SB Nation - Cameron Morrah

Is the Cal Offensive Line Failing Due to Talent or Coaching?

Avinash — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:00:41 -0000

by Ben Margot - AP

Missing: Cal Offensive linemen. If you find them, please call Jeff T. at...

Although the postgame article about our offensive line was meant in jest, some people like Cali49a took what I was saying seriously.

Let’s look across the line at what we have. LT Tepper is a good guy, but he’s not nearly as good as he’s been made out to be. LG was a RS Frosh starting who got injured and his replacements are a former walk-on in Fisher and a current walk-on in Boskovitch, who spends more time whiffing on blocks and losing his feet of any OL I’ve seen in the Tedford era. Our Center is an undersized RS-JR taking his first meaningful snaps at C but who has no business playing that position, especially against top notch DTs. The RG is a RS-So who has the size to play the position but has lapses. The RT is a RS-So who has been pretty reliable. The TEs cannot reliably block and are all young. Just looking at our starters, they are a recipe for inconsistency. As much as size of OL is important, mentally they need to know their assignments and how to adjust on the fly when blocking, which comes from repetition.

In a sense, the line is still young with 3 underclassmen starters. The interior of the OL is the biggest issue right now, and quite frankly, the reason why we absolutely stink running between the tackles.

While this post was funny to read because it pokes fun at a glaring weakness on our O, this post really does not look at the root of the problem: recruiting. There have been too many scholarship busts and/or misses on the OL front in 05-06 and we are really feeling it now. There is exactly ONE starter on the OL from those classes. Guys from those 2 classes are who should be starting right now unless there were some super sensational underclassmen who could beat them out. That is not the case.

To clarify, no, I don't think Steve Marshall should be fired. In general, with college coaches, I don't think you fire people who've been here one year unless they totally faceplant (and in any case with Marshall, given his previous track record, he'll probably leave of his own accord). However, I do feel that he and Andy Ludwig have missed some crucial elements in developing their guys, some controllable, some not. And those struggles have resulted in these offensive stinkbombs we've seen against good defenses.

How much of Cal's O-line struggles have been due to talent, and how much has been due to coaching?

After the jump, I look at both sides.

So one possibility is talent. It's been argued by many people, especially Hydro, that maybe these guys just aren't who we thought they were.

In the podcast, CBKWit makes the argument that this is one of our highest star rated offensive lines perhaps ever during the Tedford era. CBKWit made this comment in response to my remark suggesting that the OL's poor performance could be a talent issue. It seems that CBKWit might have been disagreeing with me. If that is so, CBKWit is clearly making the assumption that the higher the star rating of the player, the more talented they are. Such a notion is generally true, but not always. CBKWit seems to make it a forgone conclusion that is always true and thus this year's highly rated OL suckage cannot be due to lack of talent; hence obviously a coaching problem. I disagree. I think it's possible that there is a talent issue here, perhaps as well as a coaching issue. I have not discounted the talent issue, whereas CBKWit seems to have done so. CBKWit points to last year's OL which started Guarnero (prior to injury), Cheadle, and Boskovich (after Guarnero's injury) as evidence that this OL shouldn't be this bad due to the fact that so many of this year's starters saw playing time last year and were fairly productive. Last year, I personally thought Guarnero was doing fine at guard. However, I was not that impressed with Cheadle or Boskovich. Thus, I am not convinced that just because he have players from last year's OL, which performed decently well although not great, means that this year's OL cannot be suffering from lack of talent.

Here's been our starting depth chart the past few seasons, starting with 2006 as the first season our entire O-line was ranked by Rivals (some of these guys could be wrong from 2006, let me know). Thanks to AERose for gathering this data up.

2006

Mike Tepper (2 stars/2 stars)--2
Erik Robertson (2 stars/1 star)-1.5
Alex Mack (2 stars/2 stars)--2
Norris Malele (3 stars/3)--3
Scott Smith (2 stars)--2

Average rating: 2.11

2007

Mike Tepper (2 stars/2 stars)--2
MIke Gibson (4 stars/4 stars)--4
Brian De La Puente (???)
Noris Malele (3 stars/3 stars)-3
Alex Mack (2 stars/2 stars)-2

Average rating: 2.75

2008

Mark Boskovich (???)
Noris Malele (3 stars/3 stars)-3
Alex Mack (2 stars/2 stars)-2
Chet Teofilo (2 stars/2 stars)-2
Mitchell Schwartz (3 stars/3 stars)-3
Justin Cheadle (3 stars/4 stars)-3.5

Average rating: 2.75

2009

Mike Tepper (2 stars/2 stars)-2
Mitchell Schwartz (3 stars /3 stars)-3
Matt Summers-Gavin (4 stars/4 stars)-4
Justin Cheadle (3 stars/4 stars)-3.5
Chris Guarnero (4 stars/3 stars)-3.5
Mark Boskovich (???)

Average rating: 3.2

Of course the star rating only tells so much, but as you can see on average Cal's recruiting star ratings are better than the last few years, and there seems to be no correlation with star rating and rushing success (hell, you could say the relation's nearly INVERSE; the lower the star rating, the better Cal's O-line has done.) This could probably lead you to think that recruiting stars are bunk.

So while I agree with Cali49a, that yes, the offensive line has had depth problems and too many walk-ons coming in to fill crucial roles, I also feel that the Bears talent is still comparable to those of previous seasons. Although a lot of the guys we recruited haven't been up to snuff, they still shouldn't be struggling this much, especially with almost all of them except Summers-Gavin seeing action last season. This should be a line that dropped off a little, not a lot, even with Mack and Malele gone.

So let's assume these guys aren't terrible o-linemen. That leads us to coaching. If the problem isn't talent, What are the problems that could be going on here?

1) The offensive coordinator turnover. Hydro mentioned in the podcast how O-linemen were having difficulty adapting to Cignetti's new pass blocking schemes (explaining the struggles in protecting Longshore and Riley). You can only imagine how difficult the Bears O-linemen are doing with all the different looks they've run in the run blocking game with Ludwig's offense installed. Perhaps we'll see drastic improvement next season when these guys have had time to run through the system, but right now it just isn't there.

2) Fullback and tight end blocking dropoff. This is where I do agree with Cali49a. In terms of tight ends, the Bears really haven't had great tight end blocking since Craig Stevens was lining up. But Brian Holley? Nice enough guy, but big big downgrade from Ta'ufo'ou in terms of blocking awareness. Who exactly Cal's fullback will be next year (Kapp?) will need to show better than Holley has this year. And Anthony Miller will hopefully become as good a blocker as he is a receiver.

3) The complexity of the offense. This might be the biggest issue for me. We've talked over and over how the Bears offense has gotten more sophisticated as time has gone by (and that in turn has led to the quarterback struggles). While that might give us all sorts of delight as fans to watch, the fact is the players aren't getting older with them. So the learning curve has grown steeper for new players, like a sadistic professor who decides to add three hundred more pages of reading each year for the same class, with an occasional extra midterm thrown in there. You can only imagine how difficult it is for offensive linemen to struggle to do so much.

4) Failure to adapt. The fact is these players are not going to grow old with us. They're going to leave for other places and that means Cal's coaching staff have to adapt to the situation. We have to recognize that our offensive linemen might not be as experienced or as gifted as previous guys like Mack and Ta'ufo'ou. So instead of throwing so many different looks in our playcalling perhaps we should return to the more stodgy but effective type of play that defined early Tedford football, especially in the run game.

One of the beautiful things about Coach M's style of line coaching is that we ran the same two plays almost every time in the run game, and defenses were lost trying to stop them. As Hydro described it, "Defenses knew what was coming, and they could almost never stop it from going." (Now on the flip side, defenses WERE catching up to Cal's offense as the years went by (the Bears running game dipped in production every year since 2004), so there might be the need to evolve as time goes by. But hey, sometimes it's best not to fix things that aren't broken.)

5) Coaching development. This is where I attribute blame to the coaches directly. I don't think we need to bring Coach M back to recognize those issues, nor even make Marshall the scapegoat for our failings. But it's clear that Alex Mack, Mike Tepper and many others from our more successful squads were not highly sought-after talents, yet they evolved into O-line forces of nature in their collegiate primes. Although Michalziak might not have been the greatest recruiter, he did a great job making these guys execute on Saturdays. How much of this had to do with the simplicity of the offense might be difficult to say, but I've always found simple works best with young offensive lines. Just look at how Oregon has recovered from the Boise fiasco, when their line couldn't block stationary objects. Simple effective blocking techniques set loose their offensive players.

