California Golden Bears
Pacific-12 Conference
California had a relatively predictable season in regards to their final record. Winning against the likes of Colorado, Utah, Washington State, and Oregon State. Losing to Oregon, Washington, and USC. However with a late season victory over Arizona State, coupled with a nail-biter against Stanford, the Golden Bears showed that they may be getting stronger as the season goes along. Sophomore wide receiver Keenan Allen was named First Team All-Conference averaging over 105 yards per game. Running back Isi Sofele matched his team’s performance by putting together a great second half of the season. Sofele ended the season as the 20th ranked running back in the FBS and averaged over 100 yards per game.
2011 Record: 7-5 (4-5)
Last Bowl Appearance: 2009 Poinsettia Bowl vs. Utah (L 27-37)
Big Wins: 10/22 Utah (34-10), 11/25 Arizona State (47-38)
Bad Losses: 9/24 at Washington (23-31), 10/29 at UCLA (14-31)
Coach: Jeff Tedford (79-47 at California, 79-47 overall)
Bowl Record: 5-2 at California, 5-2 overall
Offensive Coordinator: Jim Michalczik
Defensive Coordinator: Clancy Pendergast
Strengths:
Cal’s defensive front seven lives in the offensive backfield. They rank 7th in the nation in tackles for loss, and 17th in sacks. First Team All-Conference linebacker Mychal Kendricks leads the team with 60 tackles, 13 of them for a loss. He also added two sacks and two interceptions. Pressure on opposing quarterbacks leads to poorly thrown passes, and therefore the possibility of interceptions. The Golden Bears intercepted 12 passes this season, but no player had more than two.
Weaknesses:
Although Cal is a well-balanced offensive and defensive team, they have struggled on special teams. In both punt and kick returns, the Golden Bears rank near 100th in yards per return. They have returned one kickoff for a touchdown, and zero punts. Low yardage on kick/punt returns leads to longer fields to navigate. On average, the Golden Bears start each drive 10 yards behind the Pac-12 leader (Arizona State) in punt return yardage. That translates to needing one more first down each drive, and potentially 30 additional offensive yards over the duration of the game.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Isi Sofele, RB, 1,266 yards
Passing: Zach Maynard, QB, 2,806 yards
Receiving: Keenan Allen, WR, 1,261 yards
Tackles: Mychal Kendricks, LB, 96
Sacks: Trevor Guyton, DE, 4.5; Ernest Owusu, DE, 4.5
Interceptions: five tied with two
2011 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 167.17 (50th in nation, 4th in conference)
Passing Offense: 251.50 (40, 7)
Total Offense: 418.67 (38, 7)
Scoring Offense: 29.83 (48, 7)
Rushing Defense: 130.33 (38, 4)
Pass Defense: 209.08 (45, 1)
Total Defense: 339.42 (27, 2)
Scoring Defense: 24.42 (53, 5)
Turnover Margin: .33 (32, 5)
Sacks: 2.67 (17, 3)
Sacks Allowed: 1.83 (57, 5)
