BearTerritory.net - Fall Camp Day 10: Mikey Mo in the middle

August 17, 2009

Chris Nguon
BearTerritory.net Senior Writer

The Cal football team has wrapped up Week 1 of Fall Camp and although early, several positive aspects of head coach Jeff Tedford's team is slowly starting develop.

From the noticeable improvement of junior quarterback Kevin Riley to the evident realization that the Bears' defense is going to be as good as advertised, all those scenarios and more will be played out Tuesday evening at Memorial Stadium, when Cal straps on the chin-straps and goes at each other for the first of two scheduled full-contact scrimmage of camp.

BearTerritory.net will be in attendance to bring fans all the action LIVE AS IT HAPPENS on our front page. Until then, check out the practice report from Sunday, Day 10 of camp, which features spotlights on Mike Mohamed and D.J. Campbell, as well as play-by-play of Brock Mansion's thrilling last period drive.

Even though it's early, here are 5 noticeable trends that we feel has taken forefront since camp began roughly a week and a half ago:

1. RILEY HAS IMPROVED

No one will truly know how the Cal starting quarterback, be it Kevin Riley or Brock Mansion, will perform until the real games begin on September 5, but if you just judge what your eyes see, then fans should be very excited about what the Bears' signal-callers have shown so far in camp.

Both Riley and Mansion, who were at times inconsistent with their accuracy and decision-making in Spring Ball, have vastly improved those two areas of their arsenal. Specifically in regards to the 6-foot-2, 221 pound Riley, his command of the huddle and demeanor so far in camp have been nothing but stellar.

Statistically, Riley wasn't bad last season, as he completed 112-of-221 passes for 1360 yards and 14 touchdowns. Riley showed he could protect the ball as well for the most part, throwing only 6 interceptions. However, the one area of his skill-set that everyone admitted he could improve on was his accuracy. So far in camp, Riley has done that. In fact, Tedford believes all the quarterbacks on the roster have made major strides in that department.

"The quarterbacks are much improved even from the spring with their accuracy," Tedford said. "They are putting the ball right on (the receivers)."

Riley's best stretch of camp came on Day 5 and Day 6, when he combined to complete 29-of-35 passes for 4 touchdowns, no interceptions and an average yard per completion rate of 10.1 yards per completion.

Mansion, the big 6-foot-5, 237 pound redshirt sophomore, hasn't been too shabby either. Mansion has been very accurate of late, with his best statistical day coming on Day 7, when he went 14-for-18 for 2 touchdowns and no picks.

Both quarterbacks will get plenty of snaps in the scrimmage Tuesday.

2. THE R&J CONNECTION

Even though scheme and play-calling are what determines who might get open down the field, every quarterback that has played the game at a high level has had a go-to receiver to throw the ball to in times of dire and need.

Joe Montana had Jerry Rice.

Troy Aikman had Michael Irvin.

Peyton Manning had Marvin Harrison.

Heck. Aaron Rodgers had Geoff McArthur.

While Kevin Riley and Marvin Jones obviously aren't at that level, the on-field relationship they have developed in camp has been unmistakable. With senior wide out Nyan Boateng sitting out the majority of the last week due to a concussion, Jones took over Boateng's role as lead guy and has performed very well.

"Riley and I have a connection," Jones said.

That connection was fully on display very early in camp on Day 2, when Jones hauled in a pass deep down the field from Riley in triple coverage. Jones explained later that it was all about trust.

"I just saw free access," Jones explained. "I had a flag route and I was matched up with a safety so I already knew I had an opportunity to get it so I stuck it. Riley and I have a connection. He trusted me and threw the ball as high as possible so nobody could get it except for me. That was the plan and we executed."

Every receiver this off-season has stated that timing with the quarterbacks is a whole better than what it was last season. Part of timing is the trust that Jones spoke about.

Does Jones believe Riley would've "trusted" Jones to make that throw if this were last season?

"I really don't know," Jones responded. "Last year, there were a lot of things going on. We didn't have the connection that we should've had. Who knows? Maybe. But I'm just glad that we are all grown and experienced now. I'm just happy to have plays like that to know that the quarterback trusts us."

Statistically, Jones has been Riley's favorite receiver so far in camp. Jones has also been shown the softest hands of any receiver so far.

"The summer was a real big help," Jones said. "We got the chance to throw with the quarterbacks constantly. We really stressed trying to get timing right. All of us wanted to get faster and we trained and trained. We trained with Jahvid and we all got faster. We all just got better as players mentally and physically."

We'll see how well the Riley to Jones connection develops when the team goes live Tuesday evening.

3. D STILL TOUGH AS EVER

In the few times the team has went "live" in the 11-on-11 sessions so far in camp, the defense has been very impressive. Many are considering the Cal defensive unit to be one of the best in the conference and the country this season and it's hard to argue that notion right now.

The Bears have talented depth, albeit inexperienced at many positions, to roll throughout the entire season. The front three of Tyson Alualu, Derrick Hill and Cameron Jordan have been a solid trio. Specifically in regards to Jordan, it definitely appears that he's made a leap forward in his progression. Jordan gets to the quarterback on more than one occasion during practice and he's slowly starting to play with that "ticked off" attitude that every defender needs, as evidenced by his feelings during a late drive on Day 9.

The linebackers have shown their youth at times, running to wrong gaps that have allowed running backs to sprint right past them, but they've shown improvement.

What should make fans very excited about this year's defense though is the continued stellar play of the Cal secondary. Already boasting one of the best cover corners in the country in Syd'Quan Thompson, the entire unit led by position coach Al Simmons has gotten better, especially in terms of playing the ball in the air.