6) Recognizing the big picture. As the guy now overseeing the program, Tedford should try and recognize that players, based on their individual experience level and their collective experience as a unit, need to be treated differently on a year-by-year basis. He, like many fans, incorrectly assessed the losses of our top three blockers and assumed we'd get by with the experience the returning starters had managed. That's clearly not been the case. Now that he's no longer playcalling, his job in the games is to manage and see what's going on beyond the Xs and Os. I'd say he hasn't done a very good job of that this season, especially with regards to the offensive line (and of course there are other issues, but that's for another day). Running the same set of plays and schemes (inside zone run) over and over again seems like a peculiar type of madness.

Whatever's going on, coaching or talentwise, with only three games left, it's probably too late to fix these deficiencies until the bowl game, and we've got to ride the ship the end and hope somehow we can pull some wins out before we reach port. And then hope everything gets back together for next year's cruise.

Poll

Cal's O-line struggles are due to...

coaching issues more than talent issues.

53 votes

talent issues more than coaching issues.

16 votes

coaching and talent issues about the same.

57 votes

something else entirely.

7 votes

133 votes | Poll has closed

Roll On: How Cal's Offense Can Attack Oregon's Defense

Avinash — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:41:29 -0000

I'm so relieved Pac-10 season is here.

It's not that I don't like the OOC schedule; it's always fun to face new teams, and gauge ourselves to other teams around the country. But it makes things easier for me in terms of figuring out offenses and defenses. There's a familiarity with breaking down Arizona that isn't there with Minnesota or even Maryland. Figuring out what type of coverage packages UCLA will throw your way with their excellent secondary, or whether Oregon State is going to gap-cancel the shit out of you, or how many times Oregon will hit you over and over again with their zone read--these things I can deal with, I've seen them before.

Plus speculating about what an offense or defense might or might not do sucks, since there's a good chance you're going to look real stupid by the end of the game. At least here, there's a much better chance of nailing the general gameplan.

Let's get the ball rolling, shall we? We start with Andy Ludwig's Cal offense versus Oregon and Nick Allioti's hard-hitting, ball-hawking, tackle-missing defense.

(Major thanks to ieeebear for cutting videos for this post, you can see them after the jump! He deserves half the credit for the post.)

Oregon's run defense versus Best, Vereen, and Cal's O-line

I can't really dissect this properly, because one player could be the difference between Cal getting bottled up or taking the Ducks to task. You should see him plenty in the reels after the jump.

Hydro mentioned after last year's game how Allotti loved to bring a defensive back to take out the running back. You can see several times the defensive back (usually the free safety, which usually meant TJ Ward) sizing up the hole, then at the moment he senses run, starts targeting like a heat-seeking missile. One of the times the safety missed was when Best broke free for that long gain, albeit it ended in a fumble.

TJ Ward's health is crucial to Oregon's success at containing the run. You can see from this clip above how crucial Ward was in containing Best and Vereen; his ability to sniff out the run and quickly plug the gap kept the running backs from breaking into space. The dropoff is considerable after Ward, and I don't know exactly how the Ducks safeties stack up behind Ward.

You can also see that Oregon hits hard, so Cal's runners have got to be ready to maintain control of that football. Three rushing turnovers last season nearly cost the Bears dearly.

Although Riley appears to be a much better passer than he was a few seasons ago, I expect Oregon to, at least at the outset, play to contain Best and Vereen I doubt we'll see much difference in strategy from last season, especially on 1st and 2nd downs when the probability of run and pass are approximately equal. For all their struggles this season in various areas, one place the Ducks have remained consistent is guarding the run, and you can see from the video that their front seven has been equal to the task of pushing around Cal's usually solid offensive line.

This season there hasn't been a big dropoff. Yes, Boise State gashed them for 164 yards, but they needed FIFTY NINE CARRIES to get there. Utah, Boise State and Purdue are all upper tier schools in rushing yards per carry, and Oregon held them well under their respective averages.

Oregon has held Cal the last two seasons to an average of 3.38 rushing yards per carry, well below our general rushing average. So they've pulled all the stops to contain Forsett in 2007 and Best in 2008. If the Ducks are expected to pull out the stops against the run, the Bears will have to strip them will have to be won through the air.

Cal pass protection versus Oregon pass rush (or How I Am So Fucking Relieved Nick Reed is in the pros).

Reed was a one man wrecking crew in last year's game. Mitchell Schwartz did well for us in relief last year at left tackle, and Reed just chowed him down like moo goo gai pan.

1) First clip, :11-Reed blows by Schwartz, forces Riley to throw the football like a Thanksgiving turkey. I'm not sure whether Riley's trying the Tim Tebow leap pass here. It's close though.
2) :35--Cameron Morrah probably should've blocked a little bit better on that play before moving into receiving mode, Schwartz didn't seem like he had any chance of taking him up and can only manage a few weak arm shoves before Reed targets Riley.
3) :52--Right side completely collapses. Three defenders get untouched to the quarterback, it's a miracle Longshore even got that pass to Tucker.
4) 1:17--Perfect spin technique by Reed to blow by Schwartz, breaks up what might've been a touchdown to Morrah (although a safety was coming in fast).
5) 1:55--Reed lined up to the bottom against Edwards, and he absolutely smokes him. Plus there was a holding call. Safe to say the O-line was scrambling at this point.
6) 2:12--Mitchell is again caught looking with the spin move. GRAPPLE HIM Mitchell.
7) 2:41--"Sorry Mr. Schwartz, I do not want to participate in this tango." Gets up, screen pass broken out.
8) 3:00--Next play, lines up on Edwards, gets in unimpeded, even if a second too late. Longshore gets twirled like a Twizzler.

Nate Longshore and Kevin Riley were dinged around plenty, as they forced bad throws into traffic, or took sacks they shouldn't have taken. He'll make his mark with the Seahawks soon enough.

This year, the roles are reversed. With Reed gone, the responsibility for pass rush was supposed to fall to Will Tukuafu. So far he's been quiet, with fifteen tackles, but none for a loss. Oregon's pass rush this season has been non-existent. The Ducks averaged nearly 3 sacks a game last season, tied for 9th in the country. This year, they only have four through the first three games, along with only three quarterback hurries. Opposing quarterbacks have had their time to throw so far.

Cal's pass protection, however, has only been slightly better than it was last season (on average in terms of sacks, giving up five sacks and several hurries early on. Hopefully with Tepper and a maturing Schwartz, they can protect damaging sacks on the edge. Kenny Rowe (who has 2.5 of Oregon's sacks from the defensive end slot) seems the likeliest to get pressure, so watch what he does against the tackles.

Oregon's pass defense vs. Kevin Riley and his receivers

Defensive coordinator Nick Allotti is not a favorite of Oregon fans. He didn't look exceptionally good after USC's 44-10 trouncing of the Ducks, where Sanchez burned Oregon for 332 yards, 3 touchdowns on 68% completion rate. Although some of it was cover packages, it was also a case of corners cheating to stop the runs, biting on the play-fakes and getting burned for only putting one free safety in deep coverage.

Luckily, neither quarterback for the Bears could throw that well last season. Against Cal you saw a lot of soft zones, a lot of coverage packages determined to keep Best or Vereen from breaking into the screen. On one occasion when Oregon played close up man coverage they were scorched for a touchdown.

(Note: Understand I'm not an expert on defense. If I made any errors in formation or strategy please correct me and I'll edit them in, and attribute you for the help.)

1) (0:05) I think this is a Cover 4 deep (corners are playing back, safeties too). Best way to attack this is the outside flats (between the hash marks and the sideline), and Riley finds a wide-open Tucker along the out of bounds line. This could also be zone coverage (much like what Gregory runs on passing downs), since the corner seems to be playing a particular zone, trying to make the quarterback complete the throw. Also he could be trying to prevent a long run from the quarterback.

2) (0:36) Again, Riley targets the sideline to Tucker, who makes a great adjustment on the ball

3) (1:02) I believe this is Cover 1 Free (free safety is back to watch both sides of the field, see the replay at 1:19). Oregon stacks. Riley checks off the receiver on the strong side, freezes the free safety (notice him trailing to the top, where Riley's eyes are focused), then goes back and find Ross with a perfect strike. It helps that Wlater Thurmond was slow in recovering to Ross's original move.

4) (1:32) Iffy interference call on Thurmond, who seemed to play Tucker very well on the play, but it does show the benefit of having a receiver who can elevate on a dime and make it tough for the ref to judge whether the defender came too early or not.

5) (1:56) 3-2 Dime package. Six defensive backs and Longshore routinely completes a 4th and 14 on man-to-man? Talmadge Jackson III had some real passive coverage on this one. This play surprised me the most. (Note: Jackson will be Oregon's other corner in this game).

