Jeff Tedford's media tour continues, as he as in San Francisco yesterday for the Bay Area Media Day. JO has quotes from Tedford, Mitchell Schwartz, and Mychal Kendricks. Here he talks about Clancy's offseason improvement and some incoming freshmen who may see playing time.
How the defense might be different now that coordinator Clancy Pendergast is in his second year with Cal:
"I think we have the ability to be even better on defense this year. Our players are more comfortable with our system and Clancy is more comfortable with college football. You watch the NFL, it all looks the same. College football one week you have the no-huddle spread, the next week you have the pistol, the next week you have a downhill, two-back team. Having the variation in college football, Clancy has studied in the offseason and he feels really comfortable with how he wants to attack that. Our players have a great understanding and a feel for what he wants to do. Our defense did a great job in spring football and I think they are very comfortable with what’s going on. We have a lot of team speed. Even though we lost three great players, I think we sill have the ability to be a very good defensive football team."
On how many of the incoming freshman have a chance to contribute immediately:
"I think most of them have the opportunity to contribute. There are a lot of guys on the defensive front. The corners for sure. Those guys are going to be in the mix from day one. They were recruited to come in and play right now. We don’t have a lot of depth at the corner position. We feel like we have three really good guys there. Moala is a guy who is physical enough to play right away, but you have to physically, mentally and emotionally ready to play this game. Physically, the guy should be ready to play. He came in a little overweight so we have to get his weight down a little bit, but beside that he can play.
"I remember after recruiting season saying this group is probably the group with the most capability to come in and contribute at an early age."
After the jump we have more quotes, videos, and notes from yesterday's media extravaganza.
Football
- BearTerritory continues to produce content from Tedford's media day luncheon. In Part Two Tedford talks the finer differences between winning and losing as well as the difference between close losses and several of the blowout losses we have seen in recent years.
- Tedford is excited about the incoming quartet of running backs. He does not, however, seem optimistic that one of the returning players will take the starting role from Isi Sofele.
- Videos from Bay Area Media Day: Tedford, Kendricks, Schwartz. Photos from the event.
- BearTerritory.net reports from Media Day with more quotes from Tedford and Schwartz.
- The Bears were well represented at the FINA World Championships. Natalie Coughlin and Dana Vollmer each won three medals.