prepares for 2010.

He knows that, if he’s successful he might have a chance to extend his career as a professional, but he also knows that team success is the best path to individual honors and accolades.

"In games where you run (the football) a lot, it means you’re winning, and if we’re winning I don’t have any problem handing the ball off at all," he said, adding that his future "is all wrapped up in the team goals, If we win the Pac-10, then I’ll have had a great season."

After the jump more details come into focus for the Pac-12, Randle plays his last NBA Summer League game, and Wilner projects the 2010-2011 basketball season.

Football

Wilner gives an update on how the league may divide up the Pac-12. It looks like football is the only sport that will have separate divisions in the conference. A "Zipper Plan" is gaining traction and the California schools insist that they all play each other each year.

Basketball

Randle played his final game in the NBA Summer League and contributed eight points, two rebounds, and an assist. His shooting improved when he switched to Washington (47% as opposed to 24% when he was with Orlando), but he still struggled with the 3. He was only 1 for 15 during the summer (including a missed potential game-winner last night against the Knicks).
Wilner revised his Pac-10 projections and bumped Cal from 8th to 6th. He believes Cal will exceed expectations with a healthy Harper Kamp and a solid freshman class.

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Optimistic...

Yesterday, I went on YouTube and watched Kevin Riley highlights, trying to figure out if I should give the kid a break. I remember when I pined for him to play as Nate Longshore threw game killing interception after game killing interception. And you know what, I think Kevin got a bad rap last year. Sure, he over threw a bunch of passes. But he was also being chased by a LOT of defenders for most of the year. Even during the highlight package, the O-line was falling apart damn near every time.

But here’s my reason for optimism. One, I think Jones, Laggy and Miller will be MONEY this year. Two, Allen is going to be the RoJo type of freshman. So we’ll finally be able to stretch the field and tame the rushes Riley had to deal with. Will we beat Oregon, OSU or ‘SC? My brain says maybe, but my heart says a senior with skills, and Riley still has skills, is going to make a leap and lead the team. He did it in the ASU game, and I think he’ll do it in one of the games that count.

So here’s to Kevin Riley: Our Rose Bowl QB of Today! (or I’ll take the Alamo Bowl in a pinch.)

by BlackandOldGold on Jul 18, 2010 6:04 PM PDT reply actions

I tend to defend the quarterback of the hour, just because I feel the coaches know a lot more about who should be taking snaps than I do. But Riley missed an awful lot of throws where he wasn’t being chased, he had his feet set and had an open receiver (it seemed like a lot of those were simple swing and out routes too) – just anecdotally, possibly through the perception of memory, it seemed like he completed more passes when in scrambling mode than in 3-step-drop and fire mode. Obviously that’s not true, but when the perception is that way, it feels like he had a mental block about making the simple pass. I know Riley is talented – his performances have shown that. But it also feels like he hasn’t been able to put it together from game to game. I’m hoping he makes a big leap in consistency and hits those easy passes – which will up his completion percentage from around 50 to around 60. He does that and we’re playing in a much bigger bowl.

by LeonPowe on Jul 18, 2010 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions

My observation is that in ‘09 Riley’s accuracy tended to suffer in games where he was getting pounded by the pass rush early and often. Yes, he would then misfire even when he had time to plant his feet, but many QBs (especially college QBs) will get the “yips” if they’re being hit a lot, so I think it’s still in direct relation to the pass protection.

Now, ’08 Riley was another story — that year he did misfire a lot even in games where the protection was good. In ’09, IMO, he was actually much improved in terms of accuracy, but because the protection was so much worse, no one noticed.

by sycasey on Jul 19, 2010 2:10 PM PDT up reply actions

Riley, who will graduate from Cal-Berkeley with a degree in American Studies in Decem-ber, is determined to make the most of his opportunity and confident that his team can challenge the Pac-10’s best.

Cal-Berkeley and Decem-ber?

"I feel great about this year," Riley said. "We lost Jahvid Best from last year, and he was an awesome player, but we return all but one guy up front and they’re already better now than they were last year at this time."

I like the way Riley describes the o-line. Definitely reason for optimism.

by sec119 on Jul 18, 2010 8:09 PM PDT reply actions

I thought he was graduating from the Berklee Collegee of Musicee

by LeonPowe on Jul 18, 2010 9:36 PM PDT up reply actions

In Smarch

The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS

by norcalnick on Jul 18, 2010 10:55 PM PDT up reply actions

O-line is KEY to success this year

I found myself saying so many times last year, “If the O-line was just a little better……” Which was followed by “If the receivers would just catch the ball a little better…..” and “If Alomar just wasn’t our special teams coach…….”

It was a long year.

I'd like to smell the Roses before I die.

by BTown85 on Jul 19, 2010 1:16 AM PDT reply actions

I think the OL is actually the most important unit on offense, even more so than the QB. If the OL is really good at run blocking, a team can probably just run the ball consistently without having to pass much. If the OL is good at pass blocking, they can probably give enough time so that even crappy QBs can complete a pass. IMO, the offensive line is the base of a good offense. It all starts up front with good blocking.

