The 2012 California Golden Bears football team represented University of California, Berkeley in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Bears were led by eleventh-year head coach Jeff Tedford and played their home games at Memorial Stadium after having played at home the previous season at AT&T Park due to reconstruction on Memorial Stadium. They were members of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference.
Coming off a 7–5 previous season, the Bears fell to 3–9 (2–7 in the Pac-12), the second losing season in three years and the worst of the Tedford era. Despite a decisive win over eventual Pac-12 South winner UCLA, Cal closed out the season with five consecutive losses. While wide receiver Keenan Allen became the team's all time leader in career receptions, no receiver posted a 1,000-yard season and no running backs broke the 1,000-yard rushing mark. Tedford was subsequently fired as head coach on November 20.
Roster 2012 California Golden Bears Spring FootballQuarterbacks 6 Kyle Boehm – Freshman 7 Austin Hinder – Sophomore 8 Zach Kline – Freshman 15 Zach Maynard – Senior 16 Allan Bridgford – Junior
Tailbacks 2 Daniel Lasco Freshman 5 Brendan Bigelow – Sophomore 9 C. J. Anderson – Senior 13 Mike Manuel – Senior 20 Isi Sofele – Senior 23 Dasarte Yarnway – Junior 24 Trajuan Briggs – Sophomore 27 Mitchel Bartolo – Junior 34 Darren Ervin – Freshman
Fullbacks 22 Nico Dumont – Junior 32 David Aknin – Senior 48 Eric Stevens – Senior
Wide receivers 3 Maurice Harris – Freshman 21 Keenan Allen – Junior 28 Jackson Bouza – Junior 81 Ross Bostock – Senior 86 Bryce McGovern – Sophomore 88 Kaulin Krebs – Senior 89 Stephen Anderson – Freshman
Tight ends 11 Richard Rodgers – Sophomore P 45 Spencer Ladner – Senior 46 Brett Buchanan – Sophomore 82 Jake Davis – Junior 84 Jacob Wark – Sophomore 87 Spencer Hagan – Junior Offensive linemen 57 Brian Schwenke – Senior 58 Chris Adcock – Sophomore 59 Brian Farley – Freshman 65 Dominic Galas – Senior 68 Mark Brazinski – Junior 70 Geoffrey Gibson – Sophomore 71 Alejandro Crosthwaite – Sophomore 72 Matt Williams – Junior 73 Jordan Rigsbee – Freshman 75 Matt Summers-Gavin – Senior 76 Christian Okafor – Freshman 77 Tyler Rigsbee – Senior 79 Bill Tyndall – Junior
Defensive linemen 17 Brennan Scarlett – Sophomore 39 Nathan Phillip – Junior 41 Todd Barr – Freshman 50 Aaron Tipoti – Senior 54 Austin Clark – Junior 55 Viliami Moala – Sophomore 56 Keni Kaufusi – Junior 75 Puka Lopa – Freshman 90 Mustafa Jalil – Sophomore 91 Deandre Coleman – Junior 96 Kendrick Payne – Senior 99 Gabe King – Sophomore
Linebackers 7 Jalen Jefferson – Freshman 9 Jason Gibson – Freshman 10 Lucas King – Sophomore 11 Nick Forbes – Sophomore 14 Cecil Whiteside – Sophomore 22 Nathan Broussard – Freshman 28 Matt Mayes- Sophomore 34 J.P. Hurrell – Senior 35 Ted Agu – Sophomore 37 Robert Mullins – Senior 40 Chris McCain – Sophomore 42 Steven Fanua – Junior 43 Dan Camporeale – Junior 44 David Wilkerson – Sophomore 51 Kameron Krebs – Senior 53 Thomas Wade – Freshman Defensive backs 1 Steve Williams – Junior 2 Marc Anthony – Senior 3 Kameron Jackson – Sophomore 4 Avery Sebastian – Sophomore 5 Michael Lowe – Sophomore 6 Alex Logan – Junior 15 Adrian Lee – Sophomore 18 Joel Willis – Freshman 20 Isaac Lapite – Sophomore 21 Stefan McClure – Sophomore 23 Josh Hill – Senior 29 Jordan Morgan – Freshman P 31 Tyré Ellison – Senior
Long snappers 69 John Sheperdson – Sophomore 83 Cary Kriegsman – Sophomore 86 Brandon Madueño – Junior
Placekickers/Punters 13 Vincenzo D'Amato – Senior PK 14 Chad Smith – Sophomore P 36 Benjamin Calder – Freshman PK 45 James Langford – Junior PKSources: 2012 California Golden Bears Football Spring Roster
Depth chart
