Golden Nuggets: Assessing the impact of Zach Kline's transfer

QB Zach Kline recently announced his intent to transfer from the University of California and the Bear Raid in pursuit of program looking for a starting quarterback. Jeff Faraudo is evaluating how Kline's upcoming transfer will affect the Bears.

Redshirt freshman Zach Kline's decision to transfer is the right decision for him and likely won't have substantial impact on Cal's 2014 season.

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Players want to play, and that supercedes nearly everything else. Kline told me repeatedly he wanted to remain at Cal, and I believe him. He grew up in Danville and is surrounded locally by friends and family.

But he also wants to become a college starting quarterback, and he became convinced it wasn't likely to happen at Cal.

There was a perception this season that the competition between Kline and freshman Jared Goff was close in the minds of Sonny Dykes and offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. I don't think they viewed it that way.

John Crumpacker of the SFGate provided some additional statistics:

In limited playing time in 2013, Kline completed 43 of 82 passes for 443 yards and three touchdowns, with four interceptions. He subbed for the injured Goff in the Big Game and completed 8 of 14 for 115 yards. After the game, Dykes said he was not impressed with how Kline played.

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If Kline and [OL Freddie] Tagaloa leave as expected, that would bring to seven the number of players no longer on the team since Dykes was hired a year ago, including Bridgford. Defensive end Chris McCain was dismissed for a violation of team rules, defensive lineman Gabe King quit in mid-season to concentrate on academics, safety Alex Logan quit for medical reasons and linebacker David Wilkerson transferred to Arizona.

While Faraudo considered the on-field impact of Kline's departure, let's hope there are no detrimental effects considering Kline seemed to be a great Cal representative and a well-liked teammate (as someone who's never met the man) and Tagaloa was one of our captains for 2012.

Cal Athletics

• 'Tis the season for Giving Tuesday--The Golden Bears are giving their time to volunteer and you can give to Cal to show your support!

Lacrosse

• Three captains for 2014 have been chosen!
• The Winter Clinic will take place on Saturday Dec. 14.

Men's Soccer

• The Golden Bears (14–4–2, 6–3–1 Pac-12), as no. 4 seeds, defeated CCU to earn their place in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tourney.

Women's Soccer

• The all-mighty Alex Morgan is no. 10 on espnW's list of the ten most influential female athletes of 2013 (as of my writing, glitchy video will autoplay).

Men's Water Polo

• Cal (18–8) finishes the season with a fifth-place finish in the MPSF Tournament with a win over LBSU.

Men's Basketball

• Cal (6–2) had a convincing win over UC Irvine
• Video of Tyrone Wallace's insane dunk against Irvine

Women's Basketball

• Avigel Cohen has been nominated for the AllState WBCA Good Works Team for her work tutoring, her time on the Cal Athlete Gay Straight Alliance board, and for teaching in the Public Health department.

Volleyball

• The Golden Bears have earned their 12th consecutive NCAA Tournament entry (and third straight opening-round match against UNC).
• espnW thinks Cal vs. UNC is one of the toughest first-round matches in the tourney (video autoplays).
• Some all-conference honors for our glorious Golden Bears:
  

  Congrats to Adrienne Gehan for making the All-Pac-12 team! Joan Caloiaro and Christina Higgins earned honorable mention! #CalVolleyball.

  — Cal Volleyball (@CalVolleyball) December 3, 2013

  Libero Maddy Kerr was also named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team today! #GoBears. #CalVolleyball.

  — Cal Volleyball (@CalVolleyball) December 3, 2013

Football

• Four Golden Bears earned all-conference honors for 2013: K Vincenzo D'Amato on the second team and DL Deandre Coleman, QB Jared Goff, and WR Bryce Treggs as honorable mention.
• Ted Miller's Power Rankings say Cal can only go up.
• Let's talk about record-breaking performances by Cal commits.
  • Up first, Luke Rubenzer just won the Arizona state championship while setting state records for TD passes in a season, TD passes in a career, and career passing yards.
  • Not to be outdone, RB commit Tre Watson went ahead set a school record for rushing yards and TDs in a game, then helped his team set a national record with 943 yards in a single game as he ran for nearly 13 yards per carry.
• Cal is still in the running for top-rated running back Joe Mixon
  

  GO BEARS! RT @SportsRecruits BREAKING NEWS. Joe Mixon names Top 4 schools. In no order #UCLA #Cal #Oklahoma #Wisconsin make the cut.

  — GoldenBlogs (@GoldenBlogs) December 3, 2013

• Former head coach Jeff Tedford might be headed to Wyoming:

— FootballScoop Staff (@footballscoop) December 3, 2013

• Something we've all been waiting for--getting to know the coaches' wives!
  • Annette Tommerdahl is probably running out of outfits since she refuses to wear anything if we lost badly while she was wearing it.
  • Kelly Buh first met Andy when she was a sports producer (and, as atomsareenough puts it, proves that Andy's inability to be prepared extends past his professional life).
  • And Kate Dykes motivates the team with Cookie Night and by cooking a weekly dinner for the top-performing unit.
• Not much Cal-related to read here, but Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports is (incorrectly) claiming the finish to this weekend's Iron Bowl is the "most astounding ending ever to a college football game." We all know that's nonsense.
• Again, not much to Cal-related reading, but D.J. Campbell has been promoted to the active roster of the Dolphins, taking the spot vacated by ex-Furdie Jonathan Martin.
• If the Packers have no shot of making it to the playoffs, they may decide to "shut down" Aaron Rodgers rather than needlessly risk re-injuring his collarbone, but Rodgers wants to play. SI.com celebrated his 30th birthday with a gallery of 31 pictures of him, including some Cal memories.

— NCAA (@NCAA) December 2, 2013