So I guess what I’m saying is that, I kinda think the OL is the key to success… every year. Just my two cents though. I know a lot of people would rather have an elite QB than an elite OL.

www.californiagoldenblogs.com

by HydroTech on Jul 19, 2010 2:22 AM PDT up reply actions

Even a football lay-person such as myself can see how much more important an offensive line is than elite skill players.

I know a lot of people would rather have an elite QB than an elite OL.

I’m sorry, but those people are dumb. An average QB and running back can thrive behind an elite O-line. A poor Qb and poor running back can have an average game behind an elite o-line. But an elite QB and an elite RB will still be poor behind a crap offensive line.

by LeonPowe on Jul 19, 2010 3:18 AM PDT up reply actions

Seriously, just look at U$C or Furd last year… both had rookie QBs that got waaaaay to much positive press because they had great o-lines (and Luck had Gerhart of course), give them each a swiss cheese line and you have two teams with at least 4 or 5 losses more split between them

"Remember the Maine! TO HELL WITH STANFORD!"

by CruzinBears on Jul 19, 2010 12:02 PM PDT up reply actions

I don’t think you’ll get much argument here.

O-line is the key to our season, followed by the secondary.

Irate Toothmonger - Will get all up in your business for food

by Kodiak on Jul 19, 2010 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions

I’d say linebackers over secondary… the talent was there to succeed in the secondary last year, we just didn’t get enough pressure on the edges to force the issue… with improved LB pressure we will alleviate the need for spectacular secondary play as QBs will be forced into bas decisions (see 08 with top 3 total interceptions in the nation)

"Remember the Maine! TO HELL WITH STANFORD!"

by CruzinBears on Jul 19, 2010 3:43 PM PDT up reply actions

Fair point. I’d say pass-rush and secondary are pretty closely intertwined. I’m not sure yet whether someone is going to step up at LB as a pass-rusher, or if we’re going to scheme to allow our D-linemen (like Jordan, Owusu) to be the rushers.

Irate Toothmonger - Will get all up in your business for food

by Kodiak on Jul 19, 2010 4:23 PM PDT up reply actions

You know, I hate to be the kind of Old Blue that hears some sort of encouraging news and automatically kicks in to uber-cynic mode, but I guess I’m just that kind of Old Blue. Now that I think of it, are there any other kinds? Anyway, it seems I’ve read these exact same quotes from Riley last year: about how he is more comfortable, reading defenses better, and optimistic about the team, etc.

I hope it’s all true, and I honestly am rooting for the kid to finally play to his promise. But as a button I bought back in ’83 says: Once A Bear, Always A Bear.

Careful, man. There's a beverage here!

by SoCal Oski on Jul 19, 2010 7:34 AM PDT reply actions

it seems I’ve read these exact same quotes from Riley

To be fair, it’s the doldrums of college football; I think every sport has its share of cliched puff pieces that get published during the offseason every year. Yet every year I read them and get excited all the same. Sigh.

by sec119 on Jul 19, 2010 7:56 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

But this time we actually do have a more experience OL…

"Remember the Maine! TO HELL WITH STANFORD!"

by CruzinBears on Jul 19, 2010 12:02 PM PDT up reply actions

I think its less about us being better...

…and more about everyone else sucking. I think we have a shot at the Bowl That Shall Not Be Named (JINX) because (1) a lot of teams will be worse off than last year and (2) our favorable home-away schedule. As to assertion #2, its not just that we play Team X at home, it is again about the difference between Team X and home and Team X on the road. For example, Oregon is a completely different team at home (thanks to Autzen) than they are on the road, while OSU seems to get along just fine being out of town (and really, can you blame them for being excited to out of Corvalis?)

Here’s my incredibly ill-informed and highly-partisan take on it:

Wazzu: They can’t get any worse.

ASU: They still suck, still have QB problems, and their only advantage over us, that is playing in Tempe, is a non-factor this year.

Washington: Yeah, they’re still a team that’s dangerous, but they’re playing in Berkeley, not Husky Stadium – which I’d say is the no.2 or 3 toughest play in the Pac-10.

Oregon State: no Canfield, and they have a bizzare tendency to lose to us when playing at home, and beating us when they are in Berkeley. So, let’s see if Bizzarro Theory holds true this year.

Whoregon : A team that plays much, much better at home than on the road (Stanfraud and Rose Bowl, anyone?) – and without Masoli. Plus massive revenge game.

USC: Barkley is good, not great, they have a first year coach, and there is the possible let down at not being bowl eligible. Yes, the Coliseum is a tough place to play, but its not a place that decides games (Stanfraud/USC).

Stanfraud: No Gerhardt. I’m sorry, but most of Luck’s street cred comes from the fact that he had the entire defense and their sisters and cousins were huddled in the box to stop Toby Wonderbread. And their playing at Cal.

I saved Arizona for last because I think this is the only team that is actually stronger than last year. Foles is probably the best QB in the Pac-10 next to Locker, and won’t make the same idiotic mistake he made last year, which basically won the game for Cal. Plus we are playing in Tucson, where ranked teams go to die. Let’s home we’re not favored. We seem to do better then.

Just my overly-optimistic 2 cents.

by Glanko on Jul 20, 2010 12:19 PM PDT reply actions