6) (2:23) 4-1 Dime package. Again another great pass to the sidelines to Sean Young, as Oregon's defense seems determined to play their zones and dare Cal's quarterbacks to make that throw to the sidelines. So far Riley and Longshore have converted three crucial 3rd downs aiming at the outside flats, two that broke down the zones in the right places (one was just a great adjustment and catch by Tucker).

7) (3:02) This should be noted for all Nate-haters out there, but Longshore KILLED Oregon. He didn't have achieve greatness by any means (13 for 27, 1 TD), but over his career he threw for a solid 57% completion rate, 6 touchdowns and 1 interception. You can get a sense of how he did it from plays like this; his ability to break down zone defenses and read coverages was impeccable. Danzig has more on his 2006-2007 exploits here.

8) (3:50) Another break down of the zone coverage at the sidelines to Tucker. I'm guessing we might see this play a bit.

Note to self: Watch Verran Tucker (who I assume will be the #1 receiver) versus Walter Thurmond, who I'm guessing will be assigned to him. This is a critical assignment for Thurmond, who must bottle up Tucker on man packages so the rest of the coverage can focus more on Marvin Jones and Ross.

The Ducks have played aggressive, breaking up 19 passes (top 10 in the nation!), including four interceptions, but I'd be very surprised to see Aliotti utilize a man-on-man strategy and not go back to deep coverage zones. Riley isn't Sanchez 2008, but he has been capable of throwing the deep ball properly this season. Expect plenty of cover schemes on obvious passing downs, in addition to the base 4-3 Oregon runs.

If Ludwig can show the multiplicity that he displayed in last week, will Oregon's secondary be able to read and react? The last three seasons the Ducks have lost the Bears game in spite of slowing the run game. It's been their touted corners and safeties who haven't been able to finish off Cal's receivers.

If Kevin Riley can throw a precise, 63-65% completion rate against Oregon's zone coverages, or open up the deep routes, which will in turn force more defensive backs into the game, which will in turn allow the offensive line easier blocking...it's Duck season.

Coming soon: Breaking down Oregon's zone read.

Poll

Who has to be the best offensive performer for the Bears to beat Oregon?

Kevin Riley

145 votes

Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen

81 votes

The receivers (Tucker, Jones and Ross)

32 votes

The offensive line

111 votes

369 votes | Poll has closed

Emerald Bowl Review: Part III: Morrah Misses a Block

HydroTech — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:00:27 -0000

In this third part of a twelve post analysis, we're going to look at a failed screen play. In case you missed the previous installment, here is Part I, and Part II.

Throughout 2008, fans seemed to complain quite frequently that screen plays failed to work effectively against the opponent. I think the easiest explanation for why they failed was merely that Cal wasn't doing a great job blocking at the point of attack.

Here is the pre-snap look below:

Cal is facing a 2nd and 10. This is most likely a passing play because (1) Cal has a tendency to pass on 2nd and longs; (2) the QB is in shotgun and Cal has a tendency to pass when the QB is in shotgun; (3) Cal has 3 WRs on the field and Cal has a tendency to pass when 3 WRs are on the field; and (4) the location of the RB in front of the QB, as opposed to behind or next to the QB, tips off the play as a pass.

Specifically, this play is a screen play. Screen plays are designed to let the defense penetrate by feigning poor pass blocking, then passing the ball over the defenders to the intended receiver who is now behind the defensive linemen who have penetrated.

Above is the post-snap look. The quarterback, Longshore, looks left to sell the play as a pass to the left hoping to move the Miami safeties to the offense's left. I've drawn lines from Cal's left guard, Malele, showing his assignment on this play. I've done the same for Cal's tight end, Morrah, and also for Cal's runningback, Best. If all three of these blockers can take out their assignments then Cal's intended receiver, Tucker, can probably obtain a good gain on the play. However, Morrah (the Cal player on the second "P" of the "Pop-secret" writing) is already bringing down his head to cut block.

Because Morrah didn't keep his head up later to get a good look at his target, he misses his block. I've circled the missed block above. Cal's left guard, Malele, is still locked on to his assignent. Cal's runningback, Best, is still locked on to his assignment. Cal's quarterback, Longshore, has now targeted the intended receiver on this play.

Morrah has missed his block completely. Morrah's feet can be seen on the far right side of the screen by the words "missed block." Cal's right guard, Malele, has now attempted to remedy the situation by coming off his assignment, and instead taking Morrah's assignment (see the changing green line above) who is the current most dangerous defender. Cal's quarterback, Longshore, has thrown the ball (highlighted yellow).

Unfortunately, Malele doesn't have the angle to take out Morrah's assignment because Malele wasn't orginally assigned to that defender. Malele misses the block completely and two Miami defenders are closing unimpeded to the intended receiver.

The play is broken up due to the big hit on Tucker.

Conclusion:

In my previous installment, I suggested that many of Cal's early problems were due to execution problems. Again, Cal has execution problems half way through the first quarter. Morrah didn't execute and lost his individual battle. The play resulted in an incompletion because of this.

It only takes one player to lose his individual battle to cause a play to fail. Had Morrah made his block, this play could have resulted in a completion and positive yardage.

At this point in the game, Cal has run eight offensive plays and committed four execution errors (#1 - high pass & dropped ball; #2 Mack loses pass block battle; #3 Vereen fumbles; #4 Morrah misses block on screen). The television announcers were attributing Cal's offensive woes to Miami's great defense - especially after this play. However, the reason why I wanted to go over this play because Cal fans in the stand, as well as the TV announcers, were fooled by this play. Everyone thought Miami had just blown up an easy screen because Miami's defense is so great. WRONG. Miami blew up a screen because Cal missed a block.

It's easy to understand why most people would think Miami's defense executed well on this play, and that's because to the average observer it's very easy to see an unblocked defender closing in on the intended receiver. But few people will see why the defender went unblocked. Few people will see the missed block. The reason why most people will see the missed block is because the missed block happens away from the ball and action.

Execution problems happen everywhere. They happen around the ball and away from the ball but either way, the repercussions of execution problems can have an impact on the play and game.

Mack to Cleveland, Follett to Detroit, Morrah to Seattle, Ta'ufo'ou to Chicago, Rulon to Denver, Nick to Carolina, Nate to Miami, Felder to SD

Avinash — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:57:43 -0000

via blog.cleveland.com

UPDATE (11:35 AM): Anthony Felder to San Diego!

Scout.com has been told that rookie free agent Anthony Felder has agreed to terms with the San Diego Chargers.

UPDATE (10:35 AM): Nate Longshore has been given an invite to try out with Miami. Hat-tip to Ohio Bear!

Updating a previous report, California QB Nate Longshore will be going to a tryout with the Miami Dolphins instead of the Cincinnati Bengals.

UPDATE (10 AM): I have reports from some website that Nick Sundberg has been signed by the Panthers. Update 12:45 PM--Okanes confirms it.

Danzig has passed this news along after following the wires closely.

Brad Biggs, of the Chicago Sun-Times, reports the Chicago Bears have agreed to terms on a free-agent contract with FB Will Taufoou (California).

Danzig has also gone over to the SBN Chicago Bears blog, Windy City Gridiron to post Will's highlights. Feel free to join him in talking up Ta'ufo'ou!

Thoroughbred also has good news about Rulon. UPDATE (8 AM): Confirmed by Okanes.

Rulon Davis signs with the Broncos. Exactly the right fit for him at SSDE. Very great shot to make the team, given the depth issues the Broncos have…

For Cal fans though, it was perhaps a disappointing draft, considering that we had such high expectations going in as to having several Golden Bears drafted. Rollonubears addressed a concern about having so few prospects getting drafted, and it's worth discussing a little bit in the comments.

This has been a really bad day for Cal. I predict we lose at least 1 potential recruit because of today. A big selling point is the ability to get guys into the NFL. Look at our 3 biggest in conference rivals. They all were in the top 4 for number of players picked. They will use that as a selling point against us. USC obviously has a great reputation in the NFL and their borderline guys will always get drafted. Draft picks mean a lot to recruits. And we only had 3, 2 of those coming in the late 7th round. This day is a setback for the program. A relatively minor one, but still a setback.

I disagreed with this, but maybe other Cal fans think otherwise. So feel free to discuss this in the comments.

Vote in the poll: Do you feel Cal gained or lost anything from the lack of drafted prospects?

After the jump, you'll hear some of the thoughts from the three SBN team blogs that drafted Golden Bears.

via blog.cleveland.com

As the most high profile pick, obviously Alex Mack got the lion's share of the attention. Here's Dawgs by Nature's settled thoughts.