These defensive backs don't blindly go for picks. They position their bodies nicely to make a strong attempt on a ball on virtually every defendable pass play.

Veteran Chris Conte, who has moved to safety this season, explained why he feels his unit plays the ball so well in the air after Day 7.

"Coach Simmons has helped us out a lot with all the small drills that we've been doing," he said. "I attribute that to Coach Simmons. We have some real talented guys out there. Everyone is a good athlete. Being able to play the ball is something naturally we can do."

4. PLENTY OF DEPTH

More than any one player on this year's squad, the real key to a banner season for the Bears is based on the development of the non-starters as the season progresses. For the 22 starters that Cal will trot out on the field season, few pundits would doubt those 22 players possesses the skills to compete with any other 22 players in the country.

However, starters can't play every down and injuries happen all the time so Cal - like all aspiring championship teams - are going to need 39-45 quality players to perform at a high level at some point in time this season to finally earn a long awaited Rose Bowl/BCS bid.

Do the Bears have those 45 players ready to roll? Only action in a real game will answer that question but they're definitely getting there.

Two areas of focus going into camp were on the wide receivers and the linebackers. Fans probably have an idea of what Nyan Boateng, Jeremy Ross and Verran Tucker can do based on their performances last season, but for the players who fans haven't seen in action yet, all of them have been making progress.

From Marvin Jones, who has been the most productive receiver Cal has had since the season ended last December, to the oft-injured Alex Lagemann, those two players have certainly elevated their level of play. Young freshman Charles Satchell is probably a year or two away but shows progress and it's looking more and more like true freshman Isi Sofele will play this season.

The one player still in the air is Mike Calvin, who has a world of physical ability but has been slowed by some aches and pains the last couple practices of camp.

Concerning the linebackers, Cal is very happy with the development there. Mike Mohamed and Mychal Kendricks are solid as they come and Devin Bishop and Eddie Young, as highlighted on Day 3, are veteran leaders who understand the playbook.

The depth has been coming along at that position. Not a finished product yet by any means, but Jarred Price, Ryan Davis and Chris Little have all made tremendous strides, as highlighted during Day 1 and Day 6 of camp.

The biggest test to date for the wide receivers and linebackers will come Tuesday evening.

5. NOT UNTIL LATER

Tedford gets asked about depth chart questions every day in practice. Tedford always shies away from making any proclamations, saying that jobs are always open to competition.

The two-time Pac-10 coach of the year did admit on Day 8 however that Syd'Quan Thompson, Tyson Alualu, Marcus Ezeff, Mitchell Schwartz and Mike Tepper should feel pretty safe.

The rest Tedford said, "is still wide open."

Based on Tedford's comments of the five above, some of those positions that can still go any way are ?

- Kicker: Giorgio Tavechhio, David Seawright, Vince D'Amato

- Outside linebacker: Devin Bishop, Eddie Young, Jarred Price, Ryan Davis, Chris Little

- Offensive Guard: Matt Summers-Gavin, Mark Boskovich, Justin Cheadle, Chet Teofilo, Richard Fisher

- Wide Receiver: Marvin Jones, Nyan Boateng, Jeremy Ross, Verran Tucker, Alex Lagemann, Mike Calvin, Charles Satchell (Isi Sofele will likely be used as a specialty player throughout his career)

- Tight End: Tad Smith, Anthony Miller, Skylar Curran

- Fullback: Brian Holley, Will Kapp, John Tyndall

The positions where there is probably a leading candidate are ?

- Quarterback: Kevin Riley

- Running Back: Jahvid Best

- Center: Chris Guarnero

- Nose Tackle: Derrick Hill

- Defensive End: Cameron Jordan

- Middle Linebacker: Mike Mohamed and Mychal Kendricks

- Cornerback: Darian Hagan

- Safety: Brett Johnson

- Punter: Bryan Anger

- Long Snapper: Matt Rios

All those position battles are going to be closely evaluated during the scrimmage Tuesday evening.

FALL CAMP DAY 10: PREPPING FOR SCRIMMAGE

The Bears practiced in full pads for the final time before the scrimmage Tuesday evening. Here are the news and notes from Day 10:

MOHAMED TAKING ON CRUCIAL LEADERSHIP ROLE

Last season, linebacker Mike Mohamed was a jack-of-all-trades, bouncing around from one position to another as the Cal defense's "super sub."

When a starter needed a breather, in came Mohamed.

When a starter missed an assignment, in came Mohamed.

When the opponent faced a long-yardage situation, in came Mohamed with his polished cover skills.

When Cal was set to kick-off, Mohamed on was special teams ready to sprint down the field to make a tackle.

Mohamed was all over the field and excelled wherever the staff put him. In fact, midway through last season, defensive coordinator Bob Gregory even stated that Mohamed was so good, the staff couldn't start him because of the versatility he gave the defense as a reserve.

This season, things are a little different for the underrated junior linebacker.

Mohamed is the veteran of the linebacking corps and for all intents and purposes, its leader. Mohamed is also not bouncing around anymore either, instead he's entrenched directly in the middle of the Bears' defense and their strongside middle linebacker.

Even though he's not playing five positions like he did last year however, it'll be a mistake to think his responsibilities on the field doesn't gets easier this year.

"I still have to know where everybody is at, but I get to hone in on one position," he said. "But now, I have to be more vocal, I have to be more of a leader out there."

