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UPDATE [Friday 2:25pm] - Goff named the starter for UW:
Jared Goff will start at quarterback for Cal in Saturday’s game at Washington head coach Sonny Dykes announced Friday.
Redshirt freshman Zach Kline will be listed as the backup quarterback on the team’s depth chart for the Washington game.
The starting quarterback position had been listed as an “or” between Goff and Kline on the team’s previous depth chart released Tuesday.
* * *
The Bears had Monday off, before returning to practice on Tuesday and Wednesday. When asked at the weekly press conference about the change in practice schedule, Coach Sonny Dykes mentioned rest and academics:
Dykes on not practicing yesterday "We were just worn out. We decided to give them a little time off to rest up and recuperate a little bit."
— Cal Football (@CalFootball) October 22, 2013
"At a place like Cal you have to give your kids a day to focus on academics too, they used yesterday to catch up and get ahead." -Dykes
— Cal Football (@CalFootball) October 22, 2013
Press Conf. (10/22/13): Dykes http://t.co/JGd39Grrka | Barton http://t.co/mN4zagKCil | Rigsbee http://t.co/VnX9hxZ0B1 #CalFootball #GoBears
— Cal Football (@CalFootball) October 23, 2013
And with no new injuries reported after the Oregon State game, the only injury update was as follows:
Dykes said Kam Jackson's ankle is fine, Lasco is day-to-day but not likely. He doesn't expect any previously injured players back this week
— Hunter Hewitt (@HunterHewitt) October 22, 2013
The major news & discussion topic at the beginning of the week was the re-opening of the QB competition:
Cal coach Sonny Dykes confirmed Jared Goff and Zach Kline will duel this week for the starting quarterback job.
Starter will be based on who is better in practice: "That's kind of what we have to go on, at this point," Dykes says. #Cal #CalFootball
— Ryan Gorcey (@RGBearTerritory) October 22, 2013
Goff & Kline have compiled the following stats thus far this season:
Goff has completed 186 of 308 passes (60.4 percent) for 2,256 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has lost six fumbles.
Kline has completed 31 of 57 passes (54.4 percent) for 253 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. He has not fumbled the ball.
During practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, Goff and Kline split QB reps - with Goff taking the initial snaps, and a decision on a starter not likely to be made until Friday:
Goff and Kline splitting first-team reps at quarterback today as expected. Goff first in the pecking order
— Hunter Hewitt (@HunterHewitt) October 23, 2013
For the second practice in a row, Jared Goff was first in the quarterback rotation with the first-team offense.
Goff and Zach Kline continued to split reps, but Goff was the first to go each time the starting unit took the field. Despite signs pointing towards Goff retaining his job, Dykes said the decision likely won’t be made until Friday.
Not only did Coach Dykes hold off on naming a starter, he also indicated that a 2-QB rotation will not happen:
Dykes said he is not entertaining the notion of playing both Goff and Kline on Saturday.
"It’s not what we want to do," he said. "Typically, we want to play somebody, let him get a feel for the game, let him go. The last thing we want to do is somebody gets into a flow and another quarterback comes in. I’ve never found that to be particularly effective."
Also, perhaps due to the possibility of rain in Seattle this Saturday, Goff practiced with gloves on both hands:
Jared Goff wearing gloves on BOTH hands today! pic.twitter.com/xoa3gxvTHR
— Cal Rivals (@CalRivals) October 24, 2013
The other newsworthy item coming out of practice was the shuffling on the offensive line, and the status of true freshman OL Chris Borrayo:
...true freshman Chris Borrayo, a 6-foot-5, 290-pounder from from Paramount High in the San Gabriel Valley, will be pulled out of his redshirt year.
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After practice on Wednesday, Sonny confirmed the OL moves, including new positions for two starters - Jordan Rigsbee from LG to C and Freddie Tagaloa from LT to RG (Tagaloa will compete with Crosthwaite). Borrayo and RS freshman Christian Okafor are slated to play - and start at LG & LT - for the first time in their Cal careers:
"We’re just trying to find some things that work," Dykes said of the revamped line. "We think it’s a move to get some guys in positions that they can excel in. It’s long-term moves as well, we’re going to develop players at positions."
Added offensive line coach Zach Yenser: "If something’s not working, you can’t keep doing the same thing."
Cal's new-look offensive line - LT Okafar, LG Borrayo, C Rigsbee, RG Crosthwaite, RT Moore - looking iffy at best so far
— Hunter Hewitt (@HunterHewitt) October 24, 2013
Dykes said after practice that Rigsbee to C & Tagaloa to G may be a more permanent thing. #Cal
— Cal Rivals (@CalRivals) October 24, 2013
Moore at RT and Okafor at LT seem pretty set in stone as well. Crosthwaite and Tagaloa are dueling it out for the RG spot #MusicalChairs
— Hunter Hewitt (@HunterHewitt) October 24, 2013
Dykes also mentioned that Matt Cochran (ankle) has been progressing well in his recovery. He participated in non-contact drills this week, and could return to action as early as the Arizona game. Lastly, several younger players could see increased playing time against Washington, including Joel Willis, Jacobi Hunter, and Puka Lopa:
GM: Really liking the prospect of Puka Lopa starting for #Cal Saturday. Has an unbelievable motor (and a sack last week!)
— Cal Rivals (@CalRivals) October 24, 2013
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