Coaching staff Jeff Tedford – head coach – 11th year Jim Michalczik – Offensive coordinator/offensive line – 9th year Clancy Pendergast – Defensive coordinator – 3rd year Jeff Genyk – Special teams/tight ends – 3rd year Marcus Arroyo – Quarterbacks – 2nd year Kenwick thompson – Assistant head coach/linebackers – 6th year Todd howard – Defensive line – 1st year Ron gould – Associate head coach/Run Game coordinator – 16th year Wes Chandler – Wide receivers – 1st year Ashley Ambrose – Defensive backs – 2nd year Ryan mckinley – Defensive Graduate Assistant – 2nd year Ben steele – Offensive Administrative Assistant – 2nd year
Schedule
Game summaries
Nevada
The Bears reopened California Memorial Stadium with over 11,000 fewer seats on September 1 with a loss to the Nevada Wolf Pack. It was the first home game for the Bears at Memorial Stadium since November 20, 2010 when they took on the Washington Huskies, and to commemorate the occasion the Cal athletic department had a ribbon-cutting ceremony planned before the game. The last time Cal faced Nevada was on September 17, 2010 at Mackay Stadium in Reno, where they lost 52–32. The last time the Bears defeated the Wolf Pack was a 33–15 game in Berkeley. Cal however, had a large advantage in the all-time series against Nevada with a record of 22–2–1 with all of the games being played in Berkeley except for the 2010 game and another meeting back in 1915.
Cal quarterback Zach Maynard was benched for the first three series of the game as punishment for missing a tutoring session earlier during the summer and Allan Bridgford started in his stead. Nevada jumped out to an early lead with an 80 yard scoring drive capped off by a 2-yard run by Stefphon Jefferson. Quarterback Cody Fajardo had a 45-yard run at the end of the quarter to put the Wolf Pack up 14–0 as the quarter wound down. The Bears got on the board in the second quarter with a 37-yard reception by receiver Bryce Treggs. A 31-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds of the quarter missed, making it 14–7 Nevada at the half.
Jefferson had his second touchdown run of the game on a 2-yard run on the Wolf Pack's second possession of the third quarter. The Bears responded on the following drive when receiver Keenan Allen was able to score on a 39-yard run and Cal was able to convert a Nevada fumble recovered on the kick off with a 40-yard field goal. However a Maynard fumble in Nevada territory in the beginning of the quarter led to a 39-yard field goal by the Wolf Pack. Cal tied the game on the ensuing possession with a 13-yard reception by receiver Chris Harper. However Nevada put the game away with a 2-yard run by Jefferson in the final minute and recovered a second Cal fumble on the game's final drive.
Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo threw for 230 yards and ran for 97, including one of the Wolf Pack's four touchdowns. Running back Stefphon Jefferson accounted for the other three with 145 yards on the ground. Zach Maynard passed for 247 yards and two scores, while the Bears put up a total of 110 yards on the ground, half of Nevada's.
Southern Utah
On September 8 California hosted the Southern Utah Thunderbirds for the first time in program history. The Thunderbirds are members of the Big Sky Conference and are part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Bears committed two turnovers in the first quarter but only the second was converted into points in the form of a 40-yard field goal. Cal tied with an 18-yard field goal to open the second quarter and added a pair of touchdowns on a 6-yard run by C.J. Anderson and a 12-yard run by Isi Sofele. A 27-yard field goal came on Cal's final series of the half with Southern Utah adding a touchdown on a 37-yard pass From Brad Sorensen to receiver Cameron Morgan as time expired to make it 20–10 Cal at the half.