With Zack Follett, Worrell Williams and Anthony Felder - three athletes who played since their freshmen seasons - working in front of him last season on the depth chart, Mohamed's responsibilities essentially laid within himself and what he needed to do to prepare for Saturday.

Mohamed excelled in his role, racking up the third most tackles on the team with 87, six tackles for loss, three sacks, three interceptions and a forced fumble. Much the same is expected from the 6-foot-3, 237 pound linebacker this season, who is also taken on more of a leadership role now that the talented trio of Follett, Felder and Williams are gone.

"Last year, I took the back seat to the other guys because they stepped up and did all that," Mohamed said. "Now, I have less responsibility in terms of not having to learn four positions but I have more now in terms keeping everybody up to speed."

Based on what he's doing in Fall Camp so far, Mohamed looks like he'll be just fine this season. Mohamed has been in on numerous tackles throughout camp, some of which in the backfield, and has shown off his excellent cover skills.

In fact, during a practice earlier this week, Mohamed - who led the 'backers in interceptions last season - covered half the field to skillfully pick off a Kevin Riley pass and run it the other way.

"It was third-and-long and I had to come all the way across the field so I know how to get out quick," Mohamed explained. "So I just ran to my spot as fast as I could and turned around. Then the ball is right there so I jumped up and grabbed it."

Mohamed's superior skills dropping back in coverage make him one of the more complete linebackers in the conference this season.

"I take a lot of pride in it," Mohamed said. "When people hear 'linebacker' they usually think run stuffer, hard hits and stuff but that's only half of being a linebacker. The other half of the time you are dropping back in coverage so it's a big part of the game and I take pride in it."

AUDIO: Mike Mohamed post-practice interview

READ AND REACTING

Every off-season, the Cal coaching staff sits down with each player and lays out what they want that specific player to improve on for the coming year.

What defensive backs coach Al Simmons told redshirt sophomore D.J. Campbell was simple.

"You have to trust your instincts."

A gifted athlete coming out of North Las Vegas (Calif.) in 2007, it has taken awhile for the 6-foot, 198 pound safety to adjust to high level on play on the Division-I level. After 10 days through Fall Camp however, it appears Campbell has finally made the adjustment.

"Coach Simmons told me that I had trust my eyes," Campbell said. "Last season, I would see something and I would go, but then I would hesitate and fall back a little bit. Now this season, once I see it I'm going. You have to take a chance."

When asked after practice on Sunday about players who have surprised him with stronger than expected play, the two athletes head coach Jeff Tedford mentioned were tight end Skylar Curran and Campbell.

"He's always had a great attitude and he's been a real hard worker," Tedford said. "Now he's in a position where he's found his comfort zone a little bit with the speed of the game and the terminology. He's not thinking so much. He's just reacting and playing and letting his natural abilities take over."

Campbell definitely agrees with what the head coach is saying.

"Definitely," Campbell commented after being told what Tedford said. "Actually, since when I first got here the speed was pretty fast."

A two-way star at Cheyenne High in North Vegas, Campbell was as much of a quarterback as he was a defensive back. So, it's understandable that the adjustment period has taken a little longer than expected, given his responsibilities and mindset as a starting quarterback for his last three seasons in high school.

"Defensive backs have to be mentally tough," Campbell explained. "Coach Simmons just talked to us about being mentally tough. He wants us to be the most mentally tough group on the team."

"So being a former quarterback," he added. "I know how to get past one play and move on to the next play. Coach Simmons always says, if you get beat on a play, play the next down and win the next down. That's what I am trying to do."

With seniors Marcus Ezeff and Brett Johnson in-and-out of practice the last three days due to various injuries, Campbell has taken their position as a member of the defense on the first-team and has played very well. Campbell only adds to the depth that the Cal secondary already possesses.

"(Playing with the 1's) is really valuable," Campbell said. "Just for me to get out there with the 1's and show what we can do and excel at that is really good."

AUDIO: D.J. Campbell post-practice interview

NOTABLE TIDBITS LEADING OFF

Another good day by the quarterbacks, highlighted by Brock Mansion leading his unit down the field for a winning touchdown in the final 11-on-11 period.

Jahvid Best sits out his fourth consecutive practice due to a sore toe.

Tight ends have a big day catching the ball.

Last full pad practice until scrimmage Tuesday evening.

INJURY UPDATE

Players in "red" jerseys were Jerome Meadows, Spencer Ladner (hamstring), Chris Conte (pulled muscle), Marcus Ezeff (ankle), Covaughn DeBoskie, Mike Calvin (hamstring) and Quinn Tedford (concussion).

Additional notes about injuries are that Ezeff's injury (mild sprained ankle) is not as bad as thought, Alex Lagemann missed practice because he was sick and Ryan Davis was limited because he needs a root canal to fix a broken tooth.

Players back to the field from injury were Darian Hagan, Nyan Boateng and Sean Cattouse.

TEDFORD speaks ?

? on Brock Mansion's final drive of practice: "It was good. There were a lot of situations that came up right here. We were able to use a timeout. It was good learning for the defense. We lined up offsides, giving them another play, those type of things. A lot of lessons learned in those drills."

? on the improvements during the scenario periods: "Every day, it doesn't matter how many situations you go over, there always seems to be something that pops up. Every time we practice, it gives us an opportunity to coach it and teach."

? on the energy level after the two-a-day on Saturday: "It was great. In the afternoon we just went in helmets. In the morning, we were pretty physical. I've been pleased with every practice we had. They've taken the field with great focus and intensity. It's been good."

? on any other pleasant surprises of camp so far: "A lot of the linebackers are doing a real good job. D.J. Campbell has done a nice job. He's another young guy that's stepped up at the safety position."