Finally, after all of that ruckus, the Browns settled on selecting C Alex Mack. I love the idea of having Mack, as I stated a couple of days ago in my draft primer. I'm not excited about having to pick him a little earlier than I would've liked, but I'm not going to curse out Kokinis and Mangini for the pick. Hank Fraley was a liability on the line, and now I feel a lot more secure about the development of Brady Quinn heading into this season. We also are in line to have a better line for RB Jamal Lewis to be in front of.

Their simplified dossier on Mack's skills.

A little background on Mack:

2004: Cal red-shirts Mack. 2005: Appears in a back-up role, seeing reps mostly in a mop up duty. 2006-07: Mack starts all 26 games. 2008: He once again starts all 13 games. He wins the Morris Trophy as the best offensive lineman in the Pac-10 (as voted by league's defensive linemen) for the second year in a row, just the third player to receive the award twice.

Simplified scouting report:

6'3 7/8", 311lbs.

Strong with a mean streak

Decent but not elite agility

Over-aggressive if anything in his technique

Personally, I am alright with this pick. I have wanted Mack on the Browns for a while. I love that he didn't drop to the Steelers. I do wonder why we passed on LBs like Rey Maualuga and Clay Matthews III, but at the rate many of them are falling, someone good has got to be there for the 36th pick.

A nice interview of Mack at Cleveland.com (and if you check out the link and read the whole thing you'll find out why he ends up on the ground so much, which it turns out isn't so bad!)

"They put me through a lot," he said. "[Offensive line] coach George Warhop had an offensive line test for me after he tried to teach me stuff. They explained plays to me, distracted me with another interview and then had me come back and see how much I remembered. It was pretty fun."

The test involved filling in Xs and Os to prove he knew the blocking schemes, defensive formations and everyone's assignments.

"I think I missed two [out of about 30 questions]," he said. "I forgot the terminology they use for certain blocks. But I pride myself on being a smart guy."

During his first meeting with the Browns, Mack was put in the pressure cooker by Warhop and other coaches, according to yahoo.com.

"I was on the hot seat," Mack said. "I thought I was going in for a nice chat, and I was completely unprepared. [Warhop] put a play on the screen and started shouting questions, with other people chiming in and murmuring in the background: 'What are you doing on this play? What does the tight end do?' I said, 'I think he's out.' He said, 'You think he's out? Or he is out? Which is it?' It was intense."

But Mack, who earned his degree in legal studies, is working towards his Master's in Education and often brought novels into post-practice ice baths, was up for the mental gymnastics.

via image.examiner.com

Pride of Detroit on the Pain Train.

One position they haven't forgotten about is outside linebacker, as the Lions just drafted another one with the 235th pick. His name is Zack Follett and he played for Cal. It appears that he is a great special teams player based on this scouting reportfrom NFL.com:

Compares To: LARRY IZZO, New York Jets -- Like Izzo, Follett plays like a UFC champion - packs a wallop, but boy can he get out of control. He will at least buy himself time in the NFL based on his stellar special teams play and also as a situational player to disrupt the backfield, but there are a lot of holes in his game, especially in pass coverage. He will likely be on the draft board much longer than most experts predict.

If nothing else it was a fine example of neopolitick, keeping one of the top talents in the draft away from a huge rival.

via cache.gettyimages.com

Finally, Field Gulls on Morrah to Seattle.

Athletic tight end out of Cal. Caught eight touchdowns in just 27 receptions. Might be destined to play wide receiver in the pros. 4.66 forty, 24 reps on the bench, 32.5" vert, 6.99 three cone drill.

Finally, Seattle wrapped it up with three project picks. Nick Reed is a pass rush specialist that needs to get up to NFL speed and NFL size. Courtney Greene is a big upside strong safety that will need time on the practice squad to learn how not be made foolish my NFL offensive coordinators and NFL quarterbacks. Cameron Morrah is an athletic tight end that might play something closer to a wide receiver role in Seattle.

If you have any parting thoughts about the draft, this is the place to voice them!

Poll

How do you feel about only three Golden Bears being drafted?

A major setback in recruiting; young guys are going to say we don't produce talent

21 votes

A minor setback in recruiting; it sucks not having high profile guys up there, but that's just me

121 votes

Not much of an issue; high schoolers don't get influenced by this stuff

24 votes

Who cares? This is about pro teams getting better, not Cal.

16 votes

182 votes | Poll has closed

Seattle Seahawks 2009 Draft Recap

John Morgan — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:30:46 -0000

More photos » by Jason DeCrow - AP

Seattle's draft was about the future. Seattle lost Julian Peterson and formerly franchised linebacker Leroy Hill is now a free agent. In light of that, drafting Aaron Curry is a lateral move at best for 2009. Check back in 2012, when Peterson is approaching retirement and Curry is terrorizing the league.

Browse more photos »

Draft coverage continues on Monday. We'll do full tape analysis of every Seahawks pick. Tomorrow we start with Max Unger and discuss his potential and his potential at guard.

Field Gulls Draft Day Coverage:

Aaron Curry by John Morgan

Aaron Curry by Doug Farrar

Courtney Greene, Nick Reed and Cameron Morrah

Seattle's Free Agent Signings

Gut Reaction: Seattle adds some talent to put itself back into contention, if outside contention, but Tim Ruskell mostly defers to the future. Aaron Curry is the near-consensus best player in this entire draft, with some calling him a once in a decade linebacker talent. In the short term, with the loss of Julian Peterson and the free agency possible loss of Leroy Hill, this is a lateral move. Curry will be a pro and in his prime when Peterson retires. I love Leroy Hill. I love his ability to explode the screen, blow up the lead blocker and explode into rushers before they achieve positive yards. Curry may never be as good as Hill, but he probably. He'll probably be amazingly better.

Max Unger is another nod to the future. Unger is a center by designation, but an offensive lineman by trade. His slightness might force him to stick at center, but I prefer him at guard. If he's a guard he can be an improvement right away and really solidify Seattle's move to a zone blocking scheme. If he sticks at center, that means the end of the Chris Spencer era, and I know many are saying "not soon enough".

Seattle added some talent at wide receiver and quarterback. Wide receiver Deon Butler is a burner with good route running skills. People are comparing him to Deion Branch and fellow Penn State alumni Bobby Engram, but his skill-set and talent is more like Lee Evans. Butler is a tenacious blocker who added almost 20 pounds before going pro. Mike Teel is a legend at Rutgers. He looks like a David Greene pick.

The big move of the draft, bigger even maybe that selecting Aaron Curry, is Seattle trading their second round pick for Denver's first round pick in 2010. Before losing Jay Cutler, the Broncos were likely to decline. Given that loss and their coaching instability, Seattle's pick could be in the top ten.

Finally, Seattle wrapped it up with three project picks. Nick Reed is a pass rush specialist that needs to get up to NFL speed and NFL size. Courtney Greene is a big upside strong safety that will need time on the practice squad to learn how not be made foolish my NFL offensive coordinators and NFL quarterbacks. Cameron Morrah is an athletic tight end that might play something closer to a wide receiver role in Seattle.

All in all, like it or not, Tim Ruskell is looking towards the future. To better tomorrows.

NFL Draft II Open Thread

Avinash — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 08:39:12 -0000

NFL Draft, Day 2: 10 AM EST, 7 AM PST.

Worrell Williams Highlights from david cutcliff on Vimeo.

Round 1 is up and Alex Mack is on his way to Cleveland, where he will get a chance to duel with old enemies in Rey Maulauga and Keith Rivers at Cincy. It seems around football circles, he was valued more than the highly versatile Duck center Max Unger; Unger wasn't picked until late in the 2nd round to Seattle.

Now we're onto the meat and potatoes. Although the big guns have been hired, the 3rd through 7th rounds can offer so many opportunities at rebuilding a team from the bottom up. Follett and Morrah are the likeliest Bears to be drafted. Worrell, Rulon and Anthony all have shots too. Nate and Will are dark horses. We'll see what happens.

Before clicking through to the comment sections, ponder this question: Which Golden Bear moving on will have the best pro career? Answer this poll and elucidate on your answer in the comments.

After the jump are all the links from yesterday, along with danzig highlight reels for most of the players up for grabs.

Rulon Davis Highlights from bob gregory on Vimeo.

Rulon Davis (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

Interviews: Yahoo Sports, Cal Bears Examiner, The Football Expert, Daily Cal

Profile from Draft Countdown

Strengths: Decent athlete...Great height and bulk...Extremely long arms and big hands...Strong...Powerful tackler...Stout at the point of attack..Does a nice job in pursuit...Has a non-stop motor...Very tough...Hard worker.

