The 2009 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) competition during the 2009 season. The Golden Bears were led by eighth-year head coach Jeff Tedford.
California hosted and beat Maryland to begin the season on September 5, 2009. It continued with victories over Eastern Washington, and at Minnesota. However, the team struggled with consistency, losing at Oregon and USC, then rebounding by winning at UCLA, Washington State, and then at Arizona State. Following a loss to Oregon State, Cal managed to upset Pac-10 title contender Arizona. Cal also pulled of an away game upset at Stanford in the Big Game. It ended the season with a loss at Washington on December 5. The Bears matched their 2008 regular season record of 8–4, finishing tied for fifth in the conference with the former reigning conference champion, USC. The Bears did not produce a 1,000-yard rusher for the first time since 2002, Tedford's first season. They accepted a bid to the 2009 Poinsettia Bowl, where they lost to Utah on December 23, snapping a four bowl game winning streak going back to 2004. The team was ranked as high as no. 6, but spent almost half the season unranked. The end of the season saw some coaching changes. Cal hired Jeff Genyk as special teams coach to replace the fired Pete Alamar, and Clancy Pendergast as defensive coordinator to replace Bob Gregory, who departed for Boise State.
Preseason Several key players departed after 2008, including Alex Mack, Nate Longshore, Zack Follett, Will Ta'ufo'ou and Cameron Morrah offensively, and Zack Follett, Rulon Davis, and Anthony Felder defensively. The Bears also lost offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti to Pittsburgh, but gained Andy Ludwig, who helped guide the Utah Utes to a perfect 13–0 season as offensive coordinator. Ludwig had previously worked alongside Cal head coach Jeff Tedford at Oregon and Fresno State, becoming the fifth offensive coordinator at Cal in five years.
Running back Jahvid Best underwent surgery to tighten a ligament that had been injured when he dislocated his left elbow against Colorado State on September 27, 2008. This was followed up by foot surgery on January 23 to relieve the irritation of an extra bone that was caused when Best bruised his foot halfway through the 2008 season. He missed spring football practice as a result. In early June Best was able to participate in team summer workouts without pain.
A week before the season opener against Maryland, junior Kevin Riley was named the starter for the 2009 season, a contrast to 2008 when head coach Jeff Tedford alternated between him and Nate Longshore. Riley's experience and comfort level with the offense were cited as factors in him winning the starting job over sophomore Brock Mansion and freshman Beau Sweeney.
The Bears were picked to finish second in the Pac-10 behind reigning conference champion USC in the annual preseason poll of media members who regularly cover the Pac-10. This marked the fifth time in the last six Pac-10 preseason polls that Cal was picked to be the conference's runner-up.
Schedule
Game summaries
Maryland
Cal's home opener was a rematch against Maryland, the Terrapins having won an upset of the then ranked #25 Bears in Cal's third game of the 2008 season at College Park. With a 7:00 p.m. PDT start, it was the Terrapins' turn to make an adjustment to the time change. The Bears played with their last names on their uniforms, a departure from the 2008 season when they had their numbers only.
Cal jumped to an early lead in the first quarter when Jahvid Best broke free for a 73-yard touchdown run on the first play of Cal's second possession. On the ensuing kickoff, the Bears recovered a fumble by Maryland returner Torrey Smith, resulting in Best's second touchdown run of the game from 2 yards. A 47-yard kickoff return by Smith helped set up the Terrapins' first points of the game with a field goal.
Both teams traded a field goal apiece in the second quarter. The Bears then capitalized on a sack of quarterback Chris Turner that led to a fumble recovery. While avoiding a sack from defender Jared Harrell, Kevin Riley threw his first touchdown pass of the game to Skyler Curran. Riley then connected with Nyan Boateng on a 39-yard pass with 31 seconds left in the quarter to make it 31–6 at the half.
Cal added a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, the first on an 11-yard run from Shane Vereen. After Maryland attempted a fourth down conversion on the Cal 40-yard line and failed, Riley connected with Marvin Jones for a 42-yard touchdown. The Terrapins' final points of the game came on a 39-yard run by Da'Rel Scott. Early in the fourth quarter Riley threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Vereen for Cal's final score of the game. The Bears then pulled their starters as both teams traded possessions.
Kevin Riley threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns, each to a different receiver. Jahvid Best rushed for 137 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Chris Turner threw for 167 yards and was sacked six times. Da'Rel Scott, the second-leading rusher in the Atlantic Coast Conference during the 2008 season, was held to 90 rushing yards with one touchdown. The loss was the Terrapins' most lopsided season opener since 1892, when they lost to St. John's of Annapolis 50–0.