? on Campbell catching up to the speed of the game: "He's always had a great attitude and a real hard worker. Now he's in a position where he's found his comfort zone a little bit with the speed of the game and the terminology. He's not thinking so much. He's just reacting and playing and letting his natural abilities take over."

? on whether the continued missed days of Jahvid is a concern: "There's no question. He has a sore toe right now. There is nothing wrong with him. We work him with his cardiovascular and things like that but until we can get his toe to settle down a little bit. He cuts so hard that when he has a sore toe it hinders him quite a bit. He could get through it but when we get to game week he's going to have the same sore toe. It's a matter of letting it completely settle down. It really depends on how he feels from day-to-day. He practiced probably three days with that sore toe but it just doesn't heal when you are always cutting on it. It's nothing major, at all. It's just a matter of having a bruised ball on his foot."

? on the depth chart: "After the first scrimmage on Tuesday we'll take a strong look at it and make adjustments."

? on a decision on the starting quarterback: "It could be anytime."

AUDIO: Coach Tedford post-practice interview

Quarterback Notes

The single most impressive, one-period performance this camp might've came Sunday evening from the arm of Brock Mansion.

In the final 11-on-11 session that was situational based, the 6-foot-5 Texan led his squad on a 9-play, 40-yard drive in 1:20 that culminated in a 5-yard touchdown pass from Mansion to tight end Tad Smith.

Mansion showed poise, composure and a strong head on his shoulders, as he performed as if he knew exactly how much time he had left on the clock as he was methodically moving his team slowly down the field. For a redshirt sophomore, the fact that Mansion didn't panic and try to heave the ball down the field, albeit in a practice setting, shows a lot of maturity on his part.

Overall, Mansion had a solid day, especially in the 7-on-7 session. Mansion threw two darts that resulted in touchdowns and another pass in the end zone that was dropped by Charles Satchell that should've been a touchdown. Statistically, Mansion had one of his more solid outings of camp, throwing for 4 touchdowns and completing 15-of-19 passes.

While it's still very likely Kevin Riley will start come the season opener, Mansion is making strides to show that he'd be a very good second option if the Bears ever need for whatever reason.

Riley had a real solid outing himself Sunday evening, completing 12-of-17 passes for 5 touchdowns. Riley was also very sharp in the 7-on-7's, making all the correct decisions down the field to hit open receivers.

Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Beau Sweeney continues to chug along, completing a high numbers of passes and making good, safe throws down the field. Sweeney connected with fullback Eric Stevens on a beautifully executed play for a touchdown.

Statistically, here is how each quarterback matched up in the team sessions:

It's important to note though that these stats do not tell the whole story of how each quarterback performed, as these numbers exclude good and bad reads, longer/shorter passes down field, great catches to save incompletions, bad routes, drops, pre-practice game plan to work on certain throws, etc ?

QUARTERBACK STATS FROM DAY 10

	Kevin Riley	Brock Mansion	Beau Sweeney	Allan Bridgford	Ryan Wertenberger
7-on-7's (total):	7-for-9	4-for-7	2-for-4	n/a	n/a
9-on-9 (total):	0-for-0	0-for-0	0-for-0	n/a	n/a
11-on-11 (first session):	1-for-2	1-for-2	1-for-1	0-for-0	n/a
11-on-11 (second session):	2-for-3	3-for-3	0-for-1	1-for-1	0-for-0
11-on-11 (third session):	1-for-1	1-for-1	n/a	n/a	n/a
11-on-11 (fourth session):	1-for-2	6-for-6	n/a	n/a	n/a
11-on-11 (total):	5-for-8	11-for-12	1-for-2	1-for-1	0-for-0
Touchdowns:	5	4	1	0	0
Interceptions:	0	0	0	0	0
Average yards per completion (estimation only):	8.25	9.86	12.0	3.0	n/a
Final roundup:	12-for-17 5 TDs 0 INT 8.25 aypc	15-for-19 4 TDs 0 INT 9.86 aypc	3-for-6 1 TD 0 INT 12.0 aypc	1-for-1 0 TD 0 INT 3.0 aypc	0-for-0 0 TD 0 INT n/a

Running Back Notes

With Jahvid Best and Covaughn DeBoskie out with injury, the biggest beneficiary Sunday evening was Dasarte Yarnway, who earned himself a number of carries wit the first and second teams.

As BearTerritory has documented in the past, Yarnway is truly a special student athlete. The Oakland (Calif.) native prepped at Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Francisco and led his high school team to its section title in decades. Yarnway's talents stretch much, much further than the football field however, as fans will honestly be hard pressed to meet a more genuine and mature young man that carries himself like a person 30 years his age.

Even as a true freshman, Yarnway already stands 6-foot, 222 pounds and possesses very polished skills for someone at this stage of his football career. Yarnway has seen a handful of carries near the goal-line the last two days in practice and has experienced success and some failure. Yarnway was blown up by a charging Mike Mohamed on one specific run near the goal-line Sunday evening.

Since he began his freshman season at San Francisco's Sacred Heart Cathedral, Yarnway has been preparing himself as a feature back at the college, and hopefully, the professional level. He even gave up the game he loved the most at that time, basketball, because his first taste of football was incredible.

From the mental and physical side of the position - where 11 defenders are trying to tackle you on an every rushing play basis - to the weight training and dietary tools it takes to excel, the Bay Area footballer dedicated himself to the game.

There's no question though that watching Yarnway so far in camp, his skills look like it'll translate into yet another All-Conference 'back for Cal in the coming years.

