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Pac-10 Preview: Cal's Tedford has tough task ahead

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California wide reciever No. 5 Jonathan Makonnen is about to catch a pass during a game last season against Washington State. Makonnen is the Golden Bears´ top returning receiver this season.

Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of nine articles previewing Pac-10 football teams

Jeff Tedford took over as head coach for the California football team in 2002 and inherited a program that was on probation and hadn't had a winning season in nine years.

The situation seemed grim, but Tedford surprised the Pac-10 by leading the Golden Bears to a 7-5 record, good enough to earn him Pac-10 Coach of the Year.

But as remarkable as the turnaround was, Tedford may find it more challenging to coach the Golden Bears in 2003.

California loses 24 seniors from last year's team, including quarterback Kyle Boller and defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha, both first-round NFL draft picks.

"We lost a lot of good seniors in Kyle Boller and Nnamdi Asomugha," senior wide receiver Jonathan Makonnen said at Pac-10 media day last month. "But every year, you have to get players to come in and take those spots. It's a good chance for players to step in right away."

California already has one game under its belt, suffering a 42-28 loss to Kansas State Aug. 23. KSU dominated throughout, but the 28 points put on the scoreboard by the Golden Bears against a tough Wildcat defense was better than what most people expected.

Reggie Robertson and Aaron Rodgers combined to throw for 378 yards, while Geoff McArthur hauled in eight catches for 169 yards. Although Robertson started the game against KSU, both he and Rodgers are still fighting for the starting job.

Neither is expected to have the same success as Boller did last year after the current Baltimore Ravens quarterback threw for almost 3,000 yards.

Regardless of who is throwing the ball, the California receiving core is strong with both McArthur and Makonnen. Makonnen is the top returning receiver for California after catching 54 balls last season for 682 yards.

"Jonathan Makonnen came in as a JC transfer last year, and he did a phenomenal job for us," Tedford said. "He brought great leadership and work ethic to the wide receiver group."

The defense was a big question mark for Tedford's team heading into 2003, and its weak performance against KSU could become a trend for the whole season.

Lorenzo Alexander, one of only two returning starters on defense, will be a force on the defensive line, but three new starting linemen, linebackers and defensive backs will have to learn quickly to keep California in games against some of the high-powered offenses of the Pac-10.

KSU was the toughest team on California's non-conference slate, but a home game against Colorado State and a road game at Illinois could also provide stiff challenges.

Pac-10 powerhouses USC and Washington will both travel to Berkeley to face the Golden Bears, but the team will also have two tough road trips to ASU and Oregon.

The Pac-10 media has picked California to finish in eighth place in the conference. A bowl game was a possibility last season had it not been for probation penalties, but two seasons in a row with a winning record might be out of paw's reach for the Golden Bears.

Reach the reporter at andrew.bernick@asu.edu.


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