The only points in the third quarter came on a 5-yard reception to Southern Utah running back Henna Brown. The fourth quarter saw an explosion in scoring by Cal, leading off with a 19-yard scoring reception by Keenan Allen. Cornerback Marc Anthony then intercepted Sorensen on the ensuing drive for a 61-yard score. A 47-yard field goal was then followed up with a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown by Allen. The Thunderbirds added an 8-yard reception for a touchdown by defensive back Brian Wilson and a 7-yard scoring reception by receiver Fatu Moala, sandwiching a 77-yard touchdown run by Cal running back Daniel Lasco with the PAT missing.
Southern Utah's Brad Sorensen passed for 292 yards and four touchdowns with one pick, with four different receivers catching scores while the ground game was held to 79 yards. Zach Maynard threw for 229 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Isi Sofele had his first 100 yard game of the season with 104 as Cal rushed for 289 yards.
Ohio State
The Bears' game on September 15 against the Ohio State Buckeyes was the first meeting between the two schools since 1972 and was California's final non-conference game of the season. California and Ohio State have met six times in the past with the Buckeyes winning five of the six with California's only win the series coming in the 1921 Rose Bowl during one the Bears' five claimed national championship seasons. This game was the first of a home and home series with Ohio State scheduled to visit Berkeley in 2013.
Ohio State scored first on a 55-yard run by quarterback Braxton Miller with the PAT missing. Cal responded with a 19-yard reception by receiver Chris Harper. The Buckeyes came right back with a 25-yard scoring reception by receiver Devin Smith. The sole score of the second quarter was a 1-yard reception by receiver Jake Stoneburner. A 40-yard field goal attempt by the Bears missed to make it 20–7 Ohio State at the half.
Cal scored in the third quarter with an 81-yard run by running back Brendan Bigelow with a 42-yard field goal attempt missing. Maynard had a 1-yard run to open the fourth quarter and the Buckeyes added a 3-yard reception by Stoneburner with Miller successfully rushing for the two-point conversion. Bigelow had his second rushing touchdown of the game with a 59-yard run. Miller was intercepted on the following drive but Cal failed to capitalize on it when a 42-yard field goal missed. The go ahead score came with a 72-yard scoring reception by Smith and Ohio State picked off Maynard on the ensuing drive to hold off the Bears.
Ohio State's Braxton Miller threw for 249 yards and four scores with an interception and receiver Devin Smith had 145 yards with two touchdown receptions. Zach Maynard passed for 280 yards, a score and a pick, and running back Brandon Bigelow had 160 yards on the ground with two scores.
USC
California will travel to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 22 to face the USC Trojans for the two schools' 100th meeting. The Trojans lead the all-time series 66–29–5 with the Trojans winning the last meeting 30–9 in San Francisco. The last California win in the series came in 2003 after the Bears defeated the third ranked Trojans 34–31 in three overtimes.
1st quarter scoring: USC – Silas Redd 33-yard run (Andre Heidari kick)
2nd quarter scoring: CAL – Vincen D'Amato 24-yard field goal; USC – Marqise Lee 11-yard pass from Matt Barkley (Heidari kick); USC – Heidari 40-yard field goal
3rd quarter scoring: CAL – D'Amato 26-yard field goal; CAL – D'Amato 35-yard field goal
4th quarter scoring: USC – Heidari 41-yard field goal; USC – Lee 3-yard pass from Barkley (Heidari kick)
Arizona State
California will meet the Arizona State Sun Devils on September 29 at California Memorial Stadium for the first Pac-12 home game of the season. The Golden Bears lead the all-time series 17–14 with California winning the last meeting 47–38 in Tempe. Under head coach Jeff Tedford, California has gone 8–1 against the Sun Devils and have won the last four meetings.
1st quarter scoring: ARIZ – Darwin Rogers 1-yard pass from Taylor Kelly (Alex Garoutte kick).
2nd quarter scoring: CAL – Isi Sofele 24-yard run (Vincenzo D'Amato kick); ARIZ – Garoutte 28-yard field goal; ARIZ – Kevin Ozier 9-yard pass from Kelly (Garoutte kick).