Walk-on running back Peter Geurts has quit the team.

Wide Receivers Notes

The Bears gained one receiver but lost one on the same day, albeit nothing serious.

Last season's leading receiver Nyan Boateng returned to practice after sitting out the last week due to a concussion while Alex Lagemann missed practice because he was sick.

Boateng was limited and didn't get in on many snaps and you could tell he was a little rusty out there. Still though, having his presence in the lineup can do nothing but help the offense.

Jeremy Ross had a very good day catching the ball. Ross has been a little scratchy with his hands the last couple days, but he caught everything in sight Sunday evening. When he gets in the open field and gets his legs churning, Ross can really get going, as he showed during his many of his catches Sunday.

Overall, the wide receivers have been getting a lot more reliable.

Even though he didn't record a catch Sunday in the team sessions, Isi Sofele is going to be a nice weapon for the Bears.

Considering the camp that he's having, it is not a surprise that Tedford said tight end Skylar Curran is going to play this season. Tedford definitely rewards players who perform well in practice as he did with Sean Young last season and Curran's production has earned him some kudos so far. However, it's interesting to see exactly where Curran's playing time will come from.

If Curran does indeed see some significant time as Tedford implies he will, one of two things have to happen. Either Curran flat out performs better Tad Smith or Anthony Miller for a spot high on the depth chart, or Cal is going to scrap the fullback and use a ton of two tight end sets this season, which will require a heavy three-player tight end rotation. It'll be intriguing to see what happens there in the coming weeks.

Here are the reception totals for the running backs, wide receivers and tight ends on Day 10:

*** NOTE: These stats do not tell the whole story of how each athlete performed. Total yards are estimation only, as not all team periods are full-contact. Reception stats also exclude good and bad reads by the quarterback, drops, bad route running, pre-practice game plan by coaching staff to work on certain routes or areas of improvement, etc ?

DAY 10 STATISTICAL LEADER(s)

Jeremy Ross: 5 receptions, 44 yards, TD

Anthony Miller: 3 receptions, 31 yards, 2 TDs

Skylar Curran: 4 receptions, 34 yards, TD

Jarrett Sparks: 3 receptions, 24 yards, 2 TDs

Charles Satchell: 2 receptions, 45 yards, TD

OTHERS WHO RECORDED AT LEAST 1 CATCH

Tad Smith: 2 receptions, 9 yards, TD

Shane Vereen: 1 reception, 3 yards, TD

Eric Stevens: 1 reception, 24 yards, TD

Marvin Jones: 1 reception, 6 yards

Verran Tucker: 2 receptions, 15 yards

Ross Bostock: 2 receptions, 18 yards

Dasarte Yarnway: 1 reception, 6 yards

Kevin Lewis: 2 receptions, 11 yards

Brian Holley: 1 reception, 6 yards

Will Kapp: 1 reception, 5 yards

Offensive Line Notes

The first unit has stayed status quo since the third day of camp, as Mike Tepper, Matt Summers-Gavin, Chris Guarnero, Justin Cheadle and Mitchell Schwartz continue to anchor the first unit.

The scrimmage Tuesday evening, in which there will be a prolonged period of full-contact, should tell a lot about his first unit and the progress they've made. Schwartz and Tepper are solid on the edges but how the interior three will respond is the question. All three have been solid so far in camp and have escaped any major mistakes.

Specifically in regards to Summers-Gavin, the 6-foot-4, 291 pound redshirt freshman hasn't skipped a beat. Coming into camp, it was thought that incumbent starter Mark Boskovich had a leg up on the starting left guard position, but the staff decided to give "MSG" a shot and he hasn't disappointed.

The first thing that jumps out about Summers-Gavin is that he's extremely intelligent. He's a driven prospect, quick-to-the-point communicator, and completely focused on being the best student-athlete he can be.

His varsity coach during all three years, Steve Bluford, explained exactly what Summers-Gavin brings to the table. "Matt's gifts are just extraordinary," Coach Bluford described during MSG's senior year.

Defensive Line notes

The top three remained the same as Tyson Alualu, Cameron Jordan and Derrick Hill continue to take first-team reps.

One thing that did stand out about the defensive line rotation Sunday evening was that Kendrick Payne saw some snaps with the first-team as well. If Payne's knee, and for that matter Hill's as well, both holds up throughout the season, the Bears will trot out quite an effective nose tackle duo.

It'll be needed too, as nose tackle is one of the more physically demanding positions on the gridiron.

It appears that Ernest Owusu starting to come on a bit. Owusu had an outstanding practice two days ago and has carried on that momentum since to the field. Owusu has been seen on the first and second teams more and more lately, including the goal-line "jumbo" package in the 11-on-11 session.

It looks like it'll be Owusu or Keith Browner to lines up next to Payne come September 5.

On the other side, Aaron Tipoti is battling Trevor Guyton hard. However, it appeared that Tipoti re-aggravated a presumed ankle injury midway through practice.

Linebackers Notes

As the team goes to more 11-on-11 as each practice progress, another thing to take note of is the different personnel packages given situation. For example, linebacker Jarred Price has seen a lot of reps with the first-team on third-and-long situations due to his above average pass rushing skills.

The athletic Price got in the backfield twice Sunday evening to force sacks. His sack of Kevin Riley on first down in the final 11-on-11 series, where Price just ran past Mike Tepper, really derailed the entire drive for the first team offense.