Eastern Washington
The Bears faced the #17 FCS ranked Eagles for the first time. Cal scored first on a 1-yard run by Kevin Riley, followed by the Eagles marching downfield led by quarterback Matt Nichols to tie the game on a 4-yard pass to Grant Williams. The Eagles were able to hold the Bears offensively in the first quarter, however after Shane Vereen made his first of three rushing touchdowns in the beginning of the second quarter, the Bears took control of the game. One the ensuing possession, Nichols was sacked by Mike Mohammed and fumbled. Linebacker Mychal Kendricks recovered the fumble for a 45-yard return, which resulted in a field goal. Kevin Riley then connected with Jahvid Best on the Bears' next possession for a 22-yard touchdown, the only touchdown of the game the Bears scored through the air. Cal led 24–7 at the half.
Cal opened the third quarter with Best scoring his second touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run and scored on the ensuing possession when Shane Vereen scored his second touchdown from 2 yards. Eastern Washington replaced Nichols with Jeff Minnerly, but he was unable to lead the Eagles offensively, and was replaced in the fourth quarter by Scott Burgett. This proved to be the most productive quarter for the Bears, with Vereen scoring his third touchdown from two yards, wide receiver Isi Sofele making a 22-yard touchdown run, and Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson making a 1-yard run. The Eagles were able to drive to the Cal 23 with over 5 minutes left in the quarter, but missed a 40-yard field goal attempt.
The Bears amassed 339 rushing yards, with seven of the Bears' touchdowns coming on the ground, from five different players. Best finished the game with 142 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown, and a receiving touchdown. Shane Vereen had three rushing touchdowns, the first time in his career that he had a multiple rushing touchdown game. Riley had 151 passing yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdowns. The Bears stifled the Eagles' run game, holding them to 21 rushing yards, and made four sacks against all three of the Eagles' quarterbacks. Starter Matt Nichols passed for 197 yards and the Eagles' lone score. The game marked the first time the Bears scored 50 or more points in back to back games since 1947.
Minnesota
Cal's first road game was the second played at Minnesota's brand new TCF Bank Stadium. The Bears dominated the first quarter, scoring on their first possession when Jahvid Best scored on a 34-yard touchdown run, and on their ensuing possession on a 2-yard run from Best. The Gophers got on the board on their first play of the second quarter on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Adam Weber to Eric Decker. The Bears were then able to drive downfield, but missed a 47-yard field goal. Cal scored on its next possession on a 27-yard run from Best, while Minnesota scored before the half when Weber connected with Decker again for a 13-yard touchdown with less than a minute left.
The Gophers put the lone score of the third quarter on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Decker to MarQueis Gray. With the game tied at 21 all, the fourth quarter belonged to the Bears. Best scored two touchdowns from short yardage, while the Cal defense intercepted Weber three times, one setting up a touchdown, and the other two within the final two minutes of the game.
The victory, which placed Cal into the top 10, was only the second win in the last ten road games, snapping a four-game losing streak of road contests. Best, who rushed for 131 yards, set a modern school record and a career-high with five rushing touchdowns. Kevin Riley threw for 252 yards, while the Bear defense held the Gophers to 37 yards rushing. Gophers quarterback Adam Weber threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns, including three interceptions. The Bears' leading receiver in 2008, Nyan Boateng, broke his foot during the first half of the game and is expected to miss four to six weeks.
Oregon
The Bears put their new #6 ranking on the line against the unranked Ducks, who had beaten #14 Utah the previous week, snapping the Utes' 16-game winning streak. On the opening kickoff, the Bears recovered a fumble which they were able to convert into a field goal for their only score of the game. The Ducks also responded with a field goal. Oregon dominated Cal for the next three quarters. The Ducks opened the second quarter with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Jeremiah Masoli to tight end Ed Dickson, with a successful two-point conversion. On the ensuing possession, the Bears were unable to capitalize on a 45-yard kickoff return by Shane Vereen when a 43-yard field goal attempt missed. Cal was able to recover an Oregon fumble on the ensuing possession, but gave the ball right back when Kevin Riley fumbled. The Ducks converted the turnover into points on a 1-yard run from Remene Alston. Oregon struck again when running back LaMichael James scored on a 4-yard run with a minute left in the half to make it 25–3 Oregon.
The second half belonged to the Ducks, who scored two touchdowns in the third quarter on 9- and 36-yard touchdown passes from Masoli to Dickson. The Bears struggled offensively and were unable to add to their score. Freshman quarterback Beau Sweeney stepped in for Riley late in the fourth quarter, which resulted in him moving up in the depth chart as the #2 quarterback.
Oregon dominated Cal, outgaining the Bears with 524 yards of total offense to the Bears' 207. Jahvid Best was held to 55 rushing yards while Kevin Riley threw for 123 yards and was sacked four times. Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns, all of them to Ed Dickson, who had a career best 148 receiving yards. Running back LaMichael James had 118 yards rushing with one touchdown. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak against Oregon and the 39 point difference was the most since a loss to USC in 2001. It was also the worst sustained by Jeff Tedford in his coaching career at Cal, dropping the Bears 18 spots in the AP Polls to #24.
Southern California