Cameron Jordan News

Quietly but significantly for a team that relies on field position, Arizona State's Trevor Hankins is punting at a near school-record level.

When their son started first grade at Anderson Elementary in Eden Prairie, Minn., Steve and Anita Jordan had a message for his teacher.

Cal junior Kevin Riley has only completed 54 percent of his passes on the season, but many have been explosive plays off the running game.

Wednesday evening after practice, Jeff Tedford addressed the team on the field. He wasn't inspiring them to work hard during practice or to be ready for their game against Arizona State this weekend.

The result of the Cal football team's meeting with Arizona State on Saturday will have an effect beyond the next day's conference standings -- about two months beyond to Christmas morning, when it will appear, neatly wrapped, under the family tree of Bears defensive end Cameron Jordan.

Although the score indicated otherwise, the Washington State football team had the momentum heading into halftime on Saturday.

It's one of the oldest passages in the football coaching bible, and one of the most revered: Never express unconditional satisfaction after a game.

BERKELEY, Calif. The California Bears do everything fast. They run fast. They score fast.

The Cal defense, which returned all but three starters from a unit that recorded 35 sacks and ranked among the nation's best in forcing turnovers, figured to be a strength this season.

Cal receiver Jeremy Ross gets airborne while returning a punt vs. Eastern Washington during the second half of their NCAA football game in Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, Sept.

After scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter against Maryland, Jahvid Best enjoyed much of the second half of last weekend's game from the sideline.

Ernest Owusu's parents have made it to only a couple of Cal's games since he joined the program in 2007.

If the linebackers were supposed to be the weak link on defense coming into 2009, it looks like the Cal football team is going to be all right on that side of the ball.

The downside was that the Terps could expose some of the Golden Bears' shortcomings even in defeat, because a) Cal has them and b) Maryland won't be close to the toughest team the Bears must play this year.

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Great, This one was for the Eastern Time Zone. Taking advantage of his first of four nationally televised games this season, Heisman hopeful Jahvid Best and the Cal football team turned in a highlight reel first half Saturday before heads starting hitting pillows on the East Coast.

Jahvid Best made an early Heisman Trophy statement, and then Cal's turnover-inducing defense took over in Cal's season-opening 52-13 rout of Maryland in front of 62,367 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.

On Saturday morning, just after the Cal football team officially ended its fall training camp, a reporter asked coach Jeff Tedford if he felt any lingering concerns heading into the season about his personnel at any position.

Even head coach Jeff Tedford earned his reputation as an offensive wizard. But even if the Bears lack star power on defense, beyond dreadlock-flowing cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson, their hopes of contending for the Pac-10 title probably rest on that side of the ball.

Kevin Riley, above, looked and talked like an accomplished quarterback in training camp - poised, accurate and fully aware of his leadership duties.

Cal has brought in some of the best offensive line classes in the nation in recent years.