Golden Nuggets: Cal's Starting Quarterback Zach Maynard is Ready to Get to Work

For the first time since spring of 2007, Tedford has named a starting quarterback prior to fall camp.  Not surprisingly, Zach Maynard was quite pleased with the decision.  As hard as he worked to earn the starting role, Maynard plans to work even harder over the summer to maintain the top spot.

"I was really excited and a huge relief [came] off my shoulders," said California's newly anointed starting quarterback: junior Zach Maynard, during his conference call with Bay Area reporters Saturday.

"Now I can just focus on getting in that film room, that weight room, and getting better over time."

Maynard, who transferred from Buffalo after starting every game his sophomore season, is looking forward to guiding the Bears' offense in 2011. After beating out senior Brock Mansion and sophomore Allan Bridgford, he'll need to get more creative in order to keep improving.

"I'm not going to take it as I am starting because we have a long way towards the season coming," said Maynard. "We got summer camp, we have workouts and conditioning right now, summer school, so I've got to stay on top of myself and on top of everything pretend I'm not the starter, like I'm still working for a job. So I gotta' take it more serious now."

While Maynard's mobility gave him an advantage over Brock Mansion and Allan Bridgford, he says the offense is not being heavily modified to incorporate more running plays.

"I was using my speed for an advantage," said Maynard of his spring performance. "That opened up a lot of ways for us, some of the read-option type stuff. That opened up the offense a little bit more."
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"We're going to be pass first, or hand the ball to the running back," Maynard said. "I'll get yards when I can, when we need to."

Football

• Ted Miller looks at why Maynard won the starting role and what his skillset brings to the Cal offense.
• JO reports on Saturday's big announcement.