Having soundly defeated the Sun Devils, Cal avoided falling into a likely bottom-third finish in the conference and jeopardizing its bowl hopes. Tedford and his team were clearly pleased with the effort after hearing criticism all week. Can they ride the momentum to a win in Corvallis, which would help set the Bears up for a finish in the top-half of the conference?
Update: Oregon State has opened as a 3-point favorite over Cal.
On the effect of negative media:
"It looked today, by the crowd, that some people have given up on us. I'm proud of our team that they haven't given up on themselves. That is what it was about this week. It was about heart, because that got questioned this week. That is a great Arizona State football team that we just played. I was really proud of the guys to keep their focus all week. The ones that believe are the ones in the locker room, and I'm really proud of them."
...On playing QB Brock Mansion at the end of the game:
"He has been more consistent (than Beau Sweeney), that is a competitive spot. He has been more consistent in practice and throwing the ball better."
On Cal's lack of consistency:
"The consistency thing, like I said last week, isn't so much about lack of preparation. It is about how you match up with certain teams. All you can do is practice hard, prepare hard and cut it loose every week. That is what we do. I still don't think there is any game - maybe the Reno game - that we went out and schematically got hammered. I don't see an up and down team every week in practice. Obviously what happens in the games says what it says, but I still love this team. I love their character. I love their work ethic. I'm proud of the way they bounced back."
After the jump everyone wonders why Cal is remarkably better at home than on the road, Sean Cattouse thrives in Pendergast's nickel packages, and women's volleyball upsets Stanford in the Big Spike.
Football
- Cal picked up 3 points in the coaches' poll this week.
- What did we learn this week according to Ted Miller? Cal is simply a much better team at home.
- Cal earned one of Ted Miller's Pac-10 helmet stickers. He specifically praises the defense and Kevin Riley.
- Riley and Mike Mohamed said one of the biggest motivators this week was the criticism that Tedford's team lacked heart.
- Cattouse benefited tremendously from the extensive use of nickel packages. After losing his job to Josh Hill, Cattouse is making a huge push for his old starting role. In another depth chart shakeup, Brock Mansion passed Sweeney after Tedford said Mansion demonstrated more consistency and better throwing during the week.
- After hearing criticism for the past few weeks, Riley responded with his best game of the season.
- Steven Threet left the game due to a concussion.
- Tedford and his team still can't figure out why they are so much better at home than on the road.
- Cal upset no. 2 Stanford in four sets at the Big Spike. Cal now sits atop the conference standings with an 8-1 record.
- Arizona defeated Cal women's soccer 1-0 following a goal with 40 seconds remaining in overtime.
- The no. 12 men's team tied San Diego State 1-1 after double overtime.
- Enjoying its new no. 1 ranking, men's water polo defeated no. 7 Pacific 11-8.