Price and fellow linebacker mates Chris Little and Ryan Davis are progressing faster than a lot of people expected. It seems like everyday Little notches a big sack and Sunday was no different. The Oakland (Calif.) native sacked and stripped Brock Mansion in the final 11-on-11 session. If the ball hadn't bounced straight down, the drive ends and Mansion doesn't end up leading his unit to a touchdown.

From what we observed, Sunday was a much better outing for D.J. Holt in comparison to his effort Saturday evening during Day 9. Holt has stepped in and played as the first-team middle linebacker with Mychal Kendricks out with injury and the more snaps Holt gets, the better. Kendricks and Mohamed can't play every down, so Holt is going to be called upon to perform at some point in time this season.

Kendricks did return to action in limited fashion Sunday.

Mohamed made a grown man tackle when he stuffed Dasarte Yarnway at the 1-yard line during the goal-line session.

Even though Tad Smith scored during the last play of practice, Charles Johnson actually had pretty good coverage on the pass in the back of the end zone. Smith just made a very good play.

Secondary Notes

Extremely productive day as always for the defensive backs.

Darian Hagan returned to live action to join Syd'Quan Thompson, D.J. Campbell and Sean Cattouse on the first team.

Injuries are piling up all over the field and the secondary are not immune to the hits. Marcus Ezeff, Brett Johnson and Chris Conte, three key safeties on the roster, are all out with various injuries. None are believed to be too serious.

Special Teams Notes

It appeared for all intents and purposes that the placekickers worked on getting elevation on their kicks on Sunday. Many of the distances were very short but way off to the far corner of the hashes. The only kicker who had a kick blocked was David Seawright.

Overall though, another solid day for Seawright, Giorgio Tavecchio and Vince D'Amato.

- Tavecchio: 17-of-17 (good from 25, good from 25, good from 25, good from 25, good from 23, good from 23, good from 23, good from 23, good from 23, good from 19, good from 19, good from 19, good from 19, good from 19, good from 28, good from 27, good from 27)

- Seawright: 12-of-14 (good from 25, good from 25, missed from 25, good from 25, good from 23, good from 23, good from 23, good from 23, good from 23, good from 19, good from 19, missed from 19 blocked, good from 19, good from 27)

- D'Amato: 10-of-11 (good from 25, good from 25, good from 25, missed from 25, good from 23, good from 23, good from 23, good from 19, good from 19, good from 19, good from 19)

PITCH & CATCH (NO DEFENDERS)

Here is how each route broke down by completion rate during the pitch and catch session (no defenders, all three QBs throwing passes);

- ROUTE: Quick CURL facing north end zone 8-of-9 (one drop)

- ROUTE: Quick CURL facing south end zone 9-of-9

- ROUTE: CURL facing north end zone 6-of-9 (three drops)

- ROUTE: DRAG facing south end zone 9-of-9

- ROUTE: CORNER facing north end zone 6-of-9 (three drops)

1-ON-1's (skill positions)

When Marvin Jones lined up to go against Syd'Quan Thompson, one of their teammates shouted, "Matchup of the day! Let's see who wins!"

Even among teammates, Jones has made quite an impression this camp.

These 1-on-1's are also a great learning experience for young defensive backs such as Steve Williams, who has shown the potential to be a great one in the coming years. Williams possesses great closing speed, evening prompting Thompson to call him "Speedy Williams," and he's shown his prowess already on numerous occasions.

Here are the highlights from Sunday's 1-on-1 open field session between the wide receivers and the defensive backs:

The PLAY-BY-PLAY

- Verran Tucker puts a great move to get free of D.J. Campbell for catch

- Jeremy Ross catch in front of Marc Anthony

- Marvin Jones tangles feet with Darian Hagan and falls incomplete

- Bryant Nnabuife knocks away pass intended for Charles Satchell

- Spencer Hagan grab short on Tyre Ellison

- Incomplete intended for Ross Bostock working against Charles Amadi

- Nyan Boateng catches short against Steve Williams

- Isi Sofele can't come up with catch against Alex Logan

- Charles Amadi knocks away pass intended for Jackson Bouza

- Verran Tucker nice catch on Sean Cattouse

- Jeremy Ross beats Jesse Brooks deep for catch

- Marvin Jones cuts in front of D.J. Campbell for catch

- Nyan Boateng dives but can't come up with tough grab against Tyre Ellison

- Darian Hagan with good coverage to force incomplete intended for Jeremy Ross

- Ross Bostock short catch in front of Charles Amadi

- Spencer Hagan strong grab in front of Steve Williams

- Incomplete deep intended for Verran Tucker working against Syd'Quan Thompson

- Pass too high for Isi Sofele working against Tyre Ellison

- Pass incomplete deep intended for Jackson Bouza on Alex Logan

- Josh Hill knocks away pass intended for Jeremy Ross

- Incomplete intended for Nyan Boateng working against Darian Hagan

- Marvin Jones short catch on Syd'Quan Thompson

- Verran Tucker short catch on D.J. Campbell

- PI on Darian Hagan against Charles Satchell

- Nyan Boateng gets angle on Charles Amadi for catch

7-ON-7's (NO LINEMEN, red zone)

The quarterbacks were all very sharp in this session. Kevin Riley,Brock Mansion and Beau Sweeney combined to throw for seven touchdowns this period, including several balls in traffic that were put right where only the receiver could make a play.

The tight ends continue to be a favorite target of the quarterbacks in the red zone, as four of the seven scores came from the hands of tight ends.

The other three scores were all nice catches by Jeremy Ross, Charles Satchell and Eric Stevens.