Weaknesses: Below average speed and quickness...Is not very explosive and lacks a burst...Raw technician...Not a top pass rusher and repertoire of moves is limited...Durability is a concern...Is older than the average prospect.

Fanbases/teams interested in Rulon: New England, Oakland, Indy, Buffalo (maybe it's just that one fan, fami1y_first who keeps on posting Bears players. Not that I don't mind the coverage...wooo! MORE GOLDEN BEARS IN BUFFALO!)

Wrecking Crew 2008 - Cal's Linebackers from jack bauer on Vimeo.

Zack Follett (click for Remembering the Seniors profile)

Interviews: Daily Cal, Scout, Examiner

Draft Countdown Profile

Strengths:
Very physical with good strength...Reliable tackler...Excellent in pursuit...Does a nice job versus the run...Can take on and shed blockers...Good pass rusher and blitzer...Has a burst to close...Very intense and competitive...A big hitter...Has a non-stop motor...Superb instincts...Hard worker...Tough and durable...Has a lot of special teams potential... Productive and really had a terrific senior campaign.

Weaknesses:
Just average size and bulk...Stiff and not a great athlete...Doesn't play real fast...Has some health and durability concerns...Sub par change of direction skills...Too aggressive at times...Lacks fluid hips...A liability in coverage...Marginal ball skills...Struggles in space ... Limited upside.

Fanbases/teams interested in Follett: San Francisco, Buffalo, Houston, Arizona, Oakland, New Orleans, Indianapolis

Worrell Williams (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

Draft Countdown Profile:

Strengths: Good athleticism...Is quick and agile with a burst...Decent bulk and a solid frame...A reliable tackler...Able to deliver the big hit...Good strength...Works through traffic well...Has a great motor...Intense and competitive...Versatile...Durable and experienced...Good bloodlines.

Weaknesses: Shorter than you'd prefer...Does not have great timed speed...Lacks fluid hips...Average, at best, in coverage...Questionable instincts and awareness...Is too aggressive at times...Has trouble getting off blocks.

Fanbases/teams interested in Worrell: Denver, St. Louis, Cincinnati

Anthony Felder (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

Draft Countdown profile:

Strengths:
Very athletic...Above average speed, agility and quickness...Excellent strength...Reliable tackler...Outstanding range...Intelligent with great instincts and awareness...Smooth in coverage...Offers some positional versatility...Fantastic work ethic...Lots of experience...Still has upside.

Weaknesses:
Does not have the size that you look for...Has trouble taking on and shedding blockers...Marginal pass rush ability...Isn't a big hitter...Does not make many impact plays in coverage...Durability may be an issue.

Fanbases/teams interested in Anthony: Cincinnati

Will Ta'ufo'ou Career Highlights from danzig on Vimeo.

Will Ta'ufo'ou (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

Sports Illustrated Draft Profile:

POSITIVES: Explosive lead blocker who flashes skill handling the ball. Quick off the snap, accelerates into blocks and fundamentally sound. Displays good footwork in pass protection, picks up blitzes and squares into defenders. Gets out front and creates space for running backs. Works hard to finish blocks.

NEGATIVES: Average strength and really does not get much movement run blocking. Looks small for 250 pounds. Rarely asked to handle the ball.

ANALYSIS: Ta'ufo'ou is a hard-working fullback who's also been very effective on special teams in college. He has the skill set to find a home as a number two fullback on a roster, and Ta'ufo'ou presents himself as a special teams demon.

Fanbases/teams interested in Will: Cincinnati

Cameron Morrah (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

Draft Countdown Profile

Strengths:
Very athletic...Good speed and quickness...Soft, reliable hands...Great body control and ball skills...Decent leaper...Runs good routes...Able to separate..Strong...Is not afraid to work the middle...Still has upside.

Weaknesses:
Just average size and bulk...Isn't very elusive and won't do much after the catch...Questionable instincts and awareness...Isn't much of a blocker...Not real tough or physical...Durability...Limited experience.

Fanbases/teams interested in Morrah: Atlanta, Denver, Philadelphia, Detroit, Buffalo (there's a crazy number of Cal fans who are Bills fans too, weird)

Nate Longshore (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

Stories on Longshore: CC Times, Examiner

Tom Schneider (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile): Plus our interview with him! And my old interview with him!

Jordan Kay (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

Poll

Which Golden Bear moving on will have the best pro career?

Nate Longshore

9 votes

Will Ta'ufo'ou

12 votes

Alex Mack

151 votes

Anthony Felder

0 votes

Zack Follett

18 votes

Cameron Morrah

4 votes

Worrell Williams

2 votes

Rulon Davis

1 votes

Another Cal senior

4 votes

201 votes | Poll has closed

NFL Draft Open Thread

Avinash — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 07:30:09 -0000

This post is for discussing this weekend's NFL Draft. If the thread gets huge on Day 1 we can probably split it into two threads for each day. Any NFL fans wandering by after Cal players get drafted are welcome to comment too!

For Cal fans with NFL allegiances, you're free to speculate about which players your team is interested in, who you believe they should pick, how happy or disgusted you are with your team's picks, and how Mel Kiper's hair could be used as a biological weapon.

For those not terribly interested in where everyone ends up but just that they get drafted, this is one last chance to reminicise about seniors. Which senior will you miss the most? Which senior do you think the Bears will miss the most, based on their importance to the team? And is there anything wrong with the draft profiles on our players?

Here are some brief predictions of where some of our players can go by people (i.e. SBNation NFL blogs) who follow this stuff way more closely than me.

After Alex Mack, the jump takes us to the rest of the players who are in the draft mix and see which fanbases have expressed interest in them (the description is more detailed for Mack since he's the only one going on Day 1; after that it becomes essentially a crapshoot).

Alex Mack (click for Remembering the Seniors profile)

via www.calbearsonline.com

Interviews: Scout, Yahoo Sports

Draft Countdown Profile

Strengths:
Ideal size and bulk...Extremely smart...Decent athlete with good agility and quickness...Physical and aggressive...Nasty with a killer instinct and always finishes plays...Great technician who understands angles and leverage...Outstanding awareness...Very strong and powerful and is a monster in the weight room...Above average mobility...Hard worker...Tough and durable... Has a lot of experience.

Weaknesses:
Does not have great balance and spends too much time on the ground...A little stiff in the hips...Not real light on his feet...Shorter arms than you'd prefer...Can be too aggressive at times...Will get out of control ... Susceptible to being overwhelmed by massive defenders

Bruce Feldman

Alex Mack, Cal, C: I know some teams prefer Oregon's Max Unger to Mack in part because the Bear spends too much time on the ground. Some of the Pac-10 defensive tackles I've spoken to in the past say Mack was the better player. My hunch is that Mack will start in the NFL for close to a decade. He is a former standout wrestler with great flexibility and more than enough bulk to anchor the middle.

Fanbases really interested in Mack: Buffalo (don't forget we did an interview with them about Mack), Arizona, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Miami

Fanbases not interested: Seattle, Detroit, Kansas City

Most mock drafts have him going to...Pittsburgh with the 32nd pick (Big Blue View (Giants), Canal Street Chronicles (Saints), Don Banks of SI, Sports Agents Blog, Mocking the Draft, Music City Miracles (Titans), Stampede Blue (Colts), Mile High Report (Broncos), Niners Nation (49ers), Walter Football). Quite pleasing if this happens.

Dark horses: Peter King has him going to Minnesota, which means he's not. Mel Kiper has him in Cincy in the 2nd round, I think. Michael Abromowitz of the Football Expert believes he's the second surest prospect in the draft. Nevertheless, Mike Maycock believes Max Unger is a better pick because of his versatility, or whatever.

Zack Follett (click for Remembering the Seniors profile)

via cdn2.sbnation.com

Interviews: Daily Cal, Scout, Examiner

Draft Countdown Profile

Strengths:
Very physical with good strength...Reliable tackler...Excellent in pursuit...Does a nice job versus the run...Can take on and shed blockers...Good pass rusher and blitzer...Has a burst to close...Very intense and competitive...A big hitter...Has a non-stop motor...Superb instincts...Hard worker...Tough and durable...Has a lot of special teams potential... Productive and really had a terrific senior campaign.

Weaknesses:
Just average size and bulk...Stiff and not a great athlete...Doesn't play real fast...Has some health and durability concerns...Sub par change of direction skills...Too aggressive at times...Lacks fluid hips...A liability in coverage...Marginal ball skills...Struggles in space ... Limited upside.

