Bears' Best Backfield

Lions, tigers and bears, oh my! The college football schedule is stocked with spooky showdowns for this September Saturday. The Penn State Lions seeks revenge against the Iowa Hawkeyes in a primetime Happy Valley Big 10 rematch of last year. A Nittany loss could spoil a BCS berth for the Joe Paterno’s undefeated squad. The number five Lions should be able to paw their way to victory against a jubilant Iowa team. The same cannot decisively be said about the Memphis Tigers. The 1-2 Tigers face the 2-1
Marshall Thundering Herd today at noon. If this were a hoops game, Memphis would have the emphatic edge. But today they endure a tough test. The Tigers will do so without their biggest offensive weapon in the game. Curtis Steele is out with an injury and will be replaced with running back, T.J. Pitts. The senior will attempt to force and effective ground attack against their Conference USA opponents. Last week, Marshall was successful in limiting Bowling Green to just 10 rushing yards. The same formula will be implemented by Mark Snyder’s defense in stopping the strong secondary of the Tigers.
One of the more enjoyable teams to watch on the college gridiron is the California Bears, the focus being on their talented tailback. The boastful Bears begin boisterous Pac-10 play against the Oregon Ducks today in Eugene. California tailback, Jahvid Best, is one of the top players in the nation. The Bears’ “Golden Boy” is piecing together a legitimate push for Heisman trophy votes. Best is averaging 137 yards a game as the country’s third best rusher. He propelled California to a 35-21 victory on the road last week against Big 10 opponents, Minnesota. The speedy tailback scored a school record five touchdowns and scrambled for 131 yards on the ground, good enough to earn him Pac-10 player of the week honors. In last season’s ten point win over Oregon, Best helped the Bears with 16 carries and 93 yards. The superstar is now a year older, and he remains the key cog to California’s leading offense. The Bears rank among college football’s best in three offensive categories. They are 11th in total offense,second in scoring and tenth in rushing piloted by quarterback and Oregon native, Kevin Riley. Riley hasn’t thrown an interception yet in this young season. He has tossed five touchdown passes for the 3-0 Golden Bears and has precise pocket presence. Riley has a devastating ground game with Best and sophomore, Shane Vereen. Both carry the ball and escape stout defenses trying tremendously to stop or simply slow the Bears’ running game. Vereen has one touchdown reception to his credit to go along with four rushing touchdowns. Best’s ability to chew up yardage has made a 65% completion rate look easy for Riley. Jeremy Ross is also coming into his own for the Bears. Ross has matured into the team’s top receiver. Last week against Minnesota, Ross had three catches, including a vital reception on a third down conversion during the game winning drive. Wideouts Marvin Jones and Verran Tucker are other outside options. California’s leading receiver in 2008, Nyan Boateng, spent time on the sideline last week with a foot fracture. Boateng will be out four to six weeks. The Bears are even impressive and expressive on defense. Cal defenders have held opponents to under 300 yards total offense through the first three games. The Bears are structured around a strong linebacking unit. The snippy defense is another reason the Bears find themselves in a positive position so early on. Junior Mike Mohamed retained two interceptions and two sacks. Sophomore linebacker, Mychal Kendricks leads the team in tackles, with a brutal 30. The sixth ranked Bears are the class of the Pac-10, even if they are overshadowed by their interstate rivals, USC. California and UCLA are the only teams with three wins, and one of three undefeated Pac-10 clubs. Arizona State hasn’t lost yet, but only has two victories. The Bears host USC next weekend to kick off October and the toughest stretch of their schedule. The compelling contest with Oregon will not be overlooked even with the Trojans on the horizon. The Bears have a favored schedule but the Ducks will bring a dazzling and dressed down strategy for Saturday success. Today Jeff Tedford’s Bears begin their quest for a Pac-10 title. They must first get escape
Eugene unscathed.

Parting points: Listening to a little Whitney Houston and waiting for an afternoon meeting in the Bronx. I
am also hoping the Buckeyes do not snooze against Ron Zook and the Illini today.