The PLAY-BY-PLAY

Kevin Riley under center

- (from the 24) Riley complete to Jeremy Ross for 7 yards

- (from the 18) Riley with a strike to Charles Satchell over middle for 18-yard TOUCHDOWN

- (from the 13) Pass for Skylar Curran in end zone is knocked away by Robert Mullins

- (from the 5) Riley looks right and finds an open Jarrett Sparks for a 5-yard TOUCHDOWN

- (from the 15) Riley is SACKED

- (from the 24) Short to Kevin Lewis for 8 yards

- (from the 15) Pass intended for Charles Satchell is knocked away by Mychal Kendricks

- (from the 8) Pass is right on the money to Anthony Miller down sideline for 8-yard TOUCHDOWN

- (from the 5) Riley is patient and eventually finds Skylar Curran in back of end zone for 5-yard TOUCHDOWN

- (from the 20) Nice catch by Jeremy Ross to net 15 yards over middle

Brock Mansion under center

- (from the 21) Mansion complete to Brian Holley for 6 yards

- (from the 15) Pass incomplete intended for Anthony Miller

- (from the 9) Sure touchdown in back of end zone is dropped by a leaping Charles Satchell

- (from the 21) Pass right on the money at goal-line to Anthony Miller for a 21-yard TOUCHDOWN

- (from the 18) Pass over middle intended for Skylar Curran is tipped

- (from the 12) Pass right on the money for Jeremy Ross for 12-yard TOUCHDOWN

- (from the 12) Short complete to Tad Smith for 4 yards

Beau Sweeney under center

- (from the 24) Perfect pass to Eric Stevens for 24-yard TOUCHDOWN

- (from the 21) Pass intended for Anthony Miller is incomplete

- (from the 17) Complete to Will Kapp for 5 yards

- (from the 15) Pass is dropped by John Tyndall

9-ON-9 (NO WR or CB)

This session is based on running the ball only, with the occasional play-action pass mixed in.

Sunday evening, with the refs present, there was also the possibility of holding calls and the such being made.

Outside of two long runs, highlighted by Dasarte Yarnway, the defense more than held their own.

False starts committed by offensive linemen automatically meant 1 lap around the field.

The PLAY-BY-PLAY

Kevin Riley under center

- Shane Vereen rush 7 up middle

- Shane Vereen 1 yard over right guard

- FS Mike Tepper (who proceeds to run 1 lap around the field)

- Shane Vereen up the middle 1 yard

- Dasarte Yarnway runs hard for 11 yards up middle

- Dasarte Yarnway 1 yard over left guard

Brock Mansion under center

- Dasarte Yarnway over left tackle for 10 yards

- Langston Jackson up the middle for 5 yards

- Kevin Lewis off left tackle for 10 yards BUT offensive holding called

- Langston Jackson slips through for 6 yards over left guard

- FS Brian Schwenke (who proceeds to run 1 lap around the field)

- Kevin Lewis 3 yards off left tackle

- Langston Jackson 10 yards up the middle

Beau Sweeney under center

- Kevin Lewis off right tackle 5 yards

- Kevin Lewis tackled behind line (-1) yard

Allan Bridgford under center

- Kevin Lewis over left tackle 2 yards

- Langston Jackson stuffed for no gain right tackle

11-ON-11 (first session)

The defense performed well in this session, holding the offense to short passes and minimal rush gains up the middle.

The only pass attempt for Kevin Riley slipped out of his hands.

The best pass of the session was Brock Mansion's pitch to Jarrett Sparks that netted 17 yards.

The PLAY-BY-PLAY

Kevin Riley under center

- Pass slips out of Riley's hand incomplete

- Complete to Jeremy Ross short for 3 yards

- Shane Vereen rush up the middle for 1 yard

- Riley rush for 5 yards

- Isi Sofele rush (-1) yard

- Shane Vereen over left tackle for 7 yards

Brock Mansion under center

- Dasarte Yarnway rush 2 yards over right tackle

- Mansion throws incomplete intended for Nyan Boateng

- FALSE START offense (Chet Teofilo, Mark Boskovich)

- Dasarte Yarnway over left tackle 7 yards

- Kevin Lewis up the middle 1 yard

- Mansion complete to Jarrett Sparks down field for 17 yards

Beau Sweeney under center

- Complete short to Verran Tucker for 7 yards

- Langston Jackson no gain over right guard

- Kevin Lewis 9 yards over left tackle

Allan Bridgford under center

- fumbled snap

- Kevin Lewis (-3) rush

11-ON-11 (second session)

With two of the top three running backs on the depth chart out with injury, Darsarte Yarnway saw some valuable first-team reps behind the best blockers on the roster, including first-team guys like Justin Cheadle.

Yarnway had a solid run over right guard and made key blocks on Kevin Riley's pass attempts down the field.

The two biggest plays this session were Brock Mansion's strike to Charles Satchell and a big run off right tackle by walk-on 'back Kevin Lewis.

The PLAY-BY-PLAY

Kevin Riley under center

- Shane Vereen no gain over left guard

- Dasarte Yarnway 4 yards over right guard

- Riley rush for 5 yards

- Miscommunication between Riley and Marvin Jones results incomplete

- Complete to Verran Tucker for catch and run of 8 yards

- Complete to a leaping Skylar Curran for 12 yards

Brock Mansion under center

- Kevin Lewis 2 yards up middle

- Kevin Lewis rush (-1) yards around left tackle

- Dasarte Yarnway around right tackle for 10 yards

- Bullet is complete to a streaking Charles Satchell for 27 yards

- Complete short to Marvin Jones for 6 yards

- Mansion avoids sack and dumps off to Jeremy Ross for 7 yards

- Kevin Lewis finds the right corner for big rush of 22 yards

Beau Sweeney under center

- Sweeney is SACKED by Mike Costanzo

- Sweeney avoids sack and manages to get rid of ball incomplete

Allan Bridgford under center

- Complete to Kevin Lewis for 3 yards

Ryan Wertenberger under center

- Langston Jackson 2 yards over left guard

11-ON-11 (goal-line)

This session was physical as one could imagine.