Fanbases/teams interested in Follett: San Francisco, Buffalo, Houston, Arizona, Oakland, New Orleans, Indianapolis

Cameron Morrah (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

via cache.daylife.com

Draft Countdown Profile

Strengths:
Very athletic...Good speed and quickness...Soft, reliable hands...Great body control and ball skills...Decent leaper...Runs good routes...Able to separate..Strong...Is not afraid to work the middle...Still has upside.

Weaknesses:
Just average size and bulk...Isn't very elusive and won't do much after the catch...Questionable instincts and awareness...Isn't much of a blocker...Not real tough or physical...Durability...Limited experience.

Fanbases/teams interested in Morrah: Atlanta, Denver, Philadelphia, Detroit, Buffalo (there's a crazy number of Cal fans who are Bills fans too, weird)

Rulon Davis (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

via cdn1.sbnation.com

Interviews: Yahoo Sports, Cal Bears Examiner, The Football Expert, Daily Cal

Profile from Draft Countdown

Strengths: Decent athlete...Great height and bulk...Extremely long arms and big hands...Strong...Powerful tackler...Stout at the point of attack..Does a nice job in pursuit...Has a non-stop motor...Very tough...Hard worker.

Weaknesses: Below average speed and quickness...Is not very explosive and lacks a burst...Raw technician...Not a top pass rusher and repertoire of moves is limited...Durability is a concern...Is older than the average prospect.

Worrell Williams (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

via cache.daylife.com

Draft Countdown Profile:

Strengths: Good athleticism...Is quick and agile with a burst...Decent bulk and a solid frame...A reliable tackler...Able to deliver the big hit...Good strength...Works through traffic well...Has a great motor...Intense and competitive...Versatile...Durable and experienced...Good bloodlines.

Weaknesses: Shorter than you'd prefer...Does not have great timed speed...Lacks fluid hips...Average, at best, in coverage...Questionable instincts and awareness...Is too aggressive at times...Has trouble getting off blocks.

Fanbases/teams interested in Worrell: Denver, St. Louis, Cincinnati

Will Ta'ufo'ou (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

via www.dailycal.org

Sports Illustrated Draft Profile:

POSITIVES: Explosive lead blocker who flashes skill handling the ball. Quick off the snap, accelerates into blocks and fundamentally sound. Displays good footwork in pass protection, picks up blitzes and squares into defenders. Gets out front and creates space for running backs. Works hard to finish blocks.

NEGATIVES: Average strength and really does not get much movement run blocking. Looks small for 250 pounds. Rarely asked to handle the ball.

ANALYSIS: Ta'ufo'ou is a hard-working fullback who's also been very effective on special teams in college. He has the skill set to find a home as a number two fullback on a roster, and Ta'ufo'ou presents himself as a special teams demon.

Fanbases/teams interested in Will: Cincinnati

Anthony Felder (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

via blog.oregonlive.com

Draft Countdown profile:

Strengths:
Very athletic...Above average speed, agility and quickness...Excellent strength...Reliable tackler...Outstanding range...Intelligent with great instincts and awareness...Smooth in coverage...Offers some positional versatility...Fantastic work ethic...Lots of experience...Still has upside.

Weaknesses:
Does not have the size that you look for...Has trouble taking on and shedding blockers...Marginal pass rush ability...Isn't a big hitter...Does not make many impact plays in coverage...Durability may be an issue.

Fanbases/teams interested in Anthony: Cincinnati

Nate Longshore (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

Stories on Longshore: CC Times, Examiner

Tom Schneider (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile): Plus our interview with him! And my old interview with him!

Jordan Kay (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)

Poll

Which departing Cal player will you miss the most?

Nate Longshore

17 votes

Alex Mack

48 votes

Zack Follett

96 votes

Cameron Morrah

1 votes

Rulon Davis

2 votes

Worrell Williams

2 votes

Will Ta'ufo'ou

20 votes

Anthony Felder

4 votes

Jordan Kay

1 votes

Tom Schneider

2 votes

Another senior (Sean Young, Norris Malele, Nick Sundberg, etc.)

2 votes

195 votes | Poll has closed

Remembering the Early Entries: Cameron Morrah

HydroTech — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:30:09 -0000

via www.dailycal.org

We thought we should go senior by senior and take a gander at their Cal career. Some photos. Some videos. Some stats. And if HydroTech has any personal stories of his time with the team, he'd share them. We did Nate Longshore months ago, because Twist screwed up the scheduling. Also, he's so dreamy! And we just did Alex Mack. And, then, Will Ta'ufo'ou. And then Jordan Kay. And then Anthony Felder. And then we did Rulon Davis. Then, we did Tom Schneider.

Today, we do Cameron Morrah.

TwistNHook: Although I don't believe Morrah is quite a senior, if HydroTech tells us to remember somebody, WE REMEMBER HIM! So, let's get crackilackin' on Cameron Morrah. What are my thoughts on Morrah? Well, he was much more of an offensive threat than previous TEs who were more blocking focused. Not to say that Morrah's blocking is bad, far from it. And given our WR troubles this past year, he was perfectly placed to get a lot of action. There were some problems with his hands at times, but overall he was a great pass-catching TE and will benefit many teams in the NFL.

Yellow Fever: He struck me as a bit of the anti-Craig Stevens. Which was great when Stevens was around, but not so great when he wasn't. Still, it was nice to have a somewhat reliable pass catcher when the wide receiver corps was busy applying butter to their fingers in between plays.

Avinash: Our blocking did suffer without Stevens; when we faced a good pass rush or running D, our offense tended to bog down without that extra cover man to fortify the lines. Morrah just doesn't have the physique to be dominant on the LOS.

But catch? He can definitely catch.

TwistNHook: You get a very small appreciation of the players from the FanFest. So, who knows what Morrah really is like. But at the FanFest, he was a very quiet and very shy player. While others were very gregarious, he was more withdrawn. He was not mean by any stretch of the imagination. Just not quite as out-going as others. I wonder if that ever relates to anything on the field.

HydroTech: I don't have a particular story to tell about Cameron. The reason why is because the guy never talked. I swear, I don't think EVER heard him say even ONE word. He was a quiet introverted guy. I don't think he even spoke much, if at all, to the other TEs. It wasn't that they weren't friends or they were on bad terms, but the guy just didn't speak.

via www.dailycal.org

Also, Cameron always seemed a little lackadaisical. I wouldn't say he was lazy, but just the way he carried himself, he always seemed a bit out of it or tired. I don't think it was because he was lazy or tired, it's just that that was his style. Some guys are loud, talkative, and animated. Cameron was the opposite. He was quiet, not talkative, and not animated.

I remember watching his highschool videos when he was playing DE. I always wondered how he would have faired as a DE. For a while, when he was stuck behind Craig Stevens, I thought perhaps it was a bad move for him to be at TE instead of DE. I guess I was wrong. I'm thinking Cameron is probably around a 5th or 6th round pick. What do you guys think?

TwistNHook: A key game for Morrah this past year was against MSU. Here are his numbers;

REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LG
C. Morrah	5	93	18.6	1	50

5 catches for 93 yards and 1 touchdown. That was the first game of the year and he helped calm Riley down. Riley had probably one of his best games of the season that day. And, given the green-ness of the WRs, Morrah was a big part of it.

Lets look at his career stats:

Year	G-GS	No.	Yds.	Yds/C	TD	Long
2006	8-2	1	3	3.0	1	3
2007	12-4	13	155	11.9	1	49
2008	13-13	27	326	12.1	8	50
Totals	33-19	41	484	11.9	10	50

Clearly, Morrah's role in the offense increased from 2007-2008. What is interested is to note that the Yards Per Catch didn't increase by that much. 11.9 to 12.1. So, they weren't really using him in much different ways. They were just using him more. And boy did it work!

Avinash: What's the biggest play/catch you guys remember Morrah making in his Cal career?

Ragnarok: Well, I'll always remember Morrah for being on the receiving end of Nate Longshore's first pass of the 2008 season. Riley had been doing fine against Michigan State to start, but in the 2nd quarter, it was Longshore's time, and he got right down to it: a 50-yard pass deep down the sideline to Cameron Morrah. Everyone in the stands went nuts, and we were like, "This is going to be a heck of a quarterback competition!" Of course, Longshore tossed an interception in the end zone 3 plays later, but I still remember that 50-yard bomb.

Honestly, how many Tight Ends even *have* 50-yard receptions on their résumé? I can't be that many. Personally, I always thought of Morrah as a big Wide Receiver who could block a little, rather than a small Tight End who could catch some. You'll remember at the end of the Arizona game this past year, when Cal was down 2 scores and desperate to get anything going on offense, Tedford sent out Kevin Riley and 5 receivers split wide. No one was positioned at tight end, but Morrah was still out on the field, split wide, simply because he was probably our best receiver last year, certainly in the top 3. Would Craig Stevens have even been on the field in a desperation, comeback moment like this? I very much doubt it.

HydroTech: I think Morrah's best catch was against Arizona last year. The pass was from Longshore rolling out to his right, and Morrah was in the back right corner of the endzone. He jumped up, caught the ball, and got a foot inbounds - he might have even gotten both feet in. Anyways, I think that was not only one of Longshore's best throws of the season, but also Morrah's best catch of the season.

TE, Cameron Morrah, California

Jeremy Bolander — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:38:35 -0000

TE, Cameron Morrah, California

At A Glance
Position 1: Tight End	Height: 6-4
Position 2:	Weight: 244
Class: Junior	Age:
Projected Round: 4th	40time: 4.66

Combine/Proday Results
Bench Reps: 24	Vertical: 32.5
20yd Split: 2.66	Broad Jump: 9'7"
10yd Split: 1.59	20yd Shuttle: 4.36
3 Cone Drill: 6.99

Pros: Long, lanky build with plenty of room for additional mass. Good use of hands and lateral quickness off the line of scrimmage to get into his route. Can threaten down the seam. Flashes the ability to sink his hips and generate some separation out of his breaks. Flashes courage over the middle to extend and make the tough catch in traffic. Can snatch the ball out of the air. Generally soft hands for the reception and will catch with his body when he is expecting a big hit. Ascending prospect whose best football is still ahead of him.

Cons: Lacks bulk, especially in his upper body. Shows some effort as a run blocker, but is easily discarded by front seven defenders due to his lack of strength. Talented receiver, but is prone to lapses in concentration. Drops some easy passes. Doesn't consistently use his size to his advantage over the middle. Impressive touchdown total more a reflection of defenses' focus on dynamic sophomore running back Jahvid Best.

Around MHR:

Around SBNation:

From "Cameron Morrah Looking Good at Combine" from California Golden Blogs:

Definite power and pop on his blocks -- I've felt that he was a lot better blocker than everyone was saying. I saw that as a bandwagon opinion that people echoed to sound smart about football... Still room for improvement though as it doesn't look natural Edit:Todd McShay agrees with me... Uses quick first step to beat defenders to the spot. Plays with a wide base, stays low and can root defenders off the ball. Takes sound angles to downfield assignments and generally does a nice job of covering up linebackers at the second level... Tenacious and does a tremendous job of finishing blocks. Appears fearless when working the middle of the field.

Highlights:

Scouting Reports and Offsite Links:

Cameron Morrah came into the 2009 NFL Combine off the radar of most scouts and pundits, but he's sure to have made a blip the last two days with his combine stats.

What hurts Morrah's draft stock is that he is still raw when it comes to his blocking technique. He came to Cal as a four-star defensive end recruit and leaves as a talented, but raw tight end - early. [see more...]

Inside The Numbers - 2008 Football Season

TwistNHook — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:00:10 -0000

Yes, I know exactly what you are saying. What? Another serious number-crunching, statistically-minded post from the California Golden Blogs? When are they going to take things a bit more lightly? Why always so serious?

Well, I apologize. I'm sorry that yet again we've dispensed with the inane to bring you the hard-hitting internet journalissimo that you've come to expect from the California Golden Blogs. I mean, as I always say, we are dealing with two of the most important, most sacrosanct entities out there: college football and the internet.

Neither are laughing matters!

So, if you want a few laughs, a few chuckles, a few guffaws, like usual, perhaps this isn't the blog for you. Well, except for this joke here:

A tree walks into a bar. The bartender, upset, asks it to leaf.

Were I knowledgeable about the sound one makes when enjoying a mirthful situation, I would make it here now. I would make it out loud. And were there an internet acronym for experiencing a mirthful situation audibly and loudly, I would use it.

Failing that, let's just look at the season stats for the 2008 Cal football team. With signing day tomorrow, we have 2009 on the horizon. Time to close the books on 2008!

All stats are from here

             2008 California Football
                CAL Overall Team Statistics (as of Dec 27, 2008)
                                   All games

TEAM STATISTICS                         CAL          OPP
--------------------------------------------------------
SCORING.......................          424          259
  Points Per Game.............         32.6         19.9
FIRST DOWNS...................          230          229
  Rushing.....................           97           95
  Passing.....................          110          115
  Penalty.....................           23           19
RUSHING YARDAGE...............         2421         1589
  Yards gained rushing........         2786         2056
  Yards lost rushing..........          365          467
  Rushing Attempts............          435          495
  Average Per Rush............          5.6          3.2
  Average Per Game............        186.2        122.2
  TDs Rushing.................           22           16
PASSING YARDAGE...............         2467         2509
  Att-Comp-Int................   397-209-10   432-223-24
  Average Per Pass............          6.2          5.8
  Average Per Catch...........         11.8         11.3
  Average Per Game............        189.8        193.0
  TDs Passing.................           25           12
TOTAL OFFENSE.................         4888         4098
  Total Plays.................          832          927
  Average Per Play............          5.9          4.4
  Average Per Game............        376.0        315.2
KICK RETURNS: #-Yards.........       43-877      66-1352
PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards.........       38-448       23-284
INT RETURNS: #-Yards..........       24-419       10-184
KICK RETURN AVERAGE...........         20.4         20.5
PUNT RETURN AVERAGE...........         11.8         12.3
INT RETURN AVERAGE............         17.5         18.4
FUMBLES-LOST..................         16-9        28-10
PENALTIES-Yards...............       77-649       75-647
  Average Per Game............         49.9         49.8
PUNTS-Yards...................      74-3087      79-3190
  Average Per Punt............         41.7         40.4
  Net punt average............         36.0         33.2
TIME OF POSSESSION/Game.......        29:06        30:47
3RD-DOWN Conversions..........       47/159       61/197
  3rd-Down Pct................          30%          31%
4TH-DOWN Conversions..........         5/14         7/22
  4th-Down Pct................          36%          32%
SACKS BY-Yards................       35-270       25-183
MISC YARDS....................           75            4
TOUCHDOWNS SCORED.............           54           33
FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS..........        15-21        10-17
ON-SIDE KICKS.................          0-6          2-6
RED-ZONE SCORES...............   84-102 82%    60-88 68%
RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS...........   60-102 59%    42-88 48%
PAT-ATTEMPTS..................   53-53 100%    31-32 97%
ATTENDANCE....................       862874       520594
  Games/Avg Per Game..........     14/61634     10/52059
  Neutral Site Games..........                   2/42268

SCORE BY QUARTERS     1st  2nd  3rd  4th    Total
--------------------  ---  ---  ---  ---      ---
CAL.................  108  124   81  111  -   424
Opponents...........   40   65   86   68  -   259

First thing of note. First downs.

FIRST DOWNS...................          230          229

We average about 13 more points a game, but only had 1 more first down the entire year than our opponents?!?!?!? Well, what does that mean? Either we were scoring explosively or our D was bending, but not breaking. Or both! Methinks, its a little from column A, a little from column B. Even with all of our offensive woes, we had a strangely explosive offense. One Best run here. One Vereen run there. Then, our D would come in with Bob Gregory's classic Bend, But Don't Break. That makes sense when you think about it, but seeing it in black and white was interesting.

More indication of that interesting situation:

TIME OF POSSESSION/Game.......        29:06        30:47

Sort of speaks for itself there. Strangely explosive, yet at times mediocre offense with a staunch bend, but don't break D.

Two more notes. One, we actually gave up more yards through the air than we had. Considering our staunch D, especially aerially, for most of the year (save a few games like MSU and Arizona), this reflects poorly upon the passing offense.

Also, we only had 3ish more yards of air attack than ground attack per game. Another sign of a great rush attack and a not so good air attack.

