I Stand By Kevin Riley

Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes. And Cal losing.

In any other year if you wake up in the morning and see that the second ranked team in the country is the traditional football powerhouse that is California, you're probably still dreaming. Granted, the AP Poll this season has meant about as much as a valid form of ID at a foreign-owned liquor store. Fair-weather fans popped up everywhere, and everyone was in over their heads. But you knew it wouldn't last. I just didn't think it would end so soon.

At the game, we welcomed the alumni back with one of the scariest and most awesome "C-A-L GO BEARS!" I've ever heard. And the starting lineups looked great, because the monster Zach Follett (FIRE, RAGE, FURY) was back! But one thing that had slipped my mind after the bye-week was Longshore's sore ankle that he suffered during the Oregon game. I figured he would be fine since we had a bye, and the GameDay newspaper said that he was fine to play. So when they announced him as the starting QB, Strawberry Canyon had nothing to worry about. Right?



Everyone and their mothers could have told you Mark Sanchez was starting over John David Booty for SC this week. It was advertised by ESPN (continuing with their tradition of excellent press-coverage of the Pac-10), and we knew after that Booty had a broken finger. But when all signs point to Nate Longshore being in good enough shape to play -- even announcing him in the starting lineup -- you wouldn't expect switch to redshirt freshman Kevin Riley on the first play of the game. Tedford (Possible National Coach of the Year) pulled the rug out from under the faithful; I would've expected him to give the crowd (let alone the QB) a few days notice that we might not see Nate.

Due to the fact that Kevin Riley was thrown into this mess, things got off to a rocky start. Cal didn't convert during the first few drives, and the fans were really anxious. This was our homecoming game, and we weren't able to put away a team who's mascot was the Beavers and who's running back's name was Yvenson (All Pac-10 Sickest Name honors). But things started to come together during the second quarter, and you know what? Kevin Riley sure as hell didn't look like a redshirt freshman out there. He looked good, at times better than Longshore. Arguably the best play of the game came when Riley was wrapped up, yet managed to get a pass off which I thought would be called for intentional grounding. It found Craig Stevens (yes, he's in fact still on the team), who somehow CAUGHT IT and carried the Oregon State defense on his back to gain even more yardage.

Suddenly LSU had lost, and everyone in the student section started to jinx the game by chanting "WE'RE NUMBER 1!" That's when I knew we were lost. Even if Lavelle Hawkins can run in a touchdown to bring the game within three, and subsequently cause all of my blood vessels to explode. Even if the script was beautifully written like a Disney movie with the backup quarterback coming in to lead his team. That final drive was almost picturesque, and for a while there Riley had me believing. But this is Cal. It's not 1951. We aren't supposed to be ranked number 1. And when Tedford got greedy and left his field goal unit on the sidelines with 15 seconds left, it was game over.

ESPN and SI can rightfully (and will) criticize Cal's shortcomings all they want, but don't go after Kevin Riley for throwing for 294 yards. Cal students can make all these facebook groups to express all their frustration over the loss, but don't go after Kevin Riley for throwing 2 TDs and running in another. To quote Mike Gundy (the sworn protector of all collegiate athletes from this point forward), you don't go after a player who's a "good kid" for doing everything right. Sure, he made a mental error on the last play. But he's not the reason we lost. The game wasn't Riley's to decide. Cal has been touted as having some of the best offensive weapons in the nation with Jackson, Forsett, Hawkins, Jordan, Longshore, etc. So no one could blame it all on one individual's poor play. Cal AS A TEAM didn't come out and give it their all, and as such we aren't ranked number 1. But when Riley's tearing up defenses with that cannon during the next few years, you'll regret that you even considered blaming him -- a redshirt freshman, no less.

Most fans were searching for answers in general after the game (as well as lots of alcohol). How could we not capitalize and jump into number 1? How could we not stand up for the Pac-10 and stick it to Les Miles (Sidenote: Hats off to David Oda for that face he's making in this photo)? I'll admit that I was thinking about these same things. Since this SEC/Pac-10 debate started, I've hoped that Tedford could finally put Cal over the hump and make them a legitimate national title contender, and not just the "USC + 9 other schools" conference. This loss sort of derailed that spirit, but the fact that fans were thinking that in the first place is kind of comforting. It shows Tedford's been doing his job; there is a Cal football program, and students at this university care about it (fair-weather or not). The student section screamed its heart out last night, and all we got to show for it was an L and a bunch of sore throats. But I'm sure if you'd told a Cal fan in 2001 about what transpired over last night, and the possibilities that could have happened had Cal won, he would've laughed at your naivety. Told you to wake up. To stop dreaming. Maybe -- if he was angry -- to go fuck yourself.

And that's what many are inclined to do. This conversation with my friend Ethan after the game summed up what's gonna happen to a lot of the student body at Cal.

Me: "So...you got any plans tonight?"
Ethan: "I dunno. I have some homework to do and classes to catch up on. I'll probably just stay in and do that."
Me: "Yeah, I think that's a wise choice. I need to get back to earth."

But not me. Mr. Hypothetical 2001 Bears fan, after this heart-wrenching loss I'm awake, and I'm still a Cal fan. And maybe I'll see you next Saturday (if you shelled out the money to fly down to Pasadena).