Shane Vereen easily scored on two of the first three plays but the defense buckled down after that, as big pluggers Derrick Hill, Kendrick Payne, Kevin Bemoll and company got a good push on several snaps.

Mike Mohamed's tackle on Dasarte Yarnway was an All-American type play. Mohamed shot the gap at 100 miles an hour, shed a blocker and pushed forward to stop Yarnway's momentum cold.

The PLAY-BY-PLAY

Kevin Riley under center

- (from the 3) Riley throws complete to Shane Vereen for 3-yard TOUCHDOWN

- (from the 3) Shane Vereen up the middle no gain but PENALTY called offsides defense

- (from the 2) Shane Vereen over left tackle for 2-yard TOUCHDOWN but PENALTY called offensive holding

- (from the 2) Shane Vereen dives in for 2-yard TOUCHDOWN over right tackle

- (from the 1) Dasarte Yarnway gets chopped down by Mike Mohamed for (-2) yards

Brock Mansion under center

- (from the 3) Dasarte Yarnway gains 1 yard before getting swallowed up by defense

- (from the 2) Mansion fires into body of Jarrett Sparks complete for 2-yard TOUCHDOWN

- (from the 2) Dasarte Yarnway fumbles but recovers. PENALTY on play offsides defense

- (from the 2) Dasarte Yarnway dives but is just short of goal-line for rush of 1 yard

- (from the 1) Dasarte Yarnway pounds it in for 1-yard TOUCHDOWN

11-ON-11 (fourth session, situational)

This session was another exciting sneak peak into how the team might react in a pressure packed situation later this season. This period was a full-contact drill that forced the offense to drive 60 yards in an attempt to score a touchdown to take a lead.

The scenario was laid out like this specifically. Defense is up 35-30 with 1:30 left on the clock. The offense has possession of the ball at its own 40-yard line with one timeout. The goal of this drill is to obviously drive the field and score to take the lead.

Unlike in Day 9, where Kevin Riley led the first team to a score in a similar scenario situation, it was Brock Mansion and the second unit who found their way into the end zone. Mansion and the entire offense showed good clock management and awareness in a 9-play, 60-yard drive in 1:20 that resulted in a touchdown from Mansion to Tad Smith in the back of the end zone.

Defensively, the Cal first-team unit did well to hold the first-team offense to a three-and-out in a scramble situation. Jarred Price's sack on first day really set the defense back. Speaking of sacks, Chris Little racked up two of his own, including a strip of Mansion that could've ended the drive had the ball bounced to the side instead of straight down.

A flag against the defense late in the Mansion drive for lining up offsides negated a Little sack. Tedford said afterward that those little things are great learning experiences for the team and is a big reason why they practice a lot of situational drills.

The PLAY-BY-PLAY

Kevin Riley under center

- (from the 40) Riley is SACKED off the edge by Jarred Price

- (from the 35) Complete short to Anthony Miller for 2 yards before getting chopped down by Syd'Quan Thompson

- (from the 37) Riley can't find anyone open and scrambles for 7 yards

- TIMEOUT OFFENSE

- (from the 44) With 41 seconds left on the clock on fourth-and-7, Riley drops back and heaves it down the field for Anthony Miller who is covered well by Josh Hill which results in an incomplete.

DEFENSE HOLDS

Brock Mansion under center

- (from the 40) Mansion complete to Dasarte Yarnway for 6 yards

- (from the 46) Mansion is SACKED and stripped by Chris Little but Mark Boskovich manages to recover loose ball

- (from the 40) Mansion throws a little high over the middle intended for Charles Satchell who jumps but can't come up with ball after getting nailed as ball arrives by Jesse Brooks. But, Brooks is called for a leading with the helmet personal foul PENALTY on the play

- (from the opponents' 45) With 40 seconds left on clock, Mansion drops back and hits Ross Bostock short who then runs out of bounds for catch of 11 yards

- (from the 34) With 35 seconds left, Mansion drops and throws over middle to Skylar Curran for 9 yards

- (from the 25) Mansion throws short to Skylar Curran again for 8 yards

- (from the 17) Mansion quickly drops back and throws caught by Ross Bostock for 7 yards to the 10-yard line

- TIMEOUT OFFENSE

- (from the 10) With 16 seconds left on the clock, Mansion drops back and is SACKED by Chris Little but PENALTY offsides defense

- (from the 5) With 13 seconds left on clock, Mansion looks left and finds Tad Smith who pulls in nice catch in traffic against Charles Johnson for 5-yard TOUCHDOWN

Extra Points

For the second day in a row, the coaching staff brought in officials to ref the practice and piped in artificial crowd noise.

Tuesday's scrimmage is the first of two scheduled this camp.

Chris Nguon is the lead football writer for BearTerritory. He's well known for his recruiting and game coverage in the star-studded Oakland Athletic League, plus his numerous contributions with The Daily Californian, UC Berkeley's only independent, student-run newspaper. Nguon is also a correspondent with the Oakland Tribune, and will cover Cal football and men's and women's basketball in 2009.