RUSHING         GP  Att Gain Loss  Net   Avg  TD Long Avg/G
-----------------------------------------------------------
Best, Jahvid    12  194 1653   73 1580   8.1  15   86 131.7
Vereen, Shane   13  142  754   39  715   5.0   4   81  55.0
Slocum, Tracy   11   22  132    7  125   5.7   1   24  11.4
Ross, Jeremy    13   10   72   10   62   6.2   0   41   4.8
Geurts, Peter    3    7   48    1   47   6.7   0   27  15.7
Ta'ufo'ou, Will 13    4   26    0   26   6.5   0   21   2.0
Mansion, Brock   2    3   13    0   13   4.3   1    7   6.5
Young, Sean     10    1    2    0    2   2.0   0    2   0.2
Boateng, Nyan   13    1    0    0    0   0.0   0    0   0.0
Tyndall, John   11    1    0    1   -1  -1.0   0    0  -0.1
WILLIAMS, W.    13    1    0    2   -2  -2.0   0    0  -0.2
TEAM            12   11    0   24  -24  -2.2   0    0  -2.0
Riley, Kevin    11   30   86  142  -56  -1.9   1   27  -5.1
Longshore, Nate 13    8    0   66  -66  -8.2   0    0  -5.1
Total.......... 13  435 2786  365 2421   5.6  22   86 186.2
Opponents...... 13  495 2056  467 1589   3.2  16   59 122.2

What do we take away from here? Jahvid Best is good. I mean really good. I am sort of stunned at the low average that Vereen had. Only 55 yards a game? I could have sworn he would have more. Especially considering he started the ASU game when Best was out. He only had 50 fewer carries than Best. And he has a lower average rush per game than Slocum. This is not to speak ill of Vereen, he is clearly a great back. And Slocum is talented. And comparing Vereen to Best is not fair, considering how amazing Best is.

I could see Slocum transferring. He is clearly very talented. He has 2 stud backs ahead of him. He has a lot of talent coming up behind him, like Deboskie and Yarnway. Montgomery saw the same situation and gtfo'd. Could Slocum do the same?

PASSING         GP   Effic Cmp-Att-Int   Pct  Yds  TD Lng Avg/G
---------------------------------------------------------------
Riley, Kevin    11  117.85  112-221-6   50.7 1360  14  59 123.6
Longshore, Nate 13  125.78  93-164-4    56.7 1051  10  74  80.8
Mansion, Brock   2   86.40    3-6-0     50.0   26   0  10  13.0
TEAM            12    0.00    0-4-0      0.0    0   0   0   0.0
Vereen, Shane   13    0.00    0-1-0      0.0    0   0   0   0.0
Ross, Jeremy    13  682.00    1-1-0    100.0   30   1  30   2.3
Total.......... 13  120.59 209-397-10   52.6 2467  25  74 189.8
Opponents...... 13   98.46 223-432-24   51.6 2509  12  63 193.0

I was excited to see the stats here, until I actually saw the stats here. I mean this is the big thing, right? Nate v. Kevin! Kevin v. Nate! How much money, how much time, has been spent on this. And, looking at the numbers, Jeremy Ross should be the QB! Efficiency rating of 682. Now, that is impressive!

Learn more about the efficiency rating here. Here is the list of the Top 100 QBs by rating.

Kevin Riley is 79th behind Chris Turner at Maryland. Longshore is not listed, oddly. It says you have to have played in 75% of games with minimum of 15 snaps per game. I feel like he did that, but perhaps not? His 125 rating would put him at 60th right behind Riley Skinner of Wake Forest and before the QB at Akron! Akron! These aren't exactly luminaries of the QB world.

If I had to choose who was better, its tough. Riley had more opportunities, so he racked up more counting stats. But his completion percentage is 7% worse. Ai! His average yards per game is better, tho, by a healthy margin. So, there are conflicting numbers all over the place.

Long story short, I think it's safe to say that Cal didn't obtain the QB play that it would have liked. Perhaps some of it stems from youth and inexperience at WR. But not ALL of it can be attributed to that. Some of the blame has to fall squarely on the shoulders of Nate and Kevin. Hopefully, the QB next year (most likely Riley) will improve. Honestly, it'd be tough not to.

RECEIVING       GP  No.  Yds   Avg  TD Long Avg/G
-------------------------------------------------
Boateng, Nyan   13   29  439  15.1   5   53  33.8
Morrah, Cameron 13   27  326  12.1   8   50  25.1
Best, Jahvid    12   27  246   9.1   1   42  20.5
Vereen, Shane   13   27  221   8.2   1   59  17.0
Tucker, Verran  10   21  362  17.2   3   74  36.2
CUNNINGHAM, L.  13   18  276  15.3   1   35  21.2
Ross, Jeremy    13   17  210  12.4   2   29  16.2
Young, Sean     10   17  192  11.3   1   42  19.2
Calvin, Michael  4    8  103  12.9   0   23  25.8
Ta'ufo'ou, Will 13    7   27   3.9   1    5   2.1
Smith, Tad      12    3   23   7.7   1    9   1.9
Slocum, Tracy   11    2    0   0.0   0    2   0.0
Smith, Zach      9    1   10  10.0   0   10   1.1
Glover, Drew     2    1    9   9.0   0    9   4.5
Jones, Marvin    5    1    8   8.0   0    8   1.6
Stroud, Alex     1    1    7   7.0   0    7   7.0
Riley, Kevin    11    1    6   6.0   0    6   0.5
Miller, Anthony 10    1    2   2.0   1    2   0.2
Total.......... 13  209 2467  11.8  25   74 189.8
Opponents...... 13  223 2509  11.3  12   63 193.0

Anthony Miller. 1 Reception. 2 yards. 1 TD. Nice!

But besides that delightful footnote, you know it's not promising when 3 out of the top 4 receivers are not wide. Morrah, a TE, and the RB double headed attack are 2,3, and 4. Only Boateng is ahead of them. And he averaged 15 yards a game. Our #1 receiver averaged 33 yards a game. Tucker did average 4 more a game, but he came on later in the year, so his overall year stats are not as strong. There really isn't a lot to say here, the numbers (or lack thereof) speak for themselves. And, are not, in any way surprising.

I am going to discuss the Defensive players here, because the D tables sometimes create odd situations for the text below them. Not sure why.

The top guys are about what you'd expect for tackles. 3 LBs. That's solid. In 2007, our top tackler was DeCoud, a S. Not as good. I am a bit surprised at how far down Worrell Williams is, but there were a lot of great players playing around him. Gobbling up tackles and the ilk.

BTW, check out Pain Trains numbers. 23 TFLs! As a linebacker. And 10.5 sacks. He had more sacks than Jordan and Alualu combined. Crazzy! Thats about 240 lost yards from Pain Train alone! Speaking of cartoonish numbers, SydGOD only had 4 interceptions on the year (tough to pick a ball when nobody is throwing to you), but had 128 yars on those 4 ints. And 14 pass break ups. He'd always seem to get a hand in on the last second there.

Some great numbers down there. Hopefully, things won't drop off too much next year. What numbers intrigue and interest you? Tell us below! And Go Bears!

             |--------Tackles--------| |-Sacks-| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE LEADERS   GP Solo  Ast Total   TFL/Yds   No-Yds  Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds  FF Kick Saf
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7  Felder, Anthony  13   37   56    93   5.5-14   0.5-3      1-15     1   2    .      1    .   .
56 Follett, Zack    13   58   29    87  23.0-138 10.5-99      .       4   4   1-0     5    .   .
18 MOHAMED, M.      13   51   36    87   6.0-22   3.0-16     3-30     2   3   2-3     1    .   .
5  THOMPSON, S.     13   41   29    70   7.5-26   2.0-17     4-128   14   .    .      .    .   .
29 Ezeff, Marcus    13   36   30    66   1.0-1       .       3-78     6   .   1-0     .    .   .
1  WILLIAMS, W.     13   25   39    64   5.0-20   1.0-10     1-50     6   .   1-0     .    .   .
44 Alualu, Tyson    13   21   41    62  11.0-66   6.0-51      .       2   6    .      2    .   .
26 Hagan, Darian    13   38   18    56   2.5-4       .       3-12    15   .   1-0     1    .   .
97 Jordan, Cameron  12   26   21    47  11.0-29   4.0-17     1-3      .   2   2-7     1    .   .
25 Johnson, Brett   12   25   18    43      .        .       2-62     3   .    .      1    1   .
9  Young, Eddie     12   18   22    40   1.5-4    0.5-3      1-17     .   .    .      1    .   .
76 Hill, Derrick    13    4   25    29   2.5-4    0.5-1       .       1   .    .      .    .   .
17 Conte, Chris     12   15   13    28   1.0-5       .       1-0      7   .    .      .    .   .
2  Hicks, Bernard    6   14    9    23      .        .       1-0      1   .    .      .    .   .
94 Davis, Rulon      9    8   11    19   5.5-33   4.0-28      .       2   3    .      2    1   .
30 KENDRICKS. M.    13    8    7    15   1.0-10   1.0-10      .       .   .    .      .    1   .
98 Kane, Mika       13    4   10    14   0.5-1       .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .
0C Holt, D.J.       12    9    5    14   1.0-1       .        .       .   .    .      .    .   .

Poll

Were these numbers surprising to you or about what you'd expect?

Not surprising.

57 votes

Very surprising, I thought they'd be better.

4 votes

Very surprising, I thought they'd be worse.

9 votes

70 